Tuesday, September 26, 2006
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SOUTH PORTLAND - Wright Express employs 650 people, and five of them are foreign workers.
In theory, that's the way the skilled foreign labor system is supposed to work. The H1B visa program allows U.S. companies to fill gaps in their work forces by recruiting specialized expertise from other countries.
While a Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram investigation has uncovered some questions about the way the foreign labor system works, many companies like Wright make legitimate use of the program.
Wright Express is one of Maine's premier information-technology companies. It provides payment processing and information-management services to commercial and government vehicle fleets. While it employs many local people, there are some posts it can't fill out of the Maine work force.
Wright Express Chief Information Officer Tod Demeter said the company looked internally, locally and then nationally to fill two high-level computer positions: a customer relationship management software expert and an enterprise resource monitoring guru.
"They're just such specialized skill sets that we struggled trying to fill them in the Maine area," said Demeter.
Wright hired Ashish Vashisht in December 2004 for the ERM position, and Mohan Ramapura in March 2005 for the CRM administrator slot.
Each had been trained in India in their specialities, and came to the U.S. on H1B visas. They worked for computer consulting firms, handling projects at client sites around the country.
Vashisht worked as a consultant in St. Louis at MasterCard for three years, then at Target Corp. in Minneapolis and then with Bayer in Pittsburgh. Ramapura lived a similar life, working for clients until a project was done, and then moving on.
Just as he'd learn where the grocery stores were in a city and start to become part of the community, Ramapura said, he'd have to leave.
"It's really very unsettling," he said.
Both Ramapura and Vashisht took jobs at Wright Express, happy for the stability and the chance to stop jumping around the country.
"You feel more comfortable working in a company - you are part of a company, it's a family," said Ramapura.
Wright Express doesn't lightly undertake the hiring of foreign workers, said Human Resources Manager Diane Rogers.
"There's tons and tons of paperwork," she said.
And, she said, the managers know that working on immigration paperwork for potential employees takes precedence over any projects, as federal deadlines must be met.
But the paperwork is a small price for filling difficult positions, and the H1B program is important to companies like Wright, said Rogers.
"If we don't allow them to come over then we wouldn't be able to compete in a global market," she said.
Wright has since filed for green cards for Vashisht and Ramapura, which would allow them to stay and work in the United States indefinitely. Their applications are pending.
Having Vashisht and Ramapura on staff not only fills the positions, but also lets other Wright employees learn specialized skills from them, said Demeter.
Both employees said they've learned from their co-workers, as well, and are happier as full-time employees.
"Even though I spent three years at MasterCard, they will never take me as an employee," said Vashisht. "When you're here, you have ownership."
Staff Writer Matt Wickenheiser can be contacted at 791-6316 or at: mwickenheiser@pressherald.com
Reader comments
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Reader - Meanwhile, 30% of Mainer are collecting some kind of state welfare benefits. What is wrong with that picture?report abuse
A high school education is the only education you need,you can have a weak job background,you can have been fired in your last job,there is only one thing you cant have: a criminal record.
As i said earlier in the post the job openings have been open for 10 months,the few people that have applied have had convictions,yes that conviction as a 'youth' comes back to haunt you. The business world tends not to criminal-friendly. Two hirees without criminal backgrounds lasted about 4 weeks on the job,they liked partying more than work and were calling in sick.
There seems to be plenty of welfare receipients shopping at Maine Wallyworlds during the first of the month,but they seem content with the lifestyle. Like the company in the news story, we are now looking to hire immigrants for the jobs.
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PS PS,
500K in student loans? Really - and where did that come from? Are they going to the most expensive grad school out there for 12 years? What degree was that which compiled up that amount? Is that a 12-year Bizarro World PHD for customer service softwear design? And does the caviar in the college cafeteria get factored into that bill?
And also, I am glad that you think you and your really super smart friends are too good for 75K, but I am guessing somebody who spells "until" as "untell" may not necessarily be qualified to speak out for or requesting a 150K job. And don't blame that on typing - misspelling "cheap" or "position" I can maybe see, but spelling it "untell"?
The article makes some sense to me, I think bringing people over is at least somewhat better than outsourcing, and brings more money here. I simply do not like comments by anonymous posters such as PS PS that toss out ridiculous comments.report abuse
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