Earlier quoted context omitted.
You don't need to pay H1Bs as much. They're a bargain deal.
They also can't as easily job hop.
And so they can't push back on a crazy workload.
Microsoft to Cut 9k Workers in Second Wave of Major Layoffs
171–180 of 215 posts
Re: Microsoft to Cut 9k Workers in Second Wave of Major Layoffs
#172Earlier quoted context omitted.
The answer is shareholders.
It is like we need to find a "post stock market" capitalism? The stock market is kind of the original crypto scheme after-all. Capitalism doesn't require a stock market.
Privately held companies exist too. They also do layoffs.
Re: Microsoft to Cut 9k Workers in Second Wave of Major Layoffs
#173Earlier quoted context omitted.
The traditional response to that was violence against scabs, for better or for worse: it keeps people from breaking picket lines even when otherwise willing. This photo in particular captures something of it: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Strikers_Riot
> The traditional response to that was violence against scabs And how are you going to do that when the scabs are in India? Unions work in “physical” domains (like plumbing, factory work, etc.), not so much in “virtual” domains where all you need is a computer to do your work and there’s an entire world full of workers who would think they’ve died and gone to heaven if they could make half your salary.
> when the scabs are in India
Lol good luck with that.
Re: Microsoft to Cut 9k Workers in Second Wave of Major Layoffs
#174Earlier quoted context omitted.
A digital strike by all employees for a week to get a collective bargaining agreement in place to show companies just how far AI has to go as a replacement would be powerful.
I'd argue nothing happens if everyone go on strike. It's not an assembly line. No release? Great. Noone to attend meetings? Not a big deal! Cannot get a real person for support? Same as without strike!
> No release? Great.
What is great about your mission critical bug not getting fixed for a few more weeks?
Re: Microsoft to Cut 9k Workers in Second Wave of Major Layoffs
#175Earlier quoted context omitted.
Unions are not effective when there's such a surplus of labor and people willing to break lines. It wont work in today's tech labor market.
Sure it would. There are way more employed tech people than unemployed. Imagine if every single person at a company like MS up and went on strike tomorrow. Could MS replace them all with scabs? Sure, with enough time and money. But it wouldn't happen overnight, and things would get very dire if not company ruining in the meantime.
With remote work? good luck. Unions only work where all the work is localized.
I'm in tech and I would never join a union. Why do I need collective bargaining to set my salary (and not give me raise until it's collectively raised) when I can bargain for my own raises?
In addition to this, unions don't bode well for innovation and technology. Look at the Taxicab unions. We could only get a cab in person or through the phone, because the unions had no incentive to innovate. It look a non-union startup to push them to actually make it convenient and better for the customer.
Re: Microsoft to Cut 9k Workers in Second Wave of Major Layoffs
#176Given I’ve been trying to use some of Microsoft’s various productivity SaaS tools for a new job lately, and well, they need those workers. Teams is sort of tolerable now, but still feels terrible and lacks many of slacks niceties. The rest of their productivity stuff is terrible and slow. It’s embarrassing really. From what I read Azure is a border line dumpster fire. Then what LLM integration do they really have in…
The bad state you're describing is what happened with all those workers. So why would they need them of you want a different state?
Re: Microsoft to Cut 9k Workers in Second Wave of Major Layoffs
#177Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Microsoft is actively laying off people with 150k salaries and replacing them with offshore workers earning a 10th of the salary. I know the talking points on HN like to portray Indian developers as cheap, low quality labor, but contrary to popular belief, they aren’t getting workers for $15k. A Median senior developer earns almost $90k in India in Microsoft. https://www.levels.fyi/companies/microsoft/salaries/soft…
You can see the Microsoft H1B Software Engineer salaries at the HQ in Redmond. https://h1bdata.info/index.php?em=microsoft&job=software+eng... What do you think the salary would be for a US employee that those $101k H1B Software Engineers replaced? They obviously aren't saving 90%, but maybe 50% 33%?
It isn't just the $ savings. It is indentured servitude. I have more than one friend that quit the day they got their green card.
Re: Microsoft to Cut 9k Workers in Second Wave of Major Layoffs
#178Earlier quoted context omitted.
> games aren't doing great as they're not essential in an iffy economy. Historically, games have actually performed extremely well in economic downturns. Likely because they're extremely cheap entertainment if you count $ per hour of entertainment, but that's just my view on it. And gaming as a whole is doing great. The only part that's falling off a cliff is the woke garbage life service games AAA studios have been…
Who gives a flying toss about political content in a game? That sounds like a weird right wing thing. Either the gameplay is good, or its not. Why does woke matter, and why should anyone care?
I guess you didn't read my comment then
Re: Microsoft to Cut 9k Workers in Second Wave of Major Layoffs
#179Earlier quoted context omitted.
A digital strike by all employees for a week to get a collective bargaining agreement in place to show companies just how far AI has to go as a replacement would be powerful.
I'd argue nothing happens if everyone go on strike. It's not an assembly line. No release? Great. Noone to attend meetings? Not a big deal! Cannot get a real person for support? Same as without strike!
I think you underappreciate what SRE does on a daily basis.
Re: Microsoft to Cut 9k Workers in Second Wave of Major Layoffs
#180Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sure it would. There are way more employed tech people than unemployed. Imagine if every single person at a company like MS up and went on strike tomorrow. Could MS replace them all with scabs? Sure, with enough time and money. But it wouldn't happen overnight, and things would get very dire if not company ruining in the meantime.
With remote work? good luck. Unions only work where all the work is localized. I'm in tech and I would never join a union. Why do I need collective bargaining to set my salary (and not give me raise until it's collectively raised) when I can bargain for my own raises? In addition to this, unions don't bode well for innovation and technology. Look at the Taxicab unions. We could only get a cab in person or through the…
> Look at the Taxicab unions. We could only get a cab in person or through the phone, because the unions had no incentive to innovate. It look a non-union startup to push them to actually make it convenient and better for the customer.
OTOH, gig drivers are being paid below minimum wage, with no benefits, no retirement plan, and no stability of work.
As a customer, yay technology and UX! But as a human, it's objectively worse for society.