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To me it appears TCS and Infosys are being made the fall guys to keep the existing system of Indentured servitude in place for another decade or more. [edit:]

To me it appears TCS and Infosys are being made the fall guys to keep the existing system of Indentured servitude in place for another decade or more. [edit:] Real villain is Microsoft, which has the largest lobbyists machine among the software companies in D.C. to make sure they are able to keep their indenture servants for as many years as possible.

Shivetya 9y ago
this is happening all over the US with all sorts of companies. I have seen entire departments minus management go this way, its not just a Microsoft phenomenon. BI is the most saturated area in my experience.
- inlinefordecade 9y ago
  MSFT has the biggest lobbying presence in DC and all tech companies follow MSFT's lead. The history is that during Bill Clinton's Presidency (in the 1990's), there was an attempt to split MSFT up into 3 because of alleged monopolistic behavior. MSFT responded by building up the most formidable lobbying operation DC has ever seen from any Tech company. After the threat of splitting up MSFT was defeated, they turned their attention to Immigration policy and got passed the AWICA and AC-21 acts which directly resulted in our indentured servitude. MSFT lobbyists are the founders and architects of the "indentured servitude". They have been very unhelpful with any attempts to free people. Because MSFT has this formidable lobbying infrastructure, in matters of common interest (like H1-B), all Tech companies essentially follow MSFT's lead (or just outsource their immigration lobbying to MSFT).
  - tzs 9y ago
    I'm not sure how you measure "lobbying presence", but Google spends about twice as much as Microsoft per year on lobbying. Facebook and Amazon spend a little more each than Microsoft, but are within about 10% or so. See: https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/02/09/which-tech-companies-spend-the-most-on-lobbying.aspx https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/02/09/which-tech...
  - aanm1988 9y ago
    How exactly do either of those acts contribute to current problems?
usernametbd 9y ago
Why is Microsoft villain? Does it provide its H1B employees below market salary? Genuinely asking as I've seen H1B employees at MS paid a huge salary, equal to their citizen counterparts, and also they've been freely jumping companies to get an even bigger pay raise.
- inlinefordecade 9y ago
  Please see my response: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14144354 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14144354
  - jimmywanger 9y ago
    You still have not answered the question. What has their lobbying done to decrease living standard, and what are they lobbying for, specifically? Your response is useless in the context of the current conversation.
- HashThis 9y ago
  Microsoft US citizen employees lost their jobs but first were forced to train their H1B replacements. I know some of these workers that lost their jobs and had to replace their H1B replacements at Microsoft.
  - usernametbd 9y ago
    Any evidence/article mentioning this?
- int_19h 9y ago
  As an ex-H1B MSFT employee, there are a few data points I can share. First, to the best of my knowledge, my salary was not lower than that of my colleagues with citizenship at any point. Nor did I get fewer perks, formally or informally (ability to take days off as and when needed etc). Second, my H1B status was never used as leverage when talking about raises, amount of time spent at work, and so on. I was never pressured to work more "or else". Third, Microsoft fully sponsored my green card application, including all direct and indirect filing and legal fees. They were clearly interested in getting me off H1B status as soon as possible. This is an anecdote. However, all people I know in MS who are or were on H1B have similar experiences. All either have green cards by now, or are in the process of obtaining them, with very few willing exceptions (as in, people who voluntarily decided to not apply, despite all the prodding to do so).
azakai 9y ago
Actually Google spends more on lobbying than Microsoft, and has for a while now. http://www.pcworld.com/article/3024945/major-tech-companies-spent-millions-more-on-lobbying-in-2015.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/3024945/major-tech-companies-... Google spent almost twice as much as Microsoft in 2015, for example.
- inlinefordecade 9y ago
  It is good that other companies are catching up. But, MSFT got the AWICA and AC-21 acts passed decades ago, which directly resulted in indentured servitude. MSFT lobbyists are the founders and architects of the "indentured servitude".
  - aanm1988 9y ago
    I'm starting to find the "indentured servitude" thing really pretty irritating. Comparing being a highly paid tech worker with some issues changing jobs to an illegal form of (essentially) slavery is ridiculous. I also don't really see how either act causes the problems you are describing.
    - weirdstuff 9y ago
      Sure, you can be a highly paid, yet bonded worker. Much different from slavery. MUCH different.
    - jordanb 9y ago
      Indentured Servitude is exactly the relationship that exists for many on H1-B. It's not even hyperbole. This is especially true for people trying to get a green card. The employer can use the green card process to ensure the worker has no career mobility. And this process can take many years. Interestingly it is NOT Tata/Infosys/WIPRO who are using the green card trick. They don't sponsor green cards. They just rotate people to and from the US and are very upfront about it. It's MSFT, Google, Apple, etc who are using the green card process to indenture their employees.
nullnilvoid 9y ago
Agreed. Last time US president met the tech CEOs, Nadella lobbied directly to the President about H-1B visas. Let alone all those lobbyists hired by Microsoft in DC. Microsoft alone spent more than $8 Million in lobbying in 2016.
timewarrior 9y ago
I disagree with this. Infosys and TCS are the real culprits here. They are bringing extremely bad quality people on low wages to displace American workers. They are the ones abusing the system. Did you know that any employee at these companies can claim to be a Multi national manager and get a Green Card within six months. That person might not have the qualification to pass high school. They knowingly bring people with fake degrees. They knowingly break the laws. They claim that people are working at their site while they are really working at the client site. The list goes on and on.
- douche 9y ago
  Deal with both of these shitshows on a regular basis. They are exactly this bad. It's almost never worth it in the long run when they come in as opportunities to resell software.

