Comments on: Pfizer Trains Foreign Workers As IT Replacements

By: G.C.

G.C. — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:08:27 +0000

Agreed, I “trained” (in about a 2-3 week span) 2 Satyam resources to replace me, neither who had a handle on the language or any pharmaceutical or SLC background. Ironically, thanks to the fall of Satyam, they may never get paid. They will probably just move on to another offshore company and continue to be paid by American dollars. After all, America is the land of opportunity - if you’re Indian.

By: A. M.

A. M. — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 01:07:50 +0000

They bring technical writers and software engineers via these visas. With all of the unemployed IT workers (partially due to H1B and offshoring), how can one say, with a straight face, that this is about bringing in the best and the brightest.

After working with many of these “best and brightest” (in Groton) from India, I can safely say that this is driven by cost cutting motivation and has little to do with quality or bringing in the “best and brightest”. It has everything to do with replacing the “best and brightest” Americans.

As I have said in other venues, Pfizer may be a “great” company, but it is no longer a “great” American company.

By: Christopher

Christopher — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:32:00 +0000

How has (proper) use of the H1B visa destroyed US competitiveness in the world? If the visa brings in workers with exceptional talent to work in US industry doesn’t that strengthen, not weaken competitiveness? I see your point but I don’t think it’s just foreign workers that have contributed to the weakened US position.

By: Typical

Typical — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:48:23 +0000

And the same scenario I have witnessed.

There are many things we can do in response. We can begin by boycotting Pfizer’s goods.

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:34:41 +0000

This is happening all over the STEM fields. This flawed “discrimination visa” H-1b has been used to utterly destroy US competitiveness in the world. Students in the US would be idiotic to enter the uneven playing field of these career paths. Most importantly, note how neither political party wished to have this issue part of today’s election. Business rules and just stop and look at what that has wrought. Would anyone want to take a drug developed by a worker whose indentured to the drug maker for positive results no matter what. FDA is indentured to special interest to pass drugs through trials no matter what.

By: Frustrated in CA

Frustrated in CA — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:55:46 +0000

This is exactly the same scenerio that I’ve witnessed and was forced to do at Sun Microsystems.

Personally I had to train my Indian counterpart on everything I did in a matter of couple of weeks.

By: LILLI

LILLI — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:38:36 +0000

Reviewer—Thanks for the information.

By: Reviewer

Reviewer — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:54:06 +0000

This is exactly the same thing that is happening at FDA.

Harass and/or fire FDA reviewers who won’t simply go along with Pharma.

Train 2000 foreigners under Von Eschenbach’s Fellowship program, retain to replace the 200 US citizens who have been forced out and send the rest back to their come country to do pharma outsourcing.

Why do you think Kindler (Pfizer CEO) and others have been complaining about FDA needs to upgrade its’ science. It’s an excuse for this training program.

The ones who stay even hire other immigrants from their home countries for secretarial and administrative positions by abusing the special hiring authorities for Ph.D. scientists. (Look at some of the support offices for Psychiatry).

Our tax dollars even go to sending FDA personel to India to train these contracting companies to take American jobs. Just do a search on Mehul Mehta and DIA.