Mandate U.S. Tech Companies to Pay Minimum Salaries Above the Poverty Line Overseas
Mandate U.S. Tech Companies to Pay Minimum Salaries Above the Poverty Line Overseas
The Issue
Americans who work abroad witness firsthand the inequities in compensation for skilled high tech positions. It is disheartening to see that my fellow Americans and Asians, who perform equally well in these roles as their associates in the U.S. are often underpaid due to job outsourcing by U.S.-based technology companies. This not only undermines our worth but also exploits the poverty of other countries.
This petition calls for a mandate requiring all U.S.-based technology companies with presences or counterparts in developing countries employing individuals in skilled high-tech positions, whether U.S. citizens or aliens, to pay a minimum salary that is at least 10% above the annual income at the American family poverty line. This would ensure fair compensation and cease exploitation of another country's poverty.
Most people in high tech fields in America and in the developing world have a bachelor's degree or higher and their skills are highly specialized and sought after. An example of underpayment in technical support is a salary of $500 USD per month for a degree holder with years of experience based full-time in Latin America or the Indian sub-continent in 2023, versus an undergraduate summer intern in 2010 was paid $14 per hour in Lenexa, Kansas. Worse that this example is that of an elderly, disabled retiree who is paid a total of $2000 worth of disability, housing, and food stamp benefits in the mid-west, and someone who invested four years of study, and works a minimum of 40 hours per week with or without the possibility of overtime, and is on-call for technical emergencies that occur in the United States, all of which the compensation is less than 1/2 of what the welfare recipient receives (no disrespect was intended to the disabled and those who deserve that assistance). If the worker has a family, things are by far worse. By setting salaries above the poverty line for American families, we can begin addressing wealth disparities within our society while respecting international labor rights.
Our skills and services set us apart from the bulk of local employees; they should qualify us to be at least as wealthy as the poorest white-collar American - not as poor as an unemployed welfare recipient. We deserve fair wages that reflect our value and contributions.
Let's stand together against wage exploitation by signing this petition today!
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The Issue
Americans who work abroad witness firsthand the inequities in compensation for skilled high tech positions. It is disheartening to see that my fellow Americans and Asians, who perform equally well in these roles as their associates in the U.S. are often underpaid due to job outsourcing by U.S.-based technology companies. This not only undermines our worth but also exploits the poverty of other countries.
This petition calls for a mandate requiring all U.S.-based technology companies with presences or counterparts in developing countries employing individuals in skilled high-tech positions, whether U.S. citizens or aliens, to pay a minimum salary that is at least 10% above the annual income at the American family poverty line. This would ensure fair compensation and cease exploitation of another country's poverty.
Most people in high tech fields in America and in the developing world have a bachelor's degree or higher and their skills are highly specialized and sought after. An example of underpayment in technical support is a salary of $500 USD per month for a degree holder with years of experience based full-time in Latin America or the Indian sub-continent in 2023, versus an undergraduate summer intern in 2010 was paid $14 per hour in Lenexa, Kansas. Worse that this example is that of an elderly, disabled retiree who is paid a total of $2000 worth of disability, housing, and food stamp benefits in the mid-west, and someone who invested four years of study, and works a minimum of 40 hours per week with or without the possibility of overtime, and is on-call for technical emergencies that occur in the United States, all of which the compensation is less than 1/2 of what the welfare recipient receives (no disrespect was intended to the disabled and those who deserve that assistance). If the worker has a family, things are by far worse. By setting salaries above the poverty line for American families, we can begin addressing wealth disparities within our society while respecting international labor rights.
Our skills and services set us apart from the bulk of local employees; they should qualify us to be at least as wealthy as the poorest white-collar American - not as poor as an unemployed welfare recipient. We deserve fair wages that reflect our value and contributions.
Let's stand together against wage exploitation by signing this petition today!
7
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Petition created on November 8, 2023