Zimbabwe workers win Interview: Tom Morello is Coke workers launch New column: Workers court case, face violence a One Man Revolution global protest to fight Power asks Wherefore art 3 8 3,500 job cuts 11 thou supervisor? 13

IndustrialO f f i c i a l n e w s p a p e r o f the iNdustrial Worker w o r k e r s o f t h e w o r l d May 2007 #1695 Vol. 104 No. 5 $1.00 / 75p LA ‘troqueros’ mobilize for May Day shutdown By Gideon Dev, IWW Los Angeles GMB Truckers are employees ing companies. They have no collective through the Port of LA/LB and are Truckers in the Port of Los Ange- The drive for action by the troqueros contract and no legal right to collective hauled out by troqueros. Many workers les/Long Beach (LA/LB) are mobilizing troqueros (the Spanish word for truck- bargaining. in the ports –not just troqueros– have to repeat last May Day’s shut down, ers) this year is that they, as workers The situation facing port truckers no union and no say. Of the 25,000 when over 90 per cent of trucks stayed who drive international trade, are being is particularly striking in Los Angeles. odd longshoremen on the West Coast, off the road. The action, led by the port’s exploited. The fiction of troqueros be- West Coast ports unload over 80 per 14,000 are ILWU—9,400 members predominantly Latino workforce, was a ing “owner-operators” or “independent cent of all Asian cargo to the United and roughly 4,000 non-members who show of solidarity with the immigrant contractors” instead of carrier and port States. At times, half this traffic passes Troqueros continued on 13 rights movement and an expression of employees is the key to this exploitation. shop floor anger over work conditions. While the trucking companies or carriers The shutdown gave credibility to the keep most of the money paid by shippers protests that shook Los Angeles and to have freight hauled, the truckers who Starbucks violated IWW the country as the single largest day of do the work only scrape by after paying protest in US history so far. their expenses. Despite this success and stop- Troqueros’ labor, the hauling of workers’ rights, says NLRB ping a reactionary anti-immigrant bill freight to and from the ports and distri- The United States’ (HR4437) from becoming law, the bution centers, is what makes money for National Labor Relations immigrant rights movement has not the trucking companies and makes “just Board (NLRB) on March been enough of an organized response in time” distribution possible. Troque- 30 accused Starbucks of repeatedly breaking the law in an effort to crush The impetus for action among the the IWW Starbucks troqueros this year is [...] a direct Workers Union. Responding to the reaction to conditions of exploitation. union’s complaints, the board’s Manhattan regional office found that the company violated to pressing immigrant concerns. The ros haul two to three loads per day all federal labor law at least momentum of last spring was lost by week to make what amounts to poverty 30 times at four of its summer, allowing the corporate elite and income. Instead of paying for each hour New York City coffee their partners in the US government and worked, carriers pay by the mile or by shops. Democratic Party to pass a similar bill each trip. They don’t pay the drivers for Starbucks illegally (S2611) as well as the bi-partisan ‘Secure all the time spent loading and unloading retaliated against the Fence Act of 2006’. Immigration and containers, waiting in ports or intermo- union by firing two pro- Customs Enforcement (ICE) has contin- dal yards, stuck in delays or in doing union workers, threat- ued its highly publicized mass raids, in paperwork. They certainly don’t pay ening to fire another effect trying to pressure the US Congress for the trucks, maintenance and repair, worker and giving unfair to approve bracero-like guest worker insurance or the rising costs of diesel negative performance programs. fuel. Benefits such as healthcare, social evaluations to several The call for a second ‘Great Ameri- security, workers compensation, disabil- other employees suspect- can Boycott’ on May Day was made ity, unemployment insurance are paid ed of union sympathies, at the March 25 Coalition’s National for by the troqueros. according to the NLRB. Conference for Immigrant Rights. As a Shielded by an elaborate veil of con- The board also coalition member, the LA GMB proposed tractors and subcontractors, the Pacific IWW supporters picket Starbucks shareholder meeting in Seattle. found that management a May Day shutdown to the port truckers Maritime Association (PMA), a coali- had illegally questioned with a call for solidarity from all related tion of shippers and terminal operators false allegation that he had threatened workers about their support of the union industries. As of this writing, the truck- who control West Coast ports, has long District Manager Allison Marx at a union and banned workers from discussing ers have responded positively. They are claimed that troqueros are independent rally. Gross said he was simply express- the union during their breaks. Starbucks encouraged by the International Long- contractors who, under the Sherman ing solidarity when he urged Marx not even discriminated against pro-union shore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Anti-Trust Act, cannot press for their to fire a co-worker. Now the NLRB has workers in its selective enforcement of locals in San Francisco and Seattle, who collective rights as workers. This denial sided with Gross and Joe Agins, also the company’s dress code and jewelry resolved not to work on May Day. The of employee status is maintained despite fired for union activity. policy. ILWU resolutions highlighted both the the facts that truckers work directly in “Starbucks left the rule of law behind Together these charges paint a clear LA GMB’s own involvement in last year’s the port, are issued a security permit when the union campaign started in picture of a deliberate strategy by the May Day shutdown and the current ef- to do so, and the terminal operators 2004 and according to this complaint company to use any means possible to forts of the March 25 Coalition. exercise sufficient control and direc- has yet to return. It’s remarkable that obstruct its workers’ right to organize tion over their work to be considered our union is growing stronger everyday a union. Despite abundant evidence of joint-employers alongside the truck- despite an almost three year campaign wrongdoing, Starbucks is contesting all of illegal dirty tricks to defeat us,” said charges. Industrial Worker Gross in an April 3 press release. Periodicals Postage “We believe the allegations are PO Box 13476 Gross told the New York Times that PAID baseless, and we will vigorously defend the “NLRB’s complaint illustrates that Philadelphia, PA 19101 ourselves,” Starbucks spokesperson Philadelphia, PA this is a company with a profound disre- Valerie O’Neil told the New York Times. ISSN 0019-8870 and additional spect for workers’ rights. Any idea that mailing offices The company will have to defend itself this was just a few bad apples is belied ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED against the charges before an adminis- by the fact that the NLRB accused more trative law judge. If Starbucks is found than ten Starbucks officials of illegal guilty, they could be forced to re-hire the activities.” two fired organizers and post a public This is not the first time that Star- notice that it will not engage in illegal, bucks has been in trouble for union- anti-union activities. The trial is set for busting. June 12 in Manhattan. In March 2006, Starbucks settled a Daniel Gross is one of the organiz- number of serious grievances with the ers the board said Starbucks illegally IWW, agreeing to re-hire two workers, fired. A three-year employee and tireless stop anti-discriminatory practices and union activist, Gross was sacked by the pay nearly $2,000 in back wages. Subscribers: The number (top line of label ) reflects the last issue due on your subscription. company in August 2006, following a Page  • Industrial Worker • May 2007

Detroit’s Traveling Wobbly Kitchen etarian meals for those who prefer to Jim Abbott, Detroit Branch, IWW Who do we cook for? Striking/locked go meatless. Soups, salads, and sweet Towards the end of the new book, out workers, old reds, war protesters, treats. Breads and bagels. Cheese and The Industrial Workers of the World: immigrant rights groups & civil rights crackers and cookies and fruit cups. And It’s First 100 Years, FW Jon Bekken organizations; all those that fight for the always plenty of coffee; hot, steaming makes two mentions of the Detroit idea of social justice. We do fundraisers coffee. Branches traveling “soup kitchen.” I for worker support associations such as Nothing fancy mind you, but good Dear Editors, am a proud member of same, and yes, Jobs With Justice, for leftist publica- food and plenty of it. After all, you can’t indeed, we are still going strong, having tions like the Fifth Estate, and we lend overthrow the capitalist system on an Thank you so much for printing the been called into action three times in the a Red-and-Black helping hand to those empty stomach. article by Erik Davis entitled “Raising a first two months of 2007. involved in the local labor artist scene; We’re fairly well know in the lo- Working Class Culture.” We started off in January, where we, namely, the Detroit Worker/Writer and cal lefty scene ‘round these parts, & I am a preschool teacher and I see along with the good, radical folks from Arts Festival. We’ve taken part in benefit we’ve made a few bucks tabling here first-hand how working parents find Food Not Bombs, served the hungry dinners that featured concerts by union/ and there, hawking Wob merchandise themselves stuck on a treadmill of work and cold classes of the masses at the anarchist singer-songwriters FW Anne (yeah, capitalism sucks, but what are you and family responsibilities that leaves major Detroit observation of the Rev. Feeney, FW Len Wallace, FW George gonna do?). However, if truth be told, them with hardly any time for union and Dr. Martin Luther King Day celebra- Mann, Joe Jencks, David Rovics, Evan we haven’t been successful in one of the community activism. tion. That event was followed by two Greer and Atilla The Stockbroker, as well main purposes of the Wobbly Kitchen; It is inspiring to read about how the fundraising dinners for workers engaged as Detroit/Ann Arbor lefty songsmith that being spreading the message of the Wobs in the Twin Cities are finding ways in labor disputes: one at a steelworker Chris Buhalis. IWW to the working class, least ways not to provide childcare for union members. local for the Goodyear strikers, and the We’ve cooked/served up sustenance as far as recruiting new members into What a great idea! other at a UAW hall for striking fellow in union halls (auto workers, electrical the union. That is who we are. Might Hopefully, other IWW branches will workers who traveled to the Detroit-area workers, steel workers, service industry not be much, but it’s our little way in also try to implement similar programs. from the Conn-Selmer high end musi- workers), in churches (Unitarian and contributing to the fight for worker I would love to read some follow-up cal instrument manufacturing plant in Methodist), in alleyways, in bars, in Irish emancipation. articles on this project as it develops. Elkhart, IN. clubs, on picket lines & at the Labadie Someone once told me that Walter We are the Wobbly Kitchen; vol- Library in Ann Arbor for a showing of Reuther’s father called the IWW “ticks In Solidarity, unteer cooking for the working class. the IWW Collection during the Centen- and gnats.” Well, over 100 years have Fanning the flames and feeding the nial Celebration of the Wobblies. passed since the founding our union, Nathan Moore people, as it were. Where workers strike What do we cook? Runs the gamut and the Wobbly Kitchen is still bugging Lane County IWW and organize, that’s where you’ll find the of food stuffs. Spaghetti dinners, chicken the bosses, stirrin’ the pot and cooking Wobbly Kitchen. dinners and ox roasts; along with veg- up trouble for the employing class. Industrial IWW directory Worker Australia Frankfurt am Main: [email protected] delegate. [email protected]. Upstate NY GMB: PO Box 235, Albany 12207, The Voice of Revolutionary IWW Regional Organising Committee: M. Payne, Goettingen: [email protected]. Central Ill.: PO Box 841, Charleston 61920. 217- 518-833-6853 or 861-5627. www.upstate-nyiww. Industrial Unionism Secretary, PO Box 1866, Albany W.A. Koeln: [email protected]. 356-8247 org. [email protected], Rochelle Semel, www.iww.org.au del, PO Box 172, Fly Creek 13337, 607-293-6489, Organization Munich: [email protected] Champaign: David Johnson, 217-356-8247. Sydney: PO Box 241, Surry Hills. [email protected] [email protected]. education Switzerland: [email protected] Waukegan IWW: PO Box 274, 60079. Melbourne: PO Box 145, Moreland 3058. melb@ Luxembourg: [email protected] Ohio eMancipation iww.org.au Iowa Ohio Valley GMB: PO Box 42233, Cincinnati Greece: Themistokleous 66 Exarhia Athens Cedar Rapids: Drew Robertson, del., 206-290-9072. Official newspaper of the British Isles 45242. IU 660: PO Box 317741, Cincinnati 45231, [email protected] Iowa City: Seamus Mulryan, del., 319-248-3589. [email protected]. Industrial Workers IWW Regional Organising Committee: PO Box [email protected] 1158, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE99 4XL UK, Oklahoma of the World [email protected], www.iww.org.uk United States Maine Tulsa: Karl Howeth, P. O. Box 213 Medicine Park Post Office Box 23085 Norumbega: Barry Rodrigue, del., PO Box 57, Bath Baristas United Campaign: baristasunited.org.uk 73557, 580-529-3360. Cincinnati OH 45223 USA Arizona 04530. London GMB: c/o Freedom Press, 84b Whitechapel Phoenix GMB: Terry Hughes, del., 480-894-6846 and Oregon 513.591.1905 • [email protected] High Street, London E1 7QX. [email protected] Bill Krist, del., 602-254-4057. Maryland Lane County: 541-953-3741. www.iww.org Baltimore IWW: c/o Red Emmaís, 800 St. Paul St., Leicestershire GMB and DMU IU620 Job Branch: Arkansas www.eugeneiww.org 21202, 410-230-0450, [email protected]. Portland Industrial District Council: 311 N. Ivy St., General Secretary-Treasurer: Unit 107, 40 Halford St., Leicester LE1 1TQ, England. Fayetteville: PO Box 283, 72702. 479-200-1859, Mark Damron [email protected] www.leicestershire-iww.org.uk [email protected]. Massachusetts 97227, 503-231-5488. [email protected] Manchester: 0791-413-1647 education@iww-man- Boston Area GMB: PO Box 391724, Cambridge California Pennsylvania General Executive Board: chester.org.uk www.iww-manchester.org.uk 02139. 617-469-5162. Los Angeles GMB: PO Box 621, Wilmington, CA Lancaster GMB: PO Box 796, 17608. membership@ Mike Bell, Patrick Brenner, Tyne and Wear: [email protected] Western Mass. Public Service IU 650 Branch: IWW, LancasterIWW.org, http://LancasterIWW.org Kevin Farkas, Adam Lincoln, 90748. 310-205-2667. Wales: 137 Priory St., Carmarthen. SA31 1LR. Po Box 1581, Northampton 01061. Bryan Roberts, North Coast GMB: PO Box 844, Eureka 95502-0844. Philadelphia GMB: PO Box 42777, 19101. 215- [email protected] Western Massachusetts GMB: 43 Taylor Hill Rd., Scott Satterwhite, 707-725-8090. BST Angie Hart: [email protected] 222-1905. [email protected] Union Hall: 4530 Montague 01351. 413-367-9356. Baltimore Ave., 19143. Richard Seymour Scotland Oakland: Evergreen Printing, 2335 Valley Street, Clydeside GMB: [email protected] Oakland, CA 94612. 510-835-0254 [email protected] Michigan Paper Crane Press IU 450 Job Shop: papercrane- Detroit GMB: PO Box 08161, 48208. [email protected] [email protected], 610-358-9496. Co-Editors: iwwclydeside.mahost.org. San Francisco Bay Area GMB: (Curbside and Buyback IU 670 Recycling Shops; Stonemountain IU Grand Rapids GMB: PO Box 6629, 49516. Cole Pittsburgh GMB : PO Box 90315, 15224. Peter Moore & Mike Pesa Edinburgh IWW: c/o 17 W. Montgomery Place, Dorsey, secretary, 616-881-5263. [email protected] EH7 5HA. 0131-557-6242 660 Job Shop) PO Box 11412, Berkeley 94712. 510- [email protected] 845-0540. Meetings first Thursdays at 7 p.m. (2022 Central Michigan: David Finet, 5007 W. Columbia Texas Canada Blake St., Berkeley) Rd., Mason 48854. 517-676-9446, happyhippie66@ Contributions welcome. Send to Austin GMB: PO Box 650011, 78765. waterloowob@ hotmail.com [email protected] with “For the IW” in Alberta San Jose: Adam Welch, del. 408-795-9672. email: monkeywrenchbooks.org, 512-320-8427. Edmonton GMB: PO Box 75175, T6E 6K1. edmon- [email protected] the subject line or by mail. Minnesota Utah [email protected], http://edmonton.iww.ca. Santa Barbara GMB: PO Box 23008, 93121. 805- Twin Cities GMB: PO Box 14111, Minneapolis 55414. 689-3086, [email protected] Salt Lake City GMB: PO Box 520835, 84152-0835. Next deadline is May 7. British Columbia 612- 339-1266. [email protected] [email protected]. Vancouver IWW: PO Box 4755, Stn. Terminal, V6B Colorado Missouri Washington US IW address: 4A4. 604-682-3269 x8493. [email protected] Denver GMB: c/o P&L Printing Job Shop: 2298 Clay, Kansas City GMB: c/o 5506 Holmes St., 64110. POB 13476, Philadelphia http://vancouver.iww.ca. Denver 80211. 303-433-1852. Bellingham: P.O. Box 1793, 98227. BellinghamI- 816-523-3995. [email protected] 360-920-6240. PA 19101 USA Four Corners (AZ, CO, NM, UT): delegate: 970-903- Manitoba Montana 8721. [email protected] Industrial Transportation Project: Arthur J Miller, Winnipeg GMB: IWW, c/o WORC, PO Box 1, R3C 2G1. Construction Workers IU 330: Dennis Georg, del. PO Box 5464, Tacoma 98415-0464. Canada IW address: [email protected]. Garth Hardy, del., garth. Florida 406-490-3869, [email protected] Olympia GMB: PO Box 2775, 98507. 360-956-9256. PO Box 52003, 298 Dalhousie St, [email protected]. Gainesville GMB: 1021 W. University, 32601. 352- New Jersey [email protected] Ottawa, ON K1N 1S0 246-2240, [email protected] Ontario Central New Jersey GMB: PO Box: 10021, New Seattle GMB: 1122 E. Pike #1142, 98122-3934. ISSN 0019-8870 Ottawa-Outaouais GMB: PO Box 52003, 298 Pensacola GMB: PO Box 2662, Pensacola, FL Brunswick 08904. 732-979-9973 xaninjurytoallx@ 877-815-5684, www.seattleiww.org. Dalhousie St. K1N 1S0, 613-225-9655 Fax: 613- 32513-2662. 840-437-1323, iwwpensacola@ Periodicals postage yahoo.com Spokane: Tim Hill, 509-218-9622. 274-0819, [email protected] French-language del: yahoo.com, www.angelfire.com/fl5/iww paid Philadelphia PA. Northern New Jersey GMB: PO Box 844, Saddle Mathieu Brule [email protected]. Wisconsin Hobe Sound: Peter Shultz, 8274 SE Pine Circle, Brook 07663. 201-873-6215. [email protected] Madison GMB: PO Box 2442, 53703-2442. www. Postmaster: Send address Peterborough: c/o PCAP, 393 Water St. #17, K9H 3L7, 33455-6608, 772-545-9591, okiedogg2002@yahoo. 705-749-9694, [email protected] com New Mexico madisoniww.info. Lakeside Press IU 450 Job Shop: changes to IW, Post Office Box Toronto GMB: c/o Libra Knowledge & Information Albuquerque: 202 Harvard SE, 87106-5505. 505- 1334 Williamson, 53703. 608-255-1800. www. 23085, Cincinnati OH 45223 USA Georgia Svcs Co-op, PO Box 353 Stn. A, M5W 1C2. 416-925- 331-6132, [email protected]. lakesidepress.org. Madison Infoshop Job Shop: 1019 Atlanta: Keith Mercer, del., 404-992-7240, iw- Williamson St. #B, 53703. 608-262-9036. 7250. [email protected] New York SUBSCRIPTIONS [email protected] Two Degrees Coffeeshop Job Shop: 307 W. Johnson NYC GMB: PO Box 7430, JAF Station, New York City Individual Subscriptions: $15 Finland St., 53703. 608-257-7888. Just Coffee Job Shop: Hawaiíi 10116, [email protected]. Jim Crutchfield, I.U. Library Subs: $20/year Helsinki: Reko Ravela, Otto Brandtintie 11 B 25, www.justcoffee.net. Honolulu: Tony Donnes, del., 808-547-2042. 650, [email protected]. Union dues includes subscription. 00650. [email protected] [email protected] GDC Local #4:P.O. Box 811, 53701. 608-262-9036. Starbucks Campaign 347 Maujer St. Apt. #C, Published eleven times per year. Germany Illinois Brooklyn, NY 11206 Daniel Gross: 917-577-1110 Railroad Workers IU 520: Ron Kaminkow,PO Box Articles not so designated do not 3010, Madison 53704, 608-358-5771.eugene_v_ IWW German Language Area Regional Chicago GMB: PO Box 18387, 3750 N. Kedzie, 60618. Tomer Malchi: 646-753-1167 reflect the IWW’s official position. Organizing Committee: Post Fach 19 02 03, 60089 phone: 312-638-9155. [email protected]. Frankfurt/M, Germany [email protected] [email protected] Press Date: April 17, 2007 Carbondale: Jason Leonard, Southern Illinois Milwaukee GMB: PO Box 070632, 53207. 414- www.wobblies.de 481-3557. May 2007 • Industrial Worker • Page  Zimbabwe workers win court case, face violence

