IWW Liquor Store Workers Fired for Union Activity by the Twin Cities IWW $13 an Hour

Official newspaper oF The Industrial Workers of the World

INDUSTRIALMay 2013 #1755 Vol. 110 No. 4 $2/ £2/ €2 WORKER

The Struggle Continues May Day Special: The The IWW And Earth Spain: CNT Takes On In Wisconsin: Two Years Global Fightback First!: Establishing Battle With Iberia And Counting 3 Against Austerity 6-7 Roots 8-9 Airlines 15 IWW Liquor Store Workers Fired For Union Activity By the Twin Cities IWW $13 an hour. In January, the workers also Labor Relations On Saturday, April 6, passers-by were turned in a petition asking for holiday pay. Board (NLRB). treated to the sight of a large picket out- “If there’s anywhere that needs a “We will keep side of Minnesota’s highest volume liquor union, it’s a store like Chi-Lake,” said fighting until they store, Chicago Lake Liquors (Chi-Lake), Wallace. “Despite the immense amount rehire all five of in Minneapolis. Picketers held signs and of money that we bring in, our wages are the fired workers chanted slogans of support for the workers incredibly low. We have no paid sick days and give us all the of the store, five of whom were fired after or holiday pay. Scheduling is inconsis- raises we deserve. asking for higher wages as a part of a union tent, and we put up with unsafe working We’re not going to drive with the IWW. conditions and sexual harassment on a allow ourselves to Although workers had been discuss- daily basis. We’ve come together to de- be bullied by man- ing forming a union and acting for better mand respect and dignity on the job for agement. We’re conditions in their workplace for almost a everyone working at Chi-Lake, and they’ve going to win this year, the event marked the first time any responded with nothing more than aggres- fight,” said Speck- of them publicly declared their IWW af- sive union busting,” she added. tor. filiation. This declaration and action came At the picket, the workers and support- The campaign on the heels of management firing five ers demanded that management rehire at Chicago Lake union employees—Hallie Wallace, Arella those whom they fired illegally, provide all Liquors represents Vargas, Max Specktor, Davis Ritsema, and the employees with the requested raises, a new step for Food Joe Giwoyna—shortly after these workers and stop union busting. and Retail Workers presented a petition signed by the majority In addition to the picket action, the five United, an organiz- of the shop’s workforce asking for a dol- fired workers also filed unfair labor prac- ing committee of Wobblies and supporters picket Chicago Photos: libcom.org lar raise for raising the $10.50 pay cap to tice complaints (ULPs) with the National the IWW. Lake Liquors on April 6. Sisters’ Camelot Workers Continue Strike Star Tickets Workers Face Retaliation By X364359 and X370448 By Evelyn Stone and Striking canvassers were Deirdre Cunningham unsurprised but appalled to learn Since going public in on Monday morning, April 8, late January, we in the that the management collective IWW Star Tickets Workers (which disingenuously calls itself Union in Grand Rapids, a “worker collective”) at Sisters’ Mich., have faced retali- Camelot in Minneapolis had ation from our employer. refused the strikers’ latest offer We are responding to these to end the strike. The union had union-busting activities made significant concessions in with phone zaps, internet the offer, scrapping all economic actions, picket lines, and demands except for medical an unfair labor practice coverage for on-the-job injuries, (ULP) complaint with the but retaining their demands for National Labor Relations Picket on anniversary of strike. Photo: The Organizer workplace democracy. Board (NLRB). The Sisters’ Camelot can- workers declared they were on strike and Retaliation against the Workers picket on April 1. Photo: grsbuxunion.blogspot.com vassers began organizing in December left the meeting. After the following col- union began on March 11, when a client Tom Good said if the investigation 2012 and shortly thereafter reached out lective meeting on March 4, the collective services representative at the Star Tickets determines that Deirdre has a case, the to the IWW for assistance. The Sisters’ fired striking canvasser ShugE Mississippi, call center was fired and replaced by an NLRB will try and settle the issue by seek- Camelot Canvass Union went public to accusing him of stealing money in 2009 independent contract worker following ing reinstatement and back pay. If some the managing collective on Feb. 25 as and being manipulative and abusive (see our successful vote to unionize on March kind of settlement cannot be worked out, members of the IWW. They presented “Wobblies Organize, Strike At Nonprofit 6. The contract worker was hired under a the NLRB may issue a complaint ahead of their demands to their bosses on March 1. In Minneapolis,” April IW, page 1). two-month contract. scheduling a hearing before an administra- After a few clarifying questions and a one- Since that time, the canvassers began Following this, a shop certification for tive law judge in Grand Rapids. hour long recess, the collective refused to door-knocking around the community to the Star Tickets call center was issued on Punitive firings like this have been ef- negotiate on any of their demands. The Continued on 5 March 25. One of the lead organizers and fective in frightening other workers away a client services representative, Deirdre from participating in the union because Industrial Worker Periodicals Postage Cunningham, was fired on March 26. On they have a legitimate fear of illegal retaliation. Deirdre has declined an offer PO Box 180195 PO Box 180195 PAID March 27, a ULP charge was filed with the NLRB, alleging that the discharge of of severance pay, preferring to fight for Chicago, IL 60618 Chicago, IL 60618, USA Chicago, IL justice rather than be paid off to go away. and additional the first client services representative was mailing offices to discourage concerted activities and to This puts her in a bad situation financially, ISSN 0019-8870 erode the bargaining unit and that FW but we believe her reinstatement is neces- ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Deirdre’s discharge was discrimination sary to demonstrate to our fellow workers due to union activity. She has been work- that they’ll be protected if they stand up ing at Star Tickets for nine years so for her for themselves. In another example of to be fired the day after union certification retaliation, two other organizers received was extremely transparent. write-ups on March 28 for small mistakes Garret Ellison of Mlive.com quoted that, in the past, they would not have been resident officer at the Grand Rapids written up for, and, we contend that, if NLRB Tom Good as saying that the NLRB non-union workers had made these mis- would be launching an investigation into takes, they would not have been written the firing and that such firings are not up. One of these organizers, Alisa Stone, uncommon. The article went on to say has been working at Star Tickets for three that Michigan’s new right-to-work law, years and never gotten a write-up, and, on which took effect March 28, has no direct the week of our certification, she got two. bearing on the case because the new law Again, this is very transparent. Our office doesn’t directly affect the union organizing is small, and our organizing committee or election process. Continued on 5 Page 2 • Industrial Worker • May 2013 Prisoners Inspired By IWW Marx Had It Right Greetings Fellow Workers, Dear editor, My name is Phillip R. and I am a Wobbly who Critics of Karl Marx are fond of telling scientific socialists and all those who is currently in prison. A few months ago I was oppose the wage system that the Marxian experiment has failed—that socialism sent the “Think It Over” pamphlet (thank you and the abolition of the wage system have been tried and have always failed, GHQ [General Headquarters] volunteer), which is pointing us to Russia, China, Cuba and the like. beautifully designed and well-written. I was able A cursory examination of the supposedly “socialist” systems established Letters Welcome! to make many copies of it through a clandestine in these countries reveals that these revolutions established state capitalism distro network (using the prison’s resources) that rather than abolishing the wage system and commodity production. Dissent Send your letters to: [email protected] with we prisoners had running at the institution where and freedom of assembly were outlawed. They traded according to the dictates “Letter” in the subject. I was at. I was able to distribute the pamphlet of international capital and, like every other capitalist state, were prepared to Mailing Address: widely, reaching many fellow prisoners. The pam- go to war to defend their economic interests. Industrial Worker, P.O. Box 180195, phlet somehow even made its way into the hands of In short, what has in the past been held up as “Marxism” has nothing Chicago, IL 60618, United States. a couple guards, who eventually tracked me down whatsoever to do with what Marx’s theories actually entail. and asked me to tell them more about the IWW. Capitalism, or the market system, is rampant. The system’s dominant class Get the Word Out! At the same time, I was frequently approached by is holding a monopoly over the means of life throughout the world. But Marx- IWW members, branches, job shops and fellow prisoners who had the read the pamphlet ism, the intellectual energy that will end capitalism, lives on in spite of all the other affiliated bodies can get the word and were quite interested in learning more about efforts of its avowed enemies, and in spite of its professed friends. out about their project, event, campaign the IWW, its history, and current campaigns. Most Marxism exists simply because it meets with reality. Its analysis of capital- or protest each month in the Industrial I spoke with requested more literature. Soon after, ism fits the facts; its policy for future action appeals because it follows in logic Worker. Send announcements to iw@ I was running copies of the Industrial Worker. One a proper remedy for a sound diagnosis. Marxism is not a dogma for tired old iww.org. Much appreciated donations piece of literature has the potential to reach many secular monks to parrot of for a rebel who runs away to scrawl on a wall. To be for the following sizes should be sent to: more hands within a prison environment. “Think a Marxist is to understand the world we live in and to change it. The world can It Over” is perfect for such wide distribution, and be ours. Peace and prosperity for all is no utopian dream, but a real possibility. IWW GHQ, Post Office Box 180195, the way it clearly touches on some of the IWW’s In many countries, a majority of the members of the working class have Chicago, IL 60618, United States. foundational bedrock sparks a chain reaction of united under one union—the Industrial Workers of the World—not only to interest. With that in mind, I think every Wobbly fight for their rights as a working class but also to organize and abolish the $12 for 1” tall, 1 column wide should consider putting the “Think It Over” pam- wage system. Have you? $40 for 4” by 2 columns phlet into their tool belt of organizing arsenals. Weijagye Justus $90 for a quarter page In Solidarity, IWW Uganda Phillip R. [email protected] Industrial Worker IWW directory The Voice of Revolutionary Africa Vancouver Island GMB: Box 297 St. A, Nanaimo BC, V9R 840-437-1323, [email protected], www. Starbucks Campaign: [email protected] www. Industrial Unionism 5K9. 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Jerry Chernow, del., jerry@ Published monthly with the excep- IWW Canadian Regional Organizing Committee (CAN- DC GMB (Washington): 741 Morton St. NW, Washington New Jersey lakesidepress.org. www.lakesidepress.org DC, 20010. 571-276-1935 Central New Jersey GMB: P.O. Box 10021, New Brunswick, tion of February and August. ROC): [email protected] 08906. 732-692-3491. [email protected]. Bob Madison Infoshop Job Shop:1019 Williamson St. #B, Alberta Florida Ratynski, del., 908-285-5426. www.newjerseyiww.org 53703. 608-262-9036 Edmonton GMB: P.O. Box 75175, T6E 6K1. edmon- Gainesville GMB: c/o Civic Media Center, 433 S. Main St., New Mexico Just Coffee Job Shop IU 460: 1129 E. Wilson, Madison, Articles not so designated do [email protected], edmonton.iww.ca. Gabriel Cardenas, 32601. Robbie Czopek, del., 904-315-5292, gainesvil- 53703. 608-204-9011, justcoffee.coop [email protected], www.gainesvilleiww.org Albuquerque GMB: 202 Harvard Dr. SE, 87106. 