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Newsletter of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in Madison, Wisconsin

Volume 9, Number 2 May Day 2!"

SOLIDARITY UNIONISMA Way Forward For The Wisconsin Labor Movement

After Act 10 And “Right To Work”

by Branch Secretary Felix Bunke

In the past few years, I've often read and hearddespondent comments from my fellow Wisconsinites thatunion organiation and action

has been made next toimpossible, even !criminalied,"after #ct $% &essentially !right towork" legislation for the publicsector, which hit us in %$$ andsparked the famous !Wisconsin(prising") and the broader !right to work" legislation in%$* that included the privatesector+ hat may be trueinsofar as !traditional"organiing is concerned, but, asfor union organiing itself being

!criminalied," while the bosseswould love to do that, it'd bevery difficult for them to do thatconstitutionally, due to thefreedom of association in theFirst #mendment+ &I'm surethere are expensive lawyerstrying to torture language andlogic to find a way around that,though+)

he !traditional"method is only one possiblemethod of organiation andaction, though+ he -ational.abor /elations #ct &aka, the!Wagner #ct"), whichestablished the now0traditional method of certificationand contract negotiation, wasn't enacted until $12*, in themidst of the 3reat 4epression, labor unrest, and fears ofradical uprisings+ It was billed as !labor peace" because itwas hoped that this would temper the labor battles andreduce the risk of work stoppages, etc+ In other words,one of the motivations behind it was to pacify the labor

movement+ It seems to have succeeded in that regard,particularly as many people now seem to see that as theonly way to be a union, so that, when that route is madeprohibitively difficult, many people seem to think that

union organiing itself has been

made impossible+5owever, unions existedfor 6uite a long time before theWagner #ct+ (nions do notexist because of the Wagner#ct, rather, the Wagner #ctexists because of unions+ heIndustrial Workers of the World&IWW) is one of those unions,having been formed in $1%*+Workers have historicallyorganied and acted whilefacing much worse conditions

and much worse threats toorganiation than what we havenow, even actualcriminaliation+

It is often said that thebosses and politicians are!turning back the clock" onworkers' rights and conditionsfor the working class in general+I like to say, though, that ifthey're going to !turn back theclock," then we also need to!turn back the clock" and learnfrom our predecessors whoorganied and acted, despitehaving things much worse than

we do now+ We need to learn from them and apply andadapt those lessons to our current situation+

hat is, essentially, what solidarity unionism, asStaughton .ynd calls it in his book by that title &nd ed+7akland, 8#9 :; :ress, %$*), is+ #lthough, today, it'soften called an !alternative" union organiing strategy, it'sfar from new, since it's based on the style of organiing



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that was common before the Wagner #ct, when being aunion simply meant workers coming together in theirown common interests to act together in solidarity witheach other and with the larger working class, and thatwas where their strength came from < their solidarity,rather than legalisms, certification, contract negotiation,

etc+ #s such things are taken away from us more andmore, we need to return to that solidarity0basedphilosophy if we are to move forward+

.et's start with the basics+++

What is a nion!

# union is simply a group of workers comingtogether to cooperate and support each other in theircommon interests+

hat's it+

-ote that it is notnecessary to havecertification to be a union+=ou don't have to win anyelections at your workplace+ =ou don'thave to be negotiating acontract+ =ou don't evenhave to have any intent ofever having a contract+=ou don't have to havegrievance procedures+;ost importantly, you do

not need permission fromyour boss &ha ha) or anygovernment to be a union+#ll you need is your fellowworkers, cooperation, andsolidarity+

So, why do so many people think that it'snecessary to have more than that to be a union at all>

he now0traditional method of unionorganiation and action dates back to the -ational .abor/elations #ct of $12*, also known as the Wagner #ct,which was intended to bring about !labor peace" in anera that saw many strikes, work stoppages, and otherworkplace actions and direct actions+

his !labor peace" was to be accomplished, inpart, by giving some legal liberties and protections toworkers organiing unions+ It gives unions that wincertification elections the status of exclusive negotiatingagents in collectively bargaining contracts for workers+hese contracts very often contain !no strike" clausesforbidding the union to strike for the duration of thecontract+ :roblems at work would be handledbureaucratically via grievances, rather than direct action,and the grievances would then get churned through the

wheels of bureaucracy &both union bureaucracy andgovernment bureaucracy), often with little further sayfrom the workers who brought the grievances+ #lso,these contracts very often include managementprerogative clauses that give the bosses free reign to dowith the company as they see fit, including investments,

downsiing, closing, moving, etc+Some unions, particularly more militant unions,

opposed the Wagner #ct on the grounds that it would tietheir hands and prevent them from using strikes andother forms of direct action to solve disputes, insteadrelying on bureaucracies and legalisms+ In essence, theWagner #ct provided a sort of !controlling liberty,"giving liberties and protections in some respects, butstructured in such a way as to control the labormovement+ o put it another way, it achieved !laborpeace," in part, by pacifying the labor movement+ -ow,

most people can hardlyconceive of any other type

of labor organiing besidesa union certified by the-ational .abor /elationsBoard &-./B)+

7nce the Wagner #ctwas in place, 8I7 unionsbecame more and morelike the corporations theywere supposed to beorganied to confront,with top0down,bureaucratic organiation

and behavior and full0timeorganiers and staff whooften aspired to becomelike their company?sbosses and rise in theranks &making them moreconciliatory), and they

would basically police their workers and purge theradicals who were instrumental in forming the unions inthe first place 00 !union bosses," indeed@ 8I7 unions alsooften promoted the idea that workers and bosses hadmutual interests and promoted !cooperation" &while thepreamble to the IWW's constitution famously states that

the working class and the employing class have nothing incommon)+ 5aving closed shops and dues checkoff alsoreduces accountability for the union+ #ll these thingsmake unions seem more and more like governments <theoretically democratic and belonging to theconstituents, but, in practice, all too often distant,bureaucratic, and unresponsive leviathans, which makesunion dues seem akin to taxes, i+e+, money that you'rere6uired to pay for something that you only get limitedsay in and don't really feel is !yours+"



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What R" T#" $ %&'% (F %(L&) R&T*

+,&(,&%M!

First of all, as the name implies, the primaryprinciple of solidarity unionism is solidarity, not Aust as atactic, but as a fundamental principle 00 !#n inAury to one

is an inAury to all+" hat is, solidarity as a way of life+7ne of the most important principles of solidarityunionism is democracy < true democracy, as in horiontalstructures driven by rank0and0file democracy in whichregular workers can directly have a say and makedecisions+ his is in contrast to the top0downbureaucracies of many traditional unions, in whichworkers are basically encouraged to, !pay your dues, andleave the rest to us+" It means workers advocating andacting for themselves, as opposed to having a!professional" third party do so on their behalf+4emocracy also includes freedom to dissent and tocriticie, which all too many !traditional" unions try to

silence and label as being !anti0union," when free speechis healthy for unions in order to allow for new ideas,correcting of mistakes, etc+