A court has dismissed charges Police violence dogs “Stay-Away” against three top officers of the Zimba- Zimbabwe’s govern- bwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), ment and paramilitary ruling on March 29 that the government supporters used threats, failed to present evidence proving the intimidation, violence, union federation had violated “exchange kidnapping and mur- control” regulations to affect the market. der to fight the April ZCTU secretary-general Wellington 3rd and 4th stay-away Chibebe, Elijah Mutemeri and Vimbai general strike called Mushongera were involved in an attempt by the Zimbabwean to organize workers in the informal sec- trade union congress. tor by founding a new organization, the Unknown assailants Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Econ- kidnapped one teach- omy Associations (ZCIEA). The Zimba- ers’ union officer who bwean police raided its office in 2005. remains missing, while Informal workers are one of the most others beat a television widespread but precarious sectors of the cameraman to death. Zimbabwean economy. Through the cre- The government is ation of the ZCIEA, the ZCTU had sought now demanding that to represent these often voiceless work- all companies that did ers. Reportedly, the government saw close their doors justify the new organization as a potential rival their actions in writing. political party, fomented by the British- Preliminary reports based Commonwealth Council of Trade say that the stay-away Unions. The British government is one was not as successful of Zimbabwe’s most outspoken critics in as the opposition had the European Union and Commonwealth hoped for. However, the and its strong links to Zimbabwe’s labor ZCTU points out that, Graphic by Ned Powell movement are well known. considering the widespread intimidation The inability of Zimbabwe’s gov- that prevailed, the level of participation ernment to prove its case in court and in the action was impressive. the court’s decision to stand by the law President Robert Mugabe, once US Court of Appeals slaps NLRB instead of the government’s desire to hailed as the country’s liberator from Ruling that classed nurse as boss “borders on the frivolous” convict its opposition may signal a weak- colonialism, has ruled Zimbabwe since A recent ruling by the United States The Board had ruled that nurse Lisa ening of the government’s authority. 1980. It is now in an economic and polit- National Labor Relations Board (NRLB) Jochims could be considered a supervi- In a recent police report, the Zim- ical tailspin. Mugabe blames Zimbabwe’s that a registered nurse in Missouri was sor because her duties included sending babwean police also complain about the current crisis on his domestic opposi- a “supervisor” and could be legally fired employees home on orders from man- judiciary’s independence and unwill- tion and on foreign interference. Despite for circulating a petition has been shot agement, giving employees permission ingness to support the government’s the dire situation, the ruling party has down by the US Court of Appeals in to leave early in emergencies and filling repression of the opposition. The police already confirmed Mugabe as its presi- Washington, DC. out written reports about misconduct. has “no support from the judiciary dential candidate for the 2008 elections. In its ruling, the appeals court The appeals court rejected these who continue to either release accused An opposition movement for change declared that the NRLB’s decision is findings, stating that none of these persons on either free or make them pay formed in 1999, but has failed so far “fatally flawed”, “devoid of substantial examples met the criteria for classifying very small bail, allowing them to go out to mobilize enough popular support to evidence” and “borders on the frivolous”. workers as supervisors under previous and continue with their illegal activities,” force Mugabe out of power. Its activists The NRLB’s decision involved three NRLB policy. The court sent the case according to the report. have faced systematic police harassment cases, collectively known as the Oak- back to the Board to make a new ruling. and brutality. wood ruling. The Oakwood ruling would have had serious implications for the labor move- ment, potentially stripping eight mil- Preamble of the IWW Constitution lion nurses, construction workers, news The working class and the employing Join the IWW Today he IWW is a union for all workers, a union dedicated to organizing on the media workers and others of the right to class have nothing in common. There can be no peace so long as hunger and want job, in our industries and in our communities both to win better conditions join a union. are found among millions of working T today and to build a world without bosses, a world in which production and The ruling was an attempt to expand people and the few, who make up the em- distribution are organized by workers ourselves to meet the needs of the entire popu- the scope of the infamous Kentucky ploying class, have all the good things of lation, not merely a handful of exploiters. River decision in September 2006, a life. Between these two classes a struggle We are the Industrial Workers of the World because we organize industrially politically-motivated NRLB ruling that must go on until the workers of the world ­– that is to say, we organize all workers on the job into one union, rather than divid- paved the way for re-classifying millions organize as a class, take possession of the ing workers by trade, so that we can pool our strength to fight the bosses together. of rank-and-file workers as supervi- means of production, abolish the wage Since the IWW was founded in 1905, we have recognized the need to build a truly sors, thereby denying them the right to system, and live in harmony with the international union movement in order to confront the global power of the bosses organize. earth. and in order to strengthen workers’ ability to stand in solidarity with our fellow In mid-March, a bi-partisan bill that We find that the centering of the man- workers no matter what part of the globe they happen to live on. seeks to reverse the effects of Kentucky agement of industries into fewer and fewer We are a union open to all workers, whether or not the IWW happens to have River was introduced in both houses of hands makes the trade unions unable to representation rights in your workplace. We organize the worker, not the job, recog- Congress. cope with the ever-growing power of the nizing that unionism is not about government certification or employer recognition Known as the Re-Empowerment of employing class. The trade unions foster but about workers coming together to address our common concerns. Sometimes Skilled and Professional Employees and a state of affairs which allows one set of this means striking or signing a contract. Sometimes it means refusing to work with Construction Tradeworkers (RESPECT), workers to be pitted against another set an unsafe machine or following the bosses’ orders so literally that nothing gets done. the bill has garnered the support of the of workers in the same industry, thereby Sometimes it means agitating around particular issues or grievances in a specific AFL-CIO and other major unions in the helping defeat one another in wage wars. Moreover, the trade unions aid the employ- workplace, or across an industry. United States. ing class to mislead the workers into the Because the IWW is a democratic, member-run union, decisions about what issues belief that the working class have interests to address and what tactics to pursue are made by the workers directly involved. Readers’ Soapbox in common with their employers. TO JOIN: Mail this form with a check or money order for initiation and These conditions can be changed and your first month’s dues to: IWW, Post Office Box 23085, Cincinnati OH has new address the interest of the working class upheld 45223, USA. only by an organization formed in such Initiation is the same as one month’s dues. Our dues are calculated ac- Want to get on the Industrial a way that all its members in any one in- cording to your income. If your monthly income is under $1,000, dues are Worker Soap Box? Make sure dustry, or all industries if necessary, cease $6 a month. If your monthly income is between $1,000 - $2,000, dues are work whenever a strike or lockout is on in you send your letters, graphics $12 a month. If your monthly income is over $2,000 a month, dues are $18 or tips to the right address after any department thereof, thus making an a month. Dues may vary in Regional Organizing Committees (Australia, injury to one an injury to all. British Isles, German Language Area). June 1. Instead of the conservative motto, “A fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work,” we o I affirm that I am a worker, and that I am not an employer must inscribe on our banner the revolu- o I agree to abide by the IWW constitution New Mailing Address: tionary watchword, “Abolition of the wage o I will study its principles and acquaint myself with its purposes. system.” It is the historic mission of the work- Name:______IW, PO Box 52003, ing class to do away with capitalism. The Address:______298 Dalhousie St, Ottawa, ON army of production must be organized, City, State, Zip, Country:______K1N 1S0 Canada not only for the everyday struggle with capitalists, but also to carry on production Occupation:______when capitalism shall have been over- Phone:______E-mail:______We accept email, too. Send your thrown. By organizing industrially we are Amount Enclosed:______letters to: forming the structure of the new society [email protected] with within the shell of the old. Membership includes a subscription to the Industrial Worker. “Letter” in the subject. Page  • Industrial Worker • May 2007 Why unions must set their own agenda in online campaigns Knee-jerk assumptions undermine working class solidarity

I have been helping organize online Blair. If they and their stooges in the struggle against the apartheid regime These unions were being crushed by Be- campaigns in support of workers’ rights media (CNN and Fox News) say Mugabe in their own country. The South African larussian President Aleksandr Lukash- for several years now. The latest cam- is a dictator, therefore Mugabe must be unions feel so strongly about Zimbabwe enko. I learned about the issues there paign I’m helping with concerns Zimba- a pretty good guy. Any anyway, didn’t he that they have broken ranks with their not from Belarussian unionists, certainly bwe. It supports a call by the Zimbabwe do some kind of land reform?’ partners in the African National Con- not from Fox News, but from progres- Congress of Trade Unions demanding This argument reflects a larger fail- gress, whose leadership is wavering on sive Russian trade unionists who were that President Robert Mugabe respect ure of thinking and is a real problem for concerned that a neighboring country workers rights. our movement. was plunging back into the dark days of Very few of the campaigns that I Let’s start with Zimbabwe. Stalinist dictatorship. have been involved in may be consid- The call for an international online If Bush says black, Despite this seemingly clear-cut ered controversial – at least they are not campaign of protest came from the they say white. case, I got the occasional angry email usually controversial within the labour organized working class in Zimbabwe. from leftists in the West who had a knee- movement. When you attack a company The only national trade union center in jerk reaction – if the Bush administra- like Wal-Mart, everyone on the left has that country is the Zimbabwe Congress tion didn’t seem to like the dictator in only nice things to say about you. of Trade Unions (ZCTU). Minsk, ipso facto he must be some kind But campaigns like Zimbabwe and It has all kinds of critical things Zimbabwe rather than taking a stand. of progressive. ones we have done in support of trade to say about the Mugabe regime and In other words, among African When Eritrea arrested trade union- unionists in Eritrea and Belarus, have as I write these words, it has called its trade unionists in the front lines of the ists and jailed them in a secret prison in generated their fair share of critical com- members out in a general strike. Those struggle against poverty, racism, neo- Eritrea a year or two ago, I had a number ment. unions in Zimbabwe are being backed by liberalism and neo-colonialism, there is of angry emails from leftists who were More critical comments have come trade union movements all across Africa near-unanimity on the question of Zim- vaguely convinced that the Eritrean in about Zimbabwe than any other - in Nigeria, in Ghana, and above all in babwe. If this had happened in any other regime was progressive and could not recent campaign. Despite this criticism, South Africa. country, activists would not hesitate to possibly be arresting innocent trade it is still one of the largest and most The Congress of South African Trade lend their support. unionists. successful online campaigns I’ve been Unions (COSATU) has taken a very A few years back I was involved in a I think that for many of the people involved in. strong stand in support of the ZCTU and similar campaign in support of free and who send these kinds of messages, Bush There is only a minority of activists against the Mugabe regime. They have independent trade unions in Belarus. and Fox News are setting their agenda who have an issue with this sort of cam- done so for the same reasons that they much more than they paign. What they say, more or less, is: are also struggling against the tyranny would like to admit. ‘Robert Mugabe, for better or worse, has in Swaziland and for the same reasons Rather than form made enemies of George Bush and Tony that they played such a heroic role in the independent judgments based on reading a wide range of media – and online media offers us lots of news that you don’t see on network television – these comrades are simply taking whatever agenda they see coming out of the White House and reversing it. If Bush says black, they say white. They are allowing the Such a bustling business is going on thread on the table’s cutting edge. This, corporations and their in this room! Maria stands in wonder as and no other task, occupies her work life. political representatives she listens to the clatter and chatter and It takes only a couple of days for to determine their poli- chatter of sewing machines. She notices Maria’s limber young body to adapt to tics. This is nonsense. rough gunny cloth being turned into big a measured motion as it braces, swings During the Cold bags. from left to right, to pace itself to the War, we knew that ‘Bags for potatoes or onions?’ she rhythm, to the beat, to the pulse of the Western opposition to wonders. ‘Or perhaps they’ll hold cotton task as gunny sacks keep ever hurtling Stalinism for cotton pickers in the field.’ forth. ‘Faster, faster!’ Lest the tumbling didn’t make the Overhead is another department. bags sag to the floor. Soviet Union a workers’ She senses the thump of heavy machin- Five weeks, and the whir of machines paradise. One had to ery converting raw material into coarse- becomes a steady dirge, occasionally in- form independent judg- grained cloth, weaving, shaping it into terrupted by a skip of the combined beat ments based on what appropriate size, and then sending it of 40 machines, then once more in sync was in the interests of downstairs to be stitched into bags. as they pick up the rhythm, the steady the working class – and Right now, Maria is assigned to Stall pulsation of a united pace. The electric not be guided solely by 6 in Row 3. This stall will be home base lights above take on a life of their own, opposing whatever the for 48 hours a week, straight time, mini- suspended blobs of illusory lumines- ruling elite seemed to be mum wage. cence. supporting. Maria is thankful to be a part of this At night, there is little rest for Maria. In the post-Cold War busy crew of workers in this huge build- Lay-them-straight-cut-those-threads- world, we cannot afford ing. There are eight mouths to be fed at lay-them-straight-cut-those threads. to make that error. home, with only three working members Toss and turn with the syncopated When workers appeal of the household. rhythm of the job. for our support, we need The appointments of Stall 6 are the And scratch! Ever work with gunny? to look at the concrete basic essentials to get the job done—a Thousands of fleas make their home in situation in their coun- low, flat metal table with a cutting edge. gunny. SCRATCH! try, and not make our The finished product of the seamstress Two years later. decision based on what is a bag attached to another bag and an- Maria is roused by a rude bell. The we think George Bush or other, a long succession of bags. Maria’s alarm clock. Tony Blair would do. job is simply to lay each bag on the metal ‘¡Madre de Dios! Another Day.’ An injury to one is an table, then snip that dangling white injury to all – and that’s true even when the one doing the injuring is no friend of George Bush. These are the ABCs BUILD IT NOW! of working class interna- May Day Greetings tionalism and they must from the IWW LA GMB be repeated from time to time and passed on to Telephone 310-205-2667 the next generation. PO Box 621, Wilmington, CA 90748 May 2007 • Industrial Worker • Page  EuroMayDay calls for party, action, protest Activists in 22 cities mobilize against temp and short-term work across Europe