505-227- not reflect the IWW’s del., 780-990-9081, [email protected] 0206, [email protected] Railroad Workers IU 520: 608-358-5771. railfalcon@ British Columbia Miami IWW: [email protected] yahoo.com official position. New York Vancouver GMB: 204-2274 York Ave., V6K 1C6. Hobe Sound: P. Shultz, 8274 SE Pine Circle, 33455-6608. New York City GMB: 45-02 23rd Street, Suite #2, Long Milwaukee GMB: 1750A N Astor St., 53207. Trevor 604-732-9613. [email protected]. www. 772-545-9591, [email protected] Island City,11101. [email protected]. www.wobblycity. Smith, 414-573-4992 Press Date: April 12, 2013 vancouveriww.com Pensacola GMB: P.O. Box 2662, Pensacola 32513-2662. org Northwoods IWW: P.O. Box 452, Stevens Point, 54481 May 2013 • Industrial Worker • Page 3 Organizing The Struggle Continues In Wisconsin: Two Years And Counting By Matty O’Dea Madison on March 9, 2011, was in utter passageways in the capitol, side- It was another sad day for the protest- defiance of the governor’s attack on the walk chalkings, chanting and ers in the state of Wisconsin: on March working class, students and the elderly. singing (which are considered to 1, 2013, the “John Doe” investigation of Protests against Walker, Republican sena- be “noise disturbances”). Governor Scott Walker was closed, and tors and state representatives, as well as It’s ironic that, due to the he came out unscathed. This investigation Walker’s Tea Party supporters, have been recently-passed “concealed-carry began in 2010, six months before he was going on for over two years. now Every law” in the state of Wisconsin, elected governor. day, protesters gather at the capitol for it’s legal to bring a gun into the Since the 2012 recall election of the weekly solidarity sing-a-long and belt capitol but illegal hold signs or Walker failed due to the incompetence out songs of defiance against the state’s banners or even sing. On a lighter of the state’s Democratic party and their political system. Agitation through song note, charges are being dropped candidate, former mayor of Milwaukee is the only way people felt that they could daily, since they are in violation Tom Barrett—who conceded his election educate folks as to what was going on in of the First Amendment. So the only 40 minutes after the polls closed—the their state. singing, banner-waving and sign- investigation of Walker was what seemed Since the occupation, protesters have holding inside the capitol are still to be Wisconsin’s last chance to rid itself been arrested, threatened, ticketed, and going on, and the struggle for free of the tyrannical union-busting governor, followed home by the capitol police at speech continues. and to shed a light of hope for the state the orders of the new capitol police chief, Every day, this state’s legis- and for working-class families, students David E. Erwin. Erwin and his officers lators take more for themselves and the elderly. have tried to silence the voice of protest- and leave everyone else in a bind. Walker and his hoard of like-minded ers, which sparked a free speech fight in State unemployment is at 6.6 Republican senators and state representa- the state capitol. Fellow workers from the percent, where at the national tives succeeded in collectively destroying IWW in Madison have stood side-by-side level the unemployment rate is the labor movement in the state, which with other protesters, being arrested and 7.8 percent. A contentious min- led to hundreds of thousands of workers, ticketed for using their right to free speech. ing bill passed, and the beautiful students and concerned citizens taking What lawmakers in Wisconsin and the Northwoods will now be dam- matters into their own hands. It was the state police refuse to comprehend is, to aged. Native American reserva- biggest fight the labor movement had seen quote Utah Phillips, “The state can’t give tions are going to be hit with this in this country in many years. you freedom, and the state can’t take it the most. Mining companies are The occupation of the state capitol in away. You’re born with it, like your eyes, bringing in out-of-state workers like your ears. Free- to work the mines, leaving Wis- Graphic: libcom.org dom is something consin miners out of work. getting something done together that you you assume, then you It seems that, no matter what happens, can’t get done by yourself. Mario Savio, wait for someone to the Republicans are continuing to win and a political activist with the Berkeley Free try to take it away. are destroying the state and its natural re- Speech Movement, said it best: The degree to which sources. The labor movement in Wisconsin “There’s a time when the operation you resist is the de- is dying at a rapid rate. A general strike is of the machine becomes so odious that gree to which you are possibly the only thing that can save Wis- you can’t even passively take part. Com- free.” consin’s working class and its labor move- rades, you’ve got to put your bodies upon But together ment. The South Central Federation of La- the gears and upon the wheels, upon the Wobblies and pro- bor seems to be negligent with this form of levers, upon all the apparatus, and you’ve testers have refused action; they are the only ones with enough got to make it stop. And you’ve got to to back down. The strength to actually pull this off. Workers indicate to the people who run it, to the Wisconsin Depart- need to take matters into their own hands, people who own it, that unless you’re ment of Justice has but it’s been said that many are terrified of free, the machine will be prevented from been called to pros- losing their jobs, that it’s something that working at all.” ecute the protest- they can’t afford. It seems as though the What’s left of the working-class labor ers for the crimes of labor movement in Wisconsin has lost the movement in Wisconsin is yet to be deter- Wobs protest in Madison, March 2011. Photo: Diane Krauthamer blocking/obstructing meaning of what unionism is. Unionism is mined. I wish them well in their endeavors, IWW Constitution Preamble whatever they may be. One can only hope that their efforts involve more direct action The working class and the employing Join the IWW Today and less use of the ballot box. class have nothing in common. There can he IWW is a union for all workers, a union dedicated to organizing on the be no peace so long as hunger and want job, in our industries and in our communities both to win better conditions Solidarity to all. are found among millions of working T today and to build a world without bosses, a world in which production and people and the few, who make up the em- distribution are organized by workers ourselves to meet the needs of the entire ploying class, have all the good things of population, not merely a handful of exploiters. Subscribe to the life. Between these two classes a struggle We are the Industrial Workers of the World because we organize industrially – 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 dividing Industrial Worker organize as a class, take possession of the workers by trade, so that we can pool our strength to fight the bosses together. means of production, abolish the wage Since the IWW was founded in 1905, we have recognized the need to build a system, and live in harmony with the truly international union movement in order to confront the global power of the earth. bosses and in order to strengthen workers’ ability to stand in solidarity with our fel- We find that the centering of the low workers no matter what part of the globe they happen to live on. management of industries into fewer and We are a union open to all workers, whether or not the IWW happens to have fewer hands makes the trade unions un- representation rights in your workplace. We organize the worker, not the job, recog- able to cope with the ever-growing power nizing that unionism is not about government certification or employer recognition of the employing class. The trade unions but about workers coming together to address our common concerns. Sometimes foster a state of affairs which allows one this means striking or signing a contract. Sometimes it means refusing to work with set of workers to be pitted against another set of workers in the same industry, an unsafe machine or following the bosses’ orders so literally that nothing gets done. thereby helping defeat one another in Sometimes it means agitating around particular issues or grievances in a specific wage wars. Moreover, the trade unions workplace, or across an industry. aid the employing class to mislead the Because the IWW is a democratic, member-run union, decisions about what is- Educate yourself and your workers into the belief that the working sues to address and what tactics to pursue are made by the workers directly involved. fellow workers with the official class have interests in common with their newspaper of the IWW. employers. TO JOIN: Mail this form with a check or money order for initiation These conditions can be changed and and your first month’s dues to: IWW, Post Office Box 180195, Chicago, IL Just mail in this form, 60618, USA. the interest of the working class upheld or visit us online at: only by an organization formed in such Initiation is the same as one month’s dues. Our dues are calculated http://store.iww.org/industrial-worker.html a way that all its members in any one according to your income. If your monthly income is under $2000, dues to subscribe today! industry, or all industries if necessary, are $9 a month. If your monthly income is between $2000 and $3500, cease work whenever a strike or lockout is dues are $18 a month. If your monthly income is over $3500 a month, dues on in any department thereof, thus mak- are $27 a month. Dues may vary outside of North America and in Regional 10 issues for: ing an injury to one an injury to all. Organizing Committees (Australia, British Isles, German Language Area). • US $18 for individuals. Instead of the conservative motto, “A • US $22 for institutions. fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work,” we __I affirm that I am a worker, and that I am not an employer. • US $30 for internationals. must inscribe on our banner the revolu- __I agree to abide by the IWW constitution. tionary watchword, “Abolition of the wage __I will study its principles and acquaint myself with its purposes. system.” Name: ______It is the historic mission of the work- Name:______ing class to do away with capitalism. The Address:______Address:______army of production must be organized, City, State, Post Code, Country:______State/Province:______not only for the everyday struggle with Zip/PC______capitalists, but also to carry on produc- Occupation:______Send to: PO Box 180195, tion when capitalism shall have been Phone:______Email:______overthrown. 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By Colin Bossen Of Fellow Workersto 50 to 500 members? It might seem If you have been active in the IWW for strange, but one place I suggest we look a while, you have probably come across to for answers to these questions is the a pamphlet called “Rusty’s Rules of Or- religious community. Organizations like der”—the pamphlet that serves as a guide the Alban Institute focus much of their to running effective union meetings. It energy on helping congregations address attributes the following pearl of wisdom the organizational challenges they face to Rusty, “an old Wobbly,” who served as at different sizes and figuring out how to a mentor to many younger Wobblies in the transition between sizes. 1970s and 1980s: “Always conduct your There are two things that the institute meeting as if there were 100 has observed that might be par- people there, to be ready when ticularly useful for members of the time comes when there are the IWW when thinking about 100 people there.” the culture and growth trajec- The IWW’s growth over tory of branches. First, folks at the last decade has caused me Alban have noted that different to think a bit more about these size congregations have differ- words. The union now has ent kinds of cultures. Broadly more than twice the member- speaking, they have identified ship it had 10 years ago. More five types of size-based congre- importantly, the union’s level of gational cultures: family, pas- labor organizing has increased toral, program, corporate and Graphic: iww.org dramatically. In the last few mega. Each of these cultures has months alone, we’ve seen pickets and a their own characteristics. The description strike in the Twin Cities, a successful union of the family sized one might sound famil- election in Grand Rapids, Mich., a victory iar to some Wobs because it “functions like in a struggle for back wages in Portland, a family, with appropriate family figures... Ore., and a wage increase for cleaners in matriarchs and patriarchs [who] control London. What’s more, all of this growth the church’s leadership needs.” While the has been matched, or maybe fueled, by fit isn’t exact, this might describe many the creation of new IWW infrastructure. smaller branches where long-time or Since 2000, we have created the Organizer founding members set much of the agenda Training Committee and the Organizing and make it difficult for new members to Department and revamped the Work integrate or develop in leadership roles. People’s College. In addition, the Indus- The second thing that the people at trial Worker has become an important Alban have observed is that organizational place to reflect on organizing theory and culture is generally stable. Religious com- methodology. munities face developmental tasks if they All of this is great, but it still has me are going to grow from family to pastoral thinking about Rusty’s advice. Why? size for example. Most of these tasks are Because in my time with the union, only centered on creating new leaders, increas- rarely have I attended any sort of meeting ing programming and developing infra- that was designed for 100 people. Most structure for integrating new members. meetings I have attended are exactly the They are also usually accompanied by con- opposite. They are run like discussion flict. People who had power in the smaller groups between friends. The rules of de- congregation are asked to share it with the bate are frequently opaque and difficult for new members of the now larger congrega- newcomers to follow. New members are tion. The details are probably irrelevant seldom instructed on how to participate. for the IWW’s purposes, but the point is Long-time members often dominate the crucial: for a branch to grow, intentional debate. changes in culture and infrastructure are If the IWW is going to continue to almost certainly necessary. And those grow, our meetings will not only have to changes are usually accompanied by con- be designed to accommodate 100 people flict. If those intentional changes are not but hopefully 1,000 someday. Maybe that made, or if conflict is avoided, then growth is optimistic thinking. Or maybe it is good will almost always be temporary, and planning. The Occupy movement attracted the organization will revert to its stable, thousands to democratically-run encamp- smaller norm. ments in New York, Oakland and other If we were to apply these observations major cities. I meet more politicized and to the IWW, we could study the different militant workers in their teens and 20s size branches that exist in the union and now than I ever did when I was that age look at how their cultures differ. We could or even in my early 30s. Recent upsurges try to figure out if there were particular of organizing by fast food workers and patterns of conflict, cultural or organiza- others who have long been considered un- tional change that occurred when branches organizable by business unions suggests moved from 10 to 50 or 100 members. And that the possibility of a revitalized labor we could begin the process of imagining movement is on the horizon. the kinds of conflict and culture change I hope that the IWW will take a major necessary to grow a branch from 100 to role in this revitalization. In order for that 500 members. to happen, we will need to think seriously So maybe Rusty’s advice shouldn’t be about how we behave organizationally. taken quite so literally. Instead of think- We will need to ask questions like: What ing about how a meeting with 10 people Graphic: Mike Konopacki does an IWW branch with 500 members should be run as if it were a meeting with look like? What does one with 2,000 100 people, maybe we should be think- members look like? How are branches ing about how to grow a branch with 10 of this size different from branches of people to a branch with 100 people. That Subscribe to the Industrial Worker 10, 20 or even 50 members? How can a might mean we are intentional about how Subscribe or renew your Industrial Worker subscription. branch with 10 members grow from 10 we function within branches of both sizes. Give a gift that keeps your family or friends thinking.

