1. I think this is really interesting, but I'm coming from a teaching perspective. A teacher's strike may not go so long as to cut into the required 180 days of instructional time for students, according to PA's state law.
Striking in SL may mean that they are still working, but peacefully protesting the terms of their contract as a unified workforce. (Maybe it shouldn't be called a "strike"?)

Posted at 5:31AM on Sep 26th 2007 by Ipenda Keynes

2. quick someone make a "sit-in" pose ball

Posted at 7:29AM on Sep 26th 2007 by sean percival

3. I'm not a fan of unions. My belief is only the union wins - members and companies always lose in the short - and long runs.

However - this is ingenious in my view. When it comes down to it - they are complaining. But doing this in SL allows them to make themselves heard by a lot more people than normal. Getting attention in the press. The average joe who A) would never have heard of it and B) probably doesn't really care (heh - truth hurts sometimes) - will get wind of it all.

It's about being heard and it's a great way to do that.

I don't know what specifically their cause is, honestly don't care. I'm not Italian, don't live or work there, don't work for IBM - so it really has no effect for me either way. But I salute them for their ingenuity.

Posted at 11:36AM on Sep 26th 2007 by ron

4. wasn't them that were planning to have a rl strike and go protest in SL?

Posted at 5:58PM on Sep 26th 2007 by TigroSpottystripes Katsu

5. http://ibmslprotest.blogspot.com/

Breakthrough at IBM Italy

One month after a virtual protest staged in Second Life with almost 2’000 avatars demonstrating on IBM islands, a new contract with IBM Italy has been signed.

The new agreement, which still needs to be approved by the IBM Italy workforce, reinstates the performance bonus that was cut unilaterally by IBM Italy management.

The agreement signed by IBM Italy and the trade union Rappresentanze Sindacali Unitarie (R.S.U.) not only includes the performance bonuses from 2007 up until 2010 but also payments by IBM into a national health insurance fund and also states that negotiations will continue with respect to IBM industrial and business strategies in Italy and the improvement of internal communication policies.

The situation abruptly improved and negotiation resumed after the former country manager left IBM in the mid of October, who had signed responsible for the pay cuts in the first place. His departure cleared the air and facilitated constructive negotiations between social partners as this could be expected from a professional management of a high-tech company.

The virtual demonstration organized on 27 September for a whole day has certainly had an impact on the positive development. Almost 2’000 virtual protestors from 30 countries populating IBM premises in Second Life solicited an unprecedented media echo from all over the world, including TV and radio stations, daily news papers, computer and business magazines. The virtual protest had been supported by global unions such as the International and European Metalworkers Federations (IMF and EMF) and UNI Global Union.

The threat of strike action in the “real world” by the Italian unions after the virtual protest has certainly also helped to break the deadlock. Yet, the impact of this historical action in Second Life must not be underestimated.

Posted at 12:47PM on Nov 9th 2007 by Barillo Kohnke