The EuroMayDay network is orga- “We will parade on either employment or citizenship so to nizing May Day parades for a generation mayday to reclaim our benefit native as well as migrant precari- of workers who have never known job lives and fight against ous people. security in 22 European cities in Austria, workfare or other au- “We are determined to severe the Denmark, England, Finland, France, thoritarian solutions to link between welfare and employment, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, mounting inequality and and between welfare and citizenship, and Sweden. welfare crisis. We want as basic pre-conditions to create truly Precarity work—short-term, no ben- to give flesh with our democratic, libertarian, and egalitarian efits, low-paid, transitory—for millions conflicts a new welfare polities in the age of war-making global- of Europeans is “the most crucial and system and a more ization.” burning social issue in Europe today, as horizontal, democratic the gigantic demonstrations in France of society, where immate- a whole generation against precarity and rial, service, affective, EuroMayDay Wants: the CPE [first employment contract for flexible work is not sub- • full+immediate adoption of EU new French workers] are proving.” jected to pitiless exploi- May Day is for “queer temps, im- tation, blackmail flex- directive on temporary workers migrant part-timers, student stagiaires, ibility, and existential • european birthright of nomadic free-lancers, pregnant flex- impossibility. Nobody workers,” announced the euromayday. wants to be sentenced to citizenship (ius soli) org web site. the same job for life. But • closure of detention centers for This will be the fifth annual Euro- nobody wants to spend MayDay event with the network claiming her whole day wonder- immigrants 200,000 participants last year. ing how to pay the next The EuroMayDay declaration states bill, while juggling three • european basic income their position: jobs. • european minimum wage “We have no trust or faith in those “We want life-af- who, at the helm of governments, firming social equality, • free upload, free download unions, political parties, or cultural in- not subservient, dis- • queer rights for all genders stitutions, pretend to speak in our name criminative employ- and take decisions on our lives, while ment. European welfare • protection of THC consumers ignoring social demands and repressing EuroMayDay 2006 in Liège, Belgium. Photo: francois.schreuer.org provisions should be practices of social transformation. made independent from Mississippi U Michigan temps organize with IWW shipyard workers settle strike Candlelight vigil for cafeteria worker James Kirk Workers at defense company Temporary workers at the University On the day the union made its The union organizers also received Northrop Grumman’s shipyard in Pas- of Michigan Ross School of Business demands, students and other union a grim reminder of the urgency of their cagoula, Mississippi voted by a narrow kicked off the public phase of their IWW supporters across the country jammed campaign. In late March, the union margin to accept a three-year contract in unionization campaign March 12. phone lines and barraged university of- learned that James Kirk, a fellow worker early April, ending a 28-day strike that The union presented management ficials with emails urging them to agree from the Business School’s cafeteria, involved over 7,000 workers from 14 with a list of demands that include ac- to the temps’ demands. died unexpectedly. To honor Kirk’s life unions. cess to health care, pay raises, full-time Thus far, management has been and to highlight the consequences of Workers went on strike March 8, work status and a manager who is sub- reluctant to respond to the demands, re- denying workers access to University overwhelmingly rejecting a proposed ject to election and recall. ferring them instead to the University’s Health Services, the temps organized a four-year contract that would have The workers are affiliated with the Human Resources Department. candlelight vigil on April 7. increased health care costs for work- IWW Education Workers Industrial Meanwhile, the workers and SDS Temp workers and their allies are ers without granting them a needed Union (IU620). have brought their message to the Board now in the process of examining uni- pay raise. All but one of the unions also The action was the culmination of of Regents and to the student body, versity policies that potentially violate rejected a second contract proposal that several months of quiet planning and speaking at a “Campus Unite!” rally US labor law and planning a long-term the company made after the strike had organizing by U of M employees and the on March 15. Organizers also sent an strategy for their campaign. begun. Many of the shipyard workers IWW, with strong support from the cam- open letter to U of M faculty calling for To sign an on-line petition support- are struggling financially because of the pus chapter of Students for a Democratic solidarity. ing University of Michigan temp work- continuing impact of Hurricane Katrina. Society (SDS). ers, go to http://www.petitiononline. A serious housing crisis exists, with com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?temps some workers still living in temporary FEMA trailers that will be revoked. Ris- ing insurance costs are also taking their toll. “Since Katrina,” electrician Nick Mariakas told Labor Notes, “you can’t get housing. People raised the rents up so high—they pretty much price gouged. There’s just not a lot of houses left down here.” “We can’t live off what they’re try- ing to pay us,” said Mariakas. Northrop Grumman profited from the disaster, LabourStart raking in $2.7 billion in contracts to re- pair Katrina damage plus an additional $356 million from FEMA. The two largest groups of workers, Where trade unionists Pascagoula Metal Trades Council and lo- cal 733 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, voted 60 per cent start their day on the net. and 67 per cent respectively to accept the contract, with approximately 46 per cent of members voting. Many workers say the union should have held out to win a better contract. In spite of 500 work- http://www.labourstart.org ers who crossed the picket-line, reports indicate that community support for the strike was high. Under the new contract, journeymen workers will get a $1.68-per-hour (about 9.2 per cent) pay raise the first year and an additional 55 cents per-hour raise for the following two years for a total increase of 15.2 per cent. Page  • Industrial Worker • May 2007 Shattuck Cinema workers rally for contract Demand recognition, more healthcare Singing and waving red and black Council supporting the workers. flags emblazoned with the IWW logo, “This is a proactive move for us to more than 80 cinema workers, union continue to organize the community in members and supporters blocked traffic support of what we are doing,” organizer outside Shattuck Cinemas in downtown Bruce Valde told the Daily Californian. Berkeley, California on March 16 to “I do not consider this a protest. This demand union recognition, an expanded is a community support rally.” health care plan, excused sick days and The rally was timed for the peak consistent hours. movie-going hour to raise awareness and The rally and march was the latest support among Shattuck customers. action in a contract renewal struggle Workers credit two recent wage in- between the IWW-affiliated workers and creases to their ongoing public pressure parent company Landmark Theaters that on the company, saying that Landmark has dragged on for over eight months. Theaters has made these concessions in Despite setbacks, the union is opti- order to avoid having to recognize the mistic that it is making progress, citing union. Shattuck Cinema workers and suporters rally for union recognition. Photo: Shattuck Cinema Workers a February resolution by Berkeley City Melbourne IWW An injury to one projectionist on the picket line, View from the Toronto Royal Cinema picket line in the community By Jerzy Smokey Dymny, IWW Toronto union guy, the projectionist. They were had known from Vancouver Island. We I’ve been playing union music for saying that the previous owner’s contract all returned on the 29 and picketed the Preston Motors Threaten strikes, parades & protests for nearly with the union was void. And they hired Royal again. The owner wasn’t smiling Strikers three decades. Not just unions of course, a scab. But the IATSE contract stipulated very much by then. Besides picketing I IWW Melbourne members but anti-poverty events, anti-G-7 & G-8 “successor rights” which means if a new had e-mailed the cycling community to attended the Preston Motors demos, anti-war, environmental events owner still runs the building as a movie advise them to stay away. There were community-protest solidarity events and more. house, they must abide by the union a few days off for the New Year and as the boss offered a miserly “$4 Now, I have a good story to tell contract and hire the same projectionist. negotiations were to start early in ‘07. a week pay rise” and has union- you about last Christmas 2006. There My faith in unions was restored! But however this little action turns out, busting lawyers Freehills advising. was a local second-run movie house in Here it was the darkest, saddest time this bunch of stalwarts rekindled my Management at Preston Motors has my neighbourhood on College Street, of the year. It was cold; it was raining. faith in unionism. I came up with a song threatened to sue striking National “The Royal”, in Little Italy, which had There was no snow on the ground. But for them while they were off negotiating. Union of Workers members. been closed along with several others five men had come out to support their I call it “Solidarity is Easy” which is a For more information on this in Toronto. My friends and neighbours fellow worker who’d been illegally laid bit ironic when you hear the rest of this struggle, see www.unionsolidarity. were upset because we like to go to off. I was seeing pickets walking in front Local’s story (see below for the words). org . second-run movies rather than the big of the Royal Cinema to protect the rights Meanwhile, the IATSE rank-and-file Wobs attended the Paris corporate palaces. of just one worker. Well, as I see it this tried to replace an executive that they Commune 1971-2007 March 28 Then there was a glimmer of hope. is the essence of unionism. After all the thought had failed them, but narrowly commemoration. Someone was renovating the Royal and Wobbly motto reads: “An injury to one lost the election. The re-elected IATSE IWWs also attended the Nuclear posters announced it would reopen is an injury to all.” It didn’t take me executive is still negotiating with the Fools Day rally on April 1 and November 15th. Then there were delays. long to promise I would be back with my Royal owner, who promised to respect marched to IWW stall at the Music But in mid-December a film was opening guitar. successor rights in one meeting and then Bowl, distributing the new edition of and I was going to go see it on the On December 17, I sang union songs reneged on his promise at the next one. our paper Direct Action & pamphlet opening night ‘cause the reviews said it with the IATSE picket for an hour. That “I’m afraid organized labour is in Fanning Discontent's Flames. was about bicycle activists, of sorts. is, I taught them songs. I had printed up deep trouble in this country, mainly IWWs were also active with Imagine my surprise when I saw half four songs on a sheet of paper and they because of narrow self-interest at the stalls at the Melbin Social Forum a dozen men with picket signs. Here’s sang along. They repeated the picket on top plus not minding the store while on April 21; the Victorian Unions what I found out. the 19 and 22 so I brought four more corporations have strong strategic Family Day on April 22; anti-War The International Alliance of songs for them to learn. We sang even alliances within their ranks to de- commemoration on April 25 and, of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) has longer. They really liked “Are You a unionize their work places,” said one course at May Day week events. represented projectionists and others in Scabby?” which was written by a Wob I IATSE rank-and-filer. IWW Melbourne PO Box 145, the Ontario Theatre industry since 1909. Moreland VIC 3058 Australia Tel Local 173 of the union covers Toronto. 0403 139 818 www.iww.org.au The Royal renovators thought they could A song for the picket line... By Viola Wilkins re-open the cinema and not hire the only Solidarity is easy

By Jerzy Smokey Dymny

Sometimes I’m disgusted when there’s no solidarity, In the business trade unions ‘cause they often fail to see “We swear by the That their workers want to fight for a cause that’s real and strong But the leaders sell out easy and make a deal that’s wrong. Southern Cross chorus: to stand truly by ‘Cause Solidarity is easy when you know a thing is right; Solidarity’s when your friends join together for a fight. each other and Solidarity’s no stranger to union members when They help a fellow worker who needs a helping hand. fight to defend our This winter I saw a picket line, in front of a movie house, rights and liberties.” Defending a single worker who’d been laid off by a louse. Who’d renovated the cinema to make it modern, then He renovated the contract by firing the union man.

His friends they stood beside him all through that Xmas time; Australian Wobblies send fraternal They marched & sang thru rain and sleet to keep his spirits high. When a Local supports a worker even tho’ he’s just one man, May Day greetings to all workers Solidarity’s on the march and growin’ throughout the land. organising and struggling against It was just those six workers who were with their union brother. militarism, state repression and the The union wouldn’t go to bat for just one member. dominance of capital. But after seven solid pickets in front of the movie house The union was embarrassed into dealing with the louse. May 2007 • Industrial Worker • Page  FAU calls for solidarity with German carers

