This is a crafty way to screw US workers

[tardfarmer]

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/arti...8/170632.shtml



Foreign Workers Coming to a Cruise Ship Near You
NewsMax.com Wires
Friday, April 29, 2005
"Outsourcing" "“ which has become synonymous with sending American jobs to India or China "“ could soon mean foreign workers sleeping in ships just a few miles off America's coasts.

In an outrageous affront to U.S. labor laws, a California company plans to anchor a 600-cabin cruise ship just beyond the three-mile limit off the coast of El Segundo, near Los Angeles, and stock it with foreign software programmers.
The company, SeaCode, will seek to classify the workers as "seamen," avoiding U.S. payroll taxes and the need for immigration visas.
Programmers from places like India and Russia would work 8-hour or 10-hour shifts, either day or night. Take-home pay: About $21,500 a year.

Compare that to the salary of an American programmer "“ median salary for programmers is around $60,000, and those with extensive experience can make $125,000 or more - and U.S. companies like SeaCode could reap a windfall.

SeaCode says it will charge clients the same rate as firms in developing countries. The company says the significant benefit of having the low-cost programmers near the U.S. is that clients will be spared from long flights to India and other far-off destinations to check on projects.

By using foreigners working on boats, SeaCode also believes projects will get done more quickly as their programmers toil both day and night. "Try to get American software engineers to work at night," SeaCode co-founder David Cook told Forbes magazine, explaining his delight in the outsourcing scheme.

But Jack Martin, special projects director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, complained: "All it would do is be a further contribution to eroding the job opportunities for skilled American workers."

SeaCode is close to making an offer for the Carousel, a ship now sailing around the Canary Islands. The vessel would dock in Long Beach once a month to take on supplies and dispose of waste "“ isn't that nice? But legally speaking, the SeaCode scheme could face stormy seas.

"It's not my prerogative to tell them to take a hike," said El Segundo Mayor Kelly McDowell. "I'll leave that to the Coast Guard."

[North Texan]

Tard, you need to design your own personal submarine. I can help you out with the torpedoes.

[Aught Six]

That's business. I want cheap goods. Compete or die.

[badshotbob]

Funny viscious little circle, aint it?

You have the CEOs getting paid trillions to perform for the stockholders, who want money. Bottom line. Profits. Upper management then must find a way to cut costs because that's the only way to drive profit in this den of theives now days. What happens next: Jobs go offshore (in this case, just a few miles), parts are brought in from overseas for this diabolical, heinous "just on time" system that will take part in the destruction of this nation, then before you know it, hundreds of thousands of Americans are either a.) spending less and not buying products, or b.)losing their a$$es and their jobs, therefore buying less. In turn as this loathsome loop gains momentum to come full circle at its peak, profits go down, stock holders start squawking, CEOs find themselves under more pressure to perform. So what do they do? Put the screws to upper management to find a lower cost of doing business. And ahhhh yes..... the loop has swungeth full cycle only to gain the inevitable eventual crashing momentum needed to implode.

Yeah. I want products cheaper too. I also want to be gainfully employed.

[tardfarmer]

That's business. I want cheap goods. Compete or die.

how many cost of living increases has congress given itself in the last 20 years?

something like 25 ..

[Aught Six]

Yeah. I want products cheaper too. I also want to be gainfully employed.

Then find a marketable skill.

[Aught Six]

how many cost of living increases has congress given itself in the last 20 years?

something like 25 ..

One more reason why I prefer business over government.

[tardfarmer]

You have the CEOs getting paid trillions to perform for the stockholders

But in actuality, they do NOT perform for the stockholders. The market has not gone stellar in proportion to CEO's salaries and bonuses.

As a matter of fact, there is now minor squablings over what is known as "pay for failure" contracts that are being signed by CEO's all over the place.

The most memorable one was with Sanmina SCI, they lost 17% of their business last year and their stocks plummeted.

The ceo's salary went from 1.2 million/year to 12 million a year -- FOR LOSING MONEY.

And thats just the tip of the iceberg. We are quickly becoming (if not already) a corporate oligarchy

[tardfarmer]

Probably the most prominent was Carly Fiorina of HP.. company stocks plummetted and she was ousted -- with 21 Million dollars.

yeah business is reaaaaaaally ethical.

[Aught Six]

yeah business is reaaaaaaally ethical.

The reason nothing ever changes is consumers are ignorant and apathetic. They bear responsibility for allowing leaders to get away with this stuff.

That's why I tell people not to buy goods that are over-priced, but nooooooooo, they simply can't live without their little toys.