# large component ofsolidarity unionism is moredirect action, such as marcheson the boss, strikes, pickets, andother Aob actions to addressworkplace issues and to makegains, rather than simply relyingon bureaucratic contractnegotiations, grievance

procedures and legalisticprocedures that could take months, or even years, and betaken largely out of the hands of the workers making thecomplaints+

hese three primary components of solidarityunionism clearly demonstrate a need for greatereducation than traditional unions generally have+Solidarity as a way of life implies at least a certain degreeof class consciousness, something that is sorely lacking inmodern society, particularly in the (nited States+4emocracy < particularly horiontal, participatory, anddirect democracy < re6uires a certain degree of educationin order to participate fully, although Aob and life

experience can go a long way in this respect+ 4irectaction re6uires a good deal of education in order to bedone well and in a disciplined way, particularly since manyworkers don't have a lot of experience with it, as strikesand other actions have dwindled in the modern era ofunion activity, and people are very used to the now moretraditional top0down, bureaucratic, !leave it to theprofessionals" mode of unionism+

So, solidarity unionism will take work to achieve,but did anyone expect otherwise> 5owever, whether thisphilosophy is adopted by choice or out of necessity &such

as certification being prohibitively difficult to achieve, asis true for many public workers in Wisconsin after #ct $%,or !right to work" laws that make unions have to workharder to maintain membership and funding and to beaccountable to their members), that work can have greatdividends in building stronger, more engaged, more

active, and more cohesive unions+he philosophy could be practiced within a

!traditional" union, or parallel to it < the goal is not todestroy such unions, but, rather, to advance the interestsof workers+

What F(RM% ' , %(L&) R&T* +,&(,&%M T -"!

he forms that solidarity unionism take are not asimportant as the principles+ he basic principles allow fora wide range of possibilities, depending on the needs,circumstances, culture, and desires of the workers+Indeed, part of the point of solidarity unionism is to not

be wedded to one particular way of organiing andacting, such as the !traditional" route of-./B certification and contract negotiation+It means being free to adapt organiation andmethods to the tasks at hand, rather thanhaving one hand tied behind our backs+

In his book, Staughton .ynd details twoparticular forms that solidarity unionism cantake, shop0floor committees and parallelunion bodies+

Shop0floor committees are Aust whatthey sound like < groups of workers on the

shop floor, controlled by workers themselves,to address on0the0Aob problems on0the0spot, as opposedto filing grievances to slowly churn through the wheels oftop0down union bureaucracy and the legal system+ Suchcommittees can exist within an existing union, basicallyforming an !on the ground" contingent of the union+hey can cut across trade union lines in a workplace,providing unity in the workplace that divisions along craftlines can often ruin or make difficult+ hey can even betheir own unions, formally or informally+ Indeed, this maybe how many !minority unions" that lack recognitionwould need to function in order to address problems andmake gains+ While shop0floor committees are, by

their nature, particular to their workplaces, parallelcentral labor bodies are the opposite+ :arallel centrallabor bodies are community organiations that cut acrossdivisions of trade, industry, workplace, etc+, and can alsoinclude retirees, unemployed people, general communitymembers, etc+ Such bodies look at what's going on intheir communities and decide when and how to takeaction to support fellow workers+ his could be by Aoiningpicket lines, organiing their own pickets, working withworkers' centers to support workers who needassistance and solidarity, working in solidarity networks



4

such as those that have been organied to defendtenants' rights, or any number of other direct actions+hey can also operate in solidarity with other causesbeyond narrow labor issues, such as environmentalism,feminism, anti0racism, etc+, highlighting how suchconcerns are concerns for labor and for the whole

working class, and they can offer opportunities forpeople to meet with each other, commiserate, and planactions+

Some existing #F.08I7 bodies may fill such rolesif they go beyond being merely another level ofbureaucracy to work through &in which case, of course,they might not be properly called !parallel" central laborbodies)+ #lso, !traditional" unions can also engage in andbuild such activity in order to build community support,as we have seen recently with the 8hicago eachers(nion, which has been verysuccessful in buildingcommunity support and in

cooperating with other unions and movements,such as the Fight for $*movement, which itself hasdisplayed, to a certaindegree, characteristics ofparallel central labor bodies,particularly in responding tocases of retaliation againstworkers for organiing or participating in a walkoutand cases of wage theft,

which has resulted in anumber of victories inpayment of back wages,including here in ;adison,as a variety of community members come out in solidaritywith the victimied workers as they face their bosses+

hese forms have been practiced in the past,particularly in the organiing boom of the $12%s, bothbefore and after the Wagner #ct went into effect+ heIWW has long operated in such ways, from !minorityunions" on shop floors to general membership branchesoften functioning in ways similar to parallel central laborbodies, although some IWW unions have opted to go the

-./B route and seek certification 00 it depends on whatthe workers democratically decide is best for them intheir situation+

#s one of the unions that opposed the Wagner#ct at at the beginning, the IWW is open to many types oforganiing and acting, although we insist on rank0and0filedemocracy, we strongly emphasie class consciousnessand solidarity, and we generally stress the need for directaction+ Indeed, a union that also organies workers inprisons &through the Incarcerated Workers 7rganiing8ommittee) and panhandlers, buskers, people without

homes, and other members of the working class on thestreets in one capacity or another &e+g+, the 7ttawa:anhandlers (nion and the Street .abourers of Windsor),we have to be flexible in order to be able to make thathappen@

L"T.% )( &T/

In the wake of legislation such as #ct $% and!/ight to Work," which seriously obstruct !traditional"union organiing and functioning, we need to rethinkhow we organie and act+ he old ways are not going towork anymore, but the old, old ways could offer hope aswe adapt them to modern circumstances+

It may be tempting to be despondent these daysin the aftermath of #ct $%, !/ight to Work," and other

attacks on union and workers' rights, inWisconsin, across the (nited States, andaround the world+ /emember, though, that

our predecessors, the early labor organiers,particularly before the Wagner #ct, hadthings much worse than we do today, evenwith all those recent attacks+ -ot only didour predecessors not have certification orcontracts or the legal protections of theWagner #ct to fall back on, but they also hadto deal with a lot of things that we usuallydon't today, even in the currentenvironment+

hink of those who faced militias,including those who were massacred by

them+ hink of those who faced the !goonsand ginks and company finks" that we singabout in !(nion ;aid+" hink of those whohad to work longer hours at more back0

breaking labor than we do today, without eight0hour daysor weekends+ hink of those who faced significantlyworse on0the0Aob conditions than we do today+ hink ofthose who didn?t have the tools, such as the Internet,that we do today+ hey still managed to organie avibrant labor movement, and they did it using the basicprinciples behind solidarity unionism+

;eanwhile, we're seeing opportunities fororganiing all over+ :eople are getting more and more

dissatisfied with the status 6uo+ ;ovements like Fight for $* are getting lots of support, and the time is ripe tostart taking things to the next level and start organiingworkplaces+ ;any of these workers, whether due tolaws, or whether due to turnover, scheduling, so0called!independent contractor" status, or what have you maybe difficult to organie in the !traditional" route oforganiing, but that is not the only way to organie andact as a union+

4on't let anyone, including yourself, tell you itcan't be done@ CDE excuses@



DON'T JUST FIGHT FOR $15,

FIGHT FOR MORE,

WITH A UNION!Yes, you need and deserve better pay, but a higher minimum wage can

only do so much, and we cannot just put our trust in politicians. We

need to fight for ourselves, with our fellow workers!

