A SHORE THING
ONSHOREALTERNATIVES.COM HELPS AMERICANS SUPPORT COMPANIES THAT KEEP JOBS AT HOME
by Jason Zasky

When making buying decisions few American consumers consider whether goods or services are "Made in the U.S.A." Until getting laid-off from his systems analyst job at Georgia-Pacific in early 2002, Charlie Seaman was no different. But while struggling to find a new job the 55-year-old Atlanta resident began to hear talk about companies exporting American jobs to other countries—a practice referred to as offshoring or offshore outsourcing. Although Seaman had vaguely been aware of offshoring, he hadn't realized the impact it might have on his employment prospects and those of fellow citizens. "Most of us don't pay attention to what's happening outside when we're working and keeping busy," begins Seaman. "I woke up when I heard that Coca-Cola was sending a bunch of jobs overseas."

Seaman began doggedly researching offshoring and discovered there was a wealth of information available but no single resource where one might go to find out whether a company was engaging in the practice. Before long, Seaman decided to publish his research online and launched onshorealternatives.com—a somewhat ironic URL considering its founder's surname. Users can search among approximately 600 companies (cataloged by name, industry and parent corporation) to find out "who is and who is not offshoring," he says. Tens of thousands of visitors have already utilized the site, often printing out Seaman's lists for the purpose of referencing them when shopping: "They say, 'I want to buy from here instead of there,'" he notes.

Even a cursory review of onshorealternatives.com makes it clear that offshore outsourcing is not limited to manufacturing, customer service and technical support positions. While moving a call center to the Far East has relatively straightforward economic implications, finances are only part of the story. With health insurance companies, major credit bureaus, and even tax preparation firms now farming out paperwork, privacy is arguably an even more pressing concern. The personal information of Americans—medical histories, credit reports, financial profiles—is now over in Third World countries. "And there are no laws in those countries that protect privacy," warns Seaman.

Which corporations are most egregious when it comes to moving jobs offshore? Seaman declines to single out individual companies but harbors particular disdain for those that attempt to disguise their foreign presence. Consider the call center in India that asks its workers to adopt American pseudonyms, trains them to speak like Americans and even encourages them to reference American pop culture. For instance, when calling a customer in Georgia, a New Delhi-based operator might mention Atlanta's major league baseball team and comment on the Braves' win the night before.

However, stemming the tide of offshore outsourcing appears to be a losing battle. Seaman believes multi-national corporations don't feel much pressure to change their ways, mostly because government is simply going along with big business, while the national media and individual consumers are not paying attention to the issue. "I don't know that the companies feel there is much threat," begins Seaman, who concedes the impact of his one-man-show Web site (supported by donations from users) is limited by its meager resources.

Yet, Seaman has high hopes that onshorealternatives.com can help spark a grassroots movement. The question is: Can Americans overcome complacency—fostered by decades of increased prosperity—and make a concerted effort to educate themselves and modify their purchasing habits? For his part, Seaman now eschews Amazon.com in favor of Barnesandnoble.com and drinks Publix cola (a store brand made by the National Beverage Company) instead of Coke or Pepsi. Seaman considers renouncing brand allegiance to be no big deal, a small price to pay to support U.S.-friendly manufacturers. "Publix's own brand of cola tastes different when you first try it, but a lot of stuff is just getting used to it," he says.

According to Seaman, re-evaluating one's buying decisions is only part of what's required to effect change. He also urges individuals to make themselves heard—by engaging companies and politicians alike. "We have to let them know what we want them to do," he begins. "I believe that our companies and elected officials should be taking care of us first and then looking at what we can do for India, Pakistan and everybody else."

LINKS
http://www.onshorealternatives.com

THE ABOVE ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN JUNE 2004.