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Caught On Tape: Conferences Collide Over Outsourcing

3 Million Jobs To Be Outsourced Over Next Several Years

POSTED: Tuesday, March 2, 2004
UPDATED: 8:08 am EST March 9,2004

A group of protesters fighting to stop the sending of American jobs overseas was caught on tape attempting to storm a conference of outsourcing professionals on Walt Disney property, according to Local 6 News.

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The Communication Workers of America -- which strongly oppose the idea of offshore outsourcing of jobs -- met last week at the Royal Plaza Resort in Orlando, Fla. The CWA meeting was located down the road from the 2004 Outsourcing World Summit at Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resort.

A group of protesters who were chanting "stop outsourcing" went to Disney property during the meeting and attempted to enter the neighboring conference of outsourcing professionals.

"Disney staff were stunned by the protest-- not sure whether to block our camera or fight the crowd back," Problem Solver Steven Cooper reported.

Sheriff's deputies arrived a short time later and the protest was broken up.

Outsourcing protesters and others are angered by estimates that more than 3 million jobs are expected to be outsourced offshore to places like India, China and the Philippines over the next several years, according to Local 6 News.

Wages in those countries are considerably lower-- ranging from $4,000 to $12,000 annually, Cooper reported.

"We need our jobs in America not over in India, Pakistan and China -- 'cause we got people starving here," protester Pauline Davis said.

"I think we need to send a message to America that we need to keep our jobs here," protester Vincent Maisano said. "We can't keep be sending overseas to people making a couple of bucks an hour-- this country will not survive if we don't stop this."

Local 6 News met with the organizer of the outsourcing conference, Michael Corbett, who said most outsourcing is domestic sending workers from one American company to another.

"IBM, EDS, Ryder, Aramark, these are all American household names that are providers of outsourcing services here in the United States," Michael Corbett said.

According to Corbett's organization, "offshoring" of jobs represents only 2 to 3 percent of outsourcing. Yet some studies indicate that sending jobs overseas could grow by 20 to 40 percent over the next several years.

"We only suffer in the end if we stop innovating the next technology," Corbett said "And creating the next company and the next jobs-- that's when we'll start suffering."

Cooper asked, "But what is there that's next?"

"If I knew that I'd be a 19 year old at MIT--and I'm not," Corbett said. "I can't sit here and tell you I know what that next wave."

Local 6 News reported that those who support "offshoring" say we can all be comforted by the numbers.

U.S. has given India $14 billion worth of outsourced work.

But according to one global consulting firm, India imports over $3 billion in American high tech goods to support that work plus billions in other American products that can now be purchased by a growing middle class in India that's been put to work by "offshoring."

Local 6 News shared that equation with the protestors.

"We need good American jobs in America," protester Lois Grimes said.

"What about the argument that 'outsourcing' will actually benefit our economy in the long run?" Cooper asked.

"That is not a true statement," Grimes said. "When you lose jobs in America you lose the tax base you lose everything else. You lose the middle class of the United States."

Some studies indicate that "offshoring" of information technology jobs will save the American economy $390 billion by 2010, according to Cooper.

Several labor groups are planning to picket a human resources outsourcing conference next month in New York City.

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