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Industrial Worker Subscriptions, PO Box 180195, Chicago, IL 60618 USA May 2013 • Industrial Worker • Page 5 Wobbly & North American News DC IWW Marches In Solidarity With Greece Against The Law: Fighting Nazis In Memphis By Anarchist Alliance DC By X374942 the 61 KKK members and neo- Three activists from Greek On March 31, the Middle Nazis who showed up. Antifa, members of the DC Tennessee IWW group, in The police then forced the IWW, along with co-sponsors conjunction with the Kansas group to go through a check- Positive Force, Chesapeake City General Membership point where they searched Earth First! and the Anarchist Branch (GMB), Students for everyone and threw away all Alliance DC Network (AADC) a Democratic Society and sev- of the signs, pamphlets, flags joined together and took to eral other anti-racist groups and umbrellas. The protest the streets of Washington, joined the Ida B. Wells Coali- continued until the KKK left, D.C., to show our support for tion to protest the Klu Klux and the police forced everyone the Greek working class on Klan (KKK) coming to Mem- to leave the area under threat March 16. The group’s first phis. of arrest. stop was the Greek Embassy, Sadly, the Memphis Police Photo: Preston Gilmore These police and National where we delivered a letter Department, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Guard clearly violated our First Amend- with our demands. We then Department and the National Guard ment rights by forcing us out of the park, marched to the German Em- DC Wobs protest at the Greek Photo: Diane Krauthamer turned out to be the most militant collec- trapping us within the “free speech zone” bassy, followed by a stop at Embassy. tive police force I have ever experienced. where we could not argue our ideas with the headquarters of the World Bank and We talked via Skype with workers at Vio. In their effort to protect the KKK, 600 the KKK, and destroying our pamphlets. International Monetary Fund. Me, who have taken over their building officers and soldiers met approximately As one cop told me that we had to Later we gathered for a conference materials factory, restarting production 1,200 counter-protestors. They had ma- move forward, I started singing Woody with members of the Greek antifascist without bosses. They join a rising tide chine guns, tactical shotguns, German Guthrie’s “Aginst th’ Law”: “It’s aginst th’ movement, known as Greek Antifa, of workers’ control initiatives across the shepherds, snipers and light-armored law to walk, It’s aginst th’ law to talk / as special guests. Sofia Papagiannaki, globe, opening the door to another world. vehicles. We counter-protestors only had It’s aginst th’ law to come, It’s against th’ Thanasis Xirotsopanos, Vangelis Nanos We want to thank our allies for coming, signs, flyers and our desire to confront law to go / It’s aginst th’ law to organize and Pavlos delivered a very educational caring and organizing. Thanks for sharing white supremacists. / It’s aginst th’ law to tell you th’ trouble presentation about their involvement in your knowledge and experiences to make The police forced the group to leave on my hands.” organizing with workers in their home this great and necessary event happen! a public park where we had peacefully I could not think of a more appropriate country, the radical/anarchist message Workers everywhere need one another assembled. They herded the majority of song because Woody often toyed with the about the economic crisis in Greece, the to improve their conditions. We came to- the protesters into a pen that they had idea of the legislators and the cops mak- worker takeover of the Vio.Me factory gether for this event because we strongly labeled the “free speech zone” consisting of ing a person illegal, and, at that moment, in Thessaloniki, and the resistance to believe that our collectives, groups and a chain-link fence with riot cops on every I felt illegal. the rise of a neo-fascist right-wing. We organizers need to form coalitions and side. They went as far as sealing off the This type of police and military action were glad to have Alisa of the IWW Star remember our common goal: to show area behind the counter-protestors even should not happen in the United States, Tickets Workers Union in town from the system that the problem of one is the though we were more than two blocks from where we supposedly have free speech. Grand Rapids, Mich., as well. After a few problem of all! We showed the bosses, years of organizing, they’ve just recently cops, and politicians that we are watch- gone public and won an election with the ing, and we showed the workers that we Updates On IWW Activities In Scotland National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). have their backs! Guest Workers Walk Out At McDonald’s By John Kalwaic very similar to the one in August, 2011, On March 6, student guest workers when student guest workers from the from the J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Pro- same J-1 program walked out for a simi- gram walked out of their jobs at a McDon- lar reason in Hershey, Pa. These students ald’s franchise in Harrisburg, Pa., owned came for a cultural exchange and ended up by Andy Cheung. These J-1 students came working long hours at a Hershey’s Choco- mostly from Latin America and Asia for late factory. In 2012, the students won a Photo: Tom Ferrour Photo: unkown a cultural exchange in the United States major lawsuit and settled with the U.S. By Keith M., x348444 in order to learn about American culture Department of Labor—winning $213,000 On March 23, a group of protestors, including Clydeside IWW members, picketed and improve their English skills. Instead, in back wages and $143,000 in safety and Poundland (left) and British Heart Foundation (right) in Edinburgh for using a gov- the J-1 international students ended up health violations at the packing facility ernment workfare scheme to boost their profits by employing workers for no wages. working night and day at a McDonald’s (see “Hershey’s Workers Win 200K In for 25 hours at a time without being paid Back Pay,” January/February 2013 IW, overtime. The students were living in page 5). The student workers who recently cloistered and cramped conditions in a walked out of the Harrisburg McDonald’s communal house owned by their boss, are demanding to meet with the CEO of with only a curtain separating the men McDonald’s while the company is trying from the women. everything it can to avoid culpability by The students realized that this was cutting ties with the Harrisburg franchise not what they signed up for and staged in question. The abuse of the J-1 student a wildcat strike against Cheung. These program in both the cases of Hershey’s and students have been touring different cit- McDonald’s is telling because they are the ies, including Philadelphia and New York, incidents in which student guest workers joining flash mobs at various McDonald’s have spoken up. The students came to locations. McDonald’s now claims to have learn about American culture, but they Photo: Dumfries GMB Photo: Glasgow Anarchist Federation cut ties with its franchise in Harrisburg, ended up teaching Americans more than On March 28, the Clarion Club cycled through the town of Carlisle, and lo- stating that Cheung “has agreed to leave they learned from the program. cal Wobblies from Dumfries and Solway welcomed them (left). On March 30, the the McDonald’s system.” With files from The Nation, Labor Clydeside IWW participated in an Anti-Bedroom Tax demo in Glasgow (right). The The situation of these J-1 students was Notes and Colorlines.com. Bedroom Tax reduces state benefits for having “extra” rooms in social housing. Sisters’ Camelot Workers Continue Strike Star Tickets Workers Face Retaliation Continued from 1 fire instead of the collective. Continued from 1 nity. At one public event, build support for the strike. On April 1, On Monday, April 8, the collective is even smaller. Now that she got an unexpected nod the one-month anniversary of the strike, refused the offer. Collective member Deirdre, who has been from the Grand Rapids the striking workers presented a stack of Eric Gooden said, “We don’t respond to a strong anchor for us, Poet Laureate who publicly more than 70 handwritten letters from ultimatums.” Another collective member, is out of the office, there voiced vehement support community members asking the collective David Senn, said he “wasn’t anxious to end are only a few of us left for her and the campaign. to rehire the fired union member and the strike.” Additionally, collective mem- at work holding it down Donations have also start- negotiate with the union. Also that day, ber Clay Hansen said that the structural as best we can. We are ed to come in through a Bobby Becker, an openly pro-union col- changes being proposed would be “un- pushing forward. We just WePay account we set up lective member who has been on strike in healthy for Sisters’ Camelot” and that there elected our bargaining that can be found through solidarity with the workers, resigned from must be “accountability” to the collective. committee, and we are the Grand Rapids IWW the collective and joined the IWW. “The fact that six collective members working on creating a blog: http://grsbuxunion. The union then presented the collec- continually refuse to institute structural contract, with thanks to Graphic: Star Tickets Workers Union blogspot.com. We plan on tive with a package deal as a way to end changes consented upon by 14 workers Bay Area, Seattle and Portland Wobblies putting together some benefit events to the strike. In the offer, the union set aside shows me they have no interest in work- for sharing their existing IWW contracts raise money for Deirdre, who has ongoing all of their economic demands, which place democracy,” said Maria Wesserle, with us to study. We’ve received support health problems and now has no insur- were all the demands they regarded as one of the striking IWW canvass workers. through our Facebook page and through ance. We will continue filing ULPs, stand- negotiable. What remained were eight “Frankly, I feel their behavior has been call-ins to our boss, and we held a picket ing up for our rights at work, and trying to non-negotiable demands centering around authoritarian, which is a principle Sisters’ outside the office on April 1, calling for strategize ways of putting pressure on the workplace democracy, including a rotating Camelot claims to stand against.” Deirdre’s reinstatement. One of the boss to reinstate Deirdre before the NLRB union representative on the collective, the The campaign at Sisters’ Camelot rep- most encouraging things Deirdre has concludes their decision. abolition of the canvass director positions, resents a new step for the IWW’s Food and experienced has been the support she has With files from Garret Ellison of and and the right of workers to hire and Retail Workers United. encountered throughout the local commu- Mlive.com. Page 6 • Industrial Worker • May 2013 Global Fight Against Austerity Introduction: The Global Fightback Against Austerity By Mathieu Dube efits and working conditions as exempli- The global ruling class has seized fied by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker upon the opportunity presented by the going after state workers and Chicago crisis it has itself caused to assail a full- Mayor Rahm Emanuel attacking public fledged attack on workers around the school teachers. In France, it is President world. Major financial institutions have Francois Hollande’s so-called “Social- been bailed out by governments with ist” party government that eliminated public funds, and now the pressure is le contrat à durée indéterminée (CDI): being put on states to institute all sorts of a long-term contract that guaranteed measures that have the effect of dispos- stability for workers). All ruling parties sessing workers from social safety nets have jumped on the bandwagon of deficit- acquired through decades of struggles. reducing through social program cuts. The rights of workers to organize are also The people are not taking it lying under attack as the masters are rightfully down, though. There has been an intense apprehensive of a backlash of struggle fightback by the working class all over from the people. the world. The images of riots in Greece The bosses’ propagandists in the are well-known, huge demonstrations mainstream media claim that austerity took place in Spain and Portugal. The measures are required to fix the debt Chicago Teachers Union went on strike, problems of the states, but this pretext the students of Québec did so as well, with isn’t fooling anyone: the real aim is to both groups claiming relative victories. create a situation that puts the workers To illustrate these struggles from the in a more precarious position and thus ground, the Industrial Worker asked for The Montréal student strike on March 22, 2012. Photo: dailykos.com create a more “flexible” and docile work- submissions from people struggling at the force. Indeed, the size of states’ budgets the issue that bothers the bosses; the issue pability of the people to organize against grassroots level to give us their thoughts. remain high and the bulk of the spending is that there are still minimal protections these attacks. In Montréal, for example, Following are three of these submissions: goes towards subsidizing corporations— for workers when they find themselves limitations on demonstrations like the P-6 one on Spain which has seen particularly through defense spending, for instance, in without work. Those who own the wealth anti-protest law force people to give their harsh measures put in place, the two oth- the United States. There is also the ques- which others produce prefer a workforce march’s itinerary to the police. This occurs ers are counter-examples of what the me- tion of fiscal evasion either by legal means with nothing to fall back on and that will in the United States as well, where there dia would have us believe from Germany afforded through loopholes provided by therefore accept any working conditions. exists a hampering of the right to union- and Great Britain, which are not seen as lobbying efforts of corporations or by There are two main ways that states ize with “right-to-work” legislation being countries hit hard by the economic prob- outright fraud, as was demonstrated by attack working people: increases in tariffs passed in several states. There are also lems, but the austerity measures there the leak that was published at the begin- for services (for instance, student tuition attacks on conditions of public workers, are implemented with just as much vigor ning of April in Spiegel Online, exposing hikes) and cuts in social programs (like which, in some countries, are the last sec- as elsewhere. as much as 130,000 names of people us- cuts in Medicare or adding obstacles to tor still mostly unionized. Both right-wing With files from Spiegel Online. ing off-shore shell companies in order to benefits eligibility). These are usually and left-wing parties gleefully participate Monika Vykoukal contributed to this avoid paying taxes. State spending is not accompanied by restrictions on the ca- in this scaling back of public workers’ ben- piece. Images Of Worldwide Protests Against Austerity