Compiled from the Hanover Local of the to cut down the rights of the employ- Free Workers Union (FAU) appeal ees, attack union organizing efforts and Sample Protest letter expel combative union representatives On March 14, 20 members of three from the company by all means possible. To the Hospital Wahrendorff GmbH management: unions protested in Hanover against the Since 1994 union officers have faced behaviour of the management of Klini- regular attempts to fire them. Dear Mr Wilkening and Mr Jeske, kum Wahrendorff GmbH, a nearby pri- A surge in employer attacks against vate psychiatric hospital and residence. workers prompted the Hanover protest. I hereby strongly protest the behaviour of the management in its poor treatment The protest took place in front of the The workers’ representation council, of members of ver.di in your workers council in Klinikum Wahrendorff GmbH. hotel Luisenhof in Hannover, where the elected one year ago, has to deal with management hosted their third annual ten proceedings before a labor court of Your unacceptable hostility to organized unions, members of the workers council general meeting. The unionists and justice. Four cases are for the immedi- and legitimate union activity is well known and condemned in Germany and abroad. syndicalists present asked the manage- ate dismissal of four employees, while ment of the hospital to immediately stop three are requests of expulsion from the I therefore demand you stop your anti-union activities and attempts to dismiss its attacks against union representatives workers council. All the targeted people union members and remove others from the workers council and to accept the rights and to accept that employees can make are members of the ver.di-list, a union of your employees to organize in unions and exercise their union rights at work. We use of the existing union rights. which participates in representative elec- further demand that you provide the workers council access to all the information, Hospital employees, and leaders of tions to the workers council. The attacks required by law, which it needs to needs to examine and judge the company´s situa- the emergency and housing units, prin- are designed to deter the organization of tion and represent workers’ interests to the best of its ability. cipal doctors were among the 75 guests employees. at the meeting. The leader of the German The employer has ignored the work- We also urge you to respond to the workers council’s finding of the discrepancy Liberal Party (FDP) parliamentary group ers council’s report on the present eco- between the supposed and actual number of employees. If there should be any dif- delivered a speech. nomic situation of the hospital for more ferences, then meet your obligations and provide the proper workplaces. In the street, the Ver.di union of than eight months, giving no reply. It public and private services; DGB-Orts- has not even provided a financial state- Respect the rights of patients and employees in this crucial matter. kartell Lehrte, a local group of German ment for 2005. Sincerely, Trade Union Organization; and Freie Discontent is widespread, but many ArbeiterInnen Union (FAU) Hanover employees don’t dare to fight against ver.di members in the company by the management at 00495132/902266 or participated in the protest. their working conditions and pay. Most few ver.di unionists who want to fight 00495132/902200. Be sure to email The hospital in Sehnde-Ilten is one of them delegate their own responsibility back, but the atmosphere at the work- blind copies (BCC) to the workers of the biggest private psychiatric hospi- to fight for their rights to their repre- place is poisoned with fear. council [email protected] and tals in Europe. Care for 277 patients in sentatives in the workers council. Some The FAU is calling for a global soli- the FAU [email protected] or fax an emergency area and 680 mentally-ill rather reserved attempts made by ver.di darity campaign to force the employer a copy to the FAU 00495132/902275 so residents in a housing area is provided functionaries led to nothing. to listen to its workers. Send by email we can show the hospital workers that by 785 employees. However, there are efforts being to [email protected] and they are not alone. For years the management has tried made to activate the large number of [email protected] or fax letters to Sit down at work? Meet Deep Vein Thrombosis By Mike Payne, www.iww.org.au (or starving), telling stories and mak- could be on the line here. Chat to your Office workers take notice. You are at ing love. Do a bit of hunting here, bit of fellow workers – tell them all about the risk of developing deep vein thrombosis Office and IT workers, gathering there. This lifestyle capitalism one big union and the transformation (DVT) just from sitting immobile at your taxi drivers are amongst forces you into does you no good at all of daily life – run off a couple or hun- desks, according to a New Zealand study. either physically or psychologically. dred subversive pamphlets on the copy The study to be presented at the an- the absolutely most at Its symptoms include pain, swelling, machine and make sure everyone gets nual conference of the Thoracic Society risk redness and dilated surface veins seen one although not necessarily everyone of Australia and New Zealand in April on the skin. The risk is caused by the knows who it came from. This type of has found prolonged immobility at work sitting position which can impede blood activity is good for the brain cells as is, absolutely, the most common fac- flow. well as the legs. The small risk puts a tor shared by DVT patients. DVT is the amongst the absolutely most at risk, ac- Thankfully the impeded blood flow little more epinephrine into the vascular formation of a blood clot in a deep vein, cording to the research from the Medi- affects mostly the legs and hardly at all system and brain, bounce in the step and most commonly in the legs, which may cal Research Institute in Wellington. the brain. That numbness you feel after straightness in the spine. Pace around a cause death if untreated. Chances are, the stats are not going to the five hour stint in front of the monitor bit. You’re caged!–in the cappoe’s world One in three people attending an change when you locate yourself any- has other causes. So, anyway, use the bit we all are. But we don’t have to like it or out-patient clinic reported sitting for where else on the planet. that’s working. Or at any rate has blood take it quietly. eight hours or longer before suffering For the Great Fishes sake, you flow. Look out for the warning signs a venous thromboembolism or blood evolved to wander and wonder and run such as “stiff” or “fidgety” legs. You feel clot that detaches from the vein wall across the wide savannah by day and stiff or fidgety legs you should get up Serb workers, and lodge elsewhere in the body. Office spend the evening partying, feasting and wander around for a bit. Your life workers, IT workers and taxi drivers are students occupy Bangladesh to Wal-Mart Calls for Chong Won Fashion University of privatize port to to reinstate fired union members Belgrade By John Kalwaic Bowing to strong pressure from Another anti-sweatshop group, the Students and faculty affiliated with bust unions workers rights advocates, retail giant Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN), the Anarcho-Syndicalist Initiative (ASI) Bangladesh’s interim government Wal-Mart is calling for the immediate also investigated the case. occupied the University of Belgrade to is laying plans to privatize the country’s reinstatement of 117 union members Wal-Mart’s own code of conduct protest neo-liberal reforms in education. main port in the southeastern city of who were unjustly fired by its Filipino requires suppliers to respect workers’ The student-faculty blockade at the Chittagong. A port official openly admit- supplier, Chong Won Fashion. rights to freedom of association and university protested the government’s ted to reporters that the move is an The Chong Won Fashion factory, not attempt to interfere with workers’ proposed education reforms. effort to wrest control of the port from which manufactures clothing for Wal- legal activities. This issue has been going on since an alliance of militant unions which have Mart supplier One Step Up, has used Since the firings, WRC and MSN the fall of 2006 when a similar blockade shown their strength in a series of recent violence, intimidation and mass firings have pressured Wal-Mart to formally was formed. The Serbian students were strikes. to crush a union that was on strike for investigate the matter through inde- following the example of the French The port is essential to Bangladesh’s recognition. pendent monitoring group, Verité. anti-CPE students as well as students booming textile industry, shipping over The union had won an election cer- After months of frustration at from Greece and other places in the 90 per cent of the country’s $25 bil- tified by the Philippines’ Department Wal-Mart’s inaction, the recent call by world who have protested neo-liberal lion export and import economy. It has of Labor, but the company has refused Wal-Mart for reinstatement is seen as reforms in education. become an important battleground for to accept the outcome of the election. a promising sign. The protest ranged from 400-600 union and political disputes that have When management dismissed Organizers are now urging Wal- participants in the biggest action of caused millions of dollars in losses to 116 striking workers in November Mart to take their commitment one anarchists Serbia has seen. There were firms that ship to Wal-Mart and other 2006, the Workers Rights Consortium step further and demand that Chong at least 15 gatherings across the city of large retailers. Fearing a loss of invest- (WRC)—a sweatshop monitoring group Won respect international and Filip- Belgrade between March 9-14. ment, government officials have now backed by a number of prominent pino law by negotiating a collective The ASI is a new affiliate of the his- decided to rid the port of its union universities—launched an investigation bargaining agreement with the union, torical anarchist international known as presence by turning it over to private into the issue. The resulting 49-page NMCW-Ind. the IWA-AIT. management. In its crackdown on the report details overwhelming evidence Retaliation against union members The ASI also functions as a labor port, the government has also arrested of widespread and severe violations continues. union which organized the first retail several prominent politicians who op- of local and international labor laws. union in Serbia at the Mama Mia Italian pose privatization. restaurant in June of 2006. Page  • Industrial Worker • May 2007 The Revolution will not be amplified Interview with guitarist Tom Morello

Musician and activist Tom Morello is needed a soundtrack, and so I continued Rocha are playing at the Coalition of cians is not responsive to the needs of known around the world for his innova- to get a bigger body of material and I’m Immokalee Workers’ farmworker jus- rank-and-file musicians. Has anything tive use of the electric guitar, a skill that glad it’s finally coming out. tice mobilization in Chicago this April. happened with that? earned him a ranking of number 26 on IW: I noticed that in your promo- Can you tell us a little about that? TM: It is a dream of mine and it is the Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitar tional photos and even on the album TM: Yeah. Both myself and the Axis something that is so needed, because Players” list. The Grammy Award-win- cover itself you are wearing an IWW of Justice were very much involved in musicians—whether it’s guitar players or ning guitarist has sold over 30 million cap. When did you become interested the Imokalee Workers’ dispute with Taco rappers or DJs—are just like little lambs albums with his previous bands Rage in the labor movement and the IWW in Bell, and so when they came calling this sent to the slaughter in this industry. Against the Machine and Audioslave. particular? time around, I was happy to lend my ser- [LAUGHS.] And there is no one to speak Through it all, Morello has used his TM: [I’ve been interested in the] vices. So I’m going to go there and play out for you. And the cabal of managers fame to promote social justice. Perform- labor movement since I was a very young my heart out for the people. and attorneys and record companies just ing at countless protests and picket man. The Morellos were coal miners in IW: Both of your parents have lay in wait for each new wave of acts that lines, he has been tear-gassed, arrested a small town called Marseilles, Illinois. been very politically involved and your just kind of blindly go in, and there’s no for civil disobedience, and awarded the All my [ancestors] from my great, great great-uncle is Jomo Kenyatta, the first recourse. I’ve seen it hundreds of times… Eleanor Roosevelt Civil Rights Award. grandfathers [onward] were union coal President of independent Kenya. What And so that is one of my life goals—to Through his organization Axis of Justice, miners. So union activity has always role has your family played in shaping organize a radical union of musicians he has pulled many of his fans into the been very important to me. And as I read your political perspective? and artists and rappers and DJs to have world of activism. about different workers’ struggles in TM: I think a very big role. While I some sense of solidarity and at least For the past four and a half years, North America, the wobblies always ap- didn’t grow up with my Kenyan family, shared information and maybe even Tom Morello has been reinventing himself as a political folk singer/song- writer, calling himself the Nightwatch- man. On April 24 he will release his first solo album, One Man Revolution (Epic Records), a politically-charged series of original acoustic songs. On the album cover, Morello dons an IWW baseball cap. Industrial Worker co-editor Mike Pesa spoke with Tom Morello to talk about it.

