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India is the fastest-growing destination for U.S. tech jobs. Large
multinationals such as Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Intel, IBM, Cisco,
Motorola, Microsoft and Yahoo have set up shop.

Cyberlodge, the IAM’s innovative open-source initiative to organize information technology workers, is open for business. After a year of testing the waters to see what computer programmers, web developers and other information needed from a labor union, Cyberlodge (www.cyberlodge.org) is now open to membership. It offers tech workers access to medical coverage and a way to pool their resources to fight for the future of their profession.

“We asked tech workers what was important to them, now it’s available through Cyberlodge,” said IAM Communications Director Rick Sloan. “Information technology workers operate in a different environment than traditional manufacturing workers, but both groups now face a common threat. The offshoring craze that is wiping out millions of manufacturing jobs is spreading like wildfire through the tech community.”

India is the fastest-growing destination for U.S. tech jobs. Large multinationals such as Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Intel, IBM, Cisco, Motorola, Microsoft and Yahoo have set up shop. Indian businesses are grabbing work processing U.S. tax returns, doing food-stamp paperwork, auto engineering, drug research, airline industry services and services for the US Postal Service, according to researcher Naeem Mohaiemen. “GE Capital’s four Indian centers design statistical models, prepare data for GE annual reports, write software and process $35 billion of global invoices,” said Mohaiemen.

The challenges are daunting. “U.S. tech workers are unreachable through traditional organizing drives. That’s what is unique about Cyberlodge,” said Sloan. Based on the guild concept, benefits such as medical coverage would be carried by the individual tech worker which he or she gets through the union.

Along with other services such as lobbying clout on H1B visa immigration reform, Cyberlodge can bring together far-flung tech workers into    an effective force for winning job security.

"The job depression started in manufacturing, but it is hitting families all across North America," said IAM President Tom Buffenbarger. "We need new ways to fight globalization. Cyberlodge is a first step for tech workers to fight back."