Protesting the crisis Photo: libcom.org Protests against austerity measures Photo: libcom.org Students mobilize against austerity Photo: libcom.org in Greece, 2012. grow in Romania, May 2010. in Italy on Oct. 5, 2012. Public Services In Britain During Government Austerity By Snuff, Bristol IWW our resources and money. but it is proving dif- Most activists in Great Britain believe Things got a whole lot worse with the ficult. Some unions like that in comparison to our comrades in Con-Dems winning the election. Any pre- Unison spent the New Spain and Greece, it is still early days for tence was gone, as we were told that we are Labour years witch- cuts to public services. We know that the all in it together, as banks got bailed out, hunting activists. Many worst is still to come, as the right-wing but essential services were closed. were removed, and few Conservative-led coalition government The next round of cuts started on non- are left to carry on the (Con-Dems) dismantle the welfare state. statutory services, like museums, libraries, fight. The membership, There is no doubt that this has got little to and play areas. Trust status (which puts a tired after review af- do with finance, but is an ideological attack public service under the management of ter review, keep their on public services in the class war. Local a board of trustee, effectively taking it out heads down, hoping not government is in the front line of this. of democratic control) for some, whilst to be noticed and to It first started before the so-called others are just left to rot. In Bristol it looks retain their jobs. Any 2008 financial crisis, when, under New like seven major play areas will be allowed representative in local Labour, reports released in 2004 stated to disintegrate in working-class concrete government will tell you Londoners march against the G-20 in 2009. Photo: libcom.org that local government was full of waste and areas, with high instances of obesity. If how hard it is too recruit advocated cuts to backroom staff. These the kids are caught playing on the streets, stewards. The anger is livid, but the fear of in the struggle. This is along IWW lines, were administrative jobs, mainly done by the old bill will nick them. Libraries are retribution outweighs the anger, and the and many new recruits to the Wobblies women. The men who wrote these reports closed, and charities have their funding trade union service model proves impos- come from these broad church groups. I forgot that when these jobs were elimi- withdrawn and have to close. sible to cope. predict more occupations and commu- nated, front-line staff would have to pick Now, it is statutory services which are Local community groups and umbrella nity activities in the future. The old trade up the duties, lessening the time they spent being affected. Day centers for disabled groups of activists are carrying the fight unions, with their chapels, closed shops, with service users. The changes in social adults and elderly people’s homes are forward, and IWW members are promi- and endless bureaucracies, are not the work were dangerous, and at times fatal. being shut down, while armies of consul- nent in these groups. They are organizing way forward. Our industrial union is far Local government was further bur- tants conduct reviews, with one aim: the lobbies and demonstrations. They are also better placed to work across boundaries dened with expensive private finance reduction of cost. Also children’s centers publishing literature, and using social me- in defending our class, employed or not, initiative (PFI) deals. Here private compa- are being forced to close, meaning that dia to organize a positive response. Here against these vicious cuts, and for the start nies built expensive public buildings like working parents have to give up work, or real democracy is at work, and nobody is of a new society, built on mutual aid, and schools, and the public purse had to repay rely on expensive private child care. concerned about an individual’s politics compassion. From the ashes we shall rise, expensive mortgages. This is class theft of The trade unions try to stem the tide, but in what the individual can achieve shaking off our chains of oppression. May 2013 • Industrial Worker • Page 7 Global FIght Against Austerity Germany’s Fallacious Economic Success By Harald Stubbe are very predictable. However, the working Progressives con- The economic situation in Germany class is also at its most discontent since tinue to look with envy is excellent. The Deutscher Aktien IndeX the end of World War II. Work pressure to France or Spain and (DAX, or German stock index) is at more continuously increases, as does the fear admire their forms of than 7,000—a level similar to where it was of losing one’s job. Since the introduction struggle—especially before the crisis. Only a few individual of Hartz IV (a law implemented in 2005 strikes in France, despite sectors of the economy and some banks which basically means a steep reduction the low union member- are a little weak. It is particularly the Ger- in unemployment benefits coupled with ship there (or perhaps man working class who have contributed workfare schemes), job loss also means a because of it?), which to this being so. complete slide into social marginalization. seem desirable to us Ger- Labor costs are lower than ever, some Unfortunately the growing discontent has mans. Lenin’s saying, of the cheapest internationally. More and not yet led to resistance. It seems that, be “If the Germans staged more people have precarious working it in elections or in labor struggles, most a revolution at the train conditions. Temporary work, fixed-term German workers aren’t ready to change station, they would buy contracts and part-time jobs are on the things yet. Suffering and pressure have tickets for the platform rise. Employers in Germany have the not grown to that point yet, and the loss first,” remains true. unions to thank for this reality. Labor of solidarity in our society also contributes Translated by disputes are rare and when they do occur, its part to persistent inaction. Monika Vykoukal. Anti-austerity march in Berlin, 2010. Photo: demotix.com Some Notes On The Spanish Situation implemented, which Wages in 2006 stood at 47.26 percent connected and disorganized. We are part follow the neoliberal of GDP, and the rate of profit at 41.43 of the formation of a parallel social block orthodoxy, are causing percent. In the last quarter of 2012, the constructed in the environment of the a complete collapse of difference has virtually disappeared, since assemblies of the 15-M Movement (the the basic pillars of the wages now stand at 45.3 percent and movement in favor of a new constituent so-called Social State corporate profits at 45.2 percent. In that process), the struggles against privatiza- (which, as an aside, respect, one must keep in mind that more tion and the affirmation of the radical never actually devel- than 90 percent of the private debt that is sectors of social movements and the labor oped toward European being socialized and, as such, paid by all movement. At the same time, the major standards in Spain), tax contributors, belongs to the financial unions, tremendously bureaucratized, with an absolute leth- entities and the large businesses of the try to maintain their power through a argy of economic activ- IBEX-35 (the benchmark stock market strategy consisting of putting themselves ity which is expressed index of the Bolsa de Madrid, Spain’s prin- at the head of the mobilization: when the in devastating statistics cipal stock exchange), while 85 percent rebellious wave rises, wearing them down like a year-to-year sales of employment corresponds to the small and impeding their coming together, and decrease of at least 12.6 and medium businesses that are severely abandoning them when the wave falls. CNT protests labor “reforms,” 2010. Photo: libcom.org percent or a decline of suffering from the implemented Plans of Against this background of emergency By José Luis Carretero Miramar state revenue intake by close to six points Adjustment. and rekindling of struggles, of rediscovery It is evident that the social situation of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Furthermore, the austerity measures of the tactics of assembly and ground-up in Spain has arisen in an uncontrollable the last year. put in place unload their weight on the popular movements, the non-authoritar- dynamic. As a result of an unprecedented Of course, this suicidal (because it weakest: pharmaceutical copay; the ian movement seems well-placed, with its financial and economic crisis, the pro- becomes evident that the debt cannot be privatization of hospital and ambula- practices and discourse, to present itself to ductive and social dismantling caused by repaid) and profoundly antisocial strat- tory management; the disappearance of and fill a gap in the social consciousness. the government’s Plans of Adjustment egy is having undeniably radical effects. health benefits for irregular immigrants; The effective cooperation of syndicalist imposed on the population is reaching The unemployment rate has exceeded 25 education cuts expressed in thousands of organizations (Confederación Nacional unsustainable levels. percent of the active population; close to firings and a rise in tuition at the univer- del Trabajo [CNT], Confederación Gen- The equation has been simple: the 20 million people (more than 40 percent sities and technical schools; repeal of the eral del Trabajo [CGT] and Solidaridad gigantic Spanish construction bubble, of the population) live in economically Dependency Law, destined to favor people Obrera) and their relationship with other swollen at its base with private external precarious conditions; there are 1.7 mil- caring for disabled people; the expulsion militant unionists, has momentarily fa- debt by some extremely voracious finan- lion households with all of their members of hundreds of thousands of public sector voured a trend which paves the way for cial entities, aligned with a political class unemployed; and 63 percent of said un- workers and accelerated privatization of the autonomous and libertarian “scene,” that is a product of the reform without employed no longer receive any benefits. state businesses and services; labor market and its ability to influence the aforemen- rupture of franquismo, of which consisted On top of that, the bursting of the real reform that implies an almost chaotic drift tioned social milieu around the 15-M that the so-called “democratic transition,” has estate bubble has pushed a catastrophic toward a flexibility without brake and a has already spontaneously adopted the burst with the heat of the global financial situation on a large part of mortgage debt- clear reinforcement of business command; practice of assemblies crisis of 2007. Its implosion has been con- ors who bought a house at the height of the dismantling of collective bargaining, These conditions impose the necessity fronted, moreover, with distinct mecha- the cycle and now, in light of the explosion prioritizing its decentralization and the of constructing, creating and maintaining nisms of the socialization of said debt, of the unemployment and the economic possibility of lowering its conditions at an open and conspiratorial position that like the European line of credit of €100 lethargy, cannot pay. There are over 500 the will of the boss. All of this appears permits building a grand alliance that billion conceded to rescue the banks, and evictions daily, with more than 95,000 to constitute an enormous offensive that raises the foundations of the beginning indirectly guaranteed by the state. in the last six months, and the suicides wants to profoundly transform the basics of a process of social transition, whose Basically, they are trying to make the of people evicted from their homes are structures of Spanish society. necessity is each time more shared in whole of the population (and, principally, beginning to multiply. Of course, resistance has come quickly. front of the global and ecological crisis in the working class and the most vulnerable Not everybody, of course, loses with Following the surprising and magnificent progress, toward another mode of life and sectors of the middle class) pay for a debt the crisis: the historic gap between the eruption of the discontented multitudes of production in which the dignity and the that has risen to a difficult to determine parts of the national renting market in the in the streets on May 15, 2011, the dem- freedom of the masses is the center of a amount, but impossible to repay. In hands of wage earners and in the hands onstrations and protests have become vital transformational experience. these moments, the Plans of Adjustment of the business owners is rapidly closing. massive, although, too many times, dis- Translated by Daniel Perrett.

