[knucklesandwich]

Actually I'd prefer if my country would just naturalize you instead of running you through an exploitative guest worker program that hedges your visa status on continued employment. I have absolutely no desire to prevent you from getting a job (and I'd like the union to have a spot for you and ensure you share in the benefits we create by collectively bargaining).

[arjie]

Sure, you might. But any such union will have a large number of disaffected people and as HN has shown, a large number of these people blame H1B workers.

Their problem is that this visa exists. My problem is getting naturalised. Our incentives are not aligned and they've made that clear.

I want no part of it and I will actively participate in union busting to the greatest of my ability for this reason.

I don't think you can achieve greater than 2% penetration amongst employed engineers and I know that your system will threaten the 1.7% of engineers who are H1B workers. I think I'm in a reasonable position here and I'm not about to weaken myself. And I think everyone else is going to work through the same calculus.

Sorry, it's not you. It's who are likely going to be your comrades.

[knucklesandwich]

No comrades of mine would see guest workers or immigrants as a threat. I wouldn't join a union that didn't stick up for all workers, regardless of their citizenship status.

Maybe we have different perspectives on how popular the anti-immigrant position is in tech (and how many neo-reactionary/dark enlightenment dipshits there are), I guess I'd just ask that you keep an open mind about this and make a decision if and when workers approach you to join a union. I certainly wouldn't knock you for opposing a group that doesn't have your interests at heart, but the union I want to form would take solidarity seriously and would explicitly go to bat for women, people of color, lgbtqia people, disabled people, and immigrants.

[arjie]

Very well. Fair enough.

I would advise any other immigrant reading that if they are approached by union representatives to demand a clause guaranteeing permanent residence reform and removal of the 7% limit before any anti-H1B action is taken. In the absence of this clause, all Indian and Chinese workers (at the least, and everyone probably) are placing themselves at risk of deportation.

Refusal to add such a clause or delay in doing so is evidence of actively undermining your interests.

[zigzigzag]

> No comrades of mine

Ouch. Was that choice of word deliberate?

[sb8244]

The parent comment used that word choice.