Appendix 2: Constitution of the Industrial Workers of the World

ARTICLE I

Name and Structure

Section 1. This organization shall be known as THE INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD.

Sec. 2. The Industrial Workers of the World shall be composed of actual wage workers brought together in an organization embodying Industrial Departments, Industrial Unions, General Recruiting Union and Industrial District Councils.

Departments

Sec. 3 (a) An Industrial Department shall be composed of Industrial Unions in closely kindred industries appropriate for representation in the departmental administration, and assigned thereto by the General Executive Board of the Industrial Workers of the World.

(b) An Industrial Department shall consist of two or more Industrial Unions aggregating a membership of not less than 20,000 members. The Departments shall have general supervision over the affairs of the Industrial Unions composing same, provided that all matters concerning the entire membership of the I.W.W. shall be settled by a referendum.

1—Department of Agriculture, Land, Fisheries and Water Products.

2—Department of Mining.

3—Department of Construction.

4 -Department of Manufacturing and General Production.

5—Department of Transportation and Communication.

6—Department of Public Service.

Industrial Unions

Sec. 4. Industrial Unions shall he composed of actual wage workers in a given industry welded together as the particular requirements of said industry may render necessary.

Councils

Sec. 5. Whenever there are three or more branches of an Industrial Union or the G.R.U. in any city or industrial district, they should form an industrial Union District Council.

Sec. 6. Industrial District Councils may he organized for the purpose of promoting general solidarity in a given district and shall he composed of delegates representing the branches of various Industrial Unions and the G.R.U. within said district.

Sec. 7. Said Council shall be limited in scope to industrial centers and environs, which shall be determined by the membership of such industrial centers jointly. All by-laws of Industrial District Councils must be ratified by a majority vote (hand raising and recorded) of the membership within said district. The Industrial District Council shall meet as often as conditions in its locality necessitate.

Charters

Sec. 8. Industrial District Council Charters shall he issued upon application of three or more branches of different Industrial Unions, upon payment of the fee of three dollars.

Jurisdiction of the Councils

Sec. 9. Councils shall have charge of all propaganda work such as taking charge of street and indoor meetings, and the proceeds of same, the distribution of literature and papers within their jurisdiction and they shall also secure halls and meeting places for Industrial Union branches. They shall have no legislative authority over the affairs of any Industrial Union branch. Councils shall not act on resolutions or communications unless said matters have been duly acted upon by a quorum.

Sec. 10. No legislation conflicting with the constitution of the I. W. W. shall be passed by any subordinate body.

ARTICLE II

Membership, Etc.

Section 1 (a) None but actual wage workers shall be members of the Industrial Workers of the World.
No one shall be excluded from membership because of creed or color.

(b) Unions shall define the eligibility of their membership, not conflicting with the provisions of this Constitution.

(c) Editors of papers not controlled by the I. W. W. shall not be eligible to membership in the I. W. W. , except where such papers are sanctioned by the G. E. B. of the I. W. W.

(d) No member of the Industrial Workers of the World shall be an officer of a trade or craft union or political party.

Exceptions may be made by the Branch wherein permission shall be granted for members to become officers of trade or craft unions under special conditions.

Sec. 2. All applicants shall agree to abide by the Constitution and regulations of the I.W.W. and diligently study its principles and make themselves acquainted with its purpose. This obligation shall be printed on the application blank.

Job Branches

Sec. 3. Whenever there are seven or more members on a job, they shall constitute them-selves a shop or job branch, and elect a job committee and a job delegate to attend to urgent matters between business meetings. No member should serve permanently on a committee. At each meeting a new committee should be elected. All members should take their turn at serving on committees.

Quorum

Sec. 4. (a) Not less than seven members, not including the paid Branch Secretary, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

(b) No paid official of any part of the Industrial Workers of the World shall be permitted to vote in Branch meetings.

ARTICLE III

General Officers

Section 1. The General Administration shall consist of the General Secretary-Treasurer and the General Executive Board.

Sec. 2 (a) The term of office shall be for one year and the same shall commence on January 1. Officials after serving their first term of office shall be eligible for re-election for two more terms.

(b) The General Secretary-Treasurer and the members of the General Executive Board shall receive $40 per week, or $8 per day when working less than a full week, and mileage when on actual duty. The General Secretary-Treasurer shall be allowed expenses not to exceed $5 per week. The General Executive Board shall set the wages of all general organization employees and organizers.

