Sun Sued Over H1-B Workers

heli0 writes "The Boston Globe is reporting: 'A lawsuit filed yesterday in California alleges computer giant Sun Microsystems Inc. laid off thousands of American high-tech workers in order to replace them with younger, lower-paid engineers from India.' Could this be the straw that breaks the proverbial camel's back?"

Comments

Re:why not forming a union?

[AnalogDiehard]

I am not normally pro-union but I agree that a union would be a good defense against this move.

The problem is that the corporations have been using every tactic to keep unions out of the skilled engineering field. Employees are fed propoganda that unions are counter-productive and that employees already have the benefits that unions have historically fought for for decades (health insurance, disability insurance, vacation time, retirement funds, etc). Corporations screen applicants for any history of union activities (there is no law against discriminating against union activists). If a union drive is detected, corporations will move to stifle it swiftly, even to the point of using any reason to dismiss the offending organizers in their hire. Walmart (and Continental Airlines) are just two corporations who are (was) notorious for their union-busting tactics.

Unions have a place to fight against corporate exploitation of labor, which is exactly what is going on here. Unions prospered since the late 1800s when exploitation was rampant in transportation (railroad, trucking), mining, garment making, assembly line, telecommunication, machining, foundry, civil labor, arts & entertainment, airline pilots, etc etc.

The problem today is that the unions can't get their foot in the door and they face a brainwashed labor pool biased against them. The corporations have been using pre-emptive attacks to fend off unions.

While there is no argument that unions have been riddled with corruption and overextension of their power, the same can be said of corporations riddled with campaign financing, intensive lobbying, accounting corruption (Enron, Worldcom, Tyco), and other manipulation of government law and finances. If there was ever a place for unions, now is the time.

Like I said, I'm not normally pro-union but I sure come off sounding like it.