WHAT CAN YOU FIGHT FOR WITH A UNION?•

Better pay and benefits, no wage theft• The hours you need• Better, more flexible scheduling• Advance scheduling (so you can plan)• No clopens• Paid sic days and time off for family• Breas ! more and longer• "afety at wor• Better heating and cooling at wor• No racial or gender discrimination• No sexual or racist harassment• No harassment of AN# ind$• %espect, dignity, and fairness at wor• &emocracy at wor ! 'ave a say$• "olidarity against intimidation threats• hatever #*+ decide you need$

#he IWW is a union committed to $i%in$ W&''*

#+M*V* the tools and resources we need to fi$ht for

oursel%es and each other in the work-lace. /oin us

today, and let us hel- you or$ani0e your work-lace1

We meet the first ;onday of every month at 92% :;in the ;I building at G$ Williamson St+ in ;adison&use the back entrance)+ #ll workers welcome+

MDI*&N IWW 3M4, 5.&. 4o6 2772 Madison WI 8:!

mail; mutualaidnetwork<$mail.com ,

=ind us on =acebook1

mailto:[email protected]





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UW Student WorkersOrganize for Fair

Wages and WorkingConditions

by the Student Labor Action Coalition, UW-Madison

The Student Labor Action Coalition at UW-Madison has launched a campaign or campus!or"ers# The$ are demanding a %&' minimum!age on campus( a !or"er-controlled grie)anceprocess( and uniorm and transparent policies orall student !or"ers#

The Uni)ersit$ o Wisconsin has reused toimplement a li)ing !age or o its emplo$ees# *nMarch( the Uni)ersit$ announced a minimum!age increase on campus rom %+#2' an hour to%, an hour# o!e)er( most student !or"ersalread$ ma"e more than this( and %,#.. an hour isgrossl$ insuicient to sustain campus !or"ers/costs o li)ing# Administrators( !ho are paidobscene salaries( claim the uni)ersit$ cannotaord a campus raise# o!e)er( the$ authori0eri)olous e1penditures that amount to more thanour demand#

We demand a %&' per hour minimum !age or all!or"ers( including students# The uni)ersit$ tries toseparate us rom other !or"ers( claiming thatstudent !or"ers ha)e a primaril$ academic( notemplo$ment( relationship !ith the uni)ersit$#

o!e)er( this is misinormation# We deser)e a%&' minimum !age or t!o reasons

5irst( because mone$ is a barrier to academicsuccess# *n-state undergraduates pa$ more than%&.(... a $ear in tuition and rac" up an a)erageo %2(+6 in student loan debt b$ graduation# Theuni)ersit$ also !ants to raise out-o-state andinternational students/ tuition b$ %&.(... !ithinthe ne1t our $ears# Compare this !ith the &.(...student hourlies !ho all belo! the %&2#62

campus minimum !age( and across campus earn amedian !age o about %#'. an hour 7 calculatedbased on ra! !age data rom the Uni)ersit$ oWisconsin# Mone$ is clearl$ a barrier to academicsuccess or students( and the administration "no!sthis# To ignore this act is to belittle studentemplo$ees !ho ace this realit$ on a dail$ basis#

Second( because time is a barrier to academicsuccess# o! can students ocus solel$ onacademics !ith such a hea)$ inancial burden8 Astud$ at 9righam :oung Uni)ersit$ concluded that



+

!or"ing more than &' to 2. hoursa !ee" directl$ correlated !ith anegati)e impact on academicperormance# ;a$ing tuition alone 7 not including Madison/s

s"$roc"eting rent( o)erpricedgroceries or unaordablete1tboo"s 7 !ould re<uire at least%22 an hour or !or"ing &' hoursa !ee" or the entire school $ear#

We, the Student Labor ActionCoalition, fully support theseworkers in their rights to alegitimate living wage. Wedemand all wages be raised for

all campus workers at theuniversity. Wage increases arenot the end, but the start to agreater struggle for universityworkers’ rights.

=n top o crippling !or"ing hours( man$ studentsha)e reported !or"place se1ual harassment anddiscrimination based on gender( se1ual orientationand mental health# Though polic$ )aries( mostemplo$ers mandate a &'-minute( unpaid brea" ore)er$ 4 to hours o !or"# >espite this( studentsare told to !or" through their brea" or sometimesoutright denied a brea"# Moreo)er( !or"ers ha)eto sho! up to !or" to pro)e the$ are sic"# Thisis blatantl$ illegal( and ?ustbecause the uni)ersit$ is a publicinstitution does not mean it isabo)e the la!# *n act( theuni)ersit$ has an obligation tobe e1emplar$# @onetheless( ithides its illegal acti)it$ b$ notinorming its !or"ers o theirrights#

Students are not a!are that the$can ile grie)ances against theseillegal practices# We !or"ed!ith one student !ho !asillegall$ ired and brought her tothe Wor"ers/ ights Center#When the Wor"ers/ ightsCenter ound a !a$ or her to

ile a grie)ance( umanesources inormed her that noorm e1isted( because the$ hadne)er had an$one ill one outbeore in the time the

manager had been there# B)enonce a grie)ance orm !asdrated( she had to meet !ith themanager that ired her as part oiling her grie)ance#

So( e)en !hen a !or"er "no!stheir rights and can ind theresources to stand up orthemsel)es( the$ are brought intodirect conlict !ith their

emplo$er# Student !or"ers shouldnot suer abuse in a uni)ersit$!or"place that doesn/t e)en pa$them a li)ing !age#

This could be helped b$ a consistent set opolicies or all campus !or"ers# That !a$(!or"ers !ould not ha)e to ear the indi)idualpo!ers and personalities o their managers("no!ing that their managers !ould ha)e toconorm to certain guidelines# 9etter $et( igrie)ances !ere heard b$ a committee o !or"ers(management could not conspire !ith the hierarch$o the uni)ersit$ to set up unair policies# Acommittee o !or"ers !ould ma"e sure that

managers !ould respectemplo$ees/ legal rights#

We demand that the niversityof Wisconsin reform itsworkplace policies. We needconsistent, written and studentworker!approved policiesregarding breaks and sickleave. "anagement shouldhave to adhere to a uniformworker!controlled grievanceprocess.

We, the students, fund thisuniversity and therefore, wehave a stake in how it is run.#ur voices must be heard.



(Editor's note: This is a reprint of a leaflet outlining the IWW's

general approach to workers' cooperatives,, how they fit into the

IWW's philosophy, why (and when) the IWW recognizes coop

eratives as IWW shops, how cooperatives can !enefit fro"

associating with the IWW, etc# It is !eing reprinted here due to

the ongoing discussion within the IWW on the role of coop

eratives, as well as growing interest in general in cooperatives

and how they can work handinhand with unions and workers'

centers, as evidenced !y the wellattended workshop at the

recent $a!or %otes conference, which this editor attended & ##)

“We don’t have a boss, whatdo we need a union for?”

