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Industrial Worker
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Sydney Bus Drivers Take Wildcat Action
Cincinnati, OH 45223-3085, USA From libcom.org Months of trade union talks with the
Cincinnati, OH
and additional
A six-hour strike by 130 bus drivers company have failed to halt the onerous
in western Sydney, Australia, on Au- new conditions. Angered by the lack of
ISSN 0019-8870 mailing offices
gust 24—carried out in defiance of their support from the Transport Workers
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED union—has led to furious denunciations Union of Australia (TWU), the drivers
from the media and an industrial court conducted their own stoppage, giving no
judge. The drivers walked out at the warning to the union or management.
Busways Blacktown depot at 3:30 a.m. The TWU opposed the strike and inter-
against the imposition of new timetables vened to end it as quickly as possible.
that would impose shorter times for Drivers said the timetables would
routes. add to Sydney’s public transport sham-
Drivers said that the new timetables, bles, which has seen the state Labor
scheduled to commence in October, government in New South Wales cut the
would be impossible to meet. The frequency of rail services and scrap plans
timetables would force buses to run late, to extend the rail network to new outly-
which would not only inconvenience and ing suburbs. In many outer western and
anger passengers but cut short the driv- southern suburbs, the so-called public
ers’ break periods. The drivers said that transport system depends almost en-
with the new timetables, they would be tirely on heavily government-subsidized
under enormous pressure to drive over private bus companies.
the speed limit. Continued on 11
Page 2 • Industrial Worker • October 2009
Industrial Worker
The Voice of Revolutionary
IWW directory
Industrial Unionism Australia Peterborough: c/o PCAP, 393 Water St. #17, K9H 3L7, Hobe Sound: P. Shultz, 8274 SE Pine Circle, 33455- NYC GMB: PO Box 7430, JAF Station, New York City
IWW Regional Organising Committee: PO Box 1866, 705-749-9694, ptboiww@riseup.net 6608, 772-545-9591 okiedogg2002@yahoo.com 10116, iww-nyc@iww.org. www.wobblycity.org
Organization Albany, WA www.iww.org.au Toronto GMB: c/o Libra Knowledge & Information Starbucks Campaign: 44-61 11th St. Fl. 3, Long
Svcs Co-op, PO Box 353 Stn. A, M5W 1C2. 416-919- Georgia
Education Sydney: PO Box 241, Surry Hills. Atlanta: Keith Mercer, del., 404-992-7240, iw- Island City, NY 11101 starbucksunion@yahoo.com
7392. iwwtoronto@gmail.com
Emancipation Melbourne: PO Box 145, Moreland 3058.
Québec
watlanta@gmail.com www.starbucksunion.org
British Isles Montreal: iww_quebec@riseup.net Hawaii Upstate NY GMB: PO Box 235, Albany 12201-
IWW Regional Organising Committee: PO Box 1158, Honolulu: Tony Donnes, del., donnes@hawaii.edu 0235, 518-833-6853 or 518-861-5627. www.
Official newspaper of the Europe upstate-nyiww.org, secretary@upstate-ny-iww.org,
Newcastle Upon Tyne NE99 4XL UK,
Industrial Workers Illinois Rochelle Semel, del., PO Box 172, Fly Creek 13337,
rocsec@iww.org.uk, www.iww.org.uk Denmark Chicago GMB: 37 S Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60607 607-293-6489, rochelle71@peoplepc.com.
of the World Baristas United Campaign: baristasunited.org.uk Aarhus / Copenhagen: danskerne@iww.org; +45 312-638-9155. Hudson Valley GMB: PO Box 48, Huguenot,12746,
Post Office Box 23085 National Blood Service Campaign: nbs.iww.org 2386 2328 Central Ill GMB: 903 S. Elm, Champaign, IL, 61820. 845-858-8851, hviww@aol.com, http://hviww.
Cincinnati OH 45223 USA Bradford: bradford@iww.org.uk Finland 217-356-8247 blogspot.com/
513.591.1905 • ghq@iww.org Burnley: burnley@iww-manchester.org.uk Helsinki: Reko Ravela, Otto Brandtintie 11 B 25, Champaign: 217-356-8247.
00650. iwwsuomi@helsinkinet.fi Ohio
www.iww.org Cambridge: IWW c/o Arjuna, 12 Mill Road, Cam- Freight Truckers Hotline: 224-353-7189, mtw530@ Ohio Valley GMB: PO Box 42233, Cincinnati 45242.
bridge CB1 2AD cambridge@iww.org.uk German Language Area iww.org
Textile & Clothing Workers IU 410, PO Box 317741
Dorset: dorset@iww.org.uk IWW German Language Area Regional Organizing Waukegan: PO Box 274, 60079.
General Secretary-Treasurer: Committee (GLAMROC): Post Fach 19 02 03, 60089 Cincinnati, OH 45231. ktacmota@aol.com
Dumfries: iww_dg@yahoo.co.uk Indiana
Chris Lytle Frankfurt/M, Germany iww-germany@gmx.net Oklahoma
Hull: hull@iww.org.uk www.wobblies.de Lafayette GMB: P.O. Box 3793, West Lafayette, IN Tulsa: PO Box 213 Medicine Park 73557, 580-529-
General Executive Board: London GMB: c/o Freedom Press, 84b Whitechapel Austria: iwwaustria@gmail.com, www.iwwaustria. 47906, 765-242-1722 3360.
Sarah Bender, Jason Krpan, High Street, London E1 7QX. londoniww@iww.org wordpress.com
London Building Workers IU 330 Branch: c/o Adam Iowa Oregon
Heather Gardner, Stephanie Basile, Lincoln, UCU, Carlow Street, London NW1 7LH Frankfurt am Main: iww-frankfurt@gmx.net. Eastern Iowa GMB: 114 1/2 E. College Street Lane County: 541-953-3741. www.eugeneiww.org
Koala Largess, Mike Hargis, Evan Goettingen: iww-goettingen@gmx.net. Iowa City, IA 52240 easterniowa@iww.org
Leicestershire GMB and DMU IU620 Job Branch: Portland GMB: 311 N. Ivy St., 97227, 503-231-5488.
Wolfson Unit 107, 40 Halford St., Leicester LE1 1TQ, England. Koeln: stuhlfauth@wobblies.de. Maine portland.iww@gmail.com, pdx.iww.org
Tel. 07981 433 637, leics@iww.org.uk www. Munich: iww-muenchen@web.de Barry Rodrigue, 75 Russell Street, Bath, ME 04530.
leicestershire-iww.org.uk (207)-442-7779 Pennsylvania
Editor & Graphic Designer : Luxembourg: ashbrmi@pt.lu , 0352 691 31 99 71 Lancaster GMB: PO Box 796, Lancaster, PA 17608.
Leeds: leedsiww@hotmail.co.uk Maryland
Diane Krauthamer Switzerland: IWW-Zurich@gmx.ch Baltimore IWW: c/o Red Emmaís, 2640 St. