Article 3

“Dilberts of the World, Unite!”

Sirota, D.  (2008, June 23) .  Dilberts of the world, unite!.  The Nation,

Summary:

David Sirota, in his article “Dilberts of the World, Unite!”, discuses the rise and fall of high tech workers from the early 1990’s to the present day.  He specifically focuses on Microsoft and their treatment of temporary workers, which Sirota adamantly believes are being mistreated.  Sirota writes that high tech jobs are on the decline after doubling between 1977 and 2004.  Between 2008 and 2010 one third of employment growth is said to be in white-collar jobs not high tech industries.  Sirota writes of several contributing factors.  A main factor is outsourcing.  In 1990 congress created a program named H-1B which allows large employers like Microsoft to employ foreign workers for high tech jobs. Sirota quotes a study conducted by the Center for Immigrant Studies who found that H-1B employees were paid an average of $13,000 less than American workers.  Bill Gates has personally lobbied in support of the H-1B program and Microsoft is one of the biggest employers of H-1B workers.  Sirota writes that Gates claims there aren’t skilled American to hire for these jobs but disagrees with this.  Sirota writes of WashTech, a union-like organization formed to support permatemps.  Microsoft hires many workers as permatemps and avoids giving benefits by contracting with employment agencies that actually employ the permatemps.  Sirota argues that the reasoning behind the H-1B program is bogus due to the fact that Microsoft has a huge pool of workers who are currently working as permatemps who could be hired as full time employees.  A poll done by WashTech in 2005 shows this difference of opinion.  Half of all high tech workers don’t think outsourcing will affect their jobs, but a simultaneous poll of high tech executives showed that they plan to ramp up outsourcing.

Response:

I found this article very interesting and well written.  Sirota follows a logical path of the rise and fall of such a “right now” profession.  I found it very disturbing that so many workers felt unthreatened about their jobs getting outsourced while at the same time their supervisors are planning to outsource even more.  I was also disturbed by the fact that Microsoft employs too many permatems and effectively avoids putting up money for benefits.  I foolishly thought that a company that gives so much to our schools would treat their employees better.  I guess I was wrong.  The bottom line once again wins.  Using a foreign worker who costs $13,000 less is $13,000 more in the pocket of the company.