This is a common and legitimate <uestion otenposed to members o the *WW# Wor"er cooperati)es aree1cellent e1amples o the po!er o !or"ers themsel)es todirect an econom$# The$ are models o the control o

!or"ers o)er their o!n li)elihoods and conditions# Thereare no bosses in a cooperati)e( at least not institutionali0edones# The traditional conlict bet!een bosses and !or"ers isnot e)ident !ithin cooperati)es( and so the role o atraditional union7to help the !or"ers ight the bosses orbetter !ages and conditions7does not ma"e sense !ithinthe setting o a cooperati)e#

So( !hat use( then( is a union to a cooperati)e8Well( there are a couple o reasons# 5irst o all( not all o usare so ortunate as to !or" in a cooperati)e7most o the!or"ers on this planet are still orced to !or" under at leastone boss( and usuall$ man$ more# * our goal is !or"ercontrol in e)er$ !or"place( !e ha)e a long !a$ to go( and!e must be organi0ed to get there# Unli"e man$ unions( thisis also the goal o the *WW# While man$ unions call or aair da$/s !age or a air da$/s !or"( the *WW goes artherto demand the abolition o the !age s$stem and control othe means o production b$ the !or"ers themsel)es# The*WW as an organi0ation has a great deal o e1perience !ithorgani0ing !or"ers to ta"e control o their li)elihoods7not

?ust members o cooperati)es( but all !or"ers#Secondl$( as long as there is a class o people in

this !orld !ho o!e their li)elihoods to other people !ho doall the !or" !hile the$ ma"e the big decisions( the rest ous !ill continue to ha)e less than !e deser)e# As long asthere are bosses !ho proit b$ s"imming o the proceeds o!or"ers/ labor( the rest o us !ill li)e in relati)e po)ert$# As

long as there is an emplo$ing class !ho can gro! rich b$building enormous economies o scale on the bac"s o their!or"ers( the rest o us !ill ne)er earn a li)ing !age#;ri)atel$ o!ned companies can ma"e plent$ o mone$ !hilestill charging artiiciall$ lo! prices onl$ b$ e1ploiting their!or"ers# As long as these !or"ers remain e1ploited( thepre)ailing prices in the econom$ !ill ne)er support a decent!age or an$one( !hether the$ !or" in a cooperati)e or not#The onl$ !a$ in this pre)ailing s$stem or a !or"er to ma"ea decent li)ing is either to demand more rom the boss classb$ sei0ing the means o production or demanding better!ages and conditionsD or to steal rom other !or"ers#

An interesting e1ample o the latter is the much-

)aunted Mondragon Cooperati)es in Spain# When Spainopened its economic borders to the rest o Burope( the ne!globali0ed econom$ !ould no longer support the !ages othe Mondragon Cooperati)e members# ather thanorgani0ing !ith !or"ers in other parts o the econom$ toorce e1ploitati)e companies to charge prices that relect thetrue costs o supporting !or"ers( the$ chose instead tocontract !ith those same e1ploitati)e companies in otherparts o the !orld to sa)e their o!n salaries at the e1penseo others/# This is the sort o thing that ?oining andorgani0ing !ith the *WW !ould guard against#



,

The Working Class and the EmployingClass have othing in Common

The *WW is oten critici0ed or the irst sentenceand the ma?or premise o the ;reamble to its ConstitutionThe !or"ing class and the emplo$ing class ha)e nothing incommon# This is not to sa$ that !e don/t all breathe the

same polluted air or drin" the same polluted !ater althoughit/s a hell o a lot cleaner up the hillD# *t is to sa$ that in soar as one considers there to be a !or"ing class and anemplo$ing class( those t!o classes ha)e nothing in common

7the$ ha)e undamentall$ opposed interests# Wor"ersma"ing compromises and deals !ith bosses beneits onl$the bosses and some times some o the !or"ers( but onl$or a !hileD as !e can see in the e1ample o the MondragonCooperati)es# This is oten a diicult thing or members ocooperati)es to come to terms !ith because the$ straddle theline bet!een the t!o classes# o!e)er( e)en i thedistinction is blurred !ithin a cooperati)e( it is ne)erthelesscr$stal clear in most o the econom$#

This blurring o distinctions has been e1ploited inthe past b$ people !ith less than noble intentions# 9othMussolini and 5ranco !ere strong ad)ocates o !or"ercooperati)es precisel$ because the$ tended to erase orsmooth o)er class conlict !ithout ull$ addressing theeconomic orces !hich gi)e rise to that conlict# adicals$ndicalism( on the other hand( !as a genuine threat to thepo!ers that be because it ad)ocated not ?ust !or"ermanagement( but real !or"er control and an organi0ed!or"ing class# The *WW is a part o this radical tradition#

Cooperatives in the !WWThe *WW is the onl$ union in the United States

!hich recogni0es cooperati)es as a legitimate organi0ationalorm or !or"ers( let alone encourages that orm oorgani0ation# The *WW is the direct action union# Thismeans that the *WW does not ad)ocate begging emplo$ersor better !ages and conditions( it does not go to legislatorsto beg or more labor-riendl$ la!s( it ad)ocates the use othe might o an organi0ed !or"ing class to ta"e !hat it isentitled to that is( all that it creates# This sort o initiati)eand sel-starting attitude is at the core o the cooperati)emo)ement#

Another criticism o unionism is that it tends toconstrict the acti)ities o its membership# This is not true!ith the *WW# an" and ile control is al!a$s paramount(as is the autonom$ o all constituent bodies o the *WW#

There is no micromanaging o an$ o the concerns o localand industrial bodies# The onl$ mandate o the *WWto!ards local branches and ?ob shops is that the$ adhere tothe constitution set up primaril$ to pro)ide a consistentrame!or"( reliable lines o communication and to insureran" and ile democratic controlD and the principles o theunion as set orth in the ;reamble to the Constitution# Theonl$ regulations o the *WW are those necessar$ or thebuilding and maintenance o an organi0ed( eecti)e andegalitarian !or"ing class# As regards cooperati)esspeciicall$( there are onl$ three )er$ broad regulations inthe *WW Constitution irst( that no member o a

cooperati)e !ho has e1clusi)e po!er to hire and ire ma$ bea member o the *WWE second( that the cooperati)e ma$ notbe e1ploitati)eE and third( that the cooperati)e ma$ notundermine !ages# These regulations are meant to "eepmembers o the *WW !ho are in)ol)ed in collecti)es andcooperati)es allied and aligned !ith a genuine !or"ing classmo)ement#

The last t!o regulations could use someclariication# Man$ cooperati)es( unortunatel$( aree1ploitati)e to their o!n !or"ers because o a lac" o accessto capital7access generall$ en?o$ed b$ the emplo$ing class#Cooperati)es !ill lo!er their !ages to nothing to "eep thepro?ect going# These are not the cooperati)es targeted b$ theregulation( ho!e)er# *t applies more to cooperati)es such asthe ones in Mondragon !hich contract !ith pri)atel$ heldcompanies !ho e1ploit their !or"ers#

The third regulation( prohibiting the underminingo !ages( applies to cooperati)es !ho e1act charges orproducts and ser)ices !ell belo! the industr$ standard andaect the pre)ailing costs thereb$# * a cooperati)e has a

strong enough oothold in an$ particular econom$ and itsprices are signiicantl$ lo!er than the industr$ standard(other compan$/s e1ecuti)es !ill li"e!ise ha)e to lo!erprices to sta$ in business( and $ou can be sure that the costor lo!er prices !ill be born b$ the !or"ers( not theemplo$ers# Such price !ars can onl$ be ?ustiied b$cooperati)es !ho organi0e !ith other !or"ers in theirindustr$ e#g#( through the *WWD to ma"e sure that their!ages are not ad)ersel$ aected# Li"e!ise( cooperati)es!hich pa$ their !or"ers lo! !ages !ill tend to lo!er thepre)ailing !ages o all !or"ers in that industr$# =nce again(this applies primaril$ to large cooperati)es !hich actuall$ha)e a strong enough inluence in their industr$ to aect

pre)ailing !ages and prices#9asicall$( all regulations in the Constitution o the

*WW stem rom a !ariness7e1hibited throughout histor$b$ all lo)ers o reedom7o the concentration o po!er intothe hands o a e!# The Constitution is meant to distributepo!er as e)enl$ and e<uitabl$ as is practical( and to ma"esure that access to that po!er is en?o$ed b$ all !or"ers( not

?ust the members o the Union#

“"ut what#in $on$rete terms#$an the !WW do for us?”

