President Donald Trump announced on Aug. 3 that he had fired two members of the the federally-owned Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), saying that its chief executive Jeff Lyash is “ridiculously overpaid” and that the corporation is seeking to outsource American jobs to foreign workers.
Trump said Monday that he was formally removing TVAs chair of the board and another board member, and warned that if the corporation continues to hire foreign labor, he would fire other members of the board too.
The president, who has the authority to appoint the TVA board, said during a meeting of technology workers at the White House that the actions of the ousted TVA members had prompted him to sign the “Hiring American” order, which requires federal agencies to prioritize U.S. labor in federal contracts, ensure only American citizens are appointed to the competitive service, and stop employers from moving H-1B workers into jobs in a way that displaces U.S. workers.
The White House said in a release that the “Hiring American” order follows a recent announcement by TVA that it plans to outsource 20 percent of its tech jobs to foreign countries. The statement said TVAs action could lead over 200 highly-skilled American technology workers in Tennessee to lose their jobs to low-cost foreign workers hired on temporary work visas.
Created in 1933, the TVA provides flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development to the Tennessee Valley—a region that was hard hit during the Great Depression. The region covers most of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, as well as small sections of Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia.
“TVAs decision is also expected to cost the local economy tens of millions of dollars over the next 5 years,” the statement said, adding that Trumps action would “combat employers misuse of H-1B visas, which were never intended to replace qualified American workers with low-cost foreign labor.”
TVAs CEO, Trump claimed, had betrayed American workers. He said the TVA board must hire a new chief executive officer thatRead More From Source
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