Dive Brief:
• The California State Assembly has approved two measures designed to hamper the use of foreign labor to replace U.S. workers.
• One measure seeks to use the state's regulatory powers to prohibit utilities from shifting jobs overseas. Another calls on federal agencies to investigate the H-1B program.
• The legislative interest stems from the decision by Southern California Edison to lay off about 500 employees over the last year, moving work to two IT services firms based in India.
Dive Insight:
Experts say the California measures may eventually affect the ability of U.S.-based utilities to outsource services in the future.
Assembly Joint Resolution 12, which is even broader than Assembly Bill 853, asks the U.S. Department of Labor and Congress to investigate alleged misuse of H-1B visas in offshoring outsourcing. Though the focus is currently on utilities, both measures could ultimately affect other industries as well.