IP: more on Letter to Congress on Engineering Unemployment]IEEE addresses the myth of the skills shortage.

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: "Christian Huitema" <huitema () windows microsoft com>
Date: Sun, 21 Jul 2002 20:06:53 -0700
To: <farber () cis upenn edu>
Subject: RE: Letter to Congress on Engineering Unemployment]IEEE addresses
the myth of the skills shortage.

It would be interesting to know how many people on IP actually went to work
in the US with an H1B visa. I am one -- I went to work for Bellcore with an
H1B visa, 6 years ago. I don't believe that I was treated as "slave labor"
by Bellcore. I certainly was not treated as young, cheap labor -- I am way
too old for that. I also don't believe I was shackled to my job; indeed, I
changed employer 2 years ago.
 
I am not convinced by the IEEE claims of the effects of the visa program on
the US labor market; in any case, this program allowed for cross country job
mobility, something that I believe is an excellent thing. After all, this is
not a one way street: my former employer in France, INRIA, has hired several
US researchers and engineers, including some under my direct supervision at
the time.
 
I am an IEEE member. The H1B issue was debated hotly in the IEEE
publications, and the opinion were clearly split between those who praised
mobility and those who feared for their job. If there was one consensus
point, it was not to limit entry of foreigners, but rather to make the
program more fair, by making it easier for H1B visa holders to change
employers, or to convert from an H1B to a permanent visa: these measures
would reduce the "slave labor" taint that some perceive, and thus the
alleged corporate incentive to prefer foreigners over nationals, without
putting a block on mobility. I regret that the IEEE-USA letter did not
mention this consensus.
 
-- Christian Huitema

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