“engineers/programmers/IT”? Isn’t that a bit like saying pilots/gym teachers/lyracists? How are these a related group?
Or even on the same day. My Operations Analyst position has both of those responsibilities–if he’s not in the data center building racks or running cable, he’s likely out monitoring the network/servers.
Definitely white collar. Back when more people used those terms, programmers and just about everyone in IBM had to wear white shirts.
Looking at all the lame embroidered-logo swag I receive in lieu of a competitive salary, I’d have to consider myself a “cheap-ass denim collar” worker. 
Daughter, sister, and girlfriend of engineers and a programmer here. Like mtgman, I’ve always seen the distinction between blue collar and white collar as manual vs. mental work. To me, engineers and IT types are different forms of white collar worker, just like accountants and sales reps. Several years ago, I also learned that, according to the US Department of Labor, programmers are professional/managerial workers, thus out of their jurisdiction, at least for the problem I approached them about.