When is a strike not a strike? With changing technology, that’s an important question. The AFL-CIO and UNI are supporting a planned virtual strike against IBM. Employees from as many as 18 countries are reportedly ready to participate. But here’s the puzzling kicker:

“Be aware that IBM US employees participating in this virtual strike must do so on their own time using their own personal pc,” says a warning on an AFL-CIO posting about the strike.

Lee Conrad, an executive with the Alliance@IBM union in New York, echoed that warning.

“The Alliance is participating but we are telling our members and employees to join the strike online from home during non-work time with their own PCs,” Conrad told The Skinny.

Is a strike in a virtual world a strike or a virtual complaint box? And is it a strike when you have to do it off work hours and on your own property? These are important questions to ponder as more of the world world moves off the docks and out of the factories and into bits and bytes.