ELECTIONS

General Administration

Sec. 3. (a) The eight largest Industrial Unions shall nominate and elect their own G. E. B. Members. The General Recruiting Union shall nominate and elect a G. E. B. Member. The Secretary-Treasurer and G.E.B. shall be members for three years, and eighteen months in continuous good standing, immediately prior to nomination.

(b) The three candidates for Secretary-Treasurer receiving the highest number of votes on the floor of the convention shall be submitted to the general membership for election, the one receiving the highest number of votes on referendum to be elected.

Alternates

The General Executive Board Chair-man shall be the alternate to the General Secretary-Treasurer. Alternates to the General Executive Board shall be so designated on the Industrial Union ballots.

(d) The general administration officials on assuming office shall be transferred out of their respective Industrial Unions and become members at large.

(e) No official of the general administration shall be permitted to hold other office in, or become a paid employee of any Indus-trial Union of the Industrial Workers of the World.

Duties of General Secretary-Treasurer

Sec. 4. The duties of the General Secretary-Treasurer shall be to take charge of all books, papers and effects of the office. He shall conduct the correspondence pertaining to his office. He shall be the custodian of the seal of the organization, and shall attach same to all official documents over his official signature. He shall furnish the committee on credentials, at each general convention, a statement of the financial standing of each Industrial Union. He shall have a voice, but no vote, in the governing bodies of the organization.

The General Secretary-Treasurer shall close his accounts for the fiscal year on the last day of July. He shall make a monthly financial report to the General Executive Board and the general membership. He shall also make a complete itemized report of financial and other affairs of his office to each General Convention.
He shall prepare and sign all charters issued by the General Executive Board. He shall receive all moneys for charters from Industrial Unions and Industrial Departments. He shall receipt for same, care for and deposit all moneys as instructed by the General Executive Board, in some solvent bank or banks, which shall be drawn out only to pay indebtedness rising out of due conduct of the business of the organization, and then only if bills shall have been first duly presented by the creditors, when a check shall be drawn by him in payment thereof.

He shall employ such assistants as are necessary to conduct the affairs of his office, remuneration for such employes to be fixed by the General Executive Board.

Duties of the General Executive Board

Sec. 5 (a) The General Executive Board shall elect its own chairman from its own number.

The General Executive Board shall have general supervision over all affairs of the organization between conventions, and shall watch vigilantly over the interests through-out its jurisdiction. It shall be assisted by the officers and members of all organizations subordinate to the Industrial Workers of the World. It shall appoint such organizers as the conditions of the organization may justify.

(b) The General Executive Board shall not appoint or cause to be appointed any delegate or organizer against the protest of, and with-out first notifying, the G.O.C. of the Indus-trial Union which has jurisdiction in the territory in which the delegate or organizer is to operate.

All organizers so appointed shall at all times work under the instruction of the General Executive Board. All organizers and General Executive Board members, while in the employ of the Industrial Workers of the World, shall report to the Chairman of the General Executive Board in writing, on blanks provided for that purpose, at least once each week.

(c) The General Executive Board shall have full power to issue charters to Industrial Departments, Industrial Unions, Branches and Industrial District Councils.

(d) The General Executive Board shall have full power and authority over all I.W.W. publications and guide their policy.

(e) The members of the General Executive Board shall have power to visit any subordinate body of the I.W.W. and have full authority to examine and audit all accounts of such body; and also to enforce the use of the uniform system of bookkeeping as adopted by the Convention of the I.W.W. from time to time.

(f) The General Executive Board shall meet on the call of the Chairman or majority vote of the General Executive Board.

(g) All matters pertaining to organization shall be settled by the entire General Executive Board by mail or wire when absent from headquarters. It shall take a majority vote to settle any question.

(h) The General Executive Board shall have power to appoint a Secretary of the General Defense Committee whenever they deem it necessary.

(I) The General Executive Board shall issue a monthly report of their activities.

Charges Against General Officers

Sec. 6 (a) Charges against any of the General Officers shall be filed in writing with the G. E. B. or the General Convention, at the option of the person filing charges.

If the charges are filed before the G. E. B. they shall at once have a copy of the charges sent to the accused, together with the notice of the date of the hearing of the charges. Charges filed before the General Convention must be sent to the General Secretary at least thirty days prior to the date of the convening of the convention.

On receipt of the charges the General Secretary will forward a copy of the same to the accused and notice to appear at the convention for trial.