The *WW !as born out o the immediate necessit$or ood( mi1ed !ith a health$ appetite or lot$ ideals the

most poignant e1ample o this is the 9read and oses stri"eo La!rence( Massachusetts !here some 2+(... garment!or"ers !ent on stri"e and held high their bannersdemanding 9read( $es( but roses( tooFD# 5or almost acentur$ no!( the *WW has been at the !or" o achie)ingboth or all !or"ers# B1perience has taught that !e cannotreach our dream o an egalitarian( peaceul and sustainablesociet$ !ithout tangible gains in our e)er$da$ li)es# @ounion !ill e)er be able to attain its ultimate goals !hilepromising sal)ation in the hereater7this is !hat churchesand long-haired preachers are or# So( $ou !ill oten hearabout the *WW engaged in traditional conlicts !ith bosses



&.

or better !ages and !or"ing conditions# Without this( there!ill be no building o an organi0ed !or"ing class to createthe !orld !e !ant to li)e in#

*n some !a$s( the organi0ation o !or"ers intocooperati)es has made this conlict unnecessar$# These!or"ers ha)e ta"en a leap or!ard to!ard an egalitarian!orld# The$ ha)e ta"en a leap or!ard( but the$ ha)e notta"en a leap out7out o the economic conditions thatcontinue to ensla)e us all# @o cooperati)e is an island# Morethan li"el$ $ou ha)e heard that no one is ree !hile othersare oppressed or that an in?ur$ to one is an in?ur$ to all#These a1ioms are true in a )er$ real sense !hen it comes to!or"er solidarit$# So long as there are !or"ers !hose !agesbarel$ pa$ or their dail$ bread( our !ages !ill ne)er be ashigh as the$ should be#

9$ organi0ing !ith other !or"ers in $our industr$(!hether the$ !or" in cooperati)es or not( $ou !ill beincreasing $our chances o recei)ing a li)able !age# As soonas the emplo$ers are orced to recogni0e the true )alue olabor and either pa$ themsel)es less or raise their prices(

those o us in cooperati)es !ill beneit# * the boss decidesto cut his pa$ to gi)e the !or"ers better !ages and !or"ingconditions unli"el$D( all !or"ers !ill ha)e more access tocapital( including cooperati)es !ho need it to ma"e theirpro?ects sustainable in this econom$# * the boss decides toraise his artiiciall$ lo! prices( cooperati)es !ill be able toollo! suit and raise their !ages accordingl$# 9$ all$ingoursel)es !ith other !or"ers( !e !ill be able to share in thebeneits that solidarit$ and militant unionism brings to all#There is no reason that cooperati)e !ages should not be onpar !ith union !ages#

9$ organi0ing !ith other !or"ers in otherindustries7particularl$ industries !here $our ser)ices are

needed7to encourage !or"er control( $our cooperati)e !illgarner more business and better chances at earning a li)ing!age# Wor"ers !ill be man$ times more li"el$ to support$our pro?ect i $ou support their eorts# 5orging ties !ithemplo$ers ma$ pa$ o7e)en handsomel$7in the shortrun( but in the long term( as long as the cooperati)e is toremain controlled b$ its !or"ers( it !ill lead to thestagnation o !ages( as it has in Mondragon#

%n the &reen 'rontAnother goal o the *WW is that all !ill li)e in

harmon$ !ith the Barth# The *WW has a green strea" olderthan the organi0ation itsel# Li"e!ise( most !or"er

collecti)es and cooperati)es ha)e made some commitmentto an en)ironmentall$ sustainable !orld# ;erhaps $ou !or"in a collecti)e grocer$ and ad)ocate local and sustainableagriculture( or perhaps $ou !or" in a human-po!ereddeli)er$ cooperati)e and !ould li"e to see the transportationsector !eaned o o its ossil-uel habitE perhaps $ou !or"in a collecti)e print shop and ha)e made a commitment torec$cled paper products and non-to1ic in"sE perhaps $ou!or" !ith a tree-planting coop and ad)ocate or sustainablelogging practicesE perhaps $ou ha)e ormed a carpentr$coop and ma"e an eort to use untreated and rec$cledlumber !hene)er possibleE perhaps $ou !or" in a rec$cling

collecti)e and are concerned !ith di)erting the !aste streama!a$ rom landills# And usuall$( !e go about aectingthese changes b$ doing !or" in accordance !ith our ethicsand attempting to create demand or our ser)ices throughad)ocac$ !or"# That ad)ocac$ !or" is generall$ ocused onthe consumer( but unortunatel$( it is rarel$ ocused on theproducers7the !or"ers in our industr$ !ho oten perormmuch the same !or" !e do( but !ith less o an e$e to!arden)ironmental sustainabilit$7not because the$ don/t careabout en)ironmental issues( but because their boss )alueshis salar$ and di)idends o)er the natural en)ironmentaround him( or more accuratel$( the en)ironment around $ou!hen a to1ic !aste dump has to go some!here( guess!hose neighborhood it ends up in8D#

*n the short term( a ocus on the consumers o ourser)ices and products as cooperati)es and collecti)es isnecessar$( but a shit to!ard others in our industries !hoendanger themsel)es and their planet is desperatel$ needed#Grocers and ood-handlers must deal !ith unhealth$pesticides on a routine basis( transport !or"ers must deal

!ith to1ic umes( sol)ents and high!a$ deaths( graphics!or"ers must deal !ith o0one and sol)ents( timber !or"ersmust deal !ith to1ic herbicides and unsae !or"ing speeds(construction !or"ers must deal !ith routine in?uries andto1ic materials( and municipal !aste !or"ers must deal !ithgro!ing landills that !ill e)entuall$ end up in their bac"$ards#

=n top o that( bosses are more concerned !ithma"ing mone$ than !ith ma"ing an$ product or ser)ice tosell# The$ can ma"e more mone$ b$ ?ust mo)ing theircapital around( bu$ing and selling other companies( thanthe$ can b$ pro)iding an$thing to the public# 9ecause othis( emplo$ers in this countr$ are not interested in pursuing

inno)ations that !ill ma"e or cleaner( more eicientindustr$# That burden( then( !ill all on emplo$ers in otherlands# >omestic !or"ers !ill suddenl$ ind themsel)es!ithout useul s"ills !hile their ?obs are being perormedo)erseas b$ recentl$ relocated peasants !or"ing underbosses !ho are man$ times more brutal than the ones oundhere#

9ecause o all these things( it is imperati)e that !eshit the ocus o our organi0ing to!ard our ello! !or"ers#*t must be made clear that all !or"ers ha)e a )ested interestin en)ironmentall$ sustainable industr$ or their health andor their securit$# =nl$ !hen !or"ers ta"e control o themachiner$ o production !ill that machiner$ cease to "ill

our ello! !or"ers and sull$ our planet# We cannot e1pectthe emplo$ing class to ta"e that initiati)e# The$ ha)e made itclear that their priorities lie in their poc"etboo"s andno!here else# =ur ello! !or"ers !ill ha)e no ?ob securit$!hile their !or" remains unsustainable# *n this respect( the!or"ing class must organi0e or con)ersion o our econom$to a sustainable one through )ocational retraining and!or"er control# Wor"er collecti)es and cooperati)es ha)emade some signiicant head!a$ in this area( but until !e

