CWA: Amendment Will Give Critical Support to U.S. STEM Workers, Students

For release June 19, 2013

CWA: Amendment Will Give Critical Support to U.S. STEM Workers, Students

Washington, D.C. -- The Communications Workers of America issued this statement in support of Amendment 1311 to comprehensive immigration reform. 

An important amendment to comprehensive immigration reform has been introduced by a bi-partisan group of Senators: Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), and Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.)

This measure, Amendment 1311, requires employers to hire “equally or better qualified” U.S. STEM workers, those with education and training in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, before looking to hire H-1B visa holders. CWA commends the senators for their work on this critical issue that affects workers, students and our economy. 

This amendment is an important fix to S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. Today, recent U.S. graduates in STEM fields face unemployment rates of 7.4 percent (engineers) and nearly 6 percent (in mathematics). U.S. students studying for occupations within the STEM sectors need to know that jobs and opportunity will be available to them as they continue their studies.

It would be ironic if the increase in STEM funds to help students pay for education, created as part of a compromise over H-1B visa levels, leads to a greater number of U.S. students who can’t find work in their STEM profession.

High skill U.S. workers need assurances as well, that they will not be dumped by employers looking to abuse the H-1B program and offshore their work. If the U.S. economy is to continue to grow, American workers need good jobs. And to compete on the global stage, our country must fully utilize the talents of U.S. workers.

CWA urges the U.S. Senate to debate, vote on and adopt this amendment to comprehensive immigration reform.

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Contact: Candice Johnson or Chuck Porcari, CWA Communications, 202-434-1168, cjohnson@cwa-union.org and cporcari@cwa-union.org