(b) Any decision of the G.E.B. on charges tried by them shall be subject to appeal to the next General Convention and from the General Convention to the general membership. The decision of the General Convention on charges can be appealed to the general membership.

The cost of appealing to the general membership shall be borne by the party taking the appeal. If the vote on appeal results in the favor of the party taking the appeal then the General Organization shall refund the cost of the appeal.

ARTICLE IV

Clearing House

Sec. 1 (a) The General Headquarters of the Industrial Workers of the World shall function as a Clearing House that will automatically settle all debts between Industrial Unions and General Headquarters.

(b) All credentials shall be universal and issued from said Clearing House. All Branch Secretaries and all delegates of all Industrial Unions and the G.R.U. shall report to and remit all financial returns direct to the Clearing House, excepting where the Industrial Union by-laws provide for the job delegate reporting through the secretary of the branch of which the delegate is a member. The General Secretary-Treasurer of the General Organization shall deduct the cost of supplies, the per capita due the General Organization, that portion due the Press, the pro ratio cost of maintaining the Clearing House, from remittances on said reports and deposit the balance to the credit of the respective Industrial Union.

If the Clearing House costs exceed 15 cents per monthly dues stamp the excess cost shall be taken out of the funds of the General Organization.

The Chairman of the General Executive Board of the I.W.W. shall countersign all checks issued by the General Secretary. Books, records, and all financial and supply accounts of all Industrial Unions and the G.R.U. shall be kept in said Clearing House.

(c) The Industrial Unions and the General Recruiting Union shall determine percentage of dues, initiations, and assessments that may be retained by the Branches, providing that percentage remitted to headquarters be no less than the pro ratio expense of maintaining the Clearing House and the per capita to the General Administration.

(d) Each department, the Industrial Unions and the G.R.U. shall have a General Organization Committee of at least three members, who shall look diligently after the affairs of their respective union, or unions, carrying out the wishes of the respective membership of said unions. The General Organization Committee, through the General Secretary-Treasurer, shall order the withdrawal and spending of such sums as are deemed necessary for the carrying on of Industrial Union activities, and at all times be governed by the By-Laws, Constitution and referendum of their respective I.U., or departments, or General Recruiting Union.

(e) The cost of maintaining the G.E.B. and the General Convention shall be defrayed from the sum of the per capita tax and not from the funds of the Industrial Unions. The pro-ratio cost of maintaining the General Office shall in no manner include any expenditures necessary for the upkeep of the General Executive Board, the Press, or the General Defense.

(f) The General Administration can not use any finance belonging to an Industrial Union without the consent of the G.O.C. of the Industrial Union, or Unions. Any General Official violating any provision of this article to be held delinquent for such violation.

(g) An itemized financial statement shall be issued by the General Secretary-Treasurer at the end of each month, showing the total receipts and expenditures of each Industrial Union and of the General Recruiting Union.

(h) All units of the Industrial Workers of the World shall pay all indebtedness to each other at the end of each month.

(I) Industrial Unions, or the General Recruiting Union, becoming six months in arrears on per capita or pro ratio assessment account with the General Organization shall be declared on an unsound basis, and the General Executive Board shall assume full control of such Union, after having served a sixty day notice on such Union. During the aforementioned sixty day period, the G. E. B. shall advise the rank and file of such union in an endeavor to remedy the situation without drastic action.

ARTICLE V

Duties of Branch Secretaries and Delegates

(a) Applications for all accepted members eligible for membership in existing Industrial Unions shall be forwarded to the Clearing House.

(b) Branch Secretaries and Delegates of Industrial Unions shall be empowered to initiate and collect dues from all wage workers in any industry in their locality.

(c) No job delegate credentials shall be issued to any member not in good standing in the I.W.W. for at least six months.

ARTICLE VI

Conventions

Sec. 1 (a) The Annual General Convention of the Industrial Workers of the World shall convene on the second Monday of September each year where General Headquarters is located.

(b) The General Convention of the I.W.W. shall not remain in session over ten days. Prior to the Convention the General Executive Board shall issue an agenda to the delegates to the General Convention specifying the time limit on each question. All resolutions, wherever possible, shall be in the hands of the G.E.B. ten (10) days before the opening of the convention. Mimeographed copies of all resolutions to be furnished all delegates.

