Thom Hartmann: About Those 1/2 Million Call Center Jobs Shipped Overseas... [View all]

[thomhartmann]

Ron Collins, Communication Workers of America (CWA) joins Thom Hartmann. A job that's becoming increasingly harder and harder to find in America over the last few years is one in the call center industry. Since 2006 - a half-millions American call center jobs have been packed up and shipped overseas to low-wage countries. Companies like Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and T-Mobile are the some of the biggest culprits when it comes to killing American call center jobs. But, Democrats in Congress have been pushing legislation to put an end ot this mass exodus of jobs. The Unite States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act cuts off federal loans and benefits to companies that off-shore their call center jobs. This bill also keeps a running list of companies that have off-shored call center jobs in an effort to discourage the practice. Back in June, the House of Representatives took a vote on this legislation - and most Republicans lined up against it - killing the bill - and leaving the few Americans who still have call center jobs screwed. But now, Democrats in the Senate are trying to revive the legislation with the help of Senators Sherrod Brown in Ohio and Bob Casey in Pennsylvania - two states that have been hit really hard by call center job losses. As Senator Sherrod Brown said this week in defense of the United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act: “When companies send call center jobs overseas, they don’t just frustrate consumers - they hurt our economy as well. With thousands of Ohioans looking for work, it just doesn’t make sense to ship these jobs overseas.” He's right - so what can be done to make sure this legislation passes to stimulate OUR economy - instead of stimulate foreign economes with what used to be American call center jobs.

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