****MAY DAY GREETINGS****

Working class emancipation can only succeed on a sustainable planet, living “in harmony with the earth.”

-Harry Siitonen, SF Bay Area GMB ******************************** Page 8 • Industrial Worker • May 2013 Special The IWW And Earth First!: Establishing Roots By X344543 Judi Bari was both an Earth First!er and a Wobbly from 1988 to 1993 and during that time there was a close alliance between the two organizations. Although some assume she brought the two together, the truth is more complex. When Judi Bari joined Earth First! and the IWW in the summer of 1988, Earth First!ers and Wobblies were already discussing the idea of forging an alliance. There are many reasons for this, but the overarching ex- planation is that Earth First! and the IWW are really different manifestations of the same revolutionary impulse. The IWW, founded in Chicago in 1905 by radical working class anti-capitalists from veterans of various One of the many stunning IWW/Earth First! graphics. Graphic: ecowobbly.blogspot.com movements and struggles, rhyme and meter. The latter resulted not a picture of the IWW as a cultural curiosity deed, Earth First! faced the same stigma united around the idea of forming One Big just from the abundance of clever song rather than a union with clever and effec- assigned to the IWW by the employing Union of the working class. They offered smiths that joined the One Big Union but tive strategies that was at the same time class and reformist socialists back in the a revolutionary alternative to the class- also largely out of necessity, to get around revolutionary and fun. beginning of the 20th century. collaborationist American Federation of arbitrary anti-soapboxing ordinances en- Indeed, all of these facets coalesced One might assume that these ex- Labor (AFL). The IWW pledged to orga- acted throughout the Pacific Northwest. around the IWW-backed Lumber Workers periences would have led Earth First!’s nize all workers—regardless of ethnicity, These had been specifically designed to Industrial Union’s winning of the eight- founders to the same fundamental con- gender or skill level—by industry rather prevent IWW members from engaging in hour workday and improved conditions clusions reached by the IWW, primarily than craft. Instead of the conservative street corner oratory. through their effective “striking on the job” that capitalism cannot be reformed. At AFL motto, “a fair day’s wage for a fair Such blatant First Amendment viola- in 1917. Little did anyone realize, however, least on some level, it did. In opposing the day’s work,” the IWW sought to abolish tions still exempted the singing of religious the effect the IWW’s struggles would have destruction of the environment, which is wage slavery altogether. No longer would hymns, such as those performed by the on the future environmental movement an inherent function of capitalist econom- workers collectively enable their own op- Salvation Army (who themselves had a at the time. ics (the privatization of wealth, including pression by crossing each other’s (craft- particular condemnation of the Wobblies Fast forward to 1980. Five environ- what we call “natural resources,” and the based) picket lines, they said. The IWW and their call for earthly paradise, instead mental activists, led by Dave Foreman externalization of costs to the working would organize the working class together. of “pie in the sky, when you die”). The and Mike Roselle, disillusioned with class, not to mention all other, nonhuman, This was summarized by the slogan, “An IWW would write alternate lyrics to these mainstream environmental organizations, species), Earth First!ers constantly found injury to one is an injury to all!” hymns that both argued in favor of class started a new group, inspired by Edward itself in opposition to the employing class The IWW set out to achieve this struggle and against religious dogma that Abbey’s best-selling novel, “The Monkey- by default. creatively, becoming known as much for enabled the perpetuation of wage slavery. wrench Gang.” They called their group However, Earth First!ers generally its “right brain” artistic contributions to Perhaps the most lasting of the IWW’s “Earth First!” They found the mainstream didn’t see themselves as being part of “the working-class culture as well as its “left artistic contributions to radical working- organizations far too willing to make left” politically. Dave Foreman once de- brain” organizing activities. class culture comes from one person, compromises with industrial polluters in scribed his movement by saying, “We’re The IWW’s artistic creativity was Ralph Chaplin. It was he who wrote the exchange for preserving small, ultimately not left; we’re not right; we’re not even in both visual and auditory. The IWW’s use anthem “Solidarity Forever.” Chaplin insignificant patches of wilderness for fear front or behind! We’re not even playing of clever graphic imagery, especially in also introduced the iconic black cat logo, of alienating wealthy donors. In doing so, the same game!” Foreman’s statement cartoons and “silent agitator” stickers “Sabo-Tabby,” a clever play on “sabotage,” they lost sight of the far more steadfast revealed many of the contradictions that conveyed IWW propaganda far more suc- symbolizing the organized, collective and visions of their founders. were deeply ingrained within this radical cinctly and effectively to workers (many of conscious withdrawal of efficiency by the To Earth First! this was not only un- environmental movement. whom were illiterate) than any manifesto. workers at the point of production. acceptable, it was suicidal. The founders To begin with, Earth First! wasn’t a Likewise, the IWW was famous for its These cultural icons of the IWW were believed—and to a large extent science has formal organization. It had no constitu- voluminous collection of songs and labor used extensively during the free speech largely proven—that all living beings on tion, no officers (other than the editors of hymns, which slyly conveyed the union’s fights that took place in the Pacific North- the Earth are interconnected in a singular its de facto organ, the Earth First! Jour- message of class struggle in rhythm, west during the IWW’s heyday in the web of life. Biologically, an injury to one nal) and no standards for identifying for- 1910s and 1920s, many is an injury to all. Those who pushed for mal membership. Therefore Earth First! of which were part of compromise argued from the standpoint had no official policies or internal process. the Wobblies’ efforts of “better half a loaf than none at all,” to There was only a loose and ephemeral to organize an indus- which Earth First! would respond by first consensus of purpose behind those that trial union of lumber explaining how very much less than “half” identified as Earth First!ers. Yet Earth workers throughout of the proverbial loaf had been gained, and First! had chapters that met regularly and that region. During one moreover saving anything less than the en- consistently, and more were forming as its such struggle, in Spo- tire loaf portended the eventual loss of the reputation grew. kane, Wash., several entire loaf. They adopted the slogan, “No Furthermore, Earth First!—which had of the songs sung by compromise in defense of Mother Earth!” quickly sprouted international chapters— the members involved and called their philosophy, “biocentrism,” saw little difference between the destruc- in the thick of it were as opposed to human-centeredness, or tion of the Earth by capitalist corporations printed on red card “anthropocentrism.” and that of so-called “communist” states. stock and sold to the Earth First! wasted little time, engag- While any leftist worth their salt knows membership at-large ing in many campaigns, often utilizing perfectly well that what most people call to raise much- need- creative and humorous acts of civil disobe- “communism” is actually much closer to ed organizing funds, dience. The first such major act involved capitalism in practice than it is differ- thus giving birth to the the “cracking” of Glen Canyon Dam, ent from it, hence the pollution, Earth “Little Red Songbook.” although the “crack” was really a long roll First!ers tended to eschew class analysis As a result, the IWW of black paper that was unrolled to create and political economy as “anthropocen- became known as “The the illusion of a fracture, a sort of “merry tric” concerns, and therefore, not relevant. Singing Union.” prankster” attempt at conveying the mes- That was due, in no small part, to Less well-known sage that was nonviolent, but nevertheless deeply engrained hostility to Marxism is that these rich and militant. From this many other similar among some (though not all) of Earth colorful parts of IWW actions followed in defense of wilderness First!s leading thinkers, particularly Dave culture, much romanti- and in protest of despoliation by industrial Foreman, Ed Abbey and Chris Manes. All cized by historians and pollution. Earth First! grew quickly as a three of them had looked to a number of radicals today, were result, even drawing in “Monkey Wrench ecological thinkers from the past, includ- designed as tactics in Gang” author, Ed Abbey, in short order. ing John Muir, Aldo Leopold, Wallace the service of advancing Inevitably this drew opposition from Stegner, Rachel Carson, and Henry David strategy at the point of corporate interests and mainstream envi- Thoreau, among others. All of them had production. Often their ronmental groups (no doubt in fear that advanced tenets of the philosophies of bio- practical utility is for- their thunder—not to mention funding centrism, but they had also drawn inspira- gotten, downplayed, or base—would be stolen). The latter merely tion from a very dubious source: Thomas even deliberately hid- called Earth First! “irresponsible,” while Malthus, whose essay “On Population” was Judi Bari. Photo: judibari.org den in favor of painting the former called them “terrorists.” In- Continued on next page May 2013 • Industrial Worker • Page 9 Special The IWW And Earth First!: Establishing Roots and class ignorance of spokespeople like Fore- man, Abbey and Manes. Their supporters coun- tered by noting there were more similarities between the IWW and Earth First! than dif- ferences. They pointed out that there was one key difference: while the IWW talked of direct action, Earth First! was actually taking direct action. That there was a fundamental difference between direct action against industrial activity, and direct action at the point of production, Graphic: IWW Environmental Unionist Caucus was often ignored. Continued from previous page (though no specific process or plan was zations, including especially the IWW for The debate raged on, under the sur- not an argument for environmentalism, ever articulated for achieving such a shift), cultural inspiration—though obviously face in the IWW, until Franklin Rose- but a defense of class privilege in reaction leading Earth First!’s critics—including they had eschewed Marxist and syndical- mont—who was an editor of the Industrial to the anarchist ideals of William Godwin. Murray Bookchin—to suggest that Fore- ist economic analysis in doing so. Ralph Worker in 1988—decided to force the is- Earth First!’s animosity towards left- man’s perspectives could be interpreted in Chaplin’s sabo cat icon graced the pages of sue, quite literally. That year the publica- ism and anarchism can be partly explained any number of less than savory ways, even many an Earth First! Journal in reference tion’s editors made the decision to base by the fact that Dave Foreman had once as an endorsement of fascism. to ecotage. And, in a clear homage to the a majority of each issue on a particular been a Goldwater Republican, and though Foreman, as well as his fellow misan- IWW, Dave Foreman even compiled vari- theme. For May, that theme would be he had jettisoned much of the right-wing thropes, Ed Abbey and Chris Manes, did ous songs written by the copious number “radical environmentalism,” and much of political baggage of this prior association, not work to dispel such rumors when each of Earth First! musicians into what he the focus—indeed MOST of it—would be Foreman, like many other ex-rightists, of them made statements of their own— called, “The Little Green Songbook.” on Earth First! Little did anyone know just could never completely embrace political some of them taken out of context—which Meanwhile, Ed Abbey—who described how significant that decision would turn theories associated with “collectivism,” suggested (among other things) that aid- himself as an “anarchist,” albeit an indi- out to be. To be continued... even those that were libertarian in nature. ing developing nations, giving amnesty to vidualist one—also spoke favorably of the Next installment: “How Pacific Lum- As a result, he shunned class analysis and illegal immigrants, and seeking a cure for One Big Union, perhaps because rumor ber in Humboldt County was yet another mass-based organizing in favor of indi- AIDS interfered with nature’s processes has it at least, his father had been a dues- historical bridge between the IWW and vidualistic covert guerrilla “eco-sabotage” for stabilizing the population. paying IWW member. Earth First!” or “monkey wrenching.” Such thinking The vast majority of Earth First!ers These connections did not go unno- --- patterns lead Foreman to embrace mis- did not share these views. While they may ticed by contemporary IWW members. X343543 (Steve Ongerth) has been anthropy. have held some mildly misanthropic and None other than the Rosemonts (Penelope an IWW member since 1995 when he was Although Foreman was not the “lead- Malthusian beliefs, for the most part their and Franklin), Carlos Cortez, and Utah inspired to join the OBU after meeting er” of Earth First! he was often identified actions were far more progressive and Phillips all came into regular contact Judi Bari. He has just written a soon- by outsiders as such, a notion that was class conscious in their intent. Indeed, as with Earth First!ers. The aforementioned to-be-published book about Judi Bari to enforced by his being editor of the Earth we shall soon see, in California’s Redwood Wobblies spoke favorably towards the new be called, “One Big Union: The WHOLE First! Journal for much of the 1980s and region, Earth First!ers routinely made radical environmentalists, which drew a story behind the bombing of Judi Bari and his being one of Earth First!’s most out- overtures of solidarity to timber workers backlash from IWW members critical of it. Darryl Cherney.” Details at http://www. spoken thinkers. when the latter had disputes with their Critics pointed to the misanthropy judibari.info. Foreman and his adherents advanced employers. a school of thought that blamed the de- The IWW still existed during that struction of the environment not on the time, of course, and a handful of its mem- inherent economic processes of capital- bers came in regular contact with Earth ism, but instead on an over-abundant, First!ers. A few IWW members even joined over-prolific human population aided by Earth First! and vice versa. technology. The solution to the problem Ironically Dave Foreman, in spite of was a return to pre-industrial society, his misanthropic tendencies, was actually perhaps even hunter-gatherer existence, enamored with the IWW. He and his fellow with a greatly reduced human population founders actively looked to leftist organi-