Sec. 2. The convention of the Industrial Workers of the World has power to expel any member for violation of principles, constitution or by-laws of the Industrial Workers of the World. It is also the legislative body of the organization and its enactments are of legal force when sustained by a referendum vote of the membership touching any and all amendments to the organic law which the convention may adopt. Such amendments shall be submitted to referendum vote by the General Executive Board within fifteen (15) days after adjournment of the convention. The vote shall close forty-five (45) days after the date of issuing of referendum.

Representation

Sec. 3 (a) Representation in the convention shall be based upon the amount of per capita paid to General Headquarters for dues for the fiscal year prior to the convention, except for Industrial Unions that have been chartered less than a year, which shall have representation in proportion. Each union entitled to representation in the convention shall be entitled to one vote for the first fifty (50) of its members and one additional vote for each additional fifty (50) of its members or major fraction thereof.

Votes of Delegates

(b) Unions, chartered directly by the Industrial Workers of the World, shall have two delegates for 200 members or less and one additional delegate for each additional 200 or major fraction thereof.

(c) When two or more delegates are representing an Industrial Union in the convention, the vote of such Industrial Union shall be equally divided between the delegates.

Credentials

Sec. 4 (a) On or before July 1 of each year the General Secretary-Treasurer shall send to the Chairman of the General Organization Committee of each Industrial Union and the G.R.U. credentials in duplicate for the number of delegates and alternates they are en-titled to in the convention.

(b) The Chairman of the General Organization Committee of the Industrial Unions and the G.R.U. shall properly fill out the blank credentials received from the General Secretary-Treasurer and return one copy to the General Office not later than August 15. The other copy shall be presented by the delegate to the Committee on Credentials when the Convention assembles.

Temporary Session

Sec. 5. The General Executive Board shall draw up a list of delegates against whom no contest has been filed at the general office. The General Secretary-Treasurer shall call the convention to order and read the aforesaid list. The delegates on the said list shall proceed to form a temporary organization by electing a temporary Chairman and a Committee on Credentials.

Delegates' Eligibility

Sec. 6 (a) Delegates to the General Convention from the Industrial Unions must be members of the I.W.W. for one year and in continuous good standing for sixty days immediately prior to nomination.

(h) The general administration officials shall be delegates at large, with voice but no vote. All paid officials and employes must be off the payroll ninety (90) days prior to the convening of the General Convention to become eligible as delegates. Any member who has not been on the payroll ten (10) consecutive days in the three months immediately prior to the convening of the convention, shall be eligible as a delegate. No delegate shall cast more than one vote when voting on the seating of a contested delegate or delegates. No delegate shall have more than one vote on the expulsion of a member.

Records of Delegates

(d) The Clearing House shall forward a complete record of each delegate elected to the general convention of the I.W.W., to the Chairman of the G.E.B. and to the Secretary-Treasurer in order to facilitate the work of the Credentials Committee of the general convention.

Expenses of Delegates

Sec. 7. The expenses of the delegates at-tending the general convention shall be borne by their respective Industrial Unions except mileage both ways which shall be paid by the General Organization provided the delegate comes from and returns to the district he was elected from.

Joint Delegates

Sec. 8. Two or more unions, with a total membership of 500 or less, may jointly send a delegate to the convention, and the vote of said delegate shall be based on the representation hereinbefore provided for.

Indebtedness

Sec. 9. Industrial Unions that are indebted to the official organs or the publishing bureau controlled by the organization, having sufficient funds to pay their indebtedness, shall not be entitled to representation in the General Convention.

Auditing Committee

Sec. 10 A general membership meeting shall be advertised and called in Chicago 30 days prior to the general convention for the purpose of electing an auditing committee from the floor of said meeting, to audit headquarters' books and supplies. Any member who has not been out of office for ninety days will not be eligible for this auditing committee.

Resolutions

Sec. 11. Resolutions for the General Convention shall be acted upon by their Industrial Union Convention, and if the Industrial Union has no convention, then the branches acting on same must send them to their Industrial Union G.O.C. or G.O.C. Chairman to be segregated ; and each resolution shall be on a separate sheet of paper and duplicated. No resolution sent in by an individual shall be considered by the General Convention.

ARTICLE VII

Label

Section 1. There shall be a Universal Label for the entire organization. It shall be of a crimson color and always the same in design. The use of the Universal Label shall never be delegated to employers, but shall be vested entirely in our organization. Except on stickers, circulars and literature proclaiming the merits of the Industrial Workers of the World, and emanating from the General Offices of the Industrial Workers of the World, the Universal Label shall be printed only as evidence of work done by I.W.W. members.

