IT Reshoring News

July 13, 2015

Disney Cancels its Latest Outsourcing to H-1B Effort, Returns Jobs to American IT Workers

Disney backed off its plans to outsource more IT jobs to foreign workers with H-1B visas. Negative press on the decision likely prompted the reversal. While this is great news for the American IT workers involved, it highlights the need to keep talking about offshoring in the coming election year.
Disney, after receiving a lot of negative press (including ours last month) about their move to offshore hundreds of IT jobs to foreign workers on H-1Bs. . .has canceled their second offshoring effort.

Disney ABC TV Cancels Plans to Outsource IT Jobs – NetworkWorld (June 12, 2015)

These jobs fell under Disney's ABC TV Media Technology & Strategy group.  30-35 IT employees were notified of their layoffs on May 28, and that they would have to train their H-1B replacements.

Until their layoffs were rescinded days later.

Previous offshoring efforts were reported on in ComputerWorld and the New York Times, garnering thousands of negative comments and calls for boycotts of Disney.  But of course, Disney sources "said there was no connection between recent news stories and the company's IT plans."

One of the ABC TV IT employees targeted for layoff commented (under condition of anonymity):
"They [Disney officials] want this to go away – right now."

Problem is, it's not going away.  Yes, the IT employees got their jobs back, and we’re thrilled public support pushed hard enough for Disney to do the right thing.

But Disney could try again.  Disney has its CEO on the board of the Partnership for a New American Economy – the group that wants a big increase in the number of H-1B visas available each year.  They have money and heavy influence in Congress.

With an election year up ahead, the offshoring/H-1B question is worthy of debate.  We hope that there are presidential candidates willing to take on Mark Zuckerberg's H1-B lobby group and end their abuse of the temporary work visa program.