Live data from Hacker News

H-1B abuse: Bay Area tech workers from India paid a pittance, feds say

mercurynews.com

31–40 of 149 posts

Re: H-1B abuse: Bay Area tech workers from India paid a pittance, feds say

#31
post #8
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As an H1B at Google, I get paid as much as my American co-workers at the same job title. Please stop spreading FUD.

You contributing to supply would still suppress wages though no?

Short term may be. Long term companies like Google will be forced to expand where high skill talent is, so you loose jobs and slightly long term, you run the risk of loosing the entire silicon valley. Have you seen Detroit ? Imagine San Francisco like that.

Re: H-1B abuse: Bay Area tech workers from India paid a pittance, feds say

#32
PSA: This is massive clickbait. This article is not about "Bay Area", as in San Franciso Bay area.

Here's the content:

A dozen Indian workers at an East Bay technology firm were promised salaries of up to $8,300

Cloudwick Technologies of Newark has been ordered to pay about

Seriously, what is this East Bay area? Google turns up nothing.

Edit: Thank for pointing out my mistake. Looks like my understanding of US geography isn't that great.

Re: H-1B abuse: Bay Area tech workers from India paid a pittance, feds say

#33

This is one thing I don't entirely understand in terms of political alignment. The one side that is supposed to be about the little guy seems to support this system of immigration which leads quite directly to depressed wages and exploitation of this sort. Even in cases where the 'guest workers' are not so ridiculously underpaid, companies still exploit the fact that these workers generally have to have this job or t…

This is why socialist in the vast majority of the 20th century were vehemently anti-immigration, and the right was pro-immigration. Immigration destroys labor, and rewards capital. You'd think "leftists" would have a problem with that.

Or maybe it's just the pendulum swining back I guess. When democrats and republicans were young, new, parties, republicans were definitely left-wing and democrats were right-wing. Maybe it's just switching around again.

Re: H-1B abuse: Bay Area tech workers from India paid a pittance, feds say

#34
post #22

This is one thing I don't entirely understand in terms of political alignment. The one side that is supposed to be about the little guy seems to support this system of immigration which leads quite directly to depressed wages and exploitation of this sort. Even in cases where the 'guest workers' are not so ridiculously underpaid, companies still exploit the fact that these workers generally have to have this job or t…

Actually H1B is easily transferable.

Not really in these cases. The talent is low-skill and they will have trouble finding high-skill jobs if they don't partake in the scam.

Re: H-1B abuse: Bay Area tech workers from India paid a pittance, feds say

#35
post #24

Why not just adjust the H-1B program so that the highest paid positions get priority? That way companies could still hire abroad for in-demand skills, but it would eliminate bringing people into the country to avoid paying the prevailing wages for IT workers. You could even make exceptions for academic or medical work as needed. It seems like a common sense adjustment to the program, but I don't see many people offer…

That would be great, but companies would figure out ways around it. Company would pay 2X and ask employee to pay X to some random/affiliated company for training etc. They would even do this handoff in India to stay out of radar and tell you what many indians would take the deal. The solution is "EXTREMELY" strict penalties including prison time for board of companies who indulge in it willingly.

Such kickbacks would be very illegal and are prosecuted very aggressively already I think.

Re: H-1B abuse: Bay Area tech workers from India paid a pittance, feds say

#36

PSA: This is massive clickbait. This article is not about "Bay Area", as in San Franciso Bay area. Here's the content: A dozen Indian workers at an East Bay technology firm were promised salaries of up to $8,300 Cloudwick Technologies of Newark has been ordered to pay about Seriously, what is this East Bay area? Google turns up nothing. Edit: Thank for pointing out my mistake. Looks like my understanding of US geogra…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Bay_(San_Francisco_Bay_Ar...

Re: H-1B abuse: Bay Area tech workers from India paid a pittance, feds say

#37

Why not just adjust the H-1B program so that the highest paid positions get priority? That way companies could still hire abroad for in-demand skills, but it would eliminate bringing people into the country to avoid paying the prevailing wages for IT workers. You could even make exceptions for academic or medical work as needed. It seems like a common sense adjustment to the program, but I don't see many people offer…

Exactly this was proposed last year in a bill with a democrat sponsor. But right now H1b is basically the only way to get hired as an immigrant. If you made it wage-prioritized there would be basically no way to get an h1b for entry level jobs, which would really suck for new graduates.

http://alexyar.tumblr.com/post/156649015342/anyway-heres-the...

Re: H-1B abuse: Bay Area tech workers from India paid a pittance, feds say

#38
post #11

Shocker. Here’s what happens in Melbourne, Australia. I used to work for one of the “big 4” banks. 1. Bank outsources to vendor. Typically IBM. “It’ll be cheaper!” 2. IBM is, initially, cheaper - because all of their staff are in India of course. 3. But they can’t do the job from India because they need to be here talking to their colleagues at the bank. 4. So they get flown to Melbourne, but still on Indian wages, w…

As long as Indian staffs are okay with the deal (and I think they are) I think this is a good thing. One small step to open border.

Re: H-1B abuse: Bay Area tech workers from India paid a pittance, feds say

#39
post #27
post #6

> Cloudwick Technologies of Newark has been ordered to pay about $175,000 to 12 employees for back wages after violating H-1B rules, the U.S. Department of Labor said. Is it $175000 in back wages per person, or total for all 12 people? The wording is a little sloppy here.

"A Northern California company that federal officials say violated salary requirements of the country’s foreign-worker visa program will pay a total of $173,044 to 12 workers, the U.S. Department of Labor said Tuesday." https://apnews.com/d4a22bf65d5f49f3b65bc4806e86e0bd Given that's what one might have paid for only two of those workers for a year at their expected salaries, this seems woefully inadequate as a deter…

I doubt they would have received $80k+, maybe half, even in that area. And that's in addition to what they had already been paid. So that sounds about right for back wages.

Still, there's no deterrent here, you're correct. If they do again there may be real fines however.

Re: H-1B abuse: Bay Area tech workers from India paid a pittance, feds say

#40
post #15
post #11

Shocker. Here’s what happens in Melbourne, Australia. I used to work for one of the “big 4” banks. 1. Bank outsources to vendor. Typically IBM. “It’ll be cheaper!” 2. IBM is, initially, cheaper - because all of their staff are in India of course. 3. But they can’t do the job from India because they need to be here talking to their colleagues at the bank. 4. So they get flown to Melbourne, but still on Indian wages, w…

If I was living in India I’d probably take that deal.

I know that it is a common belief that India is 3rd world country and people would jump at any chance to get out. Not all of India is like that and not all of us are wage slaves doing menial jobs in IT. Some of us have a better quality of life, friends, family, culture and social life. Not to mention the amazing home food.
Post reply on HN