When the label is so printed it shall be done by the authority of our organization, without the intervention of any employer.

Whenever the Universal Label is placed upon a commodity as evidence of work done by Industrial Workers, it shall be accompanied by an inscription underneath the label stating what the work is that Industrial Workers have done, giving the name of Industrial Department to which they belong and the number or numbers of their unions; and the Universal Label shall never be printed as evidence of work performed without this inscription.

Seal

Sec. 2. Each union and branch shall be provided with a seal by the General Secretary- •Treasurer, which shall bear the number of the union, and all official papers from the union or branch must bear an imprint of this seal, and none will be legal without such impression.

ARTICLE VIII

Revenue

Section 1. The revenue of the organization shall be derived as follows: Charter fees for Industrial Departments shall be $25.00, and for Industrial Unions $10.00. Industrial Union branches shall pay $2.00 for seal and charter.

Per Capita

Sec. 2 (a) The per capita tax of Industrial Unions and the General Recruiting Union shall be ten cents per month per member.

(b) All foreign administrations of the I.W.W. shall pay a per capita tax of ½ cent per dues stamp per month to the General Administration. All funds derived from this per capita tax shall only be used for international organization purposes.

Initiation Fees and Dues

Sec. 3 (a) The initiation fee for members of Industrial Unions and the G.R.U. shall be no more than $10.00. The regular monthly dues of Industrial Unions and the G.R.U. directly united with the general organization shall he no less than 50 cents and no more than $2.00. No part of the initiation fee or dues above mentioned shall be used as a sick or death benefit, but shall be held in the treasury as a general fund to defray the legitimate expenses.

(b) Each Industrial Union shall have the right to levy its own assessments.

(d) A page shall be provided in the credentials fully stating the initiating fee and the dues charged by every Industrial Union for the information of delegates and branch secretaries.

Sec. 4. A twenty-five cent (25c) quarterly press assessment stamp shall be issued by the G.E.B. Revenue derived from this assessment shall be used as a subsidy for the Industrial Worker. The quarterly press assessment shall be payable on the first day of each quarter. Members who fail to pay their press assessment on, or before the last day of the quarter, shall be declared in bad standing until such time as the assessment is paid.

ARTICLE IX

Amendments, Etc.

Section 1 (a) All proposed amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws shall clearly state the article, section and paragraph to which the amendment applies. New articles and sections shall be so stated. Each clause to be amended shall be on a separate sheet.

Conflicting Parts

(h) All parts of the Constitution conflicting with amendments ratified by a referendum vote are hereby declared null and void.

Referendums

Sec. 2. (a) The General Executive Board or the General Organization Committee of three or more Industrial Unions shall have the power to initiate a referendum on any organization question.

(b) On receipt of the initiative call for a referendum the General Office shall publish same in the official publications, and must submit it to a vote of the general member-ship within five (5) days.

(c) The General Referendum shall be open for voting not less than twenty-one days and not more than forty-five days. The date for a return of a referendum shall be stated on the ballot, by which date tabulated ballots must be in the General Office. I.U.'s and the G.R.U. on their referenda shall set their own time limits, within these limits.

(d) The returns of the referendum shall remain in General Headquarters in sealed envelopes until the ballot committee meets. Ballot committee shall meet immediately on expiration of time set for return of ballots. The General Secretary-Treasurer shall notify Industrial Union or body initiating referendum of date set for count of ballots.

(e) The ballot committee to count the votes on the referendum shall be composed as follows: Three (3) members in continuous good standing for one year prior to their election on committee shall be elected by the Industrial Unions in the city in which Headquarters is located. In reporting through the monthly bulletin the returns of referendums and elections, the General Secretary-Treasurer shall give the names of the ballot committee together with their card numbers and the Industrial Union of which they are members.

(f) The Industrial Union or body initiating a referendum shall pay the expenses of its own delegates on ballot committee unless the referendum is carried, in which event the expenses shall be borne by the general organization.

(g) Referendum returns from any Industrial Union cannot exceed its paid up membership for the three months prior to the vote on the referendum in question.

(h) Ballots shall be in duplicate form and numbered serially.

(I) All Constitutional changes ratified by a general referendum ballot shall take effect January 1st, unless otherwise decided by the General Convention.

