Jobs that are outsourced overseas — and to other Americans

To the editor: Subcontracting out work is only half of the problem. Corporations have doubled down by outsourcing professional work to foreign workers on H1-B visas. (“Behind shrinking middle-class jobs: A surge in outsourcing,” June 30)

I worked last year in the information technology department of a major car company in Southern California. There were hundreds of Indian H1-Bs in the IT department. Every single one was taking a job from an American. The car company distanced itself from responsibility by seeing that the workers were actually employed by two large India-based contracting companies.

One American woman I talked to had been replaced by foreign contractors at Southern California Edison the year before. The irony is that I too was a contractor.

And the pundits wonder why Donald Trump is the likely Republican nominee.

Lee Todd, San Marino

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To the editor: Bravo for the brilliant juxtaposition of headlines in the July 4 print edition: “Immigration hawks come in from fringe” and “Outsourcing puts squeeze on the middle class.” The second story explains the first.

It’s easy to blame strangers instead of the faceless bureaucrats who put shareholder value above the lives of their employees. Corporate greed is carving our country into factions, a time-honored way to control people. It’s far past time for us all to look beyond ourselves for the benefit of the country we share.

Immigrants and people who look or behave differently can never destroy the United States, but greed and ignorance have taken down greater empires.

Renee Leask, Glendale

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To the editor: Left out of your story on domestic outsourcing was another reason large companies outsource: as a hedge against labor unions.

By outsourcing with a third party, the company can simply contract with another vendor in the event of the workers being unionized.

The reason Alfredo Molena, previously a well-paid ATM repairman, now only makes $30,000 a year driving a truck is because of outsourcing and anti-union posturing from large companies.

Mark Ogle, Rancho Cucamonga

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