January 9, 2007

Dear Executive Editor and Reporters, Sacramento Bee

An H-1b urban legend is that U.S. workers are protected because employers must pay them the "prevailing wage."

DOL has released the 2006 LCA records, which reveal that in May 2006 Executive Editor Rick Rodriquez personally submitted LCA requests for two H-1b reporters for the Sacramento Bee.  According to the documents filed by Rodriquez, the "prevailing wage" for Staff Writers is $23,400.

Sacramento Bee reporters: Do you agree that you are protected from displacement by H-1b workers by a prevailing wage of $23,400? Do you realize that the Sacramento Bee has the legal right to hire H-1b reporters at that wage, then force you to train them before laying you off? Then when you are unemployed you will respond to "help wanted" ads for reporters, but those will be fake job ads to secure greencards for the H-1b workers. You will find that there is no legal remedy, and the only hope is get Congress to reform this god-awful program.

Another H-1b urban legend is that employers only hire H-1b when there are no qualified Americans available. Rick: How hard did you try to fill these reporter positions with Americans before you filed these LCAs? Are these two $45,000 reporters the "best and brightest in the world, doing jobs that Americans are not available to fill?" The current cap on H-1b is 85,000 per year - how high do you advocate that cap should be?

If these reporters are the "best and brightest in the world" - how does their salary compare to what you pay your average American reporters?

It was highly unethical for the Sacramento Bee have been running pro H-1b Editorials without disclosing their use of and vested interest in the H-1b program.

http://www.flcdatacenter.com/CaseH1B.aspx

Note that DOL approved the LCA application on the same day that it was submitted - these are approved automatically on the website - no human is involved.