Two former technology employees at Walt Disney World in Florida are suing Disney and the outsourcing companies they say colluded to break the law and replace workers with cheaper immigrant labor. The dispute focuses on so-called H-1B visas granted to skilled foreign workers.
Representing both former employees, attorney Sara Blackwell filed lawsuits in Tampa federal court Monday against Disney and two consulting companies, HCL and Cognizant. Both are major employers in North Carolina.
“Both HCL and Cognizant are outsourcing companies, known for submitting a high volume of H-1B petitions each year,” CNN Money reported.
“By law, H-1B workers can’t replace American workers, and the suit alleges that that’s exactly what the three companies did.”
HCL has a major presence in Cary, N.C.
“We want to show America that this is what’s happening right under your nose,” Blackwell told CNN Money.
In 2014, HCL committed to adding more than 1,200 jobs.
Cognizant, which has a big operation in Charlotte, plans to add hundreds of workers across North Carolina by 2018.
Blackwell says her clients, Leo Perrero and Dena Moore, were among 250 tech workers laid off by Disney last year. She says Disney is colluding with consulting companies to abuse visas meant to fill specialty occupations and replace American workers with immigrants.
Disney said in a statement that the lawsuits are based on an unsustainable legal theory and are a misrepresentation of the facts. Cognizant said in a statement that it complies with all U.S. regulations regarding the visas.
An email seeking comment from HCL wasn’t immediately returned.
HCL’s headquarters is located in India.