?oin in the =ne 9ig Union o all !or"ers( those gains !illsoon pro)e to ha)e been or naught#



&&

Folksongs ofAnother America

A re)ie! o 5W Him Lear$/s Gramm$-nominatedboo"I'-C>I>J> set b$ Matt Geiger( Mount

oreb Mail

A 5rench Canadian lumber?ac"( a ;olishminer( an *rish !asher!oman and a German hobo!al" into a bar#

*t/s not a ?o"eE it/s the t$pe o thing thathappened time and time again in the earl$ da$s othe upper Mid!est# *n this cold( densel$ orested(semi-eral land( there too" place a culturalermentation !here lumber camps( doc"s andmining to!ns rang out !ith ancient Buropean ?igs(

nati)e !ar dances( and songs rom e)er$ corner othe earth#*t is a )ibrant

!orld( illed !ith sine!$(iddle pla$ing men andlarge !omen in loraldresses !ho stomped !ithhea)$ heeled shoes onorgan pedals# The sounds(stories and images o thishodgepodge o high and

lo! culture ha)e beenrescued rom theinsatiable( gaping ma! oobli)ion b$ Hames Lear$(the author !hose5ol"songs o AnotherAmerica 5ield ecordings 5rom the UpperMid!est( &,3+-&,46 !as nominated or aGramm$#

Lear$( a Mount oreb resident and aproessor o ol"lore and Scandina)ian studies at

the Uni)ersit$ o Wisconsin( compiled thehul"ing( ri)eting boo"( !hich includes i)e C>sand a >J>( ostensibl$ as an academic endea)or#9ut his true moti)ation !as more personal einds these people and places ascinating#

9orn in ice La"e( Wisconsin in &,'.(Lear$ spent his ormati)e $ears surrounded b$ the"inds o eclectic people !hose tales he !ouldlater chronicle# *t !as the land o the iconicHac"pine Sa)age( !here a $oung Lear$ !as

capti)ated b$ Slo)enian pol"a music at Mountardscrabble# *t !as the home o =ttoindlisbacher( !ho Lear$ aectionatel$ recalls asan endearing old timer !ho curated theWorld/s Largest Collection o =dd Lumber?ac"

Musical *nstruments# e did so not in a stu$museum( o course# @o( this !as a blue-collarto!n( ba!d$ and beautiul( so his collection( li"ethe )ast ma?orit$ o northern culture at the time(!as housed in the local bar#

* thin" the true American stor$ is one oborder to!ns( sa$s Lear$# * one loo"s at@orthern Wisconsin( or the KUpper ;eninsula($ou see nati)e peoples( reugees( poor people!or"ing the mines and doc"s and e"ing out ane1istence on crapp$ little arms#

;eople !ere curious about other people/sbac"grounds( he continues# :ou couldn/t help

but hear ?o"es and eat ood rom other cultures# *t !as e)er$ bit as !ild and cra0$ asan$thing $ou !ould ind in 9roo"l$n( he sa$s#And $et( !hile a !ealth o !or" had been done tocatalog and anal$0e ol" music on the coasts( there!as little( i an$thing( !ritten about the upperMid!est#

Lear$( a tall( lean man !ith a longpon$tail( bush$ blac" e$ebro!s( a gra$ beard andthe abilit$ to tal" about histor$ !ithout being dr$or pedantic( !as destined to change that#

e disco)ered ol"lore as a ield !hile he!as still an undergraduate student at @otre >ame#Later( Lear$ remembers recei)ing %'. rom hisather ater earning his Master/s >egree#

* spent hal o it on beer( and !ith the



&2

other hal * bought a tape recorder# Then * !ent upnorth to inter)ie! some old timers( he recalls# *tseemed li"e !ide open territor$#

What he ound in the upper Mid!estincluded mi1ed languages( comic dialects and an

alluring erment( as he calls it( o dierentcultures and traditions#5undamentall$( */m interested in the

upper Mid!est as a cultural region( he e1plains#*n pluralism the co-e1istence o di)ersepeoples# 9ut also Creoli0ation the mi1ing ande1change# = ;ol"aand ish r$ and iceishing#

*t/s a reall$important part o the

American stor$( *!ould sa$( he adds#And $ou can/t tell thestor$ and lea)e outentire regions#

Lear$( a ithgeneration *rishAmerican !ith dasheso Welsh and Scottishheritage thro!n in orgood measure( cantrace his desire torecord these storiesbac" to his grandather(the !or"ing classdescendent o aminereugees !hoe)entuall$ became a ?ournalist# *t is aninteresting historicaltidbit that some o the mone$ that paid or Lear$/sgrandather/s schooling actuall$ came rom theestate o Mar" T!ain#D

is ather also pla$ed an important role#M$ ather could mimic dialects

perectl$( Lear$ recalls# e !as a greatstor$teller#

*n 5ol"songs o Another America( &+songs eature the )oices o other talentedraconteurs and troubadours# The$ are Serbian(5innish( Scots Gaelic( =?ib!e( o Chun"( =neida(*celandic( @or!egian( C0ech( *talian and more#And !hile e)er$ one o them is long since dead

and buried( their li)ing )oices ring out !ithurgenc$ in recordings gleaned rom the Librar$ oCongress and compiled b$ Lear$#

* !as )er$ much a!are o the historicalrecordings at the Librar$ o Congress( he sa$s#

The$ are the basis or this#The boo" includes 2' dierent languagesand countless dialects# Some o the singers andspea"ers !ail and ho!l# =thers oer angelic)oices that transcend the archaic recordingtechnolog$# Some ha)e a slight lilting or slurring

in their )oices( suggestinga ?ug o !his"e$ might beresting nearb$# Still othersuse archaic ?argon orma"e speciic reerences

to people and places longsince s!allo!ed up b$histor$#

The e1istential oChun" 5lute Song( sungin &,46 b$ Stella Stac$( issparse and haunting *didn/t die( but $ou cried#* * died( * !ouldn/t be"no!ing that $ou cried#

There are championiddlers and tall talespopulated b$ pillars o thehuman conditionhuc"sters( prostitutes(laborers( t$rannicalbosses( hillbillies and)enereal disease# Thereare also <uestions aboutlo)e( God and the ate o

the human soul# All these realities o old northernto!ns are present( along !ith songs so gleeul andba!d$ the$ !ould ma"e a pirate blush#

*n 5ond du Lac Hail( sung b$ Charlesobinson in &,4&( the singer inds himselincarcerated( a common condition in ol" music*n the morning $ou recei)e a dr$ loa o breadthat/s hard as a stone and hea)$ as lead# *t/sthro!n rom the ceiling do!n into $our cell( li"ecoming rom hea)en popped do!n into hell#

@o =ne Spea"s on M$ 9ehal( sung m$Mara eino in &,3+( inds a !oman !ho can onl$gi)e )oice to her suering through song @o one



&3

spea"s on m$ behal( but e)er$one ill treats me(the$ !ould put me( i the$ could( e)en lo!er thanthe ground#