Shivetya 9y ago

this is happening all over the US with all sorts of companies. I have seen entire departments minus management go this way, its not just a Microsoft phenomenon. BI is the most saturated area in my experience.

inlinefordecade 9y ago
MSFT has the biggest lobbying presence in DC and all tech companies follow MSFT's lead. The history is that during Bill Clinton's Presidency (in the 1990's), there was an attempt to split MSFT up into 3 because of alleged monopolistic behavior. MSFT responded by building up the most formidable lobbying operation DC has ever seen from any Tech company. After the threat of splitting up MSFT was defeated, they turned their attention to Immigration policy and got passed the AWICA and AC-21 acts which directly resulted in our indentured servitude. MSFT lobbyists are the founders and architects of the "indentured servitude". They have been very unhelpful with any attempts to free people. Because MSFT has this formidable lobbying infrastructure, in matters of common interest (like H1-B), all Tech companies essentially follow MSFT's lead (or just outsource their immigration lobbying to MSFT).
- tzs 9y ago
  I'm not sure how you measure "lobbying presence", but Google spends about twice as much as Microsoft per year on lobbying. Facebook and Amazon spend a little more each than Microsoft, but are within about 10% or so. See: https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/02/09/which-tech-companies-spend-the-most-on-lobbying.aspx https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/02/09/which-tech...
- aanm1988 9y ago
  How exactly do either of those acts contribute to current problems?

usernametbd 9y ago

Why is Microsoft villain? Does it provide its H1B employees below market salary? Genuinely asking as I've seen H1B employees at MS paid a huge salary, equal to their citizen counterparts, and also they've been freely jumping companies to get an even bigger pay raise.

inlinefordecade 9y ago
Please see my response: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14144354 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14144354
- jimmywanger 9y ago
  You still have not answered the question. What has their lobbying done to decrease living standard, and what are they lobbying for, specifically? Your response is useless in the context of the current conversation.
HashThis 9y ago
Microsoft US citizen employees lost their jobs but first were forced to train their H1B replacements. I know some of these workers that lost their jobs and had to replace their H1B replacements at Microsoft.
- usernametbd 9y ago
  Any evidence/article mentioning this?
int_19h 9y ago
As an ex-H1B MSFT employee, there are a few data points I can share. First, to the best of my knowledge, my salary was not lower than that of my colleagues with citizenship at any point. Nor did I get fewer perks, formally or informally (ability to take days off as and when needed etc). Second, my H1B status was never used as leverage when talking about raises, amount of time spent at work, and so on. I was never pressured to work more "or else". Third, Microsoft fully sponsored my green card application, including all direct and indirect filing and legal fees. They were clearly interested in getting me off H1B status as soon as possible. This is an anecdote. However, all people I know in MS who are or were on H1B have similar experiences. All either have green cards by now, or are in the process of obtaining them, with very few willing exceptions (as in, people who voluntarily decided to not apply, despite all the prodding to do so).

azakai 9y ago

Actually Google spends more on lobbying than Microsoft, and has for a while now. http://www.pcworld.com/article/3024945/major-tech-companies-spent-millions-more-on-lobbying-in-2015.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/3024945/major-tech-companies-... Google spent almost twice as much as Microsoft in 2015, for example.

inlinefordecade 9y ago
It is good that other companies are catching up. But, MSFT got the AWICA and AC-21 acts passed decades ago, which directly resulted in indentured servitude. MSFT lobbyists are the founders and architects of the "indentured servitude".
- aanm1988 9y ago
  I'm starting to find the "indentured servitude" thing really pretty irritating. Comparing being a highly paid tech worker with some issues changing jobs to an illegal form of (essentially) slavery is ridiculous. I also don't really see how either act causes the problems you are describing.
  - weirdstuff 9y ago
    Sure, you can be a highly paid, yet bonded worker. Much different from slavery. MUCH different.
  - jordanb 9y ago
    Indentured Servitude is exactly the relationship that exists for many on H1-B. It's not even hyperbole. This is especially true for people trying to get a green card. The employer can use the green card process to ensure the worker has no career mobility. And this process can take many years. Interestingly it is NOT Tata/Infosys/WIPRO who are using the green card trick. They don't sponsor green cards. They just rotate people to and from the US and are very upfront about it. It's MSFT, Google, Apple, etc who are using the green card process to indenture their employees.

nullnilvoid 9y ago

Agreed. Last time US president met the tech CEOs, Nadella lobbied directly to the President about H-1B visas. Let alone all those lobbyists hired by Microsoft in DC. Microsoft alone spent more than $8 Million in lobbying in 2016.

timewarrior 9y ago

I disagree with this. Infosys and TCS are the real culprits here. They are bringing extremely bad quality people on low wages to displace American workers. They are the ones abusing the system. Did you know that any employee at these companies can claim to be a Multi national manager and get a Green Card within six months. That person might not have the qualification to pass high school. They knowingly bring people with fake degrees. They knowingly break the laws. They claim that people are working at their site while they are really working at the client site. The list goes on and on.

douche 9y ago
Deal with both of these shitshows on a regular basis. They are exactly this bad. It's almost never worth it in the long run when they come in as opportunities to resell software.