Thread: Giving Away American Jobs

I cannot copy and paste the article but here is the link. The article is about a construction site bringing people in on visas from Mexico to do sheet metal work while Americans in that field are unemployed. This is part one of his series.

http://cbs4.com/local/defede.economy.jobs.2.936589.html

excellent article. Please post the next article tomorrow.

DeFede: Giving Away American Jobs
The First In A Series Of Reports Reporting
Jim DeFede
E-mail MIAMI (CBS4 I-TEAM) ―
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In November 2007, the Sheraton Bal Harbour was demolished. In its place comes the promise of a grander vision for South Florida's skyline, the St. Regis Resort, a trio of oceanside glass towers.

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numSlides of totalImages In November 2007, the Sheraton Bal Harbour, one of the great hotels from Miami's past, was demolished. In its place comes the promise of a grander vision for South Florida's skyline, the St. Regis Resort, a trio of oceanside glass towers built by developer Jorge Perez.

Construction at the St Regis is expected to continue for another two years, employing hundreds of construction workers at a time when these types of jobs are scarce. But while the project may be a boon to some, one group feeling left out is American sheet metal workers.

In a move that is angering local workers as well as members of Congress, one company received permission from both the state of Florida and the U.S. Department of Labor to bring workers in from Mexico to install the air conditioning and heating ducts - even though there are more than a thousand unemployed sheet metal workers right here in South Florida.

"This is really a terrible situation what's going on," said U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, whose congressional district includes the St. Regis site. "How can you bring folks from another country - no diss on Mexico - to do this construction project when you have so many folks here who could use the work?"

CBS4 News wondered that as well.

The company doing the sheet metal work is CYVSA International, one of the largest construction firms in Mexico, and they applied for the right to bring in foreign workers under an immigration provision most Americans know very little about -- the H2-B Visa program.

H2B visas are only supposed to be issued for seasonal work and only when there are no American workers available. Both the State of Florida and the U.S. Department of Labor certified there were no Americans available, even though they claimed to try and recruit the workers during a ten day period.

But what the State of Florida and federal government claimed they couldn't do in ten days, the CBS4 I-Team accomplished in less than 72 hours.

We brought together more than 100 unemployed sheet metal workers for a town hall style meeting. Most have been out of work for at least four months and many say they are close to losing their homes and their health insurance.

"You ask us how we feel," began Phil Morales. "Well I'm damn angry that these people who we elect can turn their back on us for greed or whatever reason, and leave us in the conditions we're in. So you ask us how we feel, well, most of us are just damn angry about it. That's all I want to say."

Anger gave way to tears when it became clear the toll being felt by families.

Sixteen-year-old Cindy Duenas talked about seeing her father, a sheet metal worker who has been out of work nearly six months, struggle to keep his family together.

"You don't understand the feeling when you go into your house and you see your dad, going through the bills and he doesn't know what to do," she said breaking down in tears, as her father tried to comfort her.

"I understand all of you guys are qualified," she continued, addressing the men in the room "All of you guys have the ability to be working right now to be providing to your families, to be given that money, but you can't just because they gave it to someone else. That's not right. This country, it should help out the people that are here living, because this situation is incredibly devastating for everybody, for their family, for their children."

As she spoke, others in the crowd held back tears.

"This room is filled up with a lot of qualified people who really want to work," added Rolland White. "They aren't happy collecting unemployment checks but the point I haven't heard brought up tonight is, I would think the American taxpayer, who is really paying for the unemployment, would have a little anger about this themselves. The money for the unemployment and all the benefits has to be paid for by somebody and that's the taxpayer."

In an email to the CBS4 I-Team, the president of CYVSA acknowledged that his company has brought workers in from Mexico. And although his company was certified to bring the workers in under H2B visas, he denied actually using those visas. He refused to say what visa program the company was using.

"There is a team at the St. Regis project of key individuals who have worked on our international projects for a number of years," CYVSA President Sergio Armella wrote. "In addition we have hired and continue to hire qualified workers from the local labor pool."

Robert O'Brien, as well as others in the crowd, said they tried to get hired by CYVSA without any luck. "I sent out a resume certified mail as well and never received any info," he said.

CYVSA refused to say how many foreign workers were brought in for the project.

The foreign workers are being housed at an apartment complex in Surfside. CBS4 News contacted the workers there, and based on those interviews, as well as interviews with others at the job site, it appears the Mexican workers are being paid less than half what the American workers were being making

CYVSA refused to provide any information as to what the foreign workers were being paid.

"The people high up aren't watching our backs and ensuring that we stayed employed..." O'Brien said. "It's one thing if everyone in this room was working and they couldn't find men to occupy that job that they need to bring in people, but its a whole different deal when you've got this many people sitting in the room out of work."

(In Part 2 we will take a closer look at exactly what happened in this case and why the state and the federal government allowed this to happen.)

Just wait till they crank up the A/C and employees and visitors come down with various diseases due to the fecal matter and other such items in the ductwork.....or the problems they will have with various aspects of the system due to poor workmanship....

Just wait til the grand opening and their shock when no one is rushing to check in. Where will the paying guests come from? Mexico?

Americans they cut out, the ones who actually pay to vacation at hotels, won't be there.

Another "H" visa that is supposed to only be used when no qualified, willing, local workers are available. Just like the H-1B that is used to displace Americans from white-collar jobs.

Being a Union Sheetmetal worker for 33 years now I'm just floored by this! When the outsourcing of American jobs started in the late 80's and early 90's I was smug in the fact that my job couldn't be outsourced. Well the Greedy ratbastards found a way around that.

You would think that this situation should finally put to bed the BS that 'they do jobs Americans don't want'. I eagerly await the 2nd part of this story to see how the state and Feds justify this rape of American workers! Here in NYC they haven't been so blatant yet, no they just turn a blind eye to the many Illegal Aliens working construction.

Fatalities in the trades here have shot up in the past few years, mostly (hell almost entirely) on non-union construction sites. What does our government do? They mandate a safety course for the Union Trades! I'll have to spend 12 hrs of personal time to take this course and will have to pay over $100 to take it! I learned Safety Protection as an apprentice and don't need any damned refresher course. The biggest kick in the azz is that OSHA rarely inspects non-union sites so the Illegal Alien scabs will never get this training.

Oops slipped into a bit of a rant there.

These are exactly the people who are going to be getting these so called "shovel ready" positions under Obama's stimulus plan!

You know, it's not bad enough that we have 12-20 million illegal invaders( largely from mexico) in this country stealing jobs in all sectors of society. But we now have to endure some company, with the blessing of the State of Florida, shipping in from mexico on visa's to steal jobs from Americans!

Remind me again why we continue to pay taxes in this country when we are being sold out by those very people who are supposed to represent us!

"In addition we have hired and continue to hire qualified workers from the local labor pool."



And just what "local labor pool" would that be exactly?

The job centers run by pro-illegal advocates, for illegal aliens?

The day laborers gathered on street corners, at the Home Depot...........what?

Sorry, but there is absolutely NO excuse for what has happened here.......NONE

SOOOOO sad!! well I e-mailed it to all MSM and several Senators on both sides of the isle, this is their creation to destroy American lives!