"Press 1 for America" Call Center Jobs Bill Introduced in Congress

U.S. Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY) and a bi-partisan group of legislators introduced the "U.S. Call Center and Worker Protection Act of 2013" (H.R. 2909), in Congress just before the start of the August recess.

"Press 1 For America," a part of the bill, requires call center employees to identify the country from which they are taking the call, and if that's outside the United States, offer consumers the opportunity to be transferred back to a U.S. facility. The bill bars federal grants, loans and subsidies to companies that send call center jobs offshore for three years, and requires that a list of companies that offshore be made available to the public. Firms that return jobs to the United States from overseas would be taken off that list.

"Companies that choose to outsource American call center jobs overseas should forfeit their eligibility for federal financial assistance – it's that simple," Bishop said.

In the last Congress, a similar bill had more than 130 bi-partisan co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, though the Republican majority leadership declined to allow a vote on the measure.

"Consumers should have choice in supporting companies that keep U.S. call center jobs. There should be no more handouts from taxpayers for those who choose not to keep good jobs here at home," said CWA Chief of Staff Ron Collins.

Collins noted that in 2012, 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.

State legislative efforts also have been building over the past year with bills being introduced in Florida, Arizona, New Mexico, New York and New Jersey, among other states.

The national bill also is sponsored by Democrats Mike Michaud (ME-2) and Gene Green (TX-29), along with Republicans David McKinley (WVA-1), Michael Grimm (NY-11) and Chris Gibson (NY-19).