Light at the end of the tunnel for Foreign Nurses

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There is light at the end of the tunnel with the Democrats in control of the House of Representatives and with two shy seats in the US Senate.

Remember the dynamics of US politics where Democrats are known for friendly legislations when it comes to immigration.

Way back in 2004 when retrogression settled in, a Democrat , Tom Lantos, Ca, filed a bill for the recapture of EB3 visas. And thats where we got the 50,000visas for Schedule A.

Let us keep our fingers cross. Anyway, anything that will be done would be in the early 2nd quarter next year.

But the good thing is, the new Congress will be friendly to immigration.

From your point that makes those Filipino/foreign nurses against nurses immigration when in fact they came here through that process. I think most of them are in favor for nurses visas and it just that they are in minority and and the majority made the decision.

If hospitals pay market rates then, I'm sure they do. But when hospitals use foreign nurses to under cut and avoid giving staff pay raises ... I seriously doubt it. Filipino nurses want to make more money, just like anybody else.

It's obvious from this board that a lot of these foreign nurses have no clue what the market wages are because they don't live here. It's very easy for the hospitals to rip them off and, bringing in cheap labor hurts wages for everybody, including the foreign nurses who come here.

Nevertheless, since the foreign nurses are dying to get over here, they take it. But I wouldn't presume that most of the nurses who are already here would be in favor of bringing in cheap labor that under cuts their own wages.

:typing

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical.
If hospitals pay market rates then, I'm sure they do. But when hospitals use foreign nurses to under cut and avoid giving staff pay raises ... I seriously doubt it. Filipino nurses want to make more money, just like anybody else.

It's obvious from this board that a lot of these foreign nurses have no clue what the market wages are because they don't live here. It's very easy for the hospitals to rip them off and, bringing in cheap labor hurts wages for everybody, including the foreign nurses who come here.

Nevertheless, since the foreign nurses are dying to get over here, they take it. But I wouldn't presume that most of the nurses who are already here would be in favor of bringing in cheap labor that under cuts their own wages.

:typing

I am not in favor of cheap labor but I am in favor of bringing foreign nurses to work here. And I am not paid below the minimum wage or just the minimum wage. As a US license nurse here, I am paid well.

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Specializes in Cardiac.
I am not in favor of cheap labor but I am in favor of bringing foreign nurses to work here. And I am not paid below the minimum wage or just the minimum wage. As a US license nurse here, I am paid well.

Not minimum wage, market wage. Big difference. And no, in general foreign nurses are not paid anything close to the market wage. The company needs to earn a buck someplace, and it is always at the expense of the nurse.

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preliminary analysis of last night's results strongly suggest that very few toss up races were won by republican candidates who attempted to exploit immigration as a voter motivator.

democrats that back comprehensive immigration reform mostly won their races. and the republican party is likely to get smaller as its hard line on immigration drives away hispanic voters.

of the 15 key races tracked by immigration2006.org - races where immigration played a key role in the race - the tally sheet currently stands as follows: 12 - 2 - 1 (kyl kept his senate seat in arizona, as expected; katherine harris's house seat, fl-13, was won by the republican; and pa-06 is still undecided).

the republican party not only didn't win, but it has once again failed to expand its base. the democrats have an opportunity to seize the moment, enact comprehensive immigration legislation that is supported by the mainstream voters of both parties, and reap a windfall with latino voters going into 2008."

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical.
Not minimum wage, market wage. Big difference. And no, in general foreign nurses are not paid anything close to the market wage. The company needs to earn a buck someplace, and it is always at the expense of the nurse.

As a foreign nurse, I am happy with what I am earning.

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So? Look at CNA's position. It's pretty clear.

Filipino and foreign nurses have the same interests as any other CNA nurse who is protected by union contracts. I would find it hard to believe that any of them would want cheap foreign labor coming in and under cutting their hard won pay raises.

:typing

Cheap foreign labor? I draw the line at that one. Any foreign nurse coming to the US is coming on a green card, and therefore gets the same salary as the American RN, and if in CA pays the same uniion dues that the other nurses pay.

Three years ago when the H1-B visas were stil available, yes they were coming in as cheap labor. But that is not the case any more and I hope that it never is.

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If hospitals pay market rates then, I'm sure they do. But when hospitals use foreign nurses to under cut and avoid giving staff pay raises ... I seriously doubt it. Filipino nurses want to make more money, just like anybody else.

It's obvious from this board that a lot of these foreign nurses have no clue what the market wages are because they don't live here. It's very easy for the hospitals to rip them off and, bringing in cheap labor hurts wages for everybody, including the foreign nurses who come here.