Photo/Caption: albionmonitor.com Graphic: ecowobbly.blogspot.com Page 10 • Industrial Worker • May 2013 Reviews Socialist Organizing Attempts At Pizza Hut: A Review Wilsdon, Tony, and Brent Gaspaire. Man- the pamphlet represents The authors also pro- public in a large way, then with over- ifesto of the Fast Food Worker. Brooklyn, the most complete pic- vide important ideas on whelming support to immediately demand NY: Socialist Alternative, 2013. Available ture of the drive. Read- how to organize at the recognition. Experience has shown many online: . the various news pieces are interested. Some of on the shop floor before going public is from the campaign’s these, such as organizing an important way for union members to By John O’Reilly “underground newspa- a committee and staying build up their confidence and dedication to The IWW is hardly the first organi- per” shows a picture of low-key until the time is the organization, as well as bringing about zation to attempt to take on the terrible a union drive with many right to strike, are classic concrete gains before publicly attempting conditions that rule the food and retail similarities to IWW or- labor organizing tactics to negotiate with the boss. By encourag- industry in North America today. In the ganizing in the fast food and speak to the authors’ ing co-workers to walk through struggle heyday of industrial unionism, restaurants industry but also points ability to organize ef- before standing openly to the world as were frequently organized as part of larger towards some key dif- fectively. The pamphlet union members, our organizers have often drives by unions to organize basic indus- ferences. also touches directly on found success in building workers’ experi- try. In some places, like Detroit, workers An important fea- the question of labor law, ence over time. The campaign organizer wanted to organize and unions were so ture of the “Manifesto” is encouraging workers to I spoke to mentioned that the campaign effective in organizing food and retail in- a long section detailing avoid the National Labor was not able to go public on its own terms, dustries that large union federations had the economic conditions Relations Board (NLRB) but was discovered by management after competing food and retail affiliates that which have brought the election process and, they got hold of the underground news routinely raided each other’s member- rise of fast food and its alternatively, relying on bulletin. In news articles associated with ships. Imagining such a high level of union prevailing low-wage, no- Graphic: socialistalternative.org voluntary recognition the campaign, a member mentioned that density in contemporary food and retail benefits trend. This analysis discusses the from the employer. This is interesting the campaign only had support in 15 out of industries seems preposterous today. Yet ways in which fast food owners as a whole, because it highlights the important weak- 61 franchise stores. The organizer I spoke in the current environment of anti-worker Pizza Hut, and even the specific franchise nesses of the NLRB election approach. It with stated that there were only a handful legislation and dwindling union member- where the campaign was undertaken, have does not explain exactly how one would of stores with lead organizers. While this ship, other unions and organizations on structured work in a way that gives the in- achieve voluntary recognition, other than is certainly not a small number, it brings the left have attempted to organize in this shop employees and delivery drivers few through sheer numbers—a situation which up questions of capacity and the need to important sector of the service economy. options. The authors have done an excel- is much easier to imagine than create. The build underground in a way that engages In late 2003, organizers with the lent job of critiquing the way the industry “Manifesto” also suggests that interested workers for as long as possible before go- Trotskyist political group Socialist Alter- has consistently lobbied for a lowering of fast food workers should organize and ing public on our own terms. native initiated a campaign amongst Pizza the minimum wage and against any at- then affiliate with a left-leaning union Fast food is an important sector of the Hut workers in western Washington state. tempts to raise it. The “Manifesto” itself in their area, as in the case of workers in food and retail industry. Along with sweat- Their organizing began at a franchise that also raises important ideas about how western Washington. The organizer told shop production facilities, it sets the lowest had 61 stores at the time. The record of surplus value is extracted from workers me that the campaign initially started with bar against which employers can measure their organizing, techniques and analysis during the production process and ex- a union that claims jurisdiction over fast conditions. As Wobblies working in food of the industry is contained on their web- plains this process in easy language that food workers but that organizers felt the and retail, we should familiarize ourselves site as a pamphlet titled “Manifesto of the applies directly to the food production and ILWU would have served the drive more with other campaigns to organize workers Fast Food Worker.” Along with that text, service industry. They also mention the effectively. in our industry and see what kind of ap- the analysis is derived from a few articles importance of organizing all pizza shops The pamphlet’s organizing advice proaches have been successful and where posted on Socialist Alternative’s website as a means to bring industrial strength to seems useful for the most part, but it is campaigns have fought hard but encoun- relating to the drive and an interview with the campaign. As a piece of educational interesting to see a lack of emphasis on tered roadblocks they have been unable to one of the authors of the “Manifesto.” The material, the “Manifesto” shows that the direct action. The tone of the piece is quite get past. If conditions are ever to change campaign collapsed after a vicious anti- authors were deeply committed to con- militant and promotes a rank-and-file ap- in our economy, those of us who struggle union response from management, but necting their struggle with an industrial proach to organizing, yet the main focus at the bottom of the economy will have to the organizer I spoke with suggested that outlook and a socialist analysis. seems to be on slow building and going be those who organize the most effectively. Book Of Poetry Critiques Jewish, Working-Class Culture Coval, Kevin. Schtick. Chicago: Hay- grow as a community to become more in-/ Bruce and Roseanne Barr. The Rickles of this culminates in the bizarre “drive-by market Books, 2013. Paperback, 200 clusive and humble.” The young shouldn’t poem, from a 1985 presidential roasting, kidnap” execution of “baby jesus” behind pages, $16. be silenced, as they put questions to their ends ominously with: “all the hints/ at the goal posts of a football field, at night. elders (“each new generation/ here to keep something/ wrong. the seat/ near these Later sections in the collection are By John MacLean the elders honest”). Later, in the poem goys/ the hottest./ the grand dragons/ titled “the secret relationship between “..say it/ again/ until you get it/ “explaining myself,” a son writes to his burning beneath/ the surface.” In a poem Blacks & jews” and “all the pharaohs right/ to learn my name/ in total is to/ father: “...this time dad, we are on the/ dedicated to Roseanne Barr you read of must fall.” There is the “blackened up” (w)holy know your own.” ~ from “the wrong side of history i mean jews who masks, parents made to hide who they Al Jolson, “the world’s greatest enter- holocaust calls for its orthonym” support israel without question,/ i mean are, and passing in a foreign church; then tainer/ [who] took from the world’s most “wake in this new day.” ~ from “all our family and friends in this country, i you read: “marriage is a kind/ of mask,/ pained,” and another Israeli performer the pharaohs must fall” mean it’s like we are/ mississippi crackers, like fame/ and plastic surgery./ even promoting colonialism, “a just say no white south afrikaners when Mandela was name changes/ can’t cover up all/ we are. to drugs nancy reagan rapper/ who is Kevin Coval, in his collection of locked/ up. we are in the empires/ will crumble and critical of young people resisting/ mili- poems, “Schtick,” desires that people dugout pitching expletives sag/ into the sea.” The sec- tary service.” Finally we have Abraham should know themselves, and others. at Jackie Robinson...” tion ends appropriately Raymer (“the lie of pie”) and David He begins with the “demented call” of In line with this dan- with “WWLBD,” a poem Schriber; the first a “yiddisher lyncher/ something he wishes not to be his fa- gerous construction of about the fear that ac- the jury of peers/ the acquitted/ the ther; he also mentions the faint songs masculinity, under the companies stepping off in freshly born/ and baptized/ american/ of a “righteous” father, a Tzadik, born of heading “Shiksas,” a word right performance, and the white man,” and the next, walking his the torn “circumstance” that is Chicago. for young non-Jewish “ancestral” refrain: “What family into the street, to meet Blacks It’s not easy to resist being assimilated women, is a series of po- Would Lenny Bruce Do? forced off the sidewalk in small town to the history, the schtick, of our births. ems on shame, pornogra- What Would Lenny Bruce Tennessee. No one is “chosen” in a world In a poem called “kike” (intentionally phy, and a moribund pho- Do?” where people simply “take what’s not lower-case), which comes in the form of tographic “inheritance.” In a section called theirs and lie about it” after. an entry to “The Oxford English Diction- A family joke has the son “tuesdays with mel gibson,” Throughout the book are found ary,” entry number 15 reads: “kikes are going wrong in availing Coval goes after the famous expressions of solidarity for those who (not) white.” In the poem “midrash of himself of a “shiksa,” when actor (“pompous pilate”), work, and for any who toil for just ends. the body,” you read with possibility “the he should have been think- the outgoing Pope in “nazi In the earlier mentioned “on becoming world is over and can be made/ again. my ing plural all along. You pope,” and the down-pres- a man,” you read of a boy “awed and body Isaac, my body Ishmael/ we need read, in “boxer,” of a young Graphic: kevincoval.com sor Henry Ford. He ends unsure,” a man “awed and uninsured,” to go / to go/ on the lamb,” and then we woman who lands a part in the film “Jar- the poem “passion of the kike” with the but one always “on the broke side of the are left stumbling over bodies on the head,” (“something she’d been fighting/ words “give back my religion/ cause you constant war/ against the working.” In deck of the Mavi Marmara, in the poem her whole life for”); she has sex on video fuckin it up.” Coval sees Christianity, and “henry ford wraps hitler’s birthday pres- “ben” [son of], reading: “ben fathers who as a unit of Marines watches from within it’s hard to argue with the point, as a stolen ent” there is this: “...the bosses/ never were/ pushed around themselves./ ben the larger film. The phantasmic musings religion. He explores, in verse, the strange worry./ they reign and rig/ and reich/ the bullied begat sons/ who bully. ben a of “nightmare #1” and “#2” find another new-crusading ideas of end-time U.S. sup- and wreak/ havoc on the hands/ of the bitch/ ben sarah/ barren.” “goose-stepping toward” his object, up porters of Israel, and has one commentator callused.” Can a world be created in And still there are more dangers. In in lights, “a reluctant/ prisoner dragging calling these a five-part play in which Jews which masses of people aren’t wounded “on becoming a man,” you read: “...who chains to the jailhouse.” Finally, you read “disappear in the fourth act.” In dealing for the imagined advance of a few? In thought to make boys the center of the of George, the grandfather, and his tomb- with the often made charge of deicide the “post-schtick,” the work’s final poem, room/ with ripe acne, underarms, a mil- like album of nudes, none of whom looked author writes that “jesus was participating Coval relates that “we [learn] so much/ lion dick jokes/ what makes us men?” In like the women back home, and how “quite in/ some sort of jewish resistance btw/ and from our executioners/ we become/ ex- “At the Passover Seder,” you read of the is/ a man’s right.” i am for the resistance”; ending the poem ecutioners”; and he ends the short piece Haggadah and “new freedoms” that can Somewhere in the middle of his with a prayer “and i would love to see your insisting that we not be knee-jerks in come into the light: “it says the younger book Coval puts together poems about chariot come/ and i would love to see you blaming victims, but that we “grab the generation will push the older genera- Don Rickles, Sid Caesar, Allen Ginsberg, ascend elsewhere/ and leave the earth to hands/ that fashion the noose/ &/break tion, chal-/ lenge injustice, demand we Monica Lewinsky, Joan Rivers, Lenny us mud people.” The pain embedded in all them./ baruch Hashem.” May 2013 • Industrial Worker • Page 11 Reviews More And Better Organizers: Advice For Revolutionary Workers Twin Cities IWW. Weakening the Dam. a story about bike messengers who were tactics like a march on the boss, it is advis- workplace in order to get off the fence Fordsburg, South Africa: Zabalaza celebrating an anniversary of a work action able to make a plan and to map out what and take a side. Replacing yourself is the Books, 2012. Available online: . demands. A year later many were fired, taught to be afraid of the boss. Sticking to ers so none of us become specialists, and but none of them would have changed a a script and remembering to insist that it so we decentralize our working-class By Klas Batalo thing—the experience of collective action isn’t about whatever the boss brings up, power. There is a list of various ways you I just got my hands on a hard copy of being remembered as “life changing.” In but that you have these demands and that can do this and I suggest that every Wob- “Weakening the Dam” by the Twin Cities this section an argument is made that is what you are there to talk about is how bly read this section if just because most IWW from Zabalaza Books. I originally action precedes consciousness, and that you can keep the confidence to put the of these suggestions are very helpful in skimmed various online versions of the often workers have to expe- pressure on, and win. preventing your IWW General Member- pamphlet a few years ago, but I would rience struggle in order to Most of the rest of the ship Branch (GMB) or Industrial Union highly recommend having it in your create ruptures with the type pamphlet is about how to organizing from becoming a boys’ club. hands to keep notes or pass off to other of resignation that comes bring people into the union The rest of the pamphlet is a collec- fellow workers. with the day-to-day drain and develop them. A few tion of texts on setting short, medium, The main reason for this pamphlet of class struggle at work. I simple phrases are used and long-term goals, strategy, and tactics is explained in its introduction. If we agree with this analysis and to help us as workplace in a campaign. There are also very help- are going to build a revolutionary union am glad to see fellow work- organizers to remember ful checklists for recruiting members to movement we need more and better or- ers advocating this within how to do this on regular your workplace organizing committee ganizers. The pamphlet mostly consists the union. Struggle changes basis, including: “Know the as well as new members to your local of articles and advice that can be found everything. Union, Hear the Union, See GMB. It ends with one of the most help- in the Industrial Worker’s “Workers’ The next few stories the Union” and “Replace ful guides which I think could be of great Power” column. The whole pamphlet and reflections are on how Yourself.” These are easy help to new Wobblies organizing which reads like a “greatest hits” of that col- to take baby steps in your refrains, not hard to forget, is a sample timeline for a non-contrac- umn, which is especially useful for us workplace organizing with- right? “Knowing the Union” tual direct unionist campaign. Overall workers who haven’t always kept up on out losing confidence or try- Graphic: zabalazabooks.net is where we are all at now. “Weakening the Dam” is a great com- our dues enough to have the IW or the ing to bite off more than you You are reading this on a site panion to the organizing skills Wobblies General Organizing Bulletin sent to us. can chew. The section “Emotional Pressure of interest to IWW members. You know the and supporters can learn in the IWW’s The pamphlet starts by providing and Organization Building” goes into how, union, you agree with its politics, or have Organizing Training 101. I recommend some context by recounting organizing if you properly map out the situation at had the union change your life. “Hear- every IWW member and workplace or- stories and campaigns from years past the workplace, it often can just take a little ing the Union” applies to those who are ganizer take its advice to heart. from a few fellow workers. In particu- bit of emotional pressure via collective ac- sympathetic to the union and think it is a Further Reading: “A Rebel Work- lar, there is a story from United Postal tion against lower management to change good idea, but maybe need to be given a ers’ Organizing Handbook” (http:// Service (UPS) workers and their experi- things for the better on the shop floor and little more confidence that it is a legitimate zabalazabooks.files.wordpress. ence reminiscing about how good it felt gain the confidence of your fellow work- effort. Once that happens, these folks will com/2011/08/a_rebel_workers_or- to fight back against the bosses when a ers building committee organization. A start coming to meetings and be active. ganising_handbook.pdf) and “Direct newbie continued to get harassed for be- corollary to this is the advice of “Stick to “Seeing the Union” is where most workers Unionism: A Discussion Paper” (http:// ing militant about work pace like the rest the Script!” When we decide to collectively are at and they are going to have to see the libcom.org/library/direct-unionism- of their fellow workers. Also included is confront our bosses using direct action union in action benefiting everyone in the discussion-paper-09052011). Time For Canadians To Wake Up And Support Temporary Workers Lenard, Patti Tamara, and Christine qualified applicants, they vesting. The arrangement forts to facilitate the recruitment of highly- Straehle, eds. Legislated Inequality: Tem- apply for permission from is managed by the govern- skilled workers as immigrants; it seems as porary Labour Migration in Canada. Mon- a government agency so ments of Canada and the if Canada is doing little to resolve its low treal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, that they can hire tempo- partner countries through skill labor shortage through immigration. 2012. Paperback, 407 pages, $34.95. rary workers from across long-standing diplomatic Only Manitoba has taken serious action the world. These workers, agreements. These work- to deal with the problems facing migrant By Peter Moore with few opportunities ers pay into Employment workers, passing the Worker Recruitment Canada’s approach to labor shortages at home even for those Insurance, the Canada and Protection Act in 2009, according to has shifted from recruiting immigrants to who are well-educated, Pension Plan and income Tom Carter, Delphine Nakache and Sarah recruiting temporary workers. It’s a real- seek work abroad so they tax, but for the most part D’Aoust. Manitoba has also taken steps to ity that simply does not match up with can earn enough money they cannot access any make it easier for temporary workers to Canada’s image of itself as an immigrant to get ahead. As Chris- of these services because become permanent residents and to pro- nation. The mainly academic authors of tine Hughes notes in her they are non-citizens or tect better temporary workers’ rights. Still, this book’s 12 chapters approach the prob- case study of Guatemalan leave the country before there seems to be no uniform dedication lem from several angles, each concluding workers in Canada, “Costly they qualify for benefits. by provinces, territories and the federal in turn that recruiting temporary workers Benefits and Gendered The Live-in Caregiver government to stop the abuse of workers, doesn’t work for Canada on economic, Costs,” the temporary Program allows Canadian reduce the precariousness of temporary social or ethical grounds. While there are worker earns more in one families to hire a foreign jobs, and smooth the path to citizenship a few chapters that lack depth, overall hour at minimum wage Graphic: amazon.ca worker to live with them for those willing to immigrate. this book is an excellent in-depth look at in Canada than the worker would earn and be their children’s nanny or take care Progressives and liberals should also what the government is doing wrong and for a day’s labor at home. Despite all the of elders or people with disabilities. The pay attention as their hobby causes are not it provides ideas on how to fix it or how discrimination and abuse faced by many carrot for these workers, primarily women, immune either. Community food activ- temporary workers and Canadians can workers, Sara Torres and Denise Spitzer’s is that they can apply for permanent resi- ists are asked to reconsider the ethics of work together to fix it. research found that all of the live-in dency in Canada if they work full-time for their “locavore” lifestyles and “buy local” By the Canadian government’s own caregivers they interviewed thought that a family for two years. It is the only tem- economic strategies. In their essay, “Buy count, each year more than 180,000 coming to work in Canada was “worth it.” porary worker program that has a clear Local, Hire Global,” Kerry Preibisch and temporary workers enter Canada to meet The high price of working in Canada, path to citizenship for workers generally Jenna Hennebry point out that the federal what it calls “skill shortages,” adding to however, is well detailed in this book. Em- defined as “low skill.” government has implemented a policy of the temporary workers who are already ployers exercise extraordinary control over The Temporary Foreign Worker Pro- making more foreign workers available here. In 2005, that was 245,000 workers. the workers, often providing accommo- gram allows Canadian employers to hire to meet the needs of local food industries “Temporary migration has surpassed the dation, assigning long hours, sometimes either low skill or high skill workers. Low even though these workers are “highly quota of immigrants accepted by Canada illegally holding their healthcare cards skill workers are defined as those with ei- precarious labor such as migrants without on a yearly basis,” according to contribu- and passports and isolating them from ther a high school diploma or two years of status or those facing contemporary forms tors Patricia Tomic and Ricardo Trumper. Canadian society and potential allies. The job training. High skill workers are those of debt bondage.” How ethical, then, is In a labor market of 17.5 million Cana- twin threats of deportation and of not be- holding university or college degrees, or eating locally-grown food, if the workers dians, this is a large annual influx, particu- ing asked to return to work the next year trades certificates, or that have special- who planted and harvested it were flown larly when one takes into account the size are omnipresent for these workers. That ized skills. The Canadian government in and living under constant threat of of two of the most affected national indus- they are volunteering to subject them- broadened the number of industries that deportation? tries: agriculture, which has approximately selves to these conditions indicates both can hire these workers. In contrast with One of the editors, Patti Tamara Lena- 309,200 workers, and healthcare, which their desperation and their willingness to the SAWP, recruitment is brokered by rd, tidily sums up the problem in her final has approximately 2.1 million workers. make strategic sacrifices to sell their labor private employers’ recruiting agencies and chapter: “Temporary migrants operate at There are now more temporary workers to the highest bidder that they can access. the International Organization for Migra- the margins of Canadian society, the vic- in Canada than there are candidates for In turn, the migrants’ own governments tion. This privatization of the migration tims of multiple forms of discrimination… permanent residency. This quiet policy are helping Canada gain access in order process gives employers and recruiters the rights restrictions to which they are change represents a dramatic shift in how to boost the flow of remittance cash from extraordinary control over these work- often subject legislate their vulnerability Canada takes from the world’s workers. abroad to boost their failing economies. ers, with minimal standards imposed by to exploitation and indeed often legislate Changes introduced by the Conserva- This book critiques Canada’s three government. exploitation itself.” tive government made it possible for many major programs for farm workers, care- Three chapters of this book document It is time for Canadians to wake up and industries to recruit temporary workers, if givers and other jobs. Dating back to the the many barriers facing the so-called ally themselves with temporary workers to employers can prove they could not hire 1960s, the Seasonal Agricultural Workers low-skilled workers to becoming residents ensure their labor—and their choice to im- Canadians first. What some employers Program (SAWP) matches workers from of Canada and the inherent class bias of migrate to Canada—are respected. As the do to qualify for temporary workers is the Caribbean (and now Mexico) with the Canadian immigration system. This activist writers of one chapter say: “Good advertise their jobs at low wages. With few Canadian farmers for planting and har- discrimination contrasts with Canada’s ef- Enough to Work? Good Enough to Stay!” Page 12 • Industrial Worker • May 2013 Wobbly Arts CaseyCasey Jones,Jones, TheThe UnionUnion Scab Scab Thank You