Recall

Sec. 3. The general administration officials shall be subject to recall upon a referendum, initiated as provided for in Section 2 (a), Article IX. Such officials shall automatically stand suspended from office until referendum reinstates them. The alternates shall fill offices of suspended officials.

ARTICLE X

Transfers, Craft Cards, Etc.

Section 1. There shall be a free interchange of cards between all organizations subordinate to the Industrial Workers of the World, and any Industrial Union shall accept, in lieu of initiation fee, the paid up membership card of any recognized labor union.

Sec. 2. Members of an Industrial Union who cease work in that industry and are working in another industry for thirty days or more, must transfer to the proper Industrial Union. No member is allowed to transfer unless actually working in the industry he wishes to transfer to.

(b) Any member of chartered unions when working in another industrial union over thirty days and who fails to transfer shall be considered a member in bad standing.

Sec. 3. Members in arrears in dues and assessments can not transfer from one Industrial Union to another. Delinquent delegates can not transfer.

Sec. 4 (a) All delegates upon transferring a member from one Industrial Union to an-other shall immediately send the record of transfer to the Clearing House.

(b) Any member of the I.W.W. who has attended any I.U.S or G.R.U. Conference or Convention, with voice and vote 90 days prior to the convening of the General Convention, at which action was taken on resolutions to be presented to the General Convention, or at which delegates to the General Convention were elected, shall not have voice and vote at any other I.U.S Convention or Conference prior to the General Convention.

Withdrawal of Cards

Sec. 5. On application, members who cease to be wage workers shall send their cards to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Clearing House, who shall enter date of withdrawal on transfer page of membership book, together with his official signature, and return same to the withdrawing member.

Sec. 6. Any member in continuous good standing for ten years and found, after proper investigation by the Branch of the Industrial Union to which he belongs, to be incapacitated for life, the Industrial Union shall issue him a special membership card carrying the privilege of having a voice under "Good and Welfare", but with no voice on the business of the Branch.

ARTICLE XI

Charters

Section 1. The number of signers required on an application for a Charter shall not be less than twenty.

Sec. 2. (a) Supplies issued to Delegates and Branch Secretaries on behalf of Industrial Unions shall be charged to the Industrial Union.

(b) Per capita for the actual dues paid during the month shall be remitted to the General Headquarters not later than the 10th day of the following month. Should any Industrial Union or the General Recruiting Union fail to do so the General Executive Board shall not issue any more supplies until the former are paid.

Sec. 3. The charter of a union or branch shall not be surrendered so long as ten members who agree to abide by the rules and regulations of the General Organization objects thereto, nor shall the funds of any organization be divided among its member-ship.

Sec. 4. Upon a union surrendering its charter, the General Executive Board shall appoint a representative of the Industrial Workers of the World to take charge of the charter, supplies and property and funds of said union. Members or officers of said union refusing to deliver charter, supplies, property or funds of union surrendering its charter to the authorized representatives of the Industrial Workers of the World shall be expelled from the organization.

Sec. 5. Whenever a membership of 500 has been attained in any industry, they shall be issued an Industrial Union charter upon re-quest.

ARTICLE XII

Unemployed Members

Sec. 1. Industrial Unions and the G.R.U. shall be allowed to initiate unemployed workers at a fee not to exceed twenty-five cents (25c) and to charge them monthly dues not to exceed twenty-five (25c). The Industrial Union, or the G.R.U., doing so shall remit the regular charge for supplies used and five cents (5c) per unemployed dues stamp used, to the Clearing House to help defray costs. No per capita shall be charged for unemployed dues stamps.

Sec. 2. No member shall be allowed to pay unemployed dues ahead of the current month.

Sec. 3. The unemployed dues shall apply to unemployed members initiated prior to adoption of this provision. Each Industrial Union, or the G.R.U., shall define the eligibility of members to unemployed stamps, with-in its own jurisdiction. Unemployed dues stamps may be issued for back months, not to exceed six (6) months.

Sec. 4. Each Industrial Union, or the G.R.U., shall set the minimum number of back months for which dues may be so paid.

Sec. 5. All members shall pay the regular press assessment.

Sec. 6. Special unemployed dues stamps shall be furnished by the Clearing House, and be entered separately on report sheets.

Sec. 7. Members with unemployed dues stamps shall be entitled to full rights and privileges.

Sec. 8. The five cents paid the Clearing House per unemployed dues stamp shall en-title the Industrial Union or the G.R.U., to the same representation at the General Convention as the ten cents per capita paid per regular dues stamp.