IW: Up until now you’ve been known to most people as the earsplit- ting guitarist for Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave. Now suddenly you’re playing unplugged folk music in local coffeehouses. What brought about this transformation? TM: I’ve actually been playing the unplugged folk music for about four and a half years now and for me it was an important balance to my arena rock- ing. I co-founded the nonprofit political organization Axis of Justice with Serj Tankian from System of a Down about six years ago, but while I found the organizing and the educating that that organization does very worthwhile, there’s something in music that can inspire, and as a musician I thought it Tom Morello is the Nightwatchman. was my responsibility to use my gift as the idea that half of my family fought power. a guitar player to help fan the flames of pealed to me the most. They were always hard to oust Britain from Kenya was a IW: Well, when you’re ready for all discontent. My favorite guitar player of on the front line making what seemed big part of my home, even in the small, that, give us a call. We already have all time is Joe Hill. So the inspiration of the most outrageous demands, whether suburban town I grew up in. But I think Utah Phillips! people like him and Woody Guthrie and it was equality between the races or the one of the things that really affected my TM: [LAUGHS.] That’s a good start! early Dylan made me decide to pursue eight hour day—these ludicrous de- politics, I mean—I literally integrated IW: You mentioned Axis of Justice. this full time. mands—and they always were the ones the town of Libertyville, Illinois. I was What is the purpose of this group? IW: Your first solo album as the willing to put themselves on the line and the first person of color to reside within TM: Axis of Justice started as a way Nightwatchman, “One Man Revolution”, fight the hardest to achieve justice. So its borders. And so the accompanying of answering the question that fans have is being released on April 24th. The lyr- the wobblies have always been a great racism that went along with that when been asking Serj and I for ten years, ics to all the tracks here are extremely inspiration of mine. I entered school and stuff, it was really which was “How do I get involved?” [...] political. What motivated you to make IW: How do you balance your eye-opening and made me think of a lot Growing up in the small town that I did, this album? radical politics with your high profile that is not right with this world. And I had these ideas about the world and TM: My twin passions have always existence in the entertainment indus- my mom, who is a very fiery character, that the world could be dramatically been political activism and music. And try? What would you say to critics who always taught me to question authority different and better than it was, but I I’ve always been drawn to heavy music, might accuse you of selling out? and if you see injustice to always con- didn’t know how to do anything to about but it dawned on me more recently that TM: The thing that I have in com- front it, whether it’s on the playground it. So the idea is to answer that question. some of the heaviest music is often made mon with most of the people who or whether it’s in the world at large. Over the course of the last three years with just acoustic guitar, three chords inspired me, whether it was the Clash IW: What was it like to play in Cuba or so we’ve established chapters in Los and the truth. For example, whether it’s or Public Enemy or Bob Marley—those with Audioslave? Angeles, and San Bernardino [...] and Bruce Springsteen’s “Nebraska” album were all people who were pretty high- TM: It was pretty amazing. We were there are some fledgling chapters around or Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Chan- profile in the music industry and man- the first U.S. rock band to ever play the country of young people. gin’”, those records are pretty damn aged to live the integrity of the words a show in Cuba. It’s something we’d IW: Are there any plans for a Rage heavy. And I actually think this record, that they sang. I’ve always tried to do wanted to do with Rage Against the Ma- Against the Machine reunion? “One Man Revolution”, even though the same, and—at least on an activist chine but we just couldn’t get it together. TM: Rage—we are playing four there are no Marshall stacks on the re- front—to a much greater degree than- To be able to play in Havana in front shows this summer, starting with the cord, is probably the heaviest album I’ve those artists that I’ve just mentioned. of 70,000 people on a beautiful Carib- Coachella Festival outside of Los Angeles been involved in. From my first underground high bean night was really one of the high- on April 29, and there’s three more For me, it’s an important outlet to school paper through building shanty- lights of my life. The way were treated shows (we’re playing at all the “Rock be able to express myself in this man- towns in Harvard Yard in support of the was amazing. The Cubans have a very the Bells” shows), one in New York, one ner. And I started playing these Night- anti-Apartheid movement, to supporting different set of priorities. And of course in San Francisco, and another one in watchman shows in large measure countless demonstrations and workers’ people here don’t really know what it’s LA. We’re playing with Wu-Tang Clan, because there was a need. There was a struggles, to the anti-war movement, my like there because there’s such anti-Fidel Immortal Technique, Cypress Hill and a big grocery workers’ strike here in Los political activism has been as much of a and anti-Cuban propaganda. But just number of other hip-hop acts as well. Angeles and I’d be asked to play at these priority in my life as music has been. In- the emphasis on education and health IW: Is there anything else you’d like rallies, and I needed songs to play at credibly, whether it was in Rage Against and things like that as priorities stand in to talk about before we go? these rallies, so I wrote “Union Song”. the Machine or in Audioslave, despite such marked contrast to the profit mo- TM: I think that that covers it, just When I was on the “Tell Us the Truth” these radical politics, I’ve managed to tive and celebrity culture that permeate that I’ve been a longtime supporter of tour with Billy Bragg and Steve Earl and make music that appeals to millions of American society. the wobblies and I think it’s certainly Boots Riley from the Coup, and we were people. I’ve always looked at that as a IW: I read somewhere that you had the best union that this country’s ever tear-gassed at the FTAA demonstrations positive. plans to start up a new musicians union seen, and you will continue to have my in Miami, I thought that those [events] IW: I hear that you and Zack de la since the American Federation of Musi- support. May 2007 • Industrial Worker • Page  having one of my songs included, but I Review wish someone had contacted me before sending it to print. My song’s chorus was: We’ll be singing for 100 years more “General strike! General strike! That’s the only ‘general’ working people But mind the radical vision in our lyrics like. We may not be an army but the enemy’s Industrial Workers of the World. Songs working class anthem, L’Internationale. people, no room here for the shirk” was in our sight of the Workers to Fan the Flames of The Centenary Songbook says it uses revised to read: “The earth belongs to And the way to bring them down is gen- Discontent: Centenary Limited Edition, the US translation by Charles Kerr. But us, the workers, No room here for the eral strike.” 2005, pamphlet, $6. this is not exactly Kerr’s translation. By shirk.” The third line was printed in the comparing the Centenary version with Replacing “people” with “workers” is Songbook as: “We may not have an Review by Smokey Dymny, Toronto GMB the original IWW less inclusive army…” The Centenary Little Red Songbook songbook of 1909, and unneces- It may not seem like a big thing to is a bold new version of the tradition- quoted in Joyce sary. But when you at first glance, but it’s the capitalists al IWW songbook. The changes in cover Kornbluh’s Rebel you see the who have an army, and we, the workers, design and graphics are what appealed Voices (p.174), capital letter in who want to bring them down with a immediately, so congratulations are I found that the middle of general strike. It brings in an unwanted due to the designers. The wider format there were eight the line on the change of meaning to my ear. allows the songs to be printed in a larger changes made word “No” you The last change I’ll mention, and font, which is a benefit to those of us to Kerr’s trans- get a hint about one, which I detest, is in “Casey Jones - who are older and probably useful to lation over the when these The Union Scab.” This one also seems to younger folks too, as they’re more likely years. Two were changes hap- have been made in the 34th edition. Joe to be singing along in darkened concert to remove sexist pened. More Hill’s second verse originally read: halls than they were in days of yore. language, those about that “The Workers said to Casey “Won’t you More importantly, there’s a good mix were needed. But later. help us win this strike?” of old and new songs which shows that other changes The one But Casey said: “Let me alone, you’d bet- the IWW is well aware of both its role in were clumsy and change of ter take a hike.” the musical history of radicalism as well wrong. Kerr’s version Then someone threw a bunch of railroad as the need to make new songs available First of all, that was made ties across the track, to organizers. Unfortunately, the num- putting the that I think was And Casey hit the bottom with an awful ber of songs written by men outnumbers “International worth making crack.” those by women 38 to four. This may be Union” in the was: “Toilers In the 1973 songbook someone sub- due to the number of historical songs in chorus instead of from shops and stituted: “Then Casey’s wheezy engine the volume. Kerr’s “Industrial Union” is the worst fields united, the union we of all who ran right off the worn-out track, I have some other concerns with the change as it contributes to the confu- work;” nicely changed to: “Toilers from And Casey hit the river with an awful Songbook. sion so many people have who call us the shops and fields united, join hand in crack.” First, where’s the music? I know “International Workers of the World.” hand with all who work.” This was one This change makes the song much many older members probably know the We should really go back to the original line which was awkward as hell in the less radical. Instead of what Joe said, traditional melodies, but newer ones of- French lyrics here and just sing “the original. which is that workers took direct action ten don’t. And most people will not have Inter-na-tion-ale” because this is histori- The current editors are by now against a higher-waged scab, someone is heard the newest melodies unless they cally the most accurate translation and jumping up in their seats proclaiming: saying that lack of maintenance caused have a recording from the artist. causes no problems when singing with “We didn’t make all those changes!” And Casey’s demise. That’s a huge change in I understand the need to save space, folks who are not Wobblies. Len Wallace they’re right. Someone putting together meaning, and I don’t sing it that way. so I have a suggestion. Let’s post digital (a Wob from Windsor, Ontario) recorded the 34th edition in 1973 did, or carried Neither does Utah Phillips and neither mp3 files of these songs on our web site, his version this way. on changes which had been made even do most other Wob performers. so that everyone can learn the melo- Other changes editors made were earlier. I think it was the 34th edi- Before we produce another song- dies they don’t know. The composers unnecessary and worse poetry than the tion because the way that the lines are book, let’s get all our musicians, or even could get a link to their own web sites in original: “The law oppresses us and punctuated and have capitols half way all of the membership, if it came to a exchange for making songs available in tricks us, Wage slav’ry drains the work- through some of the lines is the same as vote on something like “The Internatio- this way. ers’ blood;” adds unnecessary words to they were in that edition. I can’t figure nale” to agree to a standard set of words. Secondly, I have problems with some Kerr’s original: “The law oppresses us out why they made all these alterations If word changes are made, they have of the word changes. I know the editors and tricks us, wage systems drain our but I say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” If to be footnoted. Otherwise, we’ll contin- wrote on the title page that “People’s blood.” you want to sing a song differently, that’s ue to perpetuate bad changes, and new music... is living music.” I agree, but Similarly, why change Kerr’s line: fine. But when we change the words in Wobblies won’t even be aware that they some of these songs have been changed “Fruits of the people’s work are buried, our “official” Songbooks, we should ac- are not reading the original words. over so many years that we’ve lost track in the strong coffers of a few;” to: knowledge those changes, and do it with In future editions, we should avoid of the original writers’ intent and we “Fruits of the workers’ toil are care. So much for L’Internationale. taking past song versions for granted have adopted changes by previous edi- buried, in strongholds of the idle few.” I could talk about changes in other and look for the best, most Wobbly lyrics tors who were not good poets. Again the change seems gratuitous. songs but will only mention two more to include. And let’s add more songs by For an example, let’s look at the Lastly: “The earth belongs to us, the here. First, I should say I am grateful for women to the collection. morality to scorn, songs that lampoon Review our masters and the parasitic vermin, such as employment-sharks and their When workers sang what ought to be kind, who be-devil the workers.” These were strong words for hard Archie Green, David Roediger, many thousands of workers across North ‘sell’. They were written by workers times. The songs may be forgotten, some Franklin Rosemont, Salvatore Salerno, America participated, published its first themselves, meant to be sung by workers faded with changing times, but others editors, The Big Red Songbook. Charles “little red songbook.” These songs stirred and were not depending on the aesthetic remain rallying cries for workers. One H. Kerr Publishing Company, Chicago, the spirit, proclaimed the union, identi- of the paid artiste. wonders at how these songs shaped and 2007, 537 pages, cloth and hardbound, fied the problems, pointed the finger and At first glance some of these songs influenced the folk music revival. Words $24. sought solutions for the folks who create may appear downright crude, stodgy, passed from person to person, move- the wealth formulaic, heavy- ment to movement in an aural chain? Review by Len Wallace of this handed with this In his past work on Joe Hill and Allow me to establish right now that world. We shall run the gamut of emo- last criticism often working class counterculture edi- folk music as we know it would not exist The tions in our songs... We will leveled against tor Franklin Rosement wrote how the or at least be what it is without the tradi- editors songs of definite IWW’s image of “Pie In the Sky” (the tion in song of the working class and collected have songs of anger and protest, non-conforming hopeless cause) became a part of our especially organised working class move- all the songs which shall call to judge- political or social vernacular and an image that entered ments. It is a tradition that is endur- IWW songs content. But even ment our oppressors and the the work of diverse songwriters from ing, too often overlooked, deliberately published the crudest of Scotland’s Dick Gaughan to reggae art- ignored, distorted or misunderstood. in the many Profit System. songs contains ist Jimmy Cliff. Many of these songs We can make a link from songwrit- editions of an unquenchable were written by self-educated workers, ers Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly and Cisco this little spirit that is honest well-read and ready to use the “classics” Houston to Pete Seeger, the Weavers, red organ- and true felt self- of literature to make their point. Today, Peggy Seeger, Sis Cunningham and iser from 1909 to 1973 plus the poetry expression from when workers are again under attack Ewan MacColl to Rambling Jack El- and song that appeared in many publica- below. and bearing the brunt of economic reces- liot to Bob Dylan, Hazel Dickens, Phil tions of the union including its official In one essay, union member Richard sion/depression which disempowers Ochs to artists of our own time such as organ, the Industrial Worker. Each song Brazier writes how organizers of the first at multiple levels—political, economic, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Bragg and many and poem is reviewed with extensive his- red songbooks chose songs: cultural—it is important to be able to ex- others. Yet the red thread of it stretches torical background notes. Critical com- “We shall run the gamut of emotions amine how workers in the past respond- back even further back. mentary is provided in essays examining in our songs, the argument went on. We ed to their own situations. In the IWW Charles H. Kerr Publishing has come working class culture. will have songs of anger and protest, that response was not one of acceptance, out with a remarkable collection of songs As singer and performer Utah Phil- songs which shall call to judgement our resignation or despair, but a militant and poetry from the openly revolution- lips notes in the Afterward, this collec- oppressors and the Profit System they opposition. And for no reason other than ary Industrial Workers of the World, the tion of songs contains our history, the have devised. Songs of battle won (but that, this new book is invaluable. most singing-est movement there ever good and the bad. Some of these songs never any songs of despair), songs that was. In 1909 this militant union in which are not prettified or bourgeoisified to hold up flaunted wealth and thread-bare Page 10 • Industrial Worker • May 2007 IWW in Scotland presses Save Crichton Campaign Unnerved Scottish government demands principal Sir Muir Russell listen By Nick Durie responsiveness to this popular cause and sponsorship. He has also ‘streamlined’ very quickly at Crichton with the aim The Glasgow University IWW job use its power to reverse the decision. the business by sacking 10 per cent of of panicking staff, separating them and branch along with other campaigners are Campaigners further plan to demand the workforce and re-scaling the pay of their concerns from students, and killing planning a series of events to increase talks with the increasingly isolated workers employed by the University. The off the campaign. However, as a result the pressure on university bosses and Principal of the University, Sir Muir IWW, which now has nine members in of consistent pressure the campaign has the government to cancel the planned Russell, who has hitherto refused to its job branch, aims to embarass him in won a stay of redundancies until the pull-out from the Crichton Campus. engage in any constructive dialogue front of his rich mates. end of the academic year.The campaign Fellow workers plan to turn the local with the IWW or representatives from We have also concentrated on has also brought a focus to the IWW, trades council May Day in Dumfries the campaign, despite government developing outreach on the main particularly in Dumfries, which it has (normally a subdued affair) into a high- pressure to do so. Plans are in motion campus, where many workers are not achieved in years. We’re sure that profile national wobbly mobilization to attend both forthcoming Senate disgruntled and a number of grievances when we are victorious, this will lend with dozens of fellow workers confirmed and Court meetings with the demand, and struggles are in the offing. This increasing credibility to the union in the already to attend the march alongside while campaigners continue to disrupt month we published our first workplace region and at the University of Glasgow numerous Dumfries campaigners from university corporate and external bulletin, with the aim that the IWW job where a number of future organising the campus. functions with the aim of creating branch can also act as a support network drives are being planned. The government is fighting a uncertainty for university PR planners. for rank-and-file co-operation amongst If anyone wants to know more particularly bitter Scottish Parliamentary Sir Muir Russell has presided union members in many of the plethora of our plans for Dumfries Mayday or election campaign, which could see the over a sea-change in the nature of of trade unions on campus, as has the campaign write the job branch at ruling coalition government ousted. the University and is widely credited started to happen already. [email protected], the Scottish So campaigners believe that now is with having ‘successfully’ turned the This twin-pronged attack has borne Organisers [email protected] or an opportune moment to pile on the university around to focus on core some fruit. Initially, university bosses call 44-07910627970. Alternatively see pressure, in anticipation that the subjects like business, bio-technology had planned to bring redundancies in www.iwwscotland.wordpress.com. Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition and medicine from which the University government will exercise unusual receives a great deal of its corporate Royal Mail carriers face pressure Iraq street vendors win right to sell on to use private cars, then suffer risks city streets in Nasiriyah By Ronnie not be off sick without any medical Use of private cars by postal workers training. By John Kalwaic As a result of their successful sit-in, has become part and parcel (excuse the All of this was agreed with the postal In the city of Nasiriyah, street the city granted street vendors the right pun) of the working lives of staff. workers' union, CWU, who pretend to vendors organizing with the Union of to sell their goods in city. Car use was hardly an issue 20 years be against car use on one hand whilst Unemployed of Iraq (UUI) organized a The UUI works to organize Iraq’s un- ago when the mail for a delivery could fit entering into such arrangements with sit-in on March 22. employed and is affiliated with the Fed- into one pouch and there were adequate management on the other. City authorities had denied street eration of Workers Councils and Unions vans to convey staff to the start of their Needless to say, there have been vendors in Nasiriyah the right to sell of Iraq. Most unions in Iraq organize oil deliveries. incidents around the issue which have their goods, in spite of the fact that it is and gas workers, but the UUI is the first These days it’s an entirely different given pause for thought. Numerous cases their only means of livelihood in a coun- to attempt at organizing people who are matter. Years of partial revisions, all of mail theft from private cars, which try with an incredibly high unemploy- unemployed and those who do not work carried out ‘on the cheap’—meaning have caused damage to the vehicle, is ment rate, due to the US occupation and in heavy industry. inadequate numbers of pouch boxes, not one thought. sectarian violence. enough numbers of seats in Royal Mail More serious still are the car mini-busses and more mail-on-deliveries accidents involving postal workers. Argentines protest killing of striking teacher which has the effect of making staff late Last year, a manager told a part-time By Ed, www.libcom.org called by the country’s trade union on delivery—has placed undue pressure postman that he would no longer Argentina was brought to a standstill movement. on postal workers to use their cars. sanction booking overtime caused by on April 9 amid protests over the killing Clashes between provincial police It has to be said that many staff are having to wait for a Royal Mail van to of a teacher in the south-west of the and protesters are common in Argen- their own worst enemies when it comes convey him to his delivery. country last week. tina, but the killing of the popular, gentle to car use. If they insisted on using the Under pressure, the postman Chemistry teacher Carlos Fuenteal- family man angered the nation. Protest- Royal Mail vans or mini-busses to take decided to use his car. One morning ba, 40, was killed after being hit by a tear ers in Buenos Aires marched from the them out to the start of their deliveries, as he drove to the start of his round, gas canister police fired on protesters in centre of the city, calling for the killers that would put the pressure on Royal carrying five bags of mail in his car, he the south-western province of Neuquen. to be prosecuted and for the resignation Mail to provide the correct mode of was hit by another car coming in the He had joined his colleagues to demand of Neuquen province governor Jorge transport, thereby saving jobs. opposite direction on the wrong side of a pay rise. Sobisch who they say is responsible for Then there's the issue of who the road. Left with a broken femur, a In response to his death, tens of police brutality. takes responsibility for private cars. broken right kneecap, a shattered left thousands took to the streets of Buenos The national government of Presi- Postal workers who use their cars are kneecap which had to be replaced, two Aires and other cities. Schools closed, dent Nestor Kirchner has so far kept required to co-sign a bond with their broken ribs, a broken left wrist and a public transport was halted and banks quiet on this issue which seems to have manager. Workers must produce their dislocated hand, he has been off work and public transport and many offices struck a nerve in the Argentine popu- licence, insurance and MOT certificate for months with no return in sight. All shut for a couple of hours. Banks and lation just months before the general of road-worthiness for the manager. this because he had no reliable access some offices shut their doors in a protest election. Then the manager must judge if the to a Royal Mail van and his manager car is roadworthy. What makes a Royal pressured him to drive. Mail manager qualified to make such a The message is simple. Using private judgement is anyone’s guess, much as cars costs jobs, and could cost postal May Day Greetings from 1903 they can tell you if you should or should workers their living or their lives. before the IWW:

A Mass Meeting UK maternity benefits tied to concessions will be held on British parents are getting more of £112.75 (US$222) per week for parental benefits, but so are employers the remaining 33 weeks of their paid TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, AT 8 P. M. with changes brought in by the New maternity leave. Previously, mothers at the Labour government. had 12 months leave, with the first WORKINGMEN’S CLUB AND INSTITUTE Mothers will receive 90 per cent six months paid. The British treasury (CLERKENWELL ROAD, NEXT TO HOLBORN TOWN HALL) of their pay for the first six weeks after reimburses employers for the weekly giving birth, and then a maximum maternity pay. To Commemorate the Legal Murder of the Employers also get up to 10 days CHICAGO ANARCHISTS Subscribe to the when the mothers can come into work during their leave, plus the right to and to protest against the Industrial Worker today ‘reasonable’ contact to arrange parents’ BARBAROUS EXTERMINATION Subscriptions are $15 per year. return to work. Employees wanting to of Boer Men, Women, and Children in South Africa Enclosed: $15 for 1 year take maternity or paternity leave must $_____ donation to IW Sustaining Fund provide two months notice, rather Speakers: $15, bundle of 5 for 6 issues than the one month notice previously S. MAINWARING, P. KROPOTKIN, (ask about special IWW member rates or non-US required. subscription rates) E. MALATESTA, F. KITZ, LOUISE MICHEL, If the mother returns to work, the WITHINGTON, KAPLAN, KELLY, and others. Name: ______father can claim up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave. Currently, fathers get Text taken from a poster printed in the pamphlet Anti-Parliamentary Passage: Address:______two weeks paid leave, up to £112.75 per South Wales and the Internationalism of Sam Mainwaring (1842 - 1907).” Dr. Ken City/State:______week. Many small employers do not John’s Greenwich University Thesis. For more information on the pamphlet contact top-up this amount so the loss of income [email protected] . Postal Code: is often a deterrant for fathers to take Ilyan Thomas, IWW in Wales send to: Industrial Worker Distribution leave. PO Box 23085, Cincinnati OH 45223 USA May 2007 • Industrial Worker • Page 11 Coke workers worldwide gear up to fight cuts Teamsters and IUF say 3,5000 jobs are on the line in Europe, North America

