A Democratic victory on Nov 7 "will definitely mean more investments and jobs being sent to the Philippines"

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

This is from a Philipino website, ofw.balita.ph.

"A Democratic Party victory in the polls will definitely mean more investments and jobs being sent to the Philippines," said former senator and labor leader Ernesto Herrera.

"The Democrats have already vowed they will raise the federal minimum wage once they seize control of Congress. This will drive American companies to accelerate the transfer of more jobs to lower-cost locations such as the Philippines," Herrera said.

"By this we mean not just technology-enabled service jobs in business process outsourcing, but also in semiconductor and electronics, among other industries," said Herrera, secretary-general of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines.

http://ofw.balita.ph/html/article.php/20061029140024331

[one...two...tree 2,762]

How are we to compete globally in the job market when Third World Labor is in abundant supply?

You gotta protect American jobs through fair trade...simple as that.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

You gotta protect American jobs through fair trade...simple as that.

The Democratic party is going to raise the minimum wage in a vacuum. They are not going to do any of the things necessary to enact this essentially academic concept of 'fair trade'. They will raise the minimum wage, stage a few photo-ops and flood the media with congratulatory messages of their achievement.

The chips will fall much later and they will blame that on Bush.

Edited October 29, 2006 by Gupt

[one...two...tree 2,762]

You gotta protect American jobs through fair trade...simple as that.

Your party is going to raise the minimum wage in a vacuum. They are not going to do any of the things necessary to enact this essentially academic concept of 'fair trade'. They will raise the minimum wage, stage a few photo-ops and flood the media with congratulatory messages of their achievement.

The chips will fall much later and they will blame that on Bush.

I'm thinking that most low wage jobs are service types of jobs so I don't see how raising the minimum wage is going to cause a big influx of overseas jobs. What specific jobs are they going to do in the Philippines that are currently being done here at minimum wage?

Edited October 29, 2006 by Steven_and_Jinky

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

What a bunch of BS. Sure, we'll outsorce flipping burgers, bagging groceries, and cleaning hotel rooms. Just as soon as companies figure out a way to get these things done overseas. What's been outsourced and what continues to be oursourced are those jobs that pay a multiple of the minimum wage.

[BJZags 17]

I'm thinking that most low wage jobs are service types of jobs so I don't see how raising the minimum wage is going to cause a big influx of overseas jobs. What specific jobs are they going to do in the Philippines that are currently being done here at minimum wage?

I think your correct, raising the min. wage will have no bearing on out-sourcing to foreign countries. In the case of the Phil. its not necessarily the min. wage jobs, but entry-level technical jobs. (i.e. Dell call-center jobs). In the Phil. a company can hire a college educated person with reasonably good english skills and even computer skills for less then $500 a month and even work them six-days a week if they want. I'd be moving my call-centers to Makati also if I was a big-wig.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

No matter what the Democrats do I'm pretty sure Bush hasn't lost his right to a veto anything he doesn't like(and I doubt the Democrats will win a majority strong enough to override a veto), so all the scare tactics about how the economy will collapse and terrorists will start attending washington cocktail parties are a little overrought

[GaryC 7]

It's really quite simple steve. The unions base the payscales on the minimum wage. When it goes up all the union wages go up. When union wages go up all the non union wages go up to keep the unions out of their companies. I have seen this in person. I know it is the way it works. When all wages go up the companies have even more reason to outsource jobs overseas. Raising the minimum wage cuts our own throats.

Fair trade practices will do nothing to stop it. Unless you are advocating outlawing a company from outsourcing. We really don't want to go down that road do we?

[Heracles 417]

I'm thinking that most low wage jobs are service types of jobs so I don't see how raising the minimum wage is going to cause a big influx of overseas jobs. What specific jobs are they going to do in the Philippines that are currently being done here at minimum wage?

Apart from increase outsourcing it will also increase the number of illegal immigrants wanting to come to the US.. Double whammy for middle class..

[Marc and Olga 0]

It's really quite simple steve. The unions base the payscales on the minimum wage. When it goes up all the union wages go up. When union wages go up all the non union wages go up to keep the unions out of their companies. I have seen this in person. I know it is the way it works. When all wages go up the companies have even more reason to outsource jobs overseas. Raising the minimum wage cuts our own throats.

Fair trade practices will do nothing to stop it. Unless you are advocating outlawing a company from outsourcing. We really don't want to go down that road do we?

I'd like some source info on this! The last 2 times the min wage increased, I was working a service industry job and making just over the new min wage (the one I remember was the raise to $4.25, I was earning $4.27 and I continued to earn $4.27. It irked me because I had been there for quite some time and all the new employees were earning ONLY $0.02 less then me!

Intuit started MAJOR outsourcing in 2001, did the min wage go up when I was not looking?