Nevertheless, since the foreign nurses are dying to get over here, they take it. But I wouldn't presume that most of the nurses who are already here would be in favor of bringing in cheap labor that under cuts their own wages.

:typing

Sorry again, but Lizz please get your facts straight on this topic.

With any petition that is submitted to immigration by a hospital, it needs to include the prevailing wage in the area, and if a union hospital, the HR dept needs to make the union aware of the pending petition and they have a thirty day wait period.

So, not sure where you are getting your information from, it is not the case anymore and has not been.

And I will be the first to say that I pray that the temporary work permits never, ever become available again, as the nurse is then a slave to the facility....................and we did away with slaves.

Sure, there are unscrupulous agencies that are selling nurses, but it is the nurse's responsibility to check things out before signing a contract.

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Look at Colorado: Comprehensive reform advocates Bill Ritter (D) and Rick Perlmutter (D) handily won their races for Governor and Congress over hardliners.

"The fact that the anti-immigration card didn't work in Arizona and Colorado shows that this Republican strategy was a loser, and that voters are smarter than the Republicans thought. It turns out that Americans who are deeply concerned with our nation's broken immigration system want solutions not sound bites, pragmatism not posturing."

Governor's races: In numerous Governors' races Democratic candidates came under attack for begin "soft on illegal immigration," and in all of these races - MD, KS, OR, WI, MA, CO, AZ - the Democrat won.

Schwarzenegger: In a display of Republican savvy lacking in most races, Governor Schwarzenegger moved away from hard line views on immigration, deftly repositioning himself in the middle on immigration, and won going away.

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This is what the Washington Post reported this morning on the exit polling, "…Republicans hoped to capitalize on…immigration, but fewer than one in three cited it as extremely important in influencing their decision, and they only narrowly favored Republican candidates. About six in 10 voters said that they believe illegal immigrants working in the United States should be offered a chance to apply for legal status, a position that was supported by Bush but rejected by House Republicans who have pushed an enforcement-first approach to controlling illegal immigration. Democratic candidates won support from 61 percent of those who backed a path to citizenship, according to the poll."

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Sorry again, but Lizz please get your facts straight on this topic. With any petition that is submitted to immigration by a hospital, it needs to include the prevailing wage in the area, and if a union hospital, the HR dept needs to make the union aware of the pending petition and they have a thirty day wait period.

So, not sure where you are getting your information from, it is not the case anymore and has not been.

Suzanne: have you looked at the prevailing wage rates set by the labor department? It's a joke. This is how hospitals get away with paying foreign nurses less money, and using it to pay U.S. nurses less money.

Just as an example, the labor department says the prevailing wage in my area for new grads is only $24 an hour.

http://www.flcdatacenter.com/OesQuickResults.aspx?code=29-1111&area=40140&year=7&source=1

When, in fact, you can get $27-$30 an hour in that area easily. The "prevailing wage" for experienced nurses is similarly low.

Nevertheless, there is one hospital that I know of that still pays only $24 an hour for new grads. Funny how it's the same "prevailing wage" set by the labor department.

Naturally, since their pay is so low ... they can't hire new grads. So ... what are they doing instead? Hiring 80 foreign nurses.

It seems pretty obvious to me that in this case, the hospital is using foreign nurses to keep wages low. And that's a union hospital. I'm sure that by hiring 80 foreign nurses at lower "prevailing wages" ... the union is going to be compromised when trying to get real market pay raises for staff nurses in their next contract.

And it's not an isolated occurence. Just as an example, in 2004 Tri City Medical Center hired foreign nurses instead of giving their staff nurses a raise.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/09/25/news/coastal/23_00_439_24_04.txt

Look at the prevailing wages set by the labor department (the RN code is 2911) ... and tell me if you don't think those wages are low. Because in my area ... it's definitely a joke.

http://www.flcdatacenter.com/OesWizardStart.aspx

Prevailing wage is just a clever word for low wage. And it hurts foreign nurses just as much as Americans.

:typing

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Specializes in Psych, Informatics, Biostatistics.

Being a foreign nurse I agree with lizz. I am just a stone's throw from calling it quits down here. I could do just as well up north.

So? Look at CNA's position. It's pretty clear.

Filipino and foreign nurses have the same interests as any other CNA nurse who is protected by union contracts. I would find it hard to believe that any of them would want cheap foreign labor coming in and under cutting their hard won pay raises.

:typing

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Specializes in Psych, Informatics, Biostatistics.

Sorry, I don't understand why the Democrat win is a good thing for us alien nurses ? I am here on a TN, but thinking about getting an H1B.

Thoughts ?

IMHO, I thing the Demos in the house and Senat means a good thing to foreign nurses as well as us immigration, and even Bush said that today, so lets keep our fingers cross
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