WASHINGTON — Four U.S. lawmakers — three Democrats and one Republican — have teamed up to attack call center outsourcing by introducing a bill that would penalize any company that moves a call center overseas.
The bill would make any company that moves a call center offshore ineligible for any federal grants or loans. It would require the U.S. Labor Department to maintain a list of employers who relocate a call center overseas and force companies to provide at least 120 days’ notice before doing so.
It would also require a call center worker to disclose his or hers location at the beginning of the call, if the caller request it.
The U.S. Call Center and Consumer Protection Act (HR 3596), was introduced by U.S. Rep. Timothy Bishop (D-N.Y.) and announced at news conference that included representatives of the Communication Workers of America. The measure’s co-sponsors include David McKinley (R-W.V.), Gene Green (D-Texas), and Michael Michaud (D-Maine).
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“Outsourcing, in my view, is one of the scourges of our economy, and one of the reasons we are struggling so to knock down the unemployment rate,” said Bishop. He said there are 4.7 million call center employees today, while in 2006 there were 5.3 million.
via Offshoring comes under bipartisan attack in Congress – Computerworld.