The songs are accompanied b$ translationsand e1planations about the l$rics# Lear$ sa$s he

leaned hea)il$ on his colleagues across the !orldto decipher all the languages and cultural s$mbols#* had a huge amount o help( he sa$s#9ut !hile a large collection o academics

!or"ed on the boo"( it is more page-turner thante1tboo"( partiall$ because o Lear$/s aection orthe material( and partiall$ because the primar$characters are all so compelling#

Uni)ersities are such bastions o highculture( sa$s Lear$( himsel the author ocountless academic papers and articles# That/s

!h$ */m dedicated to being a ol"lorist# * get total" about rural( !or"ing class people#So !hen the 5rench Canadian lumber?ac"(

the ;olish miner( the *rish !asher!oman and theGerman hobo !al"ed into a bar( !hat happenedne1t !as a beautiul# When those peoplecon)ened( in toast$ northern bars surrounded b$the )ast !ilderness o the upper Mid!est( theresult !as a celebration o people/s dierencesand their commonalities#

Bspeciall$ in the !inter there( $ou part$ abit more( * guess $ou !ould sa$( Lear$ sa$s#There !as a lot o e1change( and that/s a lot o!hat * tried to capture here#

;eople do sustain elements o their oldculture( he adds# 9ut the$ also ind man$ thingsin common#

Workingmen, Unite!by E.S. Nelson

(Tune: Red Wing, i.e. ,same as Union Maid)

I suggest singing Working Folks, Unite! I got this tune froma facsimile reprint of the popular nineteenth edition (1923)of the ittle ed "ong #ook$ %lthough a morecontemporar& title is fitting, the message has ne'er eenmore appropriate$ %s the forces of capitalism attempt toreturn us to the 19th entur& this song of reellion anddefiance should e sung again and often$ * +321-2

Conditions they are bad, nd some o! you are sad" #ou $annot see your enemy,The $lass that li%es in lu&ury,'' #ou oringmen are *oor,'' Will be !ore%ermore,'' s long as you *ermit the !eTo guide your destiny.

C+RUS:Shall e still be sla%es and or !or ages-t is outrageous / has been !or ages"This earth by right belongs to toilers, nd not to s*oilers o! liberty.

The master $lass is small,0ut they ha%e lots o! 1gall.1

When e unite to gain our right,! they resist, e2ll use our might"There is no middle groundThis !ight must be one roundTo %i$tory, !or liberty,ur $lass is mar$hing on3

C+RUS

Woringmen, unite3 We must *ut u* a !ight,

To mae us !ree !rom sla%ery nd $a*italisti$ tyranny"This !ight is not in %ain, We2%e got a orld to gain. Will you be a !ool, a $a*italist tool, nd ser%e your enemy-

C+RUS



&4

The Bay View Rolling Mills

Massacre of 1886b$ 13'2&42

The @orth Chicago olling Mills ;lant in 9a$Jie!( Wisconsin !as the sight o a murderous assault b$ theWisconsin @ational Guard on stri"ing !or"ers# This assaultoccurred on Ma$ 'th( &6 ater se)eral da$s o stri"es anddemonstrations aimed at !inning the eight hour da$#Ater the American Ci)il War the !or" da$ in man$industries and actories !as &. to &6 hours long and si1 da$sa !ee"# Man$ Wisconsin !or"ers had been agitating or theeight hour da$ since &6' !hen the$ ormed o Laboreorm Association later renamed the Bight our League#*n &6+ a tra)eling spea"er ichard Tre)ellic" spo"e inMil!au"ee e1horting the struggle orthe eight hour da$# 9$ &6 some cratunions had obtained the eight hour

!or"da$ but the large industries !ereobstinate in their reusal to accept it#

*n &4 the 5ederation o=rgani0ed Trades and Labor Unionsthe predecessor o the A5LD proclaimedBight hours shall constitute a legalda$/s labor rom and ater Ma$ &(&6# This proclamation !as !ellrecei)ed in Wisconsin# Those !or"ersstill !or"ing long hours !ere mostl$ the so-called uns"illed#Man$ o them !ere recent immigrants in the Mil!au"eearea# The Nnights o Labor had ormed German and ;olishchapters# The$ !ere !or"ing together !ith the ri)al

5ederation o =rgani0ed Trades and Labor Unions toaccomplish this goal# 9oth Mil!au"ee and Chicago !erecenters o this struggle !ith stri"es and demonstrations#

A peaceul march too" place on Sunda$ Ma$ 2(&6# 9ut on Monda$ o)er &... bre!er$ !or"ers !al"edo the ?ob# Se)eral hundred ;olish laborers marched do!nthe Mil!au"ee and St# ;aul ailroad trac"s con)incing other!or"ers in the railroad oundr$( machine shop and paintshop to !al" o also# About &3.. men no! marched to!ardthe center o the cit$# The$ !ere stopped momentaril$ butchanged their course to!ard the @orth Chicago ollingMills plant in 9a$ Jie!# There more !or"ers ?oined theran"s# About 4.. pm the demonstration ended and the

!or"ers dispersed#>emonstrations and speeches continued onTuesda$ and !ere disbursed b$ @ational Guard Troops#Some union leaders and the Mil!au"ee Ma$or ?oined ineorts to suppress the rising anger o the !or"ers#9ut on the night o Ma$ 4th in Chicago someone thre! abomb into a cro!d o &. police as the$ ad)anced on!or"ing ol"s listening to speeches near Chicago/sa$mar"et# =ne policeman !as "illed outright b$ thebomb# 5riendl$ ire atall$ !ounded si1 others# ;olice ire"illed one man and !ounded man$ others# *mmediatel$ne!spaper reports blamed the shootings and bombing on the

!or"ers# To this da$ no one has demonstrated !ho actuall$thre! the bomb# The a$mar"et bombing immediatel$inlamed the situation in Mil!au"ee#

The ollo!ing morning o Ma$ ' around &...Mil!au"ee !or"ers again set out on a march to the 9a$Jie! olling Mills# The$ met @ational Guard troopsdeending the plant# Go)ernor us" had ordered the troopsto ire on the cro!d and ater se)eral !arnings rom 2..$ards distance( the troops ired# The iring "illed se)enpeople including a &3 $ear-old bo$ !atching but notparticipating in the demonstration#

A grand ?ur$ !as impaneled b$ the local prosecutorto in)estigate the methods used b$ labor organi0ationsduring the e)ents o the irst !ee" o Ma$# 5it$-t!o men!ere indicted# obert Shilling o the Nnights o Labor !asindicted under e1panded charges but the ?ur$ !as unable toreach a )erdict in his case# o!e)er si1 deendants recei)ed

short sentences and t!o more recei)ed ines#= the remaining accused men nine !ereac<uitted and the charges against the rest !ere

dropped#Ater the disturbances o Ma$ &6

organi0ed labor and the uns"illed ;olish!or"ers recei)ed the brunt o the attac"s in thepress# As !e ha)e seen so oten( the capitalistsand their minions continue to )ili$ union!or"ers and immigrants in deense o theiro!n greed and lust or po!er#

ere are a e! sources or more reading about the9a$ Jie! and a$mar"et e)ents

Adelman( William H# The a$mar"et Aair# *llinois Labor

istor$ Societ$# Chicago *llinois Labor istor$ Societ$#httpII!!!#illinoislaborhistor$#orgIthe-ha$mar"et-aairI