GENERAL BYLAWS

ARTICLE I

Section 1. Unions shall have the power to enact such laws for their government as they may deem necessary, providing they do not conflict with the Constitution and By-Laws of the Industrial Workers of the World.

Sec. 2. A majority vote cast shall rule in the general organization and its subordinate parts.

ARTICLE II

Defense

Section 1. The General Defense Committee shall be composed of the members of the G.E.B. and Secretary-Treasurer, and they shall be empowered to hire any help necessary. All local defense committees shall submit monthly financial reports to the General Defense Committee.

Sec. 2. Membership in General Defense Locals shall be open to non-members of the Industrial Workers of the World who sub-scribe to the principles of the General Defense Committee.

Sec. 3. No expelled member of the I.W.W. shall be eligible to membership in any of the General Defense Committee Locals.

Sec. 4. The General Defense Committee shall be known as the General Defense Committee of the I.W.W. and shall be so stated on membership cards, literature and letter-heads.

ARTICLE Ill

Charges

Sec. 1. Whenever charges are filed by a member of one Industrial Union against a member of the same Industrial Union, they shall be in writing, setting forth the facts, together with the names of witnesses and their statements regarding the offenses with which the accused member is charged.

The charges shall be read in the Industrial Union Branch at the next regular meeting, at which time five members shall be elected from the floor of the meeting to act as a charges committee. The accuser and the accused shall have no voice in the election of the charges committee, nor can either of them act on same.
The committee shall furnish the accused with a true copy of the charges either by registered mail or by personal delivery in the presence of a witness. The charges committee shall set a date for a hearing and shall collect all evidence both for and against the accused, and at the end of their hearing they shall submit their findings together with the charges and evidence to the next regular meeting of the branch, at which time the membership will accept or reject their findings.

If the findings are accepted by both parties the decision shall at once be sent by registered mail to the headquarters of the Industrial Union. If either party so desires, an appeal may be taken within 30 days to the Convention of the Industrial Union, and to the general membership of the Industrial Union for referendum.

Sec. 2. Whenever charges are filed against a member of another Industrial Union the member preferring the charges shall present same to the branch of which the accused is a member if there is a branch in the city or industrial district where the alleged offense was committed. If charges are preferred against a member of another Industrial Union for an alleged offense in a city or industrial district where there is no branch of the Industrial Union of which the accused is a member, then the charges may be tried by any I.W.W. branch in the city, provided, how-ever, if there are two or more I. W. W. branches in the city the trial branch shall not be the one to which the accuser belongs.

Sec. 3. It shall be optional for each Industrial Union to make by-laws permitting the filing of charges direct with the Industrial Union Convention.

Sec. 4. Appeal may be taken from the Industrial Union Convention to the General Convention by either side.

Sec. 5 (a) No member's card shall be taken up without the action of a regular business meeting, conference or convention.

(b) No publicity shall be given in our papers on any suspension until same has been acted upon by the I.U.S Convention or General Convention. The I.U.S Convention or General Convention shall then order whatever publicity is necessary on the case.

Sec. 6 (a) The circulation of accusations by one member against another, unless substantiated by charges filed according to these provisions, shall be grounds for expulsion of members circulating such matters.

(b) No member of the I.W.W. shall be suspended for more than 90 days. All charges must be finally disposed of, and members so charged either expelled or reinstated within that time.

ARTICLE IV

Employes, Etc.

Section 1. All employes hired by the I.W.W. shall be members of the I.W.W. when possible.

Expelled Members

Sec. 2. The general organization and Industrial Unions shall be prohibited from employing expelled members until such members have been reinstated and placed in good standing by the union or unions from which they were expelled.

ARTICLE V

Delinquency

Sec. 1. Monthly dues are payable the first of each month. Members whose dues are sixty days in arrears (sixty days from the first of the month when the dues were payable), shall be in bad standing and shall not be entitled to any rights or benefits in the I.W.W. until such dues have been paid. After six months in bad standing members can not take part in business meetings.

Sec. 2. Delinquent delegates are members in bad standing. Delinquency of delegates shall be defined by the Industrial Union to which the delegate belongs.

Sec. 3. All G.O.C. traveling delegates and branch secretaries when issuing credentials shall mark in delegate's membership card the number of the credentials issued with the date, and by whom issued; and when a delegate's account is cleared, the Clearing House shall issue him a clearance stamp to be affixed in his or her membership card.

