Momentum for Bill Banning Tax Dollars for Companies That Off Shore U.S. Call Center Jobs Builds

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Communications Workers of America (CWA) today hailed the growing national outrage over taxpayer subsidies for corporations that send jobs off shore, as Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced S.3402, a companion bill to the “U.S. Call Center and Worker Protection Act” in the United States Senate. Among other provisions, the legislation would ban companies that off shore American call center jobs from receiving federal loans, grants or subsidies for five years.

The bill, which also requires that a list of companies that send jobs off shore be made available to the public, was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives (HR 3596) late last year and currently has over 130 bi-partisan co-sponsors in that legislative body.

“We commend Senator Casey for standing up for good jobs and U.S. communities. This bill will reduce the incidence of outsourcing and help keep these family supporting jobs in the U.S. and in communities like Allentown, PA., where T-Mobile USA recently shut down its call center,” said Ron Collins, CWA Chief of Staff. 

Just last month , T-Mobile USA closed seven call centers in six states, affecting 3,300 working Americans and their communities, while at the same time increasing the number of service calls going to facilities in Central America and The Philippines.  Also this year, the Republican National Committee hosted a conference call for reporters criticizing President Obama’s economic record that ironically was routed through an overseas call center.

State level legislative efforts have also been building with bi-partisan bills being introduced in Florida, Arizona and New Jersey, among other states.

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CONTACT: Chuck Porcari or Elizabeth Schilling, CWA Communications, 202-434-1168, cporcari@cwa-union.org, eschilling@cwa-union.org