Submitted on Tue, 11/13/2007 - 2:49pm
Disclaimer - The opinions of the author do not necessarily match those of the IWW. The image pictured to the right did not appear in the original article, we have added it here to provide a visual perspective. This article is reposted in accordance to Fair Use guidelines.
By: John S. Adams - Missolua Independent, November 8, 2007
It wasn’t as dramatic as the “Continental Congress of the Working Class” that formed the union in 1905, but for the handful of people who turned up at the monthly meeting of the Industrial Workers of World (IWW) at Missoula’s Union Club on Monday night, it was a momentous occasion.
For the first time in as long as anyone can remember, the Missoula-based branch of the “One Big Union” reached the minimum 10 members, thus earning their official charter. Sure, it’s only 10 members, but for Jay Bostrom, the local IWW’s most active and outspoken member, it’s a big deal.
“Folks, now we can start keeping some membership dues and start doing some real organizing,” Bostrom told the small group gathered in the Union Club’s basement.
The IWW rose to prominence in Montana in the early part of the 20th century with efforts to organize miners in Butte, and lumberjacks across the state. Their “Free Speech Fights” in Missoula and Spokane made national headlines as Wobblies (as IWW members are known) spoke out against capitalist repression until they were arrested by the hundreds, clogging the jails and courts and eventually forcing those cities to overturn their free speech ordinances. Today the IWW boasts about 1,000 members worldwide.
The Wobblies’ core philosophy, according to the preamble to the IWW constitution, declares that “the working class and the employing class have nothing in common.” Rather than organizing workers by trade, the IWW seeks to unite all workers as a class in order to rise up and take over means of industrial production and eventually overthrowing capitalism and creating a more peaceful society.
A lofty goal to be sure, but for the few energized members who showed up Monday night to plan a free speech fight of their own against international free trade agreements, you’ve got to start somewhere.
“I see our role as more broadening the discourse to the left,” says Dave Jones, the group’s spokesman. “There really hasn’t been an anti-capitalist movement around here for a long time.”
Submitted on Tue, 10/23/2007 - 3:38pm
Con:
- Dos años de lucha de la IWW en la industria alimenticia de Nueva York
- Miembros de la IWW usan acción directa para ganar sus demandas y restablecer condiciones laborales en la recoleccion del reciclaje de Berkeley, California
- Por una alianza de trabajadores textiles de Bangla Desh, América Latina y del norte. IWW se reúne con la Federación Nacional de Trabajadores Textiles (NGWF) de Bangladesh
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Submitted on Tue, 10/23/2007 - 2:58pm
Featuring:
- Two years of IWW organizing in the New York food industry
- IWW members use direct action to win demands and re-establish working conditions in recycling collection, Berkeley, California
- For an alliance of Bangladeshi, Latin American and North American garment workers: the IWW meets with the National Garment Workers Federation of Bangladesh
PDF File
Submitted on Wed, 10/17/2007 - 8:39pm
New webpage: http://www.iww.org/en/projects/women
During General Assembly 2007, the Women’s Caucus met to discuss issues regarding gender and inclusion. Women from various spots in the country shared ideas, personal stories, and suggestions on where to go from here. Recognizing that the women’s caucus has met in previous years at the GA, the women at this year’s caucus hope to build on what was started in the past.
Below is a list of projects which we think will foster inclusion in the IWW. We welcome all wobblies to participate, including women, men, and transgendered people. Please get in touch if you would like to work on any of these projects.
Submitted on Wed, 10/17/2007 - 1:25am
Headlines:
- 9 Handyfat workers win reinstatement in NYC
- Crichton campus in Scotland saved
- Starbucks on trial: Does being big make us bad?
Featured Articles:
- Chicago General Assembly shows growth
- Two years of organizing the NYC food industry
- India free trade zones cause unrest, inequality
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