LANSING, Mich., March 12, 2020 — State Reps. Jon Hoadley (D-Kalamazoo) and Matt Hall (R-Marshall) and Brian Elder (D-Bay City) introduced a bipartisan package today to keep local call center jobs in Michigan. House Bills 5625-5626 would create the Call Center Jobs Retention Act, while House Resolution 243 urges Congress to pass the Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act.
“Tax payers shouldn’t be paying companies to move jobs overseas or out of state. This bill is just common sense,” said Hoadley.
“For decades, call centers have received grants and tax incentives,” said Hall. “Unfortunately, we’ve seen corporations take those funds only to turn around and outsource these jobs overseas. Michigan’s resources should only go to those committed to supporting Michigan’s workers, and that’s exactly what this package would accomplish.”
Under the package, call center operators would be required to notify the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) if it plans to relocate a call center or certain operating units to another country. LEO would maintain a registry of operators that outsource their call center operations and bar them from receiving loans, grants or other funding assistance from the Michigan Strategic Fund.
“These bills are good for Michigan and my resolution would encourage Congress to do the same for the country,” said Elder.
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