ARTICLE VI

Supplies, Etc.

All subordinate organizations of the Industrial Workers of the World must procure and use such supplies as due books, due stamps, official buttons, labels and badges from the General Secretary-Treasurer. All such supplies are to be of uniform design.

ARTICLE VII

Speakers and Organizers

Section 1. No member of the I.W.W. shall represent the organization before a body of wage earners without first having been authorized by the General Executive Board or a subordinate part of the I.W.W.

Sec. 2. No organizer for the I.W.W. while on the platform for this organization shall advocate any political party platform.

ARTICLE VIII

Intoxication, Etc.

Section 1. Any official or employe of any part of the Industrial Workers of the World seen in public in a state of intoxication shall, upon sufficient proof, be at once removed from his position by the authority having jurisdiction over such employe, and upon conviction, shall not be eligible to hold office in any part of the organization for two years thereafter.

Sec. 2. Any member who is, on sufficient proof, found engaged in selling intoxicating liquor (bootlegging) shall be expelled.

ARTICLE IX

Commissions

The commission on initiations shall be no more than 50 cents.

ARTICLE X

Declinations, Etc.

Any member who accepts nomination for an official position and declines after his name has been placed on the ballot, shall not be eligible for any office for two years, unless good cause is given, such as sickness or being in jail.

ARTICLE XI

No publication that is entirely controlled by the I.W.W. shall accept paid advertisement in any form.

ARTICLE XII

RESOLUTIONS

Political Parties and Discipline

Whereas, The primary object of the Industrial Workers of the World is to unite the workers on the industrial battlefield; and

Whereas, Organization in any sense implies discipline through the subordination of parts to the whole and of the individual member to the body of which he is a part; therefore, be it Resolved, That to the end of promoting industrial unity and of securing necessary discipline within the organization, the I.W.W. refuses all alliances, direct and indirect, with existing political parties or anti-political sects, and disclaims responsibility for any individual opinion or act which may be at variance with the purposes herein expressed.

ARTICLE XIII

Agreements

Sec. 1. Each Industrial Union and the General Recruiting Union shall have power to make rules relating to agreements between its job branches and the employers.

Sec. 2. No agreement made by any component part of the I.W.W. shall provide for a check off of union dues by the employer, or obligate the members of the union to do work that would aid in breaking any strike.

ARTICLE XIV

No clause of the General By-Laws in the General Constitution shall be considered valid unless carried by referendum vote and inserted in the General Constitution and By-Laws.

LIST OF INDUSTRIAL UNIONS

To be Used for the Information of Delegates

in Initiating New Members

Agricultural Workers' Industrial Union No. 110.

Lumber Workers' Industrial Union No. 120. Fishermen's Industrial Union No. 130.

Floricultural Workers' Industrial Union No. 140.

Metal Mine Workers' Industrial Union No. 210.

Coal Miners' and Coke Oven Workers' Industrial Union No. 220.

Oil, Gas and Petroleum Workers' Industrial Union No. 230.

General Construction Workers' Industrial Union No. 310.

Shipbuilding Workers' Industrial Union No. 320.

Building Workers' Industrial Union No. 330.

Textile and Clothing Workers' Industrial Union No. 410.

Furniture Workers' Industrial Union No. 420.

Chemical Workers' Industrial Union No. 430.

Metal and Machinery Workers' Industrial Union No. 440.

Printing and Publishing House Workers' Industrial Union No. 450.

Foodstuff Workers' Industrial Union No. 460.

Leather Workers' Industrial Union No. 470.

Glass and Pottery Workers' Industrial Union No. 480.

Pulp and Paper Mill Workers' Industrial Union No. 490.

Marine Transport Workers' Industrial Union No. 510.

Railroad Workers' Industrial Union No. 520.

Motor Transport Workers' Industrial Union No. 530.

Municipal Transportation Workers' Industrial Union No. 540.

Air Transport Workers' Industrial Union No. 550.

Communication Workers' Industrial Union No. 560.

Health Service Workers' Industrial Union No. 610.

Educational Workers' Industrial Union No. 620.

Recreational Workers' Industrial Union No. 630.

Hotel, Restaurant and Building Service Workers' Industrial Union No. 640.

Park and Highway Maintenance Workers' Industrial Union No. 650.

General Distribution Workers' Industrial Union No. 660.

Public Service Workers' Industrial Union No. 670.

When initiating new members be sure to place them in the Industrial Union to which they belong.