Brown, Senators Introduce Legislation to Keep Call Center Jobs in U.S., Protect Consumers’ Personal Data

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced the United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Actto protect American call center jobs from being outsourced overseas. In recent years, many call center operators have shifted operations overseas and shut down or downsized their U.S. operations. This harms Ohio workers and American consumers, whose data could be at risk under the control of foreign companies and governments.

"The threat of outsourcing hangs over Ohio call center workers constantly. Companies can't function without these workers, and Ohioans should have the option to support American jobs and talk with workers based in the U.S. This bill holds corporations accountable for shipping these jobs overseas, and encourages companies to keep their customer service where it belongs: in America," said Brown.

The United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act would protect jobs and families by restricting and penalizing businesses that relocate call centers or redirect customer service calls to locations outside the United States. The bill would:

• Make companies that ship call centers overseas ineligible for federal grants and subsidized loans;
• Require that all call center work performed on federal contracts be done in the U.S. and that the federal government give preference to companies that do not offshore jobs when awarding contracts;
• Require U.S. companies to identify the location of the call center and allow the customer to be transferred to a call center located in the US, if asked; and
• Require companies to report to the Department of Labor (DOL) when moving call center operations outside of the U.S.

Brown was joined by U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) in leading the introduction of this legislation. In addition to Brown, Casey, and Cortez Masto, the bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

The United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act is supported by the Communications Workers of America (CWA).

Brown has long fought for Ohio call center jobs, including pushing companies directly to keep jobs in the U.S. and value their workers, and lifting up the stories of Ohio call center workers.

Read more about the United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act here.

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