Hundreds of Teamsters, along with disruptions if Coke does not act soon. human rights activists, environmental- “Coke has essentially declared war Along with concerns about jobs and ists and students, rallied in New York health care in North America, the union City’s Times Square April 2 to protest on workers here in the United States is also protesting Coke’s environmental increasing worker and environmental and around the world, and the practices and the corporation’s complic- abuses by Coca-Cola and its bottler sub- ity in human rights abuses around the sidiary, Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE). Teamsters will not stand for it.” world. They were joined worldwide by —Jack Cipriani, Teamsters Brewery Coke is currently facing a lawsuit workers at CCE plants elsewhere in the for allegedly allowing death squads in United States, Belgium, Canada, France, and Soft Drink Workers Conference. Colombia to murder eight pro-union Guatemala, Luxembourg, the Nether- employees. lands, the United Kingdom and Uruguay The Teamsters are part of the global coalition of Coke unions and NGOs who took part in an April 2 international benefits and risking American families’ members’ right to job security, union that has pressured Coca-Cola and CCE day of action for Coke workers. futures,” said Jack Cipriani, Director of representation in cases of restructuring, since Columbian union SINALTRAINAL In February, CCE announced with- the Teamsters Brewery and Soft Drink and a meaningful dialogue and negotia- launched a boycott of Coke in 2004. out warning that it would cut 3,500 jobs Workers Conference. tions with unions and works councils for The organizations are demanding that from its North American and European “Coke has essentially declared war a long-term economic strategy for the the corporation sign a global workers’ workforce. on workers here in the United States and companies. rights agreement that would be enforced The Teamsters, representing more around the world, and the Teamsters Coke’s recent moves toward employ- through independent monitoring. than 14,000 Coca-Cola and CCE em- will not stand for it. We are putting Coke ing non-union workers and slashing These efforts “are hitting critical ployees in the United States and Canada, on notice today that it must clean up its health benefits spurred the Teamsters mass,” according to Cipriani. teamed up with the food, hotel and act.” union into action. “It’s time to put the brakes on Coca- farm workers’ international union (IUF) The union is threatening the pos- “Coke is discriminating against Cola before more workers and communi- to demand the recognition of union sibility of widespread strikes and service union workers, cutting healthcare ties are hurt.” Struggling AFSCME local in Amherst gets a taste of IWW By James Bouthillier, James Connolly Upstate New York Regional GMB Walls came tumbling down at through divisions facing the unit. The University of Massachusetts at The unit is about to enter what may Amherst’s “Blue Wall” cafe March 25 prove to be difficult negotiations with when school employees got their first the town for a new three year contract taste of the IWW. in a climate of unprecedented budget What began as nothing more than deficits. a conversation between AFSCME local 1725 member James Bouthillier and Potential for cooperation IWW branch secretary Avraham Qanaï After the meeting ended, AFSCME concerning tensions between workers members agreed to take a fresh look in this small western Massachusetts at the union. The IWW added another community and dissatisfaction with member to its’ranks and possibly more the AFSCME union, ended up a highly will join. productive informational meeting meant AFSCME members have a union to ease tensions and show support for meeting on April 17. On the agenda the struggling AFSCME unit. will be talks with an AFSCME servicing The source of the tension was representative concerning tension within AFSCME’s “heavy-handed” response the local 1725 and disappointment with to a recent employee push to split the the union’s approach to the bargaining bargaining unit. unit. Also on the agenda will be how the IWWs Avraham Qanaï and Greg Giorgio shake hands with Stu Kinsman, who is covering over his IWW might be of service to Amherst anti-IWW t-shirt after hearing how the IWW wanted to support his local. Tensions boil over employees in the future. However, not all went as smoothly “If, from now on, as putting butter to bread as IWW [AFSCME] don’t want organizers Paul Poulos and Chris White, to listen, maybe we can delegate Greg Giorgio, Avraham Qanaï, look at the IWW,” said and Ed McCorkindale, delegate of the one AFSCME member. Western Massachusetts GMB learned. So impressed They saw a sample of some of was union steward the division within the roughly 60- Kinsman by the IWW strong members of the bargaining that he said that if unit when Stu Kinsman, an AFSCME AFSCME doesn’t get it board member and steward wearing an together in Amherst, anti-IWW t-shirt angrily disrupted the he would have no gathering. He announced his intentions problem leaving it and to charge Bouthillier with organizing moving to the IWW. an “illegal meeting”, among other Kinsman’s attempt unspecified charges. to foil the Sunday In response to the threats, White and meeting back-fired in Poulos came to Bouthillier’s defense, that it made people calmly explaining the IWW was not very eager to find out there to bash another union, but simply what had happened. to provide support to someone reaching Since the out to the IWW. The steward sat down, meeting, Kinsman apologized to everyone and stayed for has been open with pictures. many individuals Suspicions that the lower than regarding how much expected turnout on the University the meeting changed campus was due to Kinsman warning him. He has begun members to stay away from the get- looking into some of together proved accurate. He had the issues discussed contacted a number of individuals prior at the meeting like to the meeting. getting rid of the One of the attendees said he had AFSCME contract’s “no overheard one such message when strike clause.” a custodian played his voice mail on speaker-phone. Despite the disruption, the two- hour meeting went ahead and gave AFSCME members a chance to voice their concerns with their union and work Page 12 • Industrial Worker • May 2007 Tightline Johnson: Turnin’ the screws at Starbucks FICTION—PART 3 Well, we walked into work early as the first line of the IWW preamble date on all the latest developments in the By Joseph Lapp II that mornin’ and everythin’ was spot on came to mind. “Starbucks is a family and field. In the April Industrial Worker, normal except a few side-long glances we want to do whatever we can to make “Well, fellow workers, there’s some- Tightline Johnson started work as from our fellow workers who were in on our partners happy.” For some infernal thin’ I’d like to tell ya all about called the a Starbucks barista in Seattle—and the plan. Me and James walked right reason they always call us “partners”, conscious withdraw of efficiency. This is started organizing for the One Big on up to the manager’s door, which was even when they treat us like slaves. where an organization of workers, not Union. He and his Fellow Workers covered in all sorts of unholy corporate “I don’t mean to interrupt you, but unlike ourselves, goes into work like nor- formed an organizing committee on the propaganda, and knocked on it. Scissor me and my fellow worker here ain’t actu- mal, obeys the rules like usual, but stops job and decided to “go public” and pres- Bill was inside and chimed right up. Like ally empowered to enter into any kind of puttin’ so much of our brains and bodies ent their demands. Tightline Johnson usual he was sittin’ back bein’ useless negotiations with ya just yet, but if you’d into it. See if we’re all replaceable, like is a fictional character created by IWW while the rightful owners of the store like to respond to them demands and these capitalist bosses want us to think, writer, Ralph Winstead. were busy workin’ on the floor. have a little sit-down chat with the union then any damn fool could do the job. So, Where was I? Oh yeah, we’d just got- When I opened the door to his office then just go ahead to put the request in if we wanted to practice this technique of ten together a group of fellow workers I was surprised to see not just Scissor writing and I’m sure the organizin’ com- flexin’ our workin’ class muscle we’d just and voted to join up with the Starbucks Bill but the district manager, a.k.a. the mittee would be happy to talk it over.” start behavin’ the part of damn fools.” Workers’ Union of the IWW. Then we next spoiler and slaver on up the corpo- “See, and here’s the problem, Mr. There was some general chatter of drafted up a list of demands includin’ a rate food chain, sittin’ right beside him. Johnson. We don’t know anything about approval but I kept on goin’. “Now I ain’t wage hike, better staffing, guaranteed James looked over at me. Somebody a union. There is no union here at this necessarily sayin’ that removin’ our effi- hours, and the most important one of all, must’ve stooled on us, but that didn’t Starbucks, so we really have nothing to ciently superior brains is the best option recognition of the union. We discussed much surprise me. James looked a might say to any group going around calling we got for this here situation. There’s a it and agreed that we was goin’ for broke shook up though. itself one.” flip side to this one, instead of removin’ on that last one, acceptin’ nothin’ short “Come on in and sit down gentle- “Fair enough,” I replied. “Then we’ll our efficiency we could follow all their of victory. The other demands we could men,” said John D. Manager in a slip- just be on our way and when you’re good rules to a ‘T’. What I mean is, they’re fight for later, but recognition was the pery sort of voice. “Oh, we don’t need to and ready to negotiate we’ll be more’n always tellin’ us how we gotta be better, key to the door. We also put together stay long, in fact I’m glad you’re here Mr. happy to send some representatives. make better drinks, give better customer a press release to send out at the same John D. ‘cause we’ve got some info we Now we gotta be gettin’ down to work, service. Fellow workers, why don’t we do time as we handed up our demands to wanted to pass along your way.” I’m sure you boys understand how much it? Let’s go on into work and make every the bosses. He missed a beat what with us not has got to be done before we open up.” stinkin’ cup of coffee a piece of art, let’s The organizin’ committee voted jumpin’ at his orders like the good little With that I turned and walked out give some great damn customer service and decided that me and James, a good slaves he was used to. Best thing a union with James followin’ behind. to every person that comes through leader who was takin’ to the IWW like ever gives a worker is their dignity. “That didn’t go so well,” James said those doors, and lets take our goodly a duck takes to water, would deliver the “Mr. Johnson, I don’t think we’ll be as we walked out on to the floor. “Naw, it time doin’ it. I think the ol’ slowdown demands to management, while some looking at anything you have to show went just fine!” I reassured him. might be the best technique for gettin’ other folks sent out those press releases. us,” he said. At the general meetin’ we’d called ‘em to give up the goods.” Me and James was both a combination “That’s alright,” said I, “we’ll just for that evenin’, where I’m happy to There was some more discussion of mostly excited and a little nervous. be leavin’ it here in the mail box with say there were a few new faces, we told about my suggestion. Some folks was I’ve been doin’ this sorta thing a long the bills and other things you owe.” I everybody what had happened when worried that we’d get fired since speed time, but bosses can be like startled reached past an astonished Scissor Bill we delivered the demands. There was was a part of the job description. They snakes when a union comes into the and dropped our demands and the press a great deal of discussion about what was more than likely right, they’d axe picture; you never can quite tell what release right in the pile of mail on his we’d do next. Everybody agreed that one or two to scare the rest into givin’ up in the hell they’re goin’ to do. I’ve seen desk. “That way you can just get to it they could keep on ignorin’ us unless the organization, but I also said that this the toughest bosses roll over and play whenever you have a spare moment. I we made ‘em sit up and pay attention was illegal, and just like had happened nice right off, rightly fearin’ the power know you fella’s are mighty busy, but somehow. in New York we’d tussle over it and those of workin’ class organization, but I seen we just figured you might want to read Up till then I hadn’t taken much part workers would likely get their jobs back plenty, too, that’d as soon eat their own it over before the newspapers start cal- in the conversation. I have a knack for in time. Till then they could stay on as shoe as budge an inch. Fact is, the latter lin’ cause we sent copies to everyone in knowin’ when my head is gettin’ close full time organizers! type is much more common. Good thing town.” to the choppin’ block and had that little We took a vote on it, and it was the workin’ class has some time-honored With that John D. changed his tune a tingle in the back of my neck lettin’ me a close thing, but the slowdown idea and true methods of dealin’ with this bit. He was a wily one, I’ll give him that. know that the ol’ ax would be comin’ passed. Goodness but I do love industrial stubborn type. “Now Mr. Johnson, we’re not on oppo- down soon so I wanted to take a step democracy in action! The committee de- site sides here.” I chuckled a bit at that, back and let other people start takin’ cided that they next day was as good as over. I only spoke up then because any to kick off our little rebellion. We’d wobbly sabotage just so happens to be a all go to work as usual, but it promised personal hobby of mine, so I keep up to to be anything but a usual sort of day. News To Be Concluded next month. IWW pickets Starbucks shareholders meeting Oxfam, Starbucks Workers Union call for fair trade with Ethiopian farmers In what has become an annual tradition, members of the IWW Starbucks Workers Union (IU 660), the Bean 2 Cup Campaign, local Seattle wobblies and allies from the fair trade movement demonstrated outside the annual general meeting of Starbucks to tell their side of the story to shareholders who believe they are investing in a “socially responsible” company. The protest was covered by several TV news stations as well as the Seattle Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Inside the meeting Chairman Graphic by Starbucks Workers Union www.starbucksunion.org Howard Schultz dismissed the IWW into a licensing agreement with Ethiopi- as a “fringe union” and denied accusa- an coffee farmers,” said Sarah Bender, a tions by Oxfam that Starbucks is pre- union barista at Starbucks who recently venting Ethiopian coffee farmers from returned from a barista delegation to trade-marking their products. Shultz Ethiopia. spent most of the meeting attempting To counter the company’s claims to reassure shareholders that Starbuck’s of social responsibility, the Starbucks flagging stocks are on the rebound. In a Workers Union issued its “Starbucks’ publicity stunt designed to focus atten- Corporate Social Responsibility Report” tion away from the company’s problems, that highlighted the company’s true re- Shultz held a teleconference with Sir cord on workers rights. Among the find- An Injury to One is an Injury to All Paul McCartney to promote his new deal ings are that coffee farmers receive just with the Starbucks record label. 2.2 per cent of their beans’ retail sales at “As Starbucks once again trumpets Starbucks, and that Starbucks insures a its fake socially responsible image, be- lower percentage of their workforce than 215-222-1905 4530 Baltimore Ave hind the scenes the company continues Wal-Mart (a mere 42 per cent, including [email protected] Philadelphia, PA 19143 to wage an illegal anti-union campaign managers). The full report is available against baristas while refusing to enter online at www.starbucksunion.org. May 2007 • Industrial Worker • Page 13

