PROGRAMMERS GUILD E-NEWSLETTER
NOVEMBER 2006

ELECTION 2006 ISSUE

Programmers Guild endorses James Webb in Virginia Senate Race

As we covered last month, a key issue for U.S. tech workers that is likely to play out after the election is the SKIL Bill. Among the hottest Senate races in country is between challenger James Webb and incumbent and SKIL Bill sponsor Republican George Allen in Virginia. In contrast, Webb is on record as opposing the H-1b program "except in the most extraordinary cases." A lively debate is on this blog. This is a close race. If you live in Virginia, please get the word out that Allen is a threat.

We recommend voting against all sponsors of the SKIL Bill, and a phone call to their offices explaining why they lost your vote.

Here's a profile of the 50 Richest Members of Congress. Many own significant stock or other interests in corporations that benefit from an unlimited flow of cheap labor. 21st Century America is fine when you can escape to Pebble Beach in your private jet. How do measure up? Senator John McCain, with $29 million, ranks tenth.

Newsflash: Naturalized Citizens have the Right to Vote!

On cannot image that an immigrant would go through the naturalization process and not be aware that, as a sworn citizens of the United States, he has the right to vote. But just to be sure, the California Secretary of State teamed up with MALDEF and NCLR to inform them, by mailing this letter - which bears the insignias of these organizations.

On roughly the same day these organizations ridiculed President Bush for signing the border fence bill. Mario Obeldo, former head of MALDEF, stated that ''California is going to be a Hispanic state. Anyone who does not like it should leave.'' And a former president of MALDEF published a UCLA study advocating voting rights for illegal aliens.

Aussies do have bigger balls - refusing to train their Indian replacements

The unofficial ambassadors of Australia, AC/DC, have long proclaimed "We've got the biggest balls of them all." Now the Aussies are proving it. "Upset at losing their jobs due to offshoring, IT workers in the St George Bank in [Melbourne] Australia have refused to train their Indian replacements."

The employees of the Bank were warned in September that they would lose their jobs and were told last Tuesday they would assist training new staff through a "buddy system." With buddies who aim to steal your job, who needs enemies? Qantas Airlines is also taking heat for moving 340 IT positions to India.

In contrast to American labor unions that often advocate for "Amnesty for illegal alien scab workers," the Finance Sector Union of Australia has taken a strong position on behalf of their members.

Programmers Guild proposes free tuition for U.S. Engineering Students

The Programmers Guild is finalizing a proposal to Congress whereby a $5000 fee on each of the 500,000 H-1b workers in the U.S. would be used to subsidize the costs and tuition, up to $20,000 annually, enabling tens of thousands of additional Americans to attain and Engineering or Computer Science degree. Industry lobbying group and SKIL Bill proponents CompeteAmerica has already summarily rejected the proposal.

Lap Dances traded for H-1b visas

Deputy nonimmigrant visa chief Michael John O'Keefe at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto was indicted on bribery and conspiracy charges for accepted free flights to Las Vegas with exotic dancers and other bribes to speed up the visa process for a jewelry company. Indian native Sunil Agrawal, CEO of STS Jewels, Inc, was also charged. The LCAs for STS Jewels, approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, are here.

The Programmers Guild objects to giving away U.S. jobs to $30k foreign accountants and programmers with no requirement that qualified Americans be considered first - even if no lap dances are involved. Last month InformationWeek reported how guild member Roy Lawson challenged an employer for advertising exclusively for H-1B workers.

Slum Tours of India - Bottomless Pit of Cheap Labor

There are only about 3.5 million IT jobs in the entire United States - and roughly 500,000 are filled by H-1B workers.  Sadly, there are more slum dwellers than that within single cities in India. Bombay, for example is home to over five million slum dwellers.

If you are bored with Hawaii, consider a "Slum Tour" of the largest slum in Asia in Mumbai, India. The tours are conducted by Reality Tours and Travel.

India and China outnumber the U.S. by a factor of seven, and these workers represent an endless supply of desperate cheap labor to U.S. corporate interests.  They could take every job in America and barely put a dent in their poverty problem.

The U.S. should be doing what it can to help these people. But Programmers Guild members draw the line at granting them visas and then being forced to train them to displace us from our careers.

A Corporation opposed to Offshoring? America4Sale.net

Nucor Corporation (NYSE: NUE) is one of the largest steel producers in the United States. CEO Dan DiMicco has been an outspoken critic of unfair trade with China, and is apparently now funding www.america4sale.net, running ads such as this in newspapers across the country.

Tech Corner

Microsoft Visual Web Developer

Arguably the best web development tool on the planet is also free. Microsoft's Visual Web Developer Express is a free download, and their website contains 20 hours of video tutorials as well as several starter kits. Unlike prior versions, you do not even need IIS on your PC - this will develop high-end web applications on a basic XP-Home computer.

Microsoft® Office Accounting Express 2007

Microsoft just released another free express product: You can download a fully functional copy of Accounting Express here.

IEEE TV now available to the public

IEEE has recently opened their online TV programs to the public, including segments pertinent to career planning and new technology.

Anti-Patterns

Most of us are familiar with "Patterns." this webpage, however, contains several "anti-patterns - development approaches to avoid.

FL Studio - Digital Recording Studio on the PC

If you've ever dreamed of having a digital recording studio, now you can download an amazing package for free. (You'll need to purchase the software in order to save your projects. But you can learn a lot from the demos.) www.flstudio.com

Pop Culture Persistence

For the first time in his 30 year career, Weird Al Yankovic, has hit the top 10. You can see the video on YouTube.

To unsubscribe to future messages reply with subject "unsubcribe"
www.programmersguild.org