Do you think joining a local US branch of the IWW would be of advantage to myself as a radical worker? I don't identify with any form of syndicalism or industrial unionism, and indeed disagree with the models and strategies, but I'm also not someone who thinks radical unions can be equated to traditional unions and perhaps wouldn't mind being in the IWW in the short term and participating it in order to organize in small scale struggles. Have any IWW members found anything they disliked about being in the IWW?
Oct 7 2012 23:24
Oct 8 2012 03:01
Chilli Sauce wrote:
Hmm...I not going to try and make this into a discussion of your politics, but if you agree with "traditional unions", wouldn't it make more sense to join a larger, better resourced AFL-CIO union and then try to build a militant branch/change the leadership?
Sorry if my wording was confusing, but I certainly don't "agree with traditional unions." What I meant was that I am critical of the idea of unions being revolutionary, whether traditional or radical. However, I don't think the two can simply be conflated.
Oct 8 2012 00:17
Ah, got it, that makes a lot more sense.
In that case, I still think it'd be worth joining the IWW. If your goal is--and I'm including some guesswork here on your politics--to spur workplace struggle outside any self-professed union, I think that can very much be accommodated within the structure of the IWW.
In fact, there's a lot of different ideas about what organising looks like within the IWW, but they all start with building up workplace power alongside non-union workmates. That could mean going for a contract, solidarity/direct/minority unionism, or building a workplace committee that doesn't have IWW affiliation as a goal.
But, go to a training and start from there, comrade.
Oct 8 2012 02:59
To sound very modest, I'd say my goal is nothing more or less than communism. Like most on here I'm assuming. 
But as far as workplace struggle is concerned, yes, I’d say that is basically a goal of mine. Another reason I’m interested in possibly joining is so that I can get in touch with politically like-minded people, of whom I’d have to admit to knowing very few.
It looks like I might contact my local branch, then. Do you know often each branch offers training or does it vary?
Oct 8 2012 15:15
What city are you in, O?
Some branches have regular training (quarterly, say), but in most cases it's a matter of interest--either from within the branch or after having been approached by an outside group of workers. If the branch doesn't have it's own certified trainer, it requests a training from the Organizer Training Committee who will endeavour to get someone out to that city and make the training happen.
Oct 9 2012 01:08
Agreed. Once we have an idea of which GMB(s) you are closest too, it will really help to give you some advice on next steps. Feel free to PM me as well, cause I just got trained to train and figure out things further for you potentially on how your GMB could get a training going for you, if need be.
Oct 10 2012 17:34
Thanks guys, but if it's no problem I'm still undecided about whether to go to a training or not and I'll have to think about this some more. Don't want to be pressured into it or anything. And sorry for the late response!
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Hmm...I not going to try and make this into a discussion of your politics, but if you agree with "traditional unions", wouldn't it make more sense to join a larger, better resourced AFL-CIO union and then try to build a militant branch/change the leadership?
In any case, if you want to know about the IWW, go to the Organizer Training. No need to be a member and I'm sure you'll not only learn something new, but have a much better idea of what the IWW can offer you.