Computer Programmer's Union?

This is a short list of links to groups that organize unions for programmers and other computer-based workers, and lobby organizations.

First off, Techsunite has a good list to start with:
http://www.techsunite.org/resources/orgs/index.cfm

http://www.programmersguild.org/
http://www.ieeeusa.org/
http://www.washtech.org/
http://www.techsunite.org/
http://www.dpeaflcio.org/about.htm - an AFL CIO department for professionals
http://www.ifpte.org/ - organizes NASA and other engineers

Also, some programmers and IT people are represented by unions like AFSCME and CWA at their workplaces as part of a bargaining unit.

Somewhat related:
http://www.freelancersunion.org/
http://www.sage.org/
http://www.acm.org/public-policy

Articles about "open source unionism" or unions for workers without an organized workplace:
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20020624/rogers
http://www.heardny.org/Open%20Source.htm
http://www.linux.com/articles/29390
http://papers.nber.org/papers/w13850 (new paper on results of Working America)

Articles about organizing workers, and organizations:
http://www.dpeaflcio.org/conference_2005_materials/ - good articles here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizational_studies

Also, computer user groups like LAMP SIG, LA JUG, LiLAX, Geek Dinners, and others can be a place to self-organize.

Existing organizations tend to lean toward professional associations, with the trade unions somewhat resembling professional associations, except they undertake collective bargaining. One overriding goal appears to be to gain more public respect for programmers and system administrators, and to raise the status of engineers.

These efforts seem to bear little fruit for programmers, and the field has been flooded by a number of simple "certification" programs.

The big public policy issues are offshoring work, and the H1-B visa program. Different organizations take different positions, ranging from allying with the American anti-immigrant movement - complete with nativism, to focusing primarily on stopping the movement of jobs overseas.

Except for the IEEE, these movements and lobbies seem to have little money, and not much teeth.

[There isn't a clear direction for international organizing, particularly in building bridges to collaborate with workers in India, to help them get reasonable work hours and equivalent work conditions. Due to the amount of trans-national work being done, and the level of immigration, it seems like such an alliance would be necessary.]