U.S.
Senator Sherrod Brown…
Stop
Sending Calls and Jobs Overseas
If
you’ve had to call a major company for a
service repair or to get an answer to a question about your cable bill,
chances
are you’ve probably spoken with a worker in a different time zone or on
a
different continent.
That’s because big companies have been shipping U.S. call center jobs
overseas
for years. But when these companies send call center jobs abroad, they
don’t
just frustrate consumers—they hurt our economy as well.
With so many unemployed citizens right here in the United States, it
just
doesn’t make sense to ship these jobs overseas.
According to an analysis conducted by the Communications Workers of
America
(CWA), there are at least 167,000 call center jobs in Ohio. We have an
obligation to take care of American workers and American industry
first. It’s
commonsense, and it’s the best way to move our economy forward and
reduce our
deficit.
That’s why I’m supporting the United States Call Center Worker
and Consumer
Protection Act of 2012. This bill would help both American workers and
consumers.
Consumers have the right to know where their call is being handled,
just like
consumers know the country-of-origin for products. That’s why this
legislation
would require companies to disclose to callers when their calls are
transferred
abroad.
This legislation will also stop giving American tax dollars to big
businesses
that ship call center jobs overseas. Why should we hand over federal
grants or
loans to companies that hand over American jobs to other countries?
By directing the Department of Labor to provide the public with a list
of
companies that shutter their doors in America to hang up their
“open-for-business” signs overseas, this legislation will allow
Americans to
decide for themselves which companies will receive their
business.
Finally, this legislation would require federal agencies – including
the
Department of Defense – to give preference to U.S. employers that
remain open
here at home.
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