Photo: toledoblade.com By Tom Jayman Graphic: Mike Konopacki By JP Wright, www.railroadmusic.org thank you giant eagle, for giving me carpal tunnel and tendinitis and ruining my ankles and knees so that I have to use orthodics now Fellow workers on the railroad get your head outta the sand, about ifin when the carriers are gonna run one man! thank you high school football coach, for pushing me so hard that I had bruise Because there’s a union culture of scabbery, marks along my shoulder blades and stretch marks as well between the UTU and the BLE-t. thank you, college, for pushing me to stay up for three days until I hallucinated [ Chorus ] so that I could write your papers and take your tests Casey Jones, There’s a lot of them around. Casey Jones won’t put the reverser down! thank you, Jimmy John’s, for advertising as freaky fast and ruining my driving Casey Jones gonna stick it to me and you... record from speeding tickets If we let ‘em run trains with a one man crew. thank you, canvassing industry, for throwing me on some random street, forcing This is the way Mr. Debs said it would be, me to piss in backyards of abandoned houses if we kept up this jurisdiction scabbery. The carriers have it just the way they like, thank you, electoral machine, for laying me off on election day with our unions divided up and just itchin’ for a fight!

Back in the day, hell, we should have merged thank you capitalism, for creating another revolutionary and I’m here to tell ya we were actually on the verge, of organizin’ a union with incredible might! all we have now is one hellava plight.

Casey Jones was in the UTU-e. The Mistress Money Casey said to hell with the B of LE! By John Kaniecki If you don’t know what I’m talkin’ about- Better study up on our history! She’s a sultry siren singing her song A temptress with a taunting desire The BLE, well they were afraid too. Men blindly serve her doing all wrong with the general committees screamin’ what are we gonna do? Cold as ice hot as hell fire So they got together and kicked out their president, Money, that’s her name and that’s just a little of how the story went! Evil is her favorite game [ Chorus ] She seems to be a mighty power Her servants kill, destroy and devour Engineer, Conductor, Train Service Employee, But she is simply a piece of paper Utility road positions, a blurrin’ of craft autonomy! Free your mind you shall escape her Railroads have been thinkin’ years ahead. Money, that’s her name While our unions seem to be playin’ dead! Greed it is to blame Don’t fall in love with Mistress Money Casey say’s “they won’t run one man! Don’t make her your sweet honey The FRA and unions are gonna make a stand!” but once we had 5 and now we only got 2, She’ll give you a thrill when they sold us out and sidetracked the caboose! All the while setting you up for the kill She laughs when nothing’s funny [ Chorus ] That’s Mistress Money Graphic: thenerdess.tumblr.com

Well the conductors will say to Casey “won’t you help us win this fight?” And he is sure to say “you better go take a hike!” “You stole my job with that RCO, And when the telephone rings off to work I’ll go!”

[ Chorus ]

Most of us say that we should all be One, Now that’s a big task, but one that must be done! So you better straighten up and open your eyes! There ain’t nothin’ left to us but to ORGANIZE!

Graphic: “Means and Ends” (2007) by Eugene Lerner May 2013 • Industrial Worker • Page 13 Wobbly Arts The Pizza Diaries: Life And Death In The Restaurant Business By Greg Farnum Eddie decides to having a bad day. Best yelled Crazy Eddie one Friday night when Now this: I finally got a job. From ad leave early but not be- driver/key employee, we were swamped with orders and every- agency to pizza parlor. I’m a driver. I didn’t fore Older Ryan hits him he knew every aspect thing was chaotic and the emphasis was on realize how bad I was at first. A disaster. up for some pills. of the business: “Man I rushing out the door as soon as possible It’s a wonder they didn’t fire me...not find- Quiet, still: nobody been doing this for 20 rather than standing there and taking a ing the address, forgetting the salad. And wants pizza early on a years...my first job when second look at your order. “Remember, again not finding the address. It went on Christmas Eve. Older I was a teenager was in anybody who forgets anything gets fined and on. I’m better now and getting ac- Ryan and Tim talk. They a pizza joint.” He even $20.” Cindy’s eyes opened wide. “The day cepted by the crew—even though I’m two both conclude their lives owned (or managed?) I get fined $20 is the day I quit,” she said, or three decades older than they are. And suck. “I’m just a loser, his own pizza parlor “I ain’t no robot.” I am getting to know them. dude; I admit it,” says once. I often wondered And Tim was devoted to his children Where’s Tim? And again, on another Ryan. Tim admits noth- how he went from that too, both the daughter that lived with his occasion, where’s Tim? Trash-talking, big, ing. to fat guy in a dirty shirt first wife and the step-children that he loud, Gulf War veteran; concerned father; Still no orders. The Graphic: thecultcollective.com working dough in a back helped his current wife raise (and the baby former owner of a pizza place; number one owner, Enmar, sends us home. We clock room in between deliveries. Then, after he talked about, was that his or another employee—both driver and cook...seems to out and wish each other Merry Christmas. he failed to show up for work a couple of his step kids?) and he usually didn’t know every address in our territory (“After I was worried about this shift, the first of times, I’d gotten an inkling, though I let adversity get him down. Like the fact you turn off Perry,” he tells me, “It’s the one back after our Christmas vacation. Our had no way of knowing if that talk about that he wore a dirty shirt because there first house on the second block on the Christmas vacation was one day: Christ- crack was based on facts or was just more was no hot water at his house to wash left—she’s a Pontiac hillbilly whore, but mas. But anyway, I was worried because pizza parlor gossip/bullshit. There was less anything because the gas had been turned she’ll give you a good tip”) and every aspect of my brakes—they barely worked, which doubt about his temper and his mouth. off for non-payment, so consequently the of the kitchen. He doesn’t show up. Again. meant I had to drive slowly, and they said I “Cocksuckin’ motherfucker! I hate furnace didn’t work either and everybody His house has no hot water. was too slow already, even when I had good that motherfucker! I’d like to smash the slept in one bedroom—the one with the Crack, the kitchen crew tells me. brakes. The thing is, I refused to drive like motherfucker’s face ‘cept I’m afraid I’d ever-dangerous space heater. “Man, it’s Heroin, they say about Eddie, the owner’s a maniac—like Eddie. On principle. I didn’t break my hand again. Broke my hand too cold in my house, dude.” cousin and partner. Maybe that was Older want to run anyone over just so I could get many times punchin’ guys. Last time was Back when I first started this job, I Ryan who told me about that. Older Ryan one more delivery, one more tip. Plus, it in jail. Aw fuck it, I’m gonna take a shit. told my daughter “Only one day on the is on probation. For drugs. He seems to was the only car we had, my family and I, You hear that everybody? The fat guy is job and I already know everybody’s name. be doing pretty good, remaining pretty so if I smashed it up we were screwed. Then gonna take a great big long shit!” It’s Dude.” But that’s another story. In this positive, hardworking and positive. Hear there was the little matter of insurance. Beneath all that, though, was a decent story, Tim was strangely subdued. I didn’t him later talking with Summer, Eddie’s I didn’t have any. If I got pulled over for guy. For instance, he tried to get a job for know if it was the hot water or the heat sister, who’s here to chop vegetables, about speeding and the cop asked for proof of in- his neighbor, Cindy, when she got laid off. or too much of the rum he’d been talking passing the drug test. surance we were screwed. Then there were “You know her? How do you know about, and I didn’t ask. “What are you on probation for?” he those two old unpaid parking tickets, one her?” asked Enmar. “This sucks,” he repeated, looking asks. of which was from a delivery. So I always “She’s my wife’s former lesbian lover.” around at the backroom where we’d just “Cocaine,” she says. “What about drove safely—at the speed limit or just a “You’re kidding.” finished pressing dozens of pans of dough, you?” bit above. The result was that my position “No, dude, I am not kidding.” She got then added “you know in the Sims game, “Pills.” at the store was always a bit tenuous with the job, part time, working in the back pizza worker is listed under slacker ca- “And a guy comes around a few weeks Enmar and Eddie—even with good brakes. room prepping the food, cleaning and reers.” later on a Sunday night. Eddie goes out- As it turned out I shouldn’t have wor- helping out with deliveries when things I laughed and asked him, “In the game side to talk to him. “Is that Eddie’s drug ried. As was usual for a Sunday, Enmar, got busy. She was good, too, a hard worker if you want to get a better job, what do dealer?” I ask Young Ryan. after cooking pizzas and fussing over foot- who didn’t mind pitching in and helping you do?” “More like Eddie’s his drug dealer.” ball scores on the internet (he always had you out with whatever you were doing. “You go to the newspaper and look at It’s cold. Tim’s house has no hot water bets down), left early, leaving the place in Small, troll-like, on a diet, pleasant to talk the want ads and apply for a better job.” and no heat. He says he has a space heater Eddie’s charge. Nobody likes to be there to, going to school so she could better her- This is an excerpt from Greg Far- in he and his wife’s bedroom. They sleep when Eddie’s in charge. The staff—the self and provide a decent education for her num’s e-book, “The Pizza Diaries.” The full there with the kids. dwindling staff—usually had lots to say son, and with a mind of her own. “Don’t text can be found online through http:// “Did you man an APC?” I ask him about that, but tonight was different. For forget your salad or your pop or anything,” www.barnesandnoble.com. when we’re in the back pressing out dough, one thing, Eddie was well-dressed; for getting cooking oil splashed on us as we another, his eyes weren’t drooping (though pound the dough into shape in the nasty he barked orders nonstop whether his eyes old oven pans we use. were drooping or not). Tonight he had “No, we drove around the desert in old guests—his brother’s family. pickup trucks. We delivered munitions, “You’re Old Man Winter,” said the the shells tied down in the back with wire. brother using my store nickname (mine They bounced around, dude, big time. was one of the better ones), smiling and Sometimes one of them would fall off.” extending me his hand. “Hi, I’m...” what- He shows me the thumb that was partially ever it was. Then he proceeded to talk blown off. and joke and eat pizza and discuss the I’m doing better now. With my hourly football scores with Eddie. They both had near-minimum wage and (especially) tips bets down. Eddie had bets down on all the I can just about pay my/our bills (the National Football League (NFL) games. ones we aren’t ducking). And buy some Every week. “Damn!” he yelled when the Christmas gifts. internet showed the Steelers had just “I didn’t know what to expect,” I tell scored a touchdown. So they all talked and Older Ryan, “I’ve never worked a Christ- joked and had a good old time, except the mas Eve shift here.” It’s Friday. My Friday wife who sat in a corner and minded and shift runs from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. The crabbed at the kids, two little ones, the other guys get here an hour earlier and youngest of whom was dressed in a Santa work varying hours. “Neither have I,” suit. With all this jollity and pizza eating says Ryan, “none of us have.” Then he I was able to make my deliveries with a complains again about Eddie. Shooting minimum of oversight and comment, all of up in the bathroom, the allegation, last which were done relatively quickly despite time we worked together. Young Ryan was the bad brakes (there were few cars on the there that night. “If I hear about anybody road seeing as how this was both a Sunday on drugs I’m gonna beat ‘em with a stick,” and the first day after Christmas) and pick he had said. He doesn’t take drugs. Or not up a few dollars besides, which was doubly many. Or he’s not dependent on them. good because with the rent coming due “He shoots up in the bathroom?” I ask, we needed every dollar we could get. And the scholar in me double-checking sources. then the orders stopped coming in (“It’s It’s the kind of question I usually leave a dead night,” Eddie said) and we started alone—I don’t get tips for scholarship. early on closing—sweeping, mopping, tak- “Yeah, couldn’t you see it in his eyes?” ing out the garbage and generally tidying “I didn’t look too closely at his eyes. up. Young Ryan, the kitchen staff for the I saw it in his face. He was messed up.” night, reluctantly put away his cell phone “He’s seriously fucked up dude. I’d like (upon which he apparently played video to knock some sense into him. He doesn’t games) and even more reluctantly helped know what he’s messing with.” out. I looked around for some stray pieces No orders. A bright, cold winter morn- of pizza to take home to the family. There ing. We all do some desultory cleaning up. were none. Still, I left feeling good. At least Still no orders. The place is looking pretty part of me did. The other part felt like I’d clean. Fairly clean. As close to clean as it just dodged a bullet, for one night and one ever gets. shift, and I’d have to start all over again Finally an order: two small salads for with the next one. pickup. “This sucks, dude,” said Tim. He was Page 14 • Industrial Worker • May 2013 May 2013 • Industrial Worker • Page 15 International News Spain: Mainstream Unions Support Big Business, CNT Fights Back By Brandon Oliver then sabotaged when the two major- Easter week, one of the busiest travel ity unions called it off. However this weeks in Spain, was supposed to see backfired when the CNT branch in three strike days at Iberia Airlines, the Iberia was able to form a coalition country’s flagship carrier. This strike was with the other minority unions and called by the Confederación Nacional del escalate the fight, beginning with a Trabajo (CNT), a revolutionary anarcho- march of 1,500 workers and sup- syndicalist union with which the IWW porters (two of whom were IWW has a long history of mutual support, and members who happened to be in the Coordinadora Estatal del Sector Handling area) that same month in Madrid. Aereo (CESHA), a baggage handlers’ union This mobilization has contin- which is not political, but which rejects ued, with the minority unions state funding and professional union staff, gaining increasing support from and operates through assemblies. the workers as the majority unions The goal of the strike was to continue revealed just how yellow they were, a series of mobilizations that have been up through March of this year. At building since Iberia was bought by Brit- that point, with the threat of united ish Airlines and the new holding company, strike action by all of the unions, IAG, announced a plan at the end of 2011 the government stepped in and to spin off a new “low-cost” carrier, IB Ex- imposed mediation. In the midst of press. Originally this plan was supposed to large daily mobilizations around the preserve existing jobs and create 500 new airport, the majority unions signed ones, but as time went on it became clear an “agreement” which includes 3,141 that this was a way to restructure capital layoffs and fierce cuts against the Workers protest Iberia at the Madrid-Barajas Airport, Feb. 18, 2013. Photo: iberia.cnt.es and discard as many workers as possible. workers who will remain. The CNT Of course, in a country with a 25 and CESHA declared a strike in response, create the Moncloa Pacts, the Spanish ver- than the CNT. percent unemployment rate, the workers but they were unable to persuade any of sion of the National Labor Relations Act. So what do you do when the country’s did not accept this without a response. the other minority unions to join them, This sought to channel all union activity economy collapses and the main political Although there has historically been a so they abandoned it for the time-being. through parliament-style elections, which parties and their unions are negotiating large divide, with the pilots seeing them- To drive the nail in the coffin, Iberia is allow for the existence of many unions. with the European Union (EU) about how selves as separate from the ground staff prosecuting those two unions for declar- The unions receive money from the gov- best to sell off all of the public services and and flight crew, there was a possibility for ing an illegal strike, and has fired the 14 ernment based on how many votes they rapidly nullifying practically the entire united action. The pilots struck at the end members of CESHA’s strike committee receive, and paid union time for officers code of labor law? This is a discussion of December 2011, and in January 2012 the (five of whom have since been reinstated) from the company. Although there is no that is happening within the CNT and two majority unions, the Unión General and seeks to do the same to the CNT. dues check-off and membership is com- elsewhere, including within our organi- de Trabajadores (UGT) and the Confed- Why is this important for IWW mem- pletely voluntary, the result is similar—the zation, and it’s an important one. What eración Sindical de Comisiones Obreras bers? The landscape of labor law, union unions become structurally separate from the CNT has been doing at Iberia for 35 (CCOO), worked with the large range of politics and social history in Spain is very the workers and identify with the interests years seems to be a good model, a bal- smaller unions that are present in Iberia different from the Anglo world where the of those who sign their checks. ance between two extremes that are often to call for a strike of all staff—which was IWW is rooted. Furthermore, Iberia is one The CNT was the only major union at proposed: a closed “revolutionary politi- very specific company, and there are the time to reject this agreement, although cal organization” or a semi-radical “mass certain factors that have allowed the a minority left to become what is now movement.” A revolutionary union does CNT to have a more effective pres- the Confederación General del Trabajo not need to encompass the entire working ence there than they have elsewhere. (CGT). Following this there were several class, but it also should not confine itself However, the CNT at Iberia can serve decades of government repression, rela- to workers who are already radical. It can as a good model for what a small revo- tive social peace and media and political act as a fighting organization on the shop lutionary union which seeks to grow party manipulation, amongst other things. floor (what “union” used to mean) and at should be doing. Finally around the turn of the millennium the same time maintain a higher vision of The Spanish dictator Francisco the CNT began to have more of an echo a struggle against capitalism. This is not Franco died in 1975; the CNT, hav- among workers who wanted to organize merely theoretical—it will have profound ing been illegal during his reign, was without subsidies or staffers. Relative to impacts on how an organization goes for- re-established quickly afterwards and the IWW, the CNT is very large—about five ward. Even if a revolutionary union pre- was tightly linked with a quickly grow- or six times our membership in a country serves its specific identity, which it should ing workers’ movement that worked with a population comparable to Califor- do, it can also act as a catalyst among other through assemblies and rejected paid nia’s. Nonetheless, it is still very much a workers’ groups, working-class organiza- staff and government mediation, as minority union, one of many. The section tions, and the broader working class in well as political party manipulation. at Iberia, which is relatively strong and general. None of us know the best way to Many of these workers’ struggles took active in many parts of the company, is do this yet, but the CNT section at Iberia place at the Madrid-Barajas Airport, somewhat exceptional, and the comrades is showing one route to get there. As global where a CNT branch was founded the there give part of the credit to the elitist capitalism tries to throw Spain in the same next year. In order to restore social pilots’ union, which boycotts the elections trash pile as Greece, the CNT might be able peace, in 1977 the Spanish government and negotiates directly with the company, to act as a catalyst turning things in the Iberia protest. Photo: iberia.cnt.es worked with the main “Left” parties to although probably for different reasons other direction. Solidarity Greetings on May Day!

