Senator questioning Microsoft: How many H1 are you laying Off ?

[MDix]

Pls Participate.

http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/sh...ferrerid=15623 (what is the plan now?)

Thnaks,
MDix

[alisa]

http://www.newsweek.com/id/181392

[masaternyc]

Currently US doesnt need software only ppl, they have fixed Y2K, mainframes etc. My experience with non software only people was great, they don't get much trouble.

[xyzgc]

Originally Posted by senthil1

Microsoft has every right(Both legally and Morally) to keep whom and layoff whom based on company needs. But Bill Gates this year will not have Moral rights to lobby for More H1b if all of the layoffs are from US Citizens. I think this year he will not give any speech in Congress about H1b(Every year he used give speech to make H1b unlimited). But if Government makes globalization as open policy to have open competion then unlimited H1b is possible. Is any Senator can support globalization without bothering loss of job in US citizens? They will certainly will have fear of losing in elections if they support openly. But right now policy is hire foreigners only when no skilled persons are available. More layoffs in US citizens more problems for future H1b program. EB is also related to H1b programs so layoffs will be a hurdle to pass any EB reform also.

I agree with Senthil1. Bill Gates made went on record by screaming for H1B increases all the time. He was too vocal and publicized it too much instead of silently continuing to do what he needed to do.
Now, its obvious for some senators to ask him how many H1Bs he is laying off and politicize the whole issue. These are the senators over which Bill doesn't have a clout

[xyzgc]

Originally Posted by alisa

http://www.newsweek.com/id/181392

It could very well become that but this article doesn't mention who the likely competitors are to HP, IBM in the longer run.

Just making a hollow comparison with auto-industry won't lead us anywhere. Remember, Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi and most others were manufacturing Japanese war planes and later converted themselves to commercial vehicle manufacturers. The same applies to BMW also.

Do we have names of the foreign competitors who are likely to replace HP and IBM?

[senthil1]

This article also tells that US needs highly skilled scientists and Engineers. But they are not willing to come because of Visa issues. But that is not because of H1b cap. Most H1b Cap were used by average persons with average skills as Indian consulting companies are rushing to get H1b on very first day. Lottery must be eliminated and very highly skilled people must be given preference than those who are doing just average patch up work and QA work.

Originally Posted by alisa

http://www.newsweek.com/id/181392

[mbawa2574]

Originally Posted by senthil1

This article also tells that US needs highly skilled scientists and Engineers. But they are not willing to come because of Visa issues. But that is not because of H1b cap. Most H1b Cap were used by average persons with average skills as Indian consulting companies are rushing to get H1b on very first day. Lottery must be eliminated and very highly skilled people must be given preference than those who are doing just average patch up work and QA work.

Grassley is an institutional moron . Anywaz Microsoft is cutting 5000 people across the globe. So his argument and bull shit does not stand. He is just like a normal politician who is concerned about his vote bank and uses every oppurtunity to grow the voters base.

So Microsoft will easily shut up Mr Grassley

[masaternyc]

If we remember right senators wrote letters to Indian government to stop sending software only pp about 2 years back.

I DON'T BUY XYZG'S (FRAUDULENTLY OBTAINED LABOR) STORY??.

Everyone understands that US doesn't need software only ppl. My experience has shown that ppl who apply in non software jobs they get GC almost immediately without much hassle.

All these software consultants doing kaala dhanda created this backlog by selling fraudulently obtained labor AND all these labors should be investigated to the fullest extent.

[saketkapur]

Hi Guys
This issue seems to be gaining traction......put in your comments and rate the ones in the article below...

http://www.computerworld.com/comment...9126721?page=7

If they start asking each company to 1st start firing H1Bs .... it seems to be leading to a
H1B witchhunt.....

regards

[senthil1]

In this environment no one even will think any H1b Cap increase this year. Till 2008 there were many H1b increase bills were atleast introduced. But this year mostly there will be no H1b increase bills even CIR will be passed. It is going to be gigantic task to introduce and get passed even GC recapture bill. If every Tech company lays off thousands of people will congress hear any high skilled immigration bill. Numbersusa started campaigning this year to suspend entire immigration citing economy as the reason. But Obama's one of important electroral promise was to pass CIR including high tech immigration bill. It is going to be tough fight in this year unless economy stablise.

Originally Posted by saketkapur

Hi Guys
This issue seems to be gaining traction......put in your comments and rate the ones in the article below...

http://www.computerworld.com/comment...9126721?page=7

If they start asking each company to 1st start firing H1Bs .... it seems to be leading to a
H1B witchhunt.....

regards

[belmontboy]

I wouldnot bother about this. H1B trash talk typically happens when economy is doing bad.
These people want something to chew about. Corporate america doesnot care what these moron's say/think anyways

[PresidentO]

Gates has been saying that he believes that ideally there should not be any quotas.

Ideal situations do not exist and there fore he asked congress to introduce market based caps. Gates cannot and will not go to congress and say Infy has filed this many, Wipro has filed that many and hence there are no numbers left for us. How can Bill go an say verify their books and activities they are hiring 10K people on H1? That would be Dobbsism. Whether Infy/Wipro/much maligned Satyam screwed up or not is a different story. Senators have full rights to investigate any company they think is not adhering to the law. What happened after that famous grassley-durbin letter to all the companies such as Infy/Wipro/Sat??

Did they ever answer? If yes, why did not Mr Grassley make that public atleast in part?

Gates is not foolish to think that congress will open the sluice gates.

One more thing, just because 100 Citizens has lost job and a H1b has not lost job means he is preferred. There might be factors such as his ability, his role and other business decisions. It is wrong to retain the H1B in favor of citizens in similar positions and pay scale, just because the H1B is paid lower than prevailing wage. As long as all requirements are met, Grassley cant even touch those employers other than keep writing letters and get picked up Lou Dobbs and score points with Xenophobes.

[a.j.2048]

Originally Posted by saketkapur

If they start asking each company to 1st start firing H1Bs .... it seems to be leading to a
H1B witchhunt.....

The irony is that the senator voted for the 1986 IRCA that has the anti-discrimination provisions that will allow immigrant workers to sue if this happens.

[jayleno2009]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...crosoft24.html

MICROSOFT RESPONDED BY SAYING IT WILL LAY OFF FOREIGN WORKERS FIRSTTHIS IS NOT FAIR-I THINK IT IS BOUND TO HAPPEN, SENATORS ARE JUST TREATING ECONOMY AS A POLITICAL FUTBALL AND VICTIMIZING WORKERS

[gauravster]

Going through the article, it does not look like MS laid of immigrants first. It just says that those laid off include a number of immigrants. MS further adds to lay them off might mean that they will have to leave the country and uproot families. But nowhere does it say atleast on that link that it is laying off immigrants first. I think these decisions are made more on the lines of requirements than status.