Adelman( William H# a$mar"et e)isited# 3rd edition#Chicago *llinois Labor istor$ Societ$( 2..4#

9o$er( ichard =!en and erbert M# Morais# Labor/sUntold Stor$# 3rd edition# @e! :or" United Blectrical(adio O Machine Wor"ers o America( &,,+#

9recher( Herem$# Stri"eF e)ised and e1panded edition#=a"land ;M ;ress( 2.&4#

=0anne( obert W# The Labor Mo)ement in Wisconsin( Aistor$# Madison State istorical Societ$ o Wisconsin(2.&&#

Wi"ipedia entr$ on the 9a$ Jie! MassacrehttpsIIen#!i"ipedia#orgI!i"iI9a$PJie!Pmassacre

Wisconsin Labor istor$ Societ$# The 9a$ Jie! Massacre#A act sheet !ith bibliograph$ do!nloadable romWisconsin Labor istor$ Societ$# *tQs a long UL( but $oucan ind this issue o ;rairie 5ire on Scribd#com and clic" onthe lin"#D

http://www.illinoislaborhistory.org/the-haymarket-affair/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_View_massacre

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwgZA_JyW0CWNDMxZGRiMzctNWQyNi00ZTU5LWJmNDgtZDY2MWVjYjBiZDc1/view?hl=en&pref=2&pli=1


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_View_massacre



http://www.illinoislaborhistory.org/the-haymarket-affair/



Join the Madison IWW Today!

The IWW is a union for all workers, a union dedicated to organiing on

the job, in our industries and in our communities both to win better

conditions today and to build a world without bosses, a world in which

production and distribution are organied by workers ourselves to meet

the needs of the entire population, not merely a handful of eploiters.

We are the Industrial Workers of the World because we organieindustrially " that is to say, we organie all workers on the job into one

union, rather than dividing workers by trade, so that we can pool our

strength to fight the bosses together.

#ince the IWW was founded in $%&', we have recognied the need to

build a truly international union movement in order to confront the

global power of the bosses and in order to strengthen workers( ability

to stand in solidarity with our fellow workers no matter what part of the

globe they happen to live on.

We are a union open to all workers, whether or not the IWW happens

to have representation rights in your workplace. We organie the

worker, not the job, recogniing that unionism is not about government

certification or employer recognition but about workers comingtogether to address our common concerns. #ometimes this means

striking or signing a contract. #ometimes it means refusing to work with

an unsafe machine or following the bosses( orders so literally that

nothing gets done. #ometimes it means agitating around particular

issues or grievances in a specific workplace, or across an industry.

)ecause the IWW is a democratic, member*run union, decisions about

what issues to address and what tactics to pursue are made by the

workers directly involved.

+eetings are on the first +onday of each month, -& /+, at +adison

Teachers, Inc.., 01$ Williamson #t., +adison 2enter in the back3. You

can send e*mail to- mutualaidnetwork4gmail.com

5reamble to the IWW >onstitution

The working class and the employing class have nothing in common.

There can be no peace so long as hunger and want are found among

millions of the working people and the few, who make up the

employing class, have all the good things of life.

)etween these two classes a struggle must go on until the workers of

the world organie as a class, take possession of the means ofproduction, abolish the wage system, and live in harmony with the

5arth.

We find that the centering of the management of industries into fewer

and fewer hands makes the trade unions unable to cope with the ever

growing power of the employing class. The trade unions foster a state

of affairs which allows one set of workers to be pitted against another

set of workers in the same industry, thereby helping defeat one another

in wage wars. +oreover, the trade unions aid the employing class to

mislead the workers into the belief that the working class have interests

in common with their employers.

These conditions can be changed and the interest of the working class

upheld only by an organiation formed in such a way that all itsmembers in any one industry, or in all industries if necessary, cease

work whenever a strike or lockout is on in any department thereof, thus

making an injury to one an injury to all.

Instead of the conservative motto, 67 fair day8s wage for a fair day8s

work,6 we must inscribe on our banner the revolutionary watchword,

67bolition of the wage system.6

It is the historic mission of the working class to do away with capitalism.

The army of production must be organied, not only for everyday

struggle with capitalists, but also to carry on production when

capitalism shall have been overthrown. )y organiing industrially we are

forming the structure of the new society within the shell of the old.

#& /&IN; +ail this form with a check or money order for initiation and your first month(s dues to-

Madison IWW 3M4, 5.&. 4o6 2772, Madison, WI 8:!Initiation is the same as one month(s dues. 9ur dues are calculated according to your income.

If your monthly income is under :1&&&, dues are :$$ a month.

If your monthly income is between :1&&& and :'&&, dues are :11 a month.

If your monthly income is over :'&& a month, dues are : a month.

;;;;I affirm that I am a worker, and that I am not an employer.

;;;;I agree to abide by the IWW constitution.

;;;;I will study its principles and ac<uaint myself with its purposes.

=ame- ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

7ddress- ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;>ity, #tate, ?I/ >ode- ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

9ccupation- ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

5mployer-;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

/hone- ;;;;;;;;;;;;;; email- ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

7mount enclosed- ;;;;;;;;;;;+embership includes a subscription to to Prairie Fire and an electronic subscription to the Industrial Worker, newsletter of the IWW.






MAY DAY! MAY DAY! MAY DAY!So, another May 4ay is u*on us. The TRUE 5abor 4ay3 n this

holiday $elebrating the organi6ation and struggle o! the oring $lass, it7sa good time to *onder hat dire$tions e ant to go in as a bran$h,

hether organi6ing and a$ting in our on right, or a$ting as dual $arders.n *re%ious issues, e ha%e suggested getting in%ol%ed ith the

WW7s n$ar$erated Worers organi6ing Committee (WC) and raised the*ossibility, in the ae o! atta$s by Soglin, 8o%al, et al., on *eo*le

ithout homes, o! !orming a union similar to the ttaa 9anhandlersUnion or the Street 5abourers o! Windsor. We7%e also su**lied a *osterand silent agitator; sti$ers !or !ols to $o*y and *ut u* in o**ortune*la$es to en$ourage orers to go beyond !ighting !or a <=>?hourminimum age and organi6e their or*la$es.

n this issue, the !ront *age arti$le dis$usses solidarity unionismas a ay to brea out o! the old molds o! labor organi6ing and mo%e!orard, des*ite re$ent atta$s on union rights. We also in$lude a re*ort

on the beginning o! a student orer organi6ing $am*aign on the UW$am*us, hi$h $alls to mind the *ossibility o! our bran$h !orming anndustrial Union @AB (edu$ation orers) $ommittee, sin$e this is ourstrongest U (not sur*rising, in a ton lie Madison) to brainstorm ays touse that strength. 9lus, e re*rint an arti$le on $oo*erati%es and the rolethey *lay in the WW. 9lease get in tou$h ith us about any *roe$t thate&$ites you, and *lease *it$h in and mae it ha**en3

We also ha%e a !e other goodies, su$h as a re%ie o! DW im5eary2s Frammy'nominated !ol musi$ set, a short history o! the 0ay Gie

massa$re, a $lassi$ WW song that you may not no to the tune o! another $lassi$ WW song that you may no, and are$ruitment *oster on *age > !or you to $o*y and *ost in strategi$ lo$ales3 Enoy3

$WW % "adison &ranch'.#. &o( )**)"adison, W$+-/SA

prairie fire (may day 2016)

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