Policy Issues || HR/Workforce/Immigration ||Recent Activities

AeA Reports || Contact Information

• High-Skilled Work Visa Program
  H-1B, L Visa, and decrease the bureaucracy of the U.S. visa process
• Association Health Plans (AHPs)
  AHPs provide small businesses the opportunity to band together through bona fide trade and professional associations to purchase health insurance.
• Medical Liability Insurance Reform
  AeA supports legislation to limit the punitive and non-economic damages associated with medical malpractice lawsuits.

What is AeA’s Objective on Federal Workforce Policy?
To promote policies and practices that directly address the education, human resources and workforce concerns of the high-tech industry.

Why are Human Resources Issues Important to AeA and its members?
The ability to attract and retain the best and brightest workforce is a top concern of the high-tech industry. Critical to the success of high-tech companies is the ability to maintain flexibility in determining employee benefits and compensation practices, to best manage their employees and to retain their competitive advantage. That is why AeA focuses on policy issues that help high-tech companies hire, retain, and manage their workforce.

Recent AeA Actions & Accomplishments on Human Resources policy
AeA is the only high-tech trade association that covers the broad range of human resource and workforce issues confronting the high-tech industry. AeA has led industry victories on education, immigration, and employment law changes. 

AeA Human Resources Services and Products
In addition to lobbying the federal government and state governments on human resources policy issues, AeA provides services to its members to help better prepare your employees to address the issues and challenges business professionals face in today's high-tech industry.  Learn more about these member benefits.

April 24, 2007:  AeA Launches H-1B Grassroots Program -- Tell Your Congressman & U.S. Senator to Support High Skilled Visa Reform
On April 3, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office at the Dept. of Homeland Security announced that they received enough H-1B petitions to meet the congressional mandated cap for FY 2008.  This cap was reached on the first day that applications were being accepted and USCIS will not be reviewing any new applications until April 1, 2008 for the 2009 application cycle.

According to AeA's Cyberstates 2007 report, U.S. engineers have an unemployment rate below two-percent, which is considered full-employment.  With thousands of jobs in your companies being left unfilled this indicates that something must be done to increase the number of high skilled workers available for your companies.  Therefore, please join AeA in telling your U.S. Representatives and Senators to support H-1B visa and green card reform.

To become involved with this grassroots initiative, please visit AeA's Online Legislative Action Center.  AeA recommends that you customize the attached letter in the tool to explain how the shortfall in high-skilled workers has affected your business.  The tool will automatically match you to your elected officials in Congress and will send the letter via-email to your elected officials.

For more information on this initiative or on AeA's work on immigration contact Alan Vazquez, Manager, Domestic Policy, at 202.682.4439 or contact your local council Executive Director.

February 7, 2007:   William T. Archey, President & CEO, AeA, testified to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor today on "Strengthening America's Middle Class:  Finding Economic Solutions to Help America's Families."  Read the testimony or watch the webcast.  Additional witnesses included Richard L. Trumka, Secretary-Treasurer, AFL-CIO; Judy Feder, Dean, Georgetown Public Policy Institute, Georgetown University; and Dr. Lynn A. Karoly, Senior Economist, RAND Corporation.

William T. Archey, President & CEO, AeA, testifying to the House Committee on Education and Labor

September 2006:  AeA Policy Brief - High Skilled Visa Reform (H-1Bs)... read more

June 1, 2006: Attracting the Best and Brightest to the United States

Though recent public debate has focused on unskilled, illegal immigration, an entirely different but essential category is often neglected: the high-skilled, legal immigration that spurs American innovation and creates thousands of high-paying jobs.

May 3, 2006:  AeA President and CEO Bill Archey testified before the House of Representatives' Committee on Education and the Workforce at a hearing on, "Building American Competitiveness:  Examining the Scope and Success of Existing Federal Math and Science Programs."  Additional panelists included the Assistant Secretary of Education and the Director of Education, Workforce, and Income Security at the GAO...read more.

Bill Archey, President & CEO, AeA, presents data from the AeA Cyberstates 2006
report during his testimony to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce

May 2, 2006:  AeA, today announced its support of the “SKIL Bill”, introduced by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) to reform both the H-1B visa and employment-based (EB visa) green card processes.  The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Allard (R-CO), Allen (R-VA), Bennett (R-UT), Enzi (R-WY), and Lott (R-MS)...read more.

Past Activities

John Palafoutas (bio)
Senior Vice President
601 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Suite 600, North Building
Washington, DC 20004
P: 202.682.4451
F: 202.682.9111
john_palafoutas@aeanet.org

This page was last updated on 04/23/08.  
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