Foreign Workers Program for U. S. Trucking Industry
Foreign Workers Program
Is there an intentional movement building towards the initiating of a foreign workers program within the United States trucking industry? With three major initiatives in the process : CSA 2010, the FMCSA sleep apnea testing and the work in progress for opening the Mexican border, could this be seen as an attack on the American truck driver? Each one of these three plans have underlying affects that can damage the career of truckers in the United States, yet open the door for creating a pool of cheap labor for the trucking companies.
As studies confirm that the number of truck drivers with sleep apnea of all stages, stands around 10% and not the 30% that is being reported . . . as CSA 2010 rolls out in full force which could very likely have a big impact on many drivers across the country . . . and the push toward opening the U. S. border to Mexican trucks, there are so many avenues within these ideas that seem to point at a phasing out of many American drivers.
Several people I have spoken with lately have shown concern of this very nature. I was recently speaking with the VP of Safety with a large trucking firm and was told, “American trucking companies have to do whatever they can to survive.” Is this the beginning of a foreign workers program? How could this come about when there are laws protecting the American people from such an act? Before an employer in the U. S. can hire a foreign worker, they must first apply for a Foreign Labor Certification. However, before they can receive the certification, they must first show that there are insufficient qualified U. S. workers available and willing to perform the work at the present wage. This is to ensure that admitting foreign workers will not affect job opportunities, wages and working conditions for the American people. Isn’t it reasonable to assume that opening the Mexican border would have a big affect on job opportunities, wages and working conditions for American truck drivers? There could be such financial turmoil that the only means of survival is to bring down the higher wages commanded by our truckers, and allow a program that would create a body of cheap labor for the largest sector of private industry in the world.
It would be impossible to drain the U. S. of every American driver, but the area that would be the hardest hit would be the long haul trucking sector. Many truck drivers are not earning a livable wage right now and many more trucking companies are struggling to hold on. There are about 750,000 trucking companies in the United States and most of these are in the smaller category. Is there a monopoly building? Squeeze out as many American drivers that they can, bring in lower paid drivers and only have several mega-size trucking companies controlling the freight industry . . . is that even possible?
CSA 2010, sleep apnea testing and opening the border of Mexico is being touted as new safety measures and to come into compliance with NAFTA. Is it really about the phasing out of higher wage earning American truck drivers? There is underground talk that this is exactly what is taking place.
Would the United States . . . your country . . . do this to the American trucker?
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: cheap labor, foreign workers program, mexican border, truck drivers, trucking, trucking companies