Subscribe to the Industrial Worker See what all the fuss is about! Just mail in this form to PO Box 180195, Chicago IL 60618 USA, or visit us online at: http://store.iww.org/industrial-worker.html to subscribe today! 10 issues for: • US $18 for individuals. • US $30 for libraries/institutions. from the Industrial Worker, • US $30 for internationals. the official newspaper Name: ______Address:______of the Industrial Workers State/Province:______of the World Zip/PC______Page 16 • Industrial Worker • May 2013 French Workers Hold Bosses Captive By John Kalwaic On March 20, workers at the greeting card company Edit66 in France sequestered the head of the company and the chief of the Dutch firm which owns it after being fired The IWW formed the International Solidarity Commission to help the union build without pay. Dutch com- the worker-to-worker solidarity that can lead to effective action against the bosses pany Mercurius bought of the world. To contact the ISC, email [email protected]. the card company Edit66 in the early 1990s. The Unions From Around The World Meet In Paris company originally had Dutch boss blocked by workers. Photo: rawstory.com By the ISC delegation 60 employees, but re- On March 22-24, many inde- cently employed 37, 19 of whom were laid chiefs, Paul Denis and Merthus Bezemer, pendent unions from around the off without severance pay because the who were both allowed to walk around world came together in the capital company claimed they had “no money.” during their detention. of France to network and consult The employee protest targeted their two With files from Agence France-Presse. on how to act together and in a more powerful way amidst the global economic crisis. The IWW Workers’ Self-Management In Egypt By John Kalwaic participated in this meeting—called In February, an unprece- “International Trade Unionism: dented development took place We are building the future!”—with as workers and students took a delegation sent by the Inter- over the city of Port Said and national Solidarity Commission Union representatives from Photo: GLAMROC began running it under a system (ISC). The event was organized by around the world. of workers’ self-management— Solidaires of France, the Confed- industry, agriculture, etc.) represented called the “Egyptian Paris Com- eración General del Trabajo (CGT) of at the meeting. There were also other mune.” Spain, and the Central Sindical e Popular organizations such as students’ associa- This takeover was a response (CSP) of Brazil. More than 60 unions and tions, groups fighting for the freedom of to a massacre of 40 people that organizations from across Europe, North Western Sahara and so on. took place during clashes between Africa, and the Americas, as well as from After the first break, the second police and protesters in which Asia (Indonesia, Turkey) participated, round of discussion started with a state- the protesters forced the police Workers at Port Said, Egypt. Photo: anarkismo.net with groups from Eastern Europe, Scan- ment by the ISC delegation of the IWW, out, allowing the people take the their workplaces and limited production dinavia and the United States notably addressing the need for organizing along city. The protest had erupted within the to what was necessary and what the people absent. Altogether the weekend brought supply chains on a whole industrial scale, framework of the general uprising against of the city wanted. Students and workers together over 250 people. followed by independent unionists from President Mohamed Morsi’s new dictato- manned checkpoints and called them- The main part of the conference was Greece. rial government’s restrictions of speech, selves “the popular police.” Under this structured around three broader topics organized labor and women’s rights. system, the city is safer than ever before. which had been circulated in advance: What’s Next? After the uprising, President Morsi The Egyptian Paris Commune is a suc- our answers, proposals, visions we have The second day was a bit more con- agreed to rescind the police presence cessful experiment that many Egyptians in the face of the crisis; alternative union- crete as we talked about results, plans, in Egypt, leading to a withdrawal of the want to duplicate in other cities. ism as part of broader social movements; and future common work. These propos- military and police. Workers took over With files from A-Infos. and proposals for joint campaigns and als included: an email list of all partici- international actions/initiatives. pating organizations for future exchange After short speeches by representa- and communication, a possible common tives, the debate was opened for discus- global day of action in October (though it sion among all participating organiza- is unsure whether this will be realized), a tions. The first day was very general, website to facilitate networking, sector- without many concrete practical pro- based working groups (education, bank- posals for building actual transnational ing sector, automobile industry, etc.) solidarity. However, some examples were that had already been formed and met discussed, such as an Italian union that during the conference. There will also be tried to build a committee of industrial a coordination meeting open to all unions resistance among Fiat plants in France represented at this conference that will and Italy to fight the profit-driven policies be smaller and focused on actual work. of the bosses. Moreover, two texts came out of this event: one summarizing the standpoint Low Participation by Women of the unions and the results of the con- During the first audience-contribu- ference that will be published soon, and tion to the debate, three women posted a the second was a call for May Day that placard saying “Why are there no women should be distributed by the unions in (on the stage)?” on the podium. Although their regions on International Workers’ this action was supported by applause, it Day. Both of these texts will be translated was not addressed during the following into several languages, but there will be hour and only men got the microphone no possibility of discussing the contents throughout the first part of the discus- that are set by the three inviting unions. sion. The only women that appeared on Although these declarations had an the stage during the whole event only had anti-capitalist and class-conscious touch, the role of moderating the discussion and they also contained political demands of did not give any speeches of their own. redistribution and financial regulation. Despite the issue of gender, it was men- Hence, they were radical in parts, but tioned by participants that we also should also reformist in other regards. Sponsor an Industrial Worker include more issues of immigrants. Although it was an interesting and A great portion of the unions there insightful meeting, it would be better if ubscription for a risoner focus on organizing the public sector and more rank-and-filers than union officials S P education, though there were a variety of and paid staff would participate in these Sponsor an Industrial Worker industries (banking sector, automobile kinds of events. subscription for a prisoner! The IWW often has fellow workers Support international solidarity! & allies in prison who write to us requesting a subscription to the Industrial Worker, the official newspaper of the IWW. This is your chance to show solidarity! For only $18 you can buy one full year’s worth of working-class Assessments for $3 and news from around the world for a $6 are available from your delegate or IWW fellow worker in prison. Just visit: headquarters: http://store.iww.org/industrial- PO Box 180195, Chicago, worker-sub-prisoner.html to order the subscription TODAY!