- cross-posted to:
- enoughmuskspam
- cross-posted to:
- enoughmuskspam
Summary
Tesla replaced many laid-off U.S. workers with foreign H-1B visa holders after a 2024 wave of layoffs affecting 15,000 employees.
These visas, tied to employer sponsorship, often lower compensation and give employers significant leverage over workers.
Critics argue this displaces U.S. employees, as senior engineers were replaced by lower-paid junior engineers.
CEO Elon Musk, while advocating for expanding H-1B visa caps, faces backlash, especially from conservatives, for “job-stealing” concerns.
Musk contends there’s a U.S. skill shortage, but critics highlight potential exploitation tied to Tesla’s demanding work culture and visa dependence.
Before anyone gets mad at H1-B workers, you need to understand that a large percentage of them are being exploited to a sickening degree too.
In a capitalist society I can’t ever blame a member of the working class for seeking opportunity.
Yes, I think most people realize that. That fact actually forms a large part of the argument against H-1Bs.
Right, they often escape restrictive home countries to be able to live more freely in the US without fear of persecution. Hanging the threat of throwing them back to a system that would punish them for being who they are is cruel.
This analogy isn’t exact, but there doesn’t seem to be much functional difference between them and scabs that cross strike lines. This is like the company fires the union/workforce before a strike to predatorily hire scabs. I know the system sucks for H1-Bs, but they’re lowering the quality of life for an industry.
I agree with other posters that, in theory, this program is morally fine. However, its real world application is exploitation, for the previous workers & the new workers. I’m against exploitation and therefore do not support the program at the moment, especially with these immoral asshats championing it in this way. It’s mask off, “We can exploit them!” Fuck that.
Scabs understand that there’s a picket line and that they’re acting against fellow workers.
I don’t think the people being recruited for ‘jobs in the USA’ know very much about US domestic politics, visa structures, or the possibility that they’re being hired to replace layoffs. I would guess that most of them let the opportunity to get to the US, legally, and the hope that they can convert that to better status once there, outweighs all other considerations.
You’re free to have your own take. I don’t think the intention of the worker changes the situation for me. They want better, and so does the scab. /shrug