Chicago couriers
May 9 2007 02:49
There's an article over on infoshop about wob bike couriers.
http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20070508111056747
That campaign has been going a while, right? Duke might roll his eyes, but it's "not stupid"
May 9 2007 05:43
#2
I don't think I've ever criticized courier campaigns other than perhaps organizing methodology. I think A-B even helped some on a wob courier campaign, but I could be remembering that wrong.
May 9 2007 06:00
#3
about 10 wob couriers just joined in Houston as well.
May 9 2007 07:52
#4
May 9 2007 09:24
#5
i believe in the late 90s the IWW tried organising the cycle couriers in London, but eventually it flopped IIRC. however, the T&G also failed at organising them too. so that isn't so bad. now they have the London Bicycle Messenger Association, which is a sort of pseudo (or proto?) union that works as an advocacy group i think.
May 9 2007 13:45
#6
thugarchist wrote:
I don't think I've ever criticized courier campaigns other than perhaps organizing methodology. I think A-B even helped some on a wob courier campaign, but I could be remembering that wrong.
See? I said he'd roll his eyes! 
I was being unfair, thuggy ol son, sorry.
May 9 2007 15:52
#7
The organizing for the Chicago Couriers Union started in late 2003. Since then the union has had its ups and downs--won a pay raise at one company and a variety of small grievances at others--but has remained fairly present in the industry. At the moment they seem to be going through another upswing in activity which makes sense because their activity seems to largely be seasonal (more in the spring, summer and fall than in the winter). I actually just received a grant from the Institute for Anarchist Studies to do some writing on them and should have an article together before the end of the year.
May 9 2007 15:58
#8
IAS are ace. please please please let me know when it's finished. i'd really like to read it on both a personal and a professional (well, erm, PhD) level.
May 9 2007 17:05
#9
May 10 2007 04:39
#10
May 10 2007 08:55
#11
yeah but from my understanding that was more along the lines of Mcdonalds Workers Resistance rather than a formal union. the IWW only got involved when the DIWU fell apart and a lot of their ex-members joined us.
May 10 2007 09:35
#12
ftony wrote:
DIWU fell apart and a lot of their ex-members joined us.
scabs! 
May 10 2007 09:54
#13
ftony wrote:
yeah but from my understanding that was more along the lines of Mcdonalds Workers Resistance rather than a formal union. the IWW only got involved when the DIWU fell apart and a lot of their ex-members joined us.
That I think's true, though I'd very much doubt the use of "a lot" of their members...
I've never heard anything about what happened to the IWW version; I'm assuming not much...
May 10 2007 11:02
#14
Quote:
I've never heard anything about what happened to the IWW version; I'm assuming not much...
me too
May 10 2007 11:04
#15
Quote:
I'd very much doubt the use of "a lot" of their members...
i mean a lot of the central characters/organisers, of course i didn't mean the 200-odd couriers who were at one point or another marginally involved.
they have been going on for quite some time as i understand it...
http://www.myspace.com/ccu