Aside from being a deal that did “It’s not about hurting Canadian CN Rail locks out picketers not deal with their primary complaints, businesses. It’s about getting CN back to another potential reason for the rejection the table. The union doesn’t want to hurt Canadian National Rail (CN) locked newly-appointed representatives then was the pending certification application anybody,” said UTU spokesperson Scott out picketing members of the United negotiated the deal and brought it to the the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference Montani to Canada’s public broadcaster, Transportation Union (UTU) who members to ratify. had filed for 2,500 UTU members in CBC. The union has not targeted started rotating strikes on April 11 in The UTU members faced heavy Canada on March 1. UTU members who Toronto’s commuter rail system. the port of Vancouver and in Kelowna, pressure to ratify the patch-over deal wanted to swap unions signed Teamsters “CN is disappointed with the British Columbia. from both the UTU International and union cards on the picket lines and contract rejection announced [...] by the The UTU members had returned to the Canadian government, which had in special meetings during the 16-day UTU. We believe the settlement was fair, the picket line after they voted against threatened to bring in back-to-work February strike. Canada’s industrial equitable and consistent with collective a one-year status quo agreement legislation. relations board has yet to rule on the agreements the company recently signed negotiated by the UTU International However, the rank-and-file application. with another Canadian union,” said E. president, Paul Thompson. Thompson conductors and yard service workers Canadian UTU vice-president John Hunter Harrison, CEO of CN Rail in had sacked the Canadian UTU roundly rejected the deal on April 10, Armstrong met with CN Rail on April 14 an April 10 media release. CN signed a negotiating team, led by Rex Beatty, with 79 per cent opposed and 70 per for five hours, but the meeting “ended contract in late 2006 with the Teamsters for violating the UTU constitution and cent of members voting, sending the with no further talks scheduled.” Canada Rail Conference. striking without his permission. His negotiators back to the bargaining table. The UTU decided to “turn up the CN’s decision to lock out workers heat” with the rotating pickets, telling who comply with the UTU’s picket its members that it would notify them orders rather than deal with the Troqueros shutdown when their unit would go to picket. uncertainty of rotating pickets has Continued from 1 and labor rights. Truckers said they Conscious that the government has infuriated Armstrong. vote on contracts. Aside from a handful needed to take action to prevent being back-to-work legislation ready to go, “CN’s self-serving lockouts of our of Teamster drivers, that leaves 11,000 forced to work more with less security. UTU representatives are taking pains members are continuing across the casuals and everyone else who works in The security permit and environ- to say the pickets are designed to bring country and Canadians should ask why ports. In Los Angeles alone there are an ment issues highlight their need for CN back to the bargaining table, but not CN Rail is shutting down rail service on estimated 12,000 troqueros. an industry-wide organization. In the stop Canadian freight or hurt Canadian its own initiative,” said Armstrong in a Three looming issues raise not only spring and summer of 2008 master con- industry. UTU statement. the need for organized mass action, but tracts will expire throughout the trans- the possibility of change throughout portation, warehousing, and distribution New column the industry: the Temporary Protected industries. As Labor Notes editor Chris Status (TPS) permit’s conversion to the Kutalik noted, this is a rare and strategic Transportation Worker Identification opportunity for mass concerted action. Credential (TWIC), the demand for ports This action should include the tro- Workers’ Power to improve their environmental perfor- queros who have had Internal Revenue mance, and impending master contract Service (IRS) and workers’ compensa- Wherefore art thou supervisor? negotiations in 2008. tion rulings certifying them as employ- This month we introduce a new monthly column that will feature reflections on The Department of Homeland Secu- ees and those who have not had the IWW organizing and movement building and be a collective space to share orga- rity has demanded all ports replace the amnesty of 1986 upheld. Imagine what nizing stories and thoughts on strategies and tactics for building workers’ power on temporary permit (TPS) that is renewed could be achieved if troqueros organized the shop floor. every six, 12 or 18 months with a five- industry-wide, along with the thousands Each month will feature the reflections of a different member of the union. This year transport worker identity card of other workers who control the flow month a Fellow Worker from the San Francisco Bay Area GMB tells how he turned (TWIC). The TWIC card will be required of goods—from the docks and airports down a promotion at work in order to create unity among his fellow workers. for all workers who enter ports. Esti- to the truck barns and railways to the Topics of upcoming pieces include the difference between solidarity unionism and mates have as many as a third of port warehouses and packages centers—orga- solidarity activism, informal work groups, and why we should rely on direct action troqueros hold a TPS permit. Initially, nized in a concerted nation-wide effort. in the workplace. these TPS drivers will be denied the new Perhaps their militancy and democracy If you would like to submit a piece please e-mail it to forworkerspower@gmail. TWIC card and will have to do a waiver could be preserved by winning full labor com. Submissions should be no more than 800 words. We hope you like this first process which must include a letter from rights without having to surrender their story and we look forward to hearing some of yours. an employer, to get the new card. This real power by signing a no-strike clause. —Colin Bossen, column coordinator poses a problem: what trucking company Perhaps labor might be able to organize or port authority is going to sign an af- down the supply chain all the way to By J. Pierce fidavit saying it is the employer, given all Wal-Mart, McDonalds, even Starbucks. One Friday afternoon, the bosses that. They’ll be done soon.” the responsibilities such an admission For the past 25 years, the troqueros called a big meeting in the recycling yard Everybody was talking and grinning. would entail? Yet, the only options for have self-organized and formed indi- where I work. It was cool because I used In between being called ‘Jefe,’ I got some current TPS holders are either for the vidual collectives of workers at the major it to count 40 workers and 10 boss types. good pats on the back as we all went to trucking companies to accept the em- trucking companies serving the Port of I took the opportunity to see how many clock out. ployment status of the drivers or to have LA/LB. If a solution cannot be negoti- names I knew. It gave me a premoni- That weekend I fixed up a plan to some form of national amnesty passed. ated, then the workers shut down to get tion of a large strike meeting—only the give the bosses a letter saying that I was what they need. Simple. The troqueros bosses wouldn’t be wearing those stupid declining the promotion. My roommate Taking control of the agenda have needed no one to teach them; they grins. translated this letter into Spanish so that The Air Resources Board’s (ARB) well understand that through collection At this meeting the bosses handed I could show it to all my co-workers. I call for better air quality and environ- action they can achieve what they cannot out memos that, among various threats finally gave it to the bosses that Wednes- mental performance by ports puts a individually. When a situation needs and pomp, told everybody that I was day after telling all my co-workers (that second pressure on truckers. Nearly all action at a terminal or even port-wide the new supervisor for the warehouse. I were saluting me and calling me Jefe of the 10,000 trucks working the Port of level, a network of groups and collectives laughed out loud when I read it. Mean- and Patron) that this whole supervi- LA/LB will not meet the stringent emis- should take the initiative and shut down while, the whole place was silent as sor nonsense was “Mentida, Huey!” I sions requirements set by the ARB for specific terminals or the entire harbor to everybody read the Spanish version of went around showing the letter to my the year 2012. Trucks must be replaced, make their demands heard. the memo. The whole meeting was in co-workers and they read or heard from but where and who will do it? Collectives The December 7, 2006 shutdown Spanish so I barely knew what they were me the Spanish translation. If the bosses of workers at key companies are al- organized by the LA GMB of the BNSF saying. Most of the supervisors (more inferred that I had it translated for the ready aware that the Port of Long Beach railway—one of the busiest intermodal properly called foremen) stood with benefit of my compañeros, good, so be it. intends on buying 500 trucks immedi- facilities in North America—over unfair their guys in the crowd instead of up by The conversations we had strength- ately. The fear spreading in the harbor is punishment without recourse or appeal the bosses. ened me because people inevitably that the terminals will get the new clean was one such success. The workers got I thought the various supervisors in asked, “Why don’t you want to be a su- trucks and business unions in the har- reinstated and the company re-evaluated the crowd appeared to be asking con- pervisor?” That’s the perfect place to talk bor—the ILWU and the Teamsters—will its ticketing policy. However, things have troversial questions. The bosses looked about how the bosses are racist and how raid on the troqueros’ jurisdiction by quietly returned to pre-strike conditions nervous. I asked my fellow workers later they want you to work harder and longer forging a deal with the terminals to drive because there is no lasting organization but they said these comments were crap. for nothing. They want you to take them. to ensure workers constantly receive I couldn’t understand what they were responsibility for their incompetence At a January 30 California ARB fair treatment. Troqueros understand saying so I took it for what it looked like. and the list goes on. All my co-workers public meeting, which the LA GMB got the power they have; if they shut down, It seemed like people were challenging understood my reasoning and had the 150 truckers to attend, the workers’ international commerce shuts down, and the bosses! same thoughts themselves. The whole consensus was that cleaner trucks were the entire supply chain of neo-liberal At the end of the meeting, the new thing turned out to be a very solidifying a good idea, so long as the costs weren’t globalization grinds to a halt. May Day head guy asked, “Any last questions.” I and educational process. dumped on the drivers. Workers gave 2007 will be an expression of that power, shot up my hand. “I have a question!” But don’t get too excited just yet. It angry testimony about onerous leas- but more must be done. I shouted in English, as all eyes turned took them two months to do it but they ing arrangements, the failures of the The word is out in these loose-knit to me. “When are the bathrooms gonna finally canned me. There was plenty of Gateway program, control of the trucks collectives and the greater troquero be finished?” I asked, pointing to the reason for them to want to get rid of me and work by the motor carriers. No one population in the harbor that “el movi- building behind us that looked like an but you can bet that the supervisor stunt asked what the replacement trucks were mento” is back. People are beginning abandoned construction site. Eyes lit was a big factor. or how much they would cost, how one to see the IWW at the forefront of port up and everyone started smiling and Is it all a loss? Not quite: There are might apply for one, sources of financing actions. As we see it, the most pressing chattering. Most of my co-workers have lights in the locker room and plumbers or environmental tax credits. By partici- current task is to build a movement with heard me complain about the locker in the soon-to-be-bathroom. But beyond pating in a discussion about decisions lasting institutions and infrastructure room/bathroom situation so they knew that, for two months we were the only affecting them, the truckers turned the that preserves rather than co-opts the what I was up to. One of the supervisors department with no one looking over our meeting from industry strategies for grassroots democracy and militancy tro- laughed really loud and said “When? shoulder. Any new supervisor that comes minimizing their public responsibilities queros have long had, with the ultimate When?” meaning ‘Don’t Ask!’ The bosses in will face a situation where the workers to a forum on workers concerns: wages goal of winning full labor rights. squirmed saying, “Um, we’re working on know they don’t need one. PageMay 200714 • Industrial• Industrial Worker Worker • May • 2 Page007 14

Slaughter in Serene: the Columbine Coal Strike Reader Slaughter in Serene: the Columbine Coal Strike Reader uncovers a history that has The Big Red Songbook nearly been forgotten. It is a Edited by Archie Green, David history of triumph and tragedy, of working class Roediger, Franklin Rosemont and dreams and rapacious corporate greed. Salvatore Salerno Colorado deployed machine guns, bomber aircraft, and cannons to control the miners— This is indeed an incredible endeavor. The men who descended into the dark maw of hell most comprehensive collection of rebel in a rickety cage. They worked with blasting workers’ songs and poems ever compiled in powder; wrangled with coal car mules and English, The Big Red Songbook includes all waded through black water floods to chisel their living from the depths. the songs that appeared in the IWW’s Eric Margolis, Joanna Sampson, Phil celebrated Little Red Songbook from 1909 Goodstein and Richard Myers present a through 1973, plus dozens more. Here are compelling history of the 1927 coal strike led by the songs of Joe Hill, T-Bone slim, Dick the Industrial Workers of the World. $19.05 Brazier, Ralph Chaplin, Covington Hall and Am I My other Wobbly legends; lesser knowns, but Brother’s ought to be legends such as Eugene Barnett, Keeper? A Paul Walker, and Henry Pfaff; for the first Study of time anywhere, a good selection of songs by British women Wobblies: Anges Thecla Fair, Laura Payne Emerson, Sophie Fagin, Jane IWW T-shirts: Sabo-cat or Columbia’s Street, Laura Tanne and others; Australians Bill Casey and Harry Hooton, globe design, printed on red Labor & Englishman Leon Rosselson, Germans Ernest Riebe and John Olday, and Oriental or black shirt. Scotsman Douglas Robson. A special section focuses on variants and parodies Problems Sizes S-XL $15.00 of IWW songs: a Depression-era version of “Hallelujah I’m a Bum,” Jack Agnes C. Size XXL $17.00 Langan’s 1960s version of “Solidarity Forever,” an Earth First! adaptation of Joe Laut, Hill’s “There is Power” by Walkin’ Jim Stoltz, and Hazel Dickens’ bold update When ordering, please specify size, edited by of “The Rebel Girl.” And there’s the wealth of essays, analysis, references, design and color shirt (red or black) Mark Leier bibliographies, and discographies, provided by Archie Green, his coeditors, and Just before the outbreak of the Great War, other collaborators, giving not only historical context, but also a wide range of members of the IWW went on strike in British Embroidered Patches perspectives on the Wobbly counterculture and its enduring legacies. Columbia, calling for humane conditions. The 3” circle with IWW 546 pages, $24.00 action followed years of racist incidents in BC logo and “An injury to about “Orientals” (Chinese, Japanese and one is an injury to all” Indians). In the mind of Central Canada, these embroidered in The Industrial Workers of the two obviously distinct facts were somehow linked, black, red, white and if only by the province’s climate of extremism. golden $3.50 each World: Its First One Hundred Saturday Night, a fearless champion of the Years overdog, sent the popular historian Agnes Laut to investigate. Her articles—outwardly so by Fred W. Thompson and Jon Bekken reasonable to Canadian ears at the time—were so forward by Utah Phillips popular that they were quickly reprinted in Many histories have been written of the pamphlet form. The work was entitled Am I My Brother’s Keeper? Only a few copies survived, but Industrial Workers of the World, often called now this curious piece of propaganda has been the Wobblies. Founded in 1905 in hopes of republished with a contextualizing introduction uniting the working class into One Big Union, by Mark Leier, the author of many important the IWW promoted industrial organization at works in Canadian labour history. For all its a time when craft unionism was the established incendiary wrong-headedness, the text speaks to us of how labour, race, immigration, radicalism pattern. The IWW welcomed all workers, and gender were understood (and practised) in regardless of ethnicity, race or gender when western Canada at the time. $14.95 other unions boasted of their exclusionary policies. Its reliance on direct action on the job generated much of the strategy and tactics of the modern labor movement. Often referred to as the singing union, Wobblies wrote hundreds of labor songs and published millions of copies of their Little Red Songbook. The IWW's theme song, "Solidarity IWW Baseball Cap Forever," became the anthem of the entire American labor movement. A beautiful black cap with red under the visor. Embroidered logo in white and red, and “Solidarity Pyramid of Capitalism poster. The first book on the history of the IWW was published in 1919, just 14 Forever” embroidered on the back of the cap. Union 17"x22" full color reproduction of the years after the union's founding. Since then, countless articles, novels and made & embroidered, one size fits all. $16.00 classic graphic $9.50 histories (an annotated bibliography issued in 1986 lists more than 5,000) have been published on the union – showing that the IWW's influence has extended well beyond its membership and captured the imagination of Order Form generations of labor activists, novelists, poets and historians. Mail to: IWW Literature, PO Box 42777, Phila, PA 19101 The IWW: Its First 100 Years is the most comprehensive history of the Name:______union ever published. Written by two Wobblies who lived through many of the struggles they chronicle, it documents the famous struggles such as the Address:______Lawrence and Paterson strikes, the fight for decent conditions in the Pacific Northwest timber fields, the IWW's pioneering organizing among harvest City/State/Zip Code:______hands in the 1910s and 1920s, and the war-time repression that sent thousands of IWW members to jail. But it is the only general history to give substantive QUANTITY ITEM PRICE attention to the IWW's successful organizing of African-American and immigrant dock workers on the Philadelphia waterfront, the international union of seamen the IWW built from 1913 through the 1930s, smaller job actions through which the IWW transformed working conditions, Wobbly successes organizing in manufacturing in the 1930s and 1940s, and the union's recent resurgence. Extensive source notes provide guidance to readers wishing to explore particular campaigns in more depth. There is no better history for *Shipping/Handling In the U.S., please add $2.00 for first Sub-Total:______the reader looking for an overview of the history of the IWW, and for an item and 50¢ for each additional item Shipping*:______understanding of its ideas and tactics. 255 pages, $19.95 Canada: Add $3.00 for the first item 50¢ for each additional item organizing fund donation: ______Overseas: Add $4.00 for the first item COMBO DEAL: Big Red Songbook & First 100 Years for $38.00 $1.00 for each additional item Total Enclosed:______May 2007 • Industrial Worker • Page 15 Egypt targets workers center

By John Kalwaic Seeking a scapegoat for a wave of jobs in February and brought Egypt’s wildcat strikes in February, Egyptian textile industry to a grinding halt. Many authorities have turned their attention of the strikers resorted to blockades, to the labor group known as the Center factory occupations and other forms of for Trade Union and Workers Services direct action. (CTUWS). The biggest opposition group in In early April the city council of Egypt is the Muslim Brotherhood, which Naj Hamadi in the southern governor- is banned but at times tolerated. The Brendan Bruce, Wobbly Dispatch of the Congress of 1919, the British Columbia ate of Qena, issued an administrative government often uses crackdowns on Edmonton IWW Federation of Labour called a meeting of decision to shut down the local branch fundamentalist militants as an excuse to You will hear many people saying: all western trade unionists to decide on of the CTUWS, claiming that the group clamp down on all grassroots organiza- “When I am Fifty I shall retire into a common front. In this meeting all ties had encouraged workers to go on strike. tions and independent trade unions in leisure; when I am Sixty I shall give up to the “AFL internationals” were severed Other branches are being threatened Egypt. public duties” ... Aren’t you ashamed to and an independent industrial union, with similar fates. This is not the first time the CUTWS keep for yourself just the remnants of the One Big Union, was formed. The The CTUWS is one of the few inde- has come under attack; it has been your life and to devote to wisdom only organization plan of the OBU called for pendent voices for workers in Egypt. The harassed many times for helping work- that time which cannot be spent on any an endorsement of socialism, support for country’s only major union, the General ers organize independently outside the business? How late it is to begin to the Soviet model, and for a general strike Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) is GFTU. The organization insists that they really live just when life must end! for the six hour day. The strike did not controlled by the government, the ruling did nothing more than defend workers’ —Seneca, On the Shortness of Life materialize, largely due to government National Democratic Party. The CTUWS legitimate right to strike and did not interference, the actions of the labor is not a labor union but an NGO, unfet- instigate the strike wave. In our current political and internationals, and the weariness caused tered by government control and dedi- Even the Muslim Brotherhood, economic climate. we are losing our by the Winnipeg General Strike. But cated to helping workers organize. This which is present in many unions and free time and our ability to experience this historical call to action for a shorter independent action made it a target for grassroots groups in Egypt, was not leisure. The term “leisure” is not easily work week shows that work hours were a the authorities. solely responsible for February’s wildcat or consistently defined, but I would serious issue before World War Two and In recent months, Egypt has experi- strikes. What governments often do not suggest that all activities which workers the subsequent establishment of labour enced a rolling wave of wildcat strikes, understand is that many times workers do outside of the workplace should peace and the institutionalization of which have not been authorized by the organize massive strikes themselves and be included. Leisure does not just mainstream unions. GFTU or the Government. In all, more no single organization is responsible for encompass arts and athletics, but also One reason for workers’ loss than 35,000 workers walked off their their actions. time spent with one’s family or at social of leisure time is the perception of gatherings or doing volunteer work. leisure in our society. Leisure is seen The enjoyment of the individual while as frivolous, when in fact it provides performing the activity is what defines it many benefits both to society and to the as leisure. individual. Iran punishes teachers Workers are losing their leisure time More time for workers to pursue not because they are squandering it in athletics would mean an increase in their By John Kalwaic government. One of the OWL demands the pursuit of useless and un-stimulating overall health and the amount of energy The protests started on March 3 was for the government to respect the activities, but because their work week they would have with which to enjoy life. when thousands of Iranian teachers rights of the striking teachers to orga- is becoming ever longer. According to Accessible education would allow picketed parliament for better wages nize. Demonstrators also brought up the a study released by The Centre for the workers to cultivate their individual and working conditions. Statistics show issue of Afghan refugees who fled to Iran Study of Education and Work (www. passions, and would provide a stimulus that 70 per cent of teachers live below during the US invasion of Afghanistan learningwork.ca/csew), the average for debate on how our world should be the poverty line and 30 per cent live and are now under threat of deportation Canadian work week increased from run. just above the poverty level. On March by the Iranian government. 44.6 hours in 1998 to 46.3 hours in 2005 Participation in the arts, both as 5, Tehran factory workers and others On March 14, the government de- (with fathers working an average of 53.2 performers and as audience members, joined the teachers at the Parliament cided to crackdown on a demonstration hours and mothers 44.1 hours). would give workers a medium through building, numbering 100,000. As the of striking teachers. Police and para- In contrast, leisure hours declined which to express their creative impulses. state controls the only legal union in militaries beat many of the demonstra- from 31.5 hours to 29.5 hours. Decades An increase in leisure time and a Iran, all strikes are wildcat strikes, pri- tors. Police arrested up to 1,000 striking of gains made by the labour movement shorter work week would create stronger marily organized by word of mouth. teachers with charges ranging from in pursuit of a shorter work week are families and communities, healthier On March 8, International Women’s plotting illegal gatherings to failing to being wiped away. This increase in work individuals, and would allow more Day, the teachers’ picket culminated comply with police orders. hours doesn’t just eat up time that could debate about society and its direction. with another massive demonstration or- The government has not stopped be used for leisure activities. It also The IWW calls for a shorter work week ganized by the Organization for Wom- repressing the teachers, according to makes workers more tired and stressed without pay reductions, and increased en’s Liberation (OWL). Women from all the International Alliance in Support of during their off-work hours. It seems access to all leisure activities for the over Iran protested at Tehran University Workers in Iran www.workers-iran.org . that the mainstream labour movement working class. and at the Parliament building in a On April 8, the government arrested 45 has abandoned the fight for a shorter To this end, all workers should unite demonstration against what they called teachers in the province of Hamadan. work week for the average wage slave. in the One Big Union to achieve this “gender apartheid.” Women’s demands They were members of the teachers Things used to be different. In goal. ranged from stopping honor killings to union that has continued to protest and preparation for the Trade and Labour the new national dress code. demand government action. In response, These three events came together the teachers union are organizing a two as many of the striking Iranian school- day strike where they won’t teach on teachers were women as well as men. April 15-16 following that action by an- The women’s rights march happened in other one day strike and protest on April spite of a large police and paramilitary 29. They are also planning a big rally on presence. May 8, should the government not meet A MAY DAY SALUTE TO In Iran there is much cohesion their demands for pay parity. between the workers movement, the stu- The unofficial protests were the larg- Our FIGHTING WOBS dent movement, and the women’s move- est the country has witnessed since the ment as they all face repression from the Iranian revolution of 1979. AT Polish workers from anarchist union fired

By John Kalwaic Starbucks Floor panel factory Greenkett Poland included no permanent payment plan recently fired two workers for trying to nor work contracts over the past seven organize with a small anarcho-syndical- years. & ist trade union known as the Workers Workers also demanded better Initiative. The Workers Initiative found- working conditions at Greenkett. Tem- ed the Works Commission in mid-Janu- peratures fall dangerously low in the Landmark ary to organize workers at the company. winter and rise dangerously high in the Greenkett is part of a Spanish company, summer, creating uncomfortable and Grupo Ig, that owns several factories in dangerous working conditions. Cinemas Brazil, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, The Workers Initiative began as a and the United States. small labor project organized by the The company has retaliated against Polish Anarchist Federation. Its first union organizers Aurelia Wlodarczk and organizing drive was with the security Jolanta Szpura, disregarding Polish laws guards of Impel-Tom who blatantly fired protecting union workers from getting its organizers. fired or being dismissed for union orga- Since then, the union has expanded From Harry Siitonen, IWW Bay Area Branch nizing. The union demanded a 30 per to Uniontex and Greenkett. cent raise and an end to a regime that Page 16 • Industrial Worker • May 2007 Mexico Migrant organizer beaten to death in Monterrey

in the southern United States’ “right- Opposing the ratification of CAFTA Edited from www.floc.com The IWW formed the International Staff at the Farm Labor Organiz- to-work” environment, with constant in Costa Rica Solidarity Commission to help the union ing Committee (FLOC) of the AFL-CIO attacks in both the US and Mexico. Staff The ISC wrote a letter to Costa Rican build the worker-to-worker solidarity found their co-worker Santiago Rafael were harassed, offices burglarized and President Óscar Arias and US Ambas- that can lead to effective action against Cruz bound and beaten to death, in their broken into several times and a number sador Mark Langdale, urging the Costa the bosses of the world.To contact the Monterrey, Mexico office on Monday of other attempted break-ins. Rican government not to ratify the ISC, email [email protected]. morning, April 9. FLOC has asked the National Central American Free Trade Agreement “It is with pain and sadness that we AFL-CIO and US Congressman Marcy The International Solidarity Com- (CAFTA). Costa Rica is the only country report the tragic murder,” said a FLOC Kaptur to lobby the State Department to mission is gearing up for action, with in Central America that has yet to ratify media statement. pressure the Mexican government for a several important events and projects on the agreement, which has already been FLOC opened its office in Monter- “thorough and speedy investigation to the horizon. implemented throughout the rest of rey, Mexico in 2005 as a way to help bring the perpetrators to justice. We plan to have representatives in the region. The letter notes the mas- members coming to North Carolina as “Santiago spent years defending place at four upcoming conferences: the sive numbers of Costa Ricans who have H2A workers in processing their visas, his countrymen’s rights in the U.S. International Syndicalist Conference in recently taken to the streets to protest to fight corruption in the recruitment and Mexico. His life and service will be Paris, the Clean Clothes and Fair Food CAFTA. In the letter, the ISC also notes process, and to develop leaders and train missed but not forgotten.” conference in New York City, the Latin the negative impacts CAFTA is having members. FLOC has set up a Santiago Tragedy American Solidarity Conference in Chi- on workers and communities, impacts The office is next door to the US Fund to raise funds for the transport of cago and the Raise the Floor! campaign that are already becoming measurable in Consulate. Although this is the first mur- Santiago’s body home, his funeral, and strategy meeting in Dhaka, Bangladesh. places where the treaty has been imple- der of a staff member, it is not the first securing the Monterrey office from fur- Look for reports on these meetings in the mented. “CAFTA is benefiting a small attack against FLOC staff and offices. ther attacks. Donations can be sent to: next two issues of the Industrial Worker. group of people who were already very Since their breakthrough agreement FLOC, c/o Santiago Tragedy Fund, Meanwhile, we have been in recent privileged beforehand, while the vast in North Carolina in 2004, FLOC has 1221 Broadway St., Toledo, OH 43609. contact with several unions and other majority of working people in Central had to battle against anti-union hostility organizations in many countries around America and the United States are suf- the world and are working to develop fering from the consequences of this stronger relationships with our existing ill-advised treaty,” the letter reads. allies. The letter also calls on Ambassador FAT battles ‘protection contracts’ Plans are being made to raise money Langdale to immediately stop interfer- By Mexican Labor News and Analysis (FAT- Working with specialists in labor for an IWW delegation to Mexico that ing with Costa Rica’s internal process United Electrical Workers) studies from the National Autonomous will take place around September of this by pressuring the country’s Assembly Mexico’s Authentic Labor Front University of Mexico (UNAM), the FAT year. If you would like to help out, please to ratify CAFTA. In closing, the letter (FAT) launched a campaign intended to produced a document titled “Protec- email [email protected]. reminds President Arias of the pivotal expose the existence of and to demand tion Contracts: a Product of the Federal We are also in the process of design- role Costa Rica has to play as the one re- the end of protection contracts. Labor Law” which argues that many ing a long-term assessment stamp that maining country holding out on CAFTA: Protection contracts, so-called such contracts exist and that they do not will be used for all of our future fund- “Your country has the power to turn the because they protect the employers from reflect the will of the workers who are raising efforts. With all this activity we tide against exploitative top-down trade legitimate unions and real collective covered by them. have only had time for one solidarity policies crafted by corporate lackeys bargaining agreements, make up more The document in Spanish can be letter, but more are on the agenda for in Washington and toward a genuine than 80 per cent of all union agreements found at www.fatmexico.org. The FAT is the next month. grassroots movement for Latin American in Mexico, according to Jorge Robles of also being supported in this effort to end autonomy that values people over profit the FAT. These contracts usually provide protection contracts by the Inter-Ameri- Mike Pesa and communities over corporations. The only the legal minimums already guaran- can Regional Organization of Workers International Solidarity Commission fate of millions of people rests in your teed under the Federal Labor Law (LFT) (ORIT) of the International Trade Union hands. We hope you make the right of Mexico. Confederation (ITUC). decision by opposing the ratification of CAFTA.” Oaxaca Popular Assembly calls McDonald’s gives in to Coalition of for governor’s resignation Immokalee Workers, Burger King is next By Mexican Labor News and Analysis (FAT- During the past weeks members of the McDonald’s reached an agreement United Electrical Workers) PRI and the newly-created Local 59 of with the Coalition of Immokalee Work- The Popular Assembly of the Peoples the Mexican Teachers Union have taken ers (CIW) ending an international boy- of Oaxaca (APPO) returned to the streets control of some schools. cott of the fast food giant. In the agree- of Oaxaca City on March 8 with a mass The secretary of Local 22, Ezequiel ment, announced April 9, the company demonstration of thousands demand- Rosales Carreño, demanded that the pledges to pay a penny more per pound ing the removal of Governor Ulises Ruiz Secretary of the Interior enter into nego- for its tomatoes, to help raise wages for Ortiz of the Institutional Revolutionary tiations, saying that if he failed to do so struggling Florida farm workers. Mc- Party (PRI). The organizers estimated the teachers would take the appropriate Donald’s has also agreed to a stringent the march at 100,000 people though the action. third-party monitoring system that will Oaxaca security forces said only 8,000 Meanwhile, a combination of inves- ensure that the money actually finds its marched. More than 2,000 police were tigations, reports and debates brought to way into workers’ pockets. deployed. light the repression of APPO and Local The announcement came just days Felipe Cruz, a spokesperson for 22 that had taken place during the last before what would have been a ma- APPO, told the press that unless Ruiz several months. jor protest against the company at its Photo by JJ Tiziou Ortiz steps down or is removed there will A report of the International Civil CIW Real Rights Tour marches on McDonald’s Global national headquarters outside Chicago. Headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. not be peace in Oaxaca “not even in the Commission of Human Rights Observ- A nationwide bus tour to promote the graves.” ers (CCCIODH) found that 23 people McDonald’s boycott was also in the industry that the leaders of the industry APPO, which was joined by teachers had been killed as a result of the repres- works. are taking concrete steps to improve the from Local 22 of the Mexican Teachers sion by the Ruiz government. The group The agreement follows a precedent lives of workers, of human beings.” Union (SNTE) called upon the Secretary also accused the Mexican government’s set by Taco Bell in 2005. Taco Bell’s The CIW is pressing on and has of the Interior to fulfill the agreement National Commission of Human Rights commitment to pay more for its toma- launched a new campaign to hold with Local 22 and to ensure that all of having attempted to minimize the toes was the result of four years of high- McDonald’s primary competitor, Burger schools were open to Local 22 teachers. repression that had taken place. profile demonstrations, hunger strikes, King, to the same standards. Thus far and pressure from musicians, actors, the company has refused, claiming it Zack de la Rocha and Tom Morello. The ous cases of slavery have been exposed high-ranking religious leaders and even cannot control what its suppliers pay mobilization will take place in conjunc- in recent years. former US President Jimmy Carter. By their workers. tion with the fourth Latin American For their work, pickers make a mere comparison, McDonald’s—the world’s “Given that we represent such a Solidarity Conference, an international 40 cents per 32-pound bucket of toma- largest fast food chain, serving nearly small percentage, others in the industry gathering to strategize on a host of is- toes. At this rate they need to pick about 54 million customers every day—gave in need to step up and follow our lead,” sues, including trade policy, military two tons of tomatoes to earn $50. On an to the CIW’s demands in less than two said McDonald’s USA Spokesman Wil- operations and immigration. average day, most tomato pickers make years, a sign of the farm worker move- liam Whitman. Florida farm workers harvest about less than that, often much less. ment’s growing power. Meanwhile, the mobilization for 90 per cent of the United States’ winter If corporate buyers like Burger King “This is one step forward in the farm worker justice in Chicago will take supply of tomatoes. Tomato pickers pay a penny more per pound and insist fight,” said Lucas Benitez, CIW co- place as planned, April 13-15, with ex- labor for long hours under backbreaking that that money is passed on to farm founder and farmworker, in an Associ- pected appearances from labor, religious conditions and are frequently abused by workers, the difference will result in ated Press interview. “It sends a strong and political leaders and musical perfor- supervisors. Pesticide poisoning contin- workers being paid 72 cents per bucket, message to the rest of the fast food mances by Rage Against the Machine’s ues to be a serious problem and numer- nearly doubling their income.