In October of last year, about 250 Disney employees, white collar workers who did data management at Disney Parks, were gathered in conference rooms and told their last day on the job would be Jan. 30, 2015. But, it got worse: They also learned they'd be expected to spend their last few months training the workers who'd replace them — immigrant workers brought in on temporary visas from an outsourcing company in India, according to a New York Times report.
“It was so humiliating to train somebody else to take over your job,” one former employee, an American man in his 40s, told the Times. “I still can’t grasp it.”
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
Americans are used to jobs disappearing overseas, but this is a newer phenomena: white collar workers coming to the States on a temporary visa called H-1B, to replace American employees inside the States — mostly, so the company can cut costs.
According to the law, that type of visa should only be given to foreigners with advanced skills when Americans can't be found to fill the positions. In other words, they shouldn't come at the expense of American jobs. In this instance, that appears not to be the case.
Back in the fall of 2014, when Disney notified the group of employees that their jobs were being eliminated, they were given 90 days to apply for different positions within the company. For those who didn’t qualify for other positions, Disney provided severance packages and job assistance.
Most of the affected employees are located at the Orlando, Florida, Disney World, with a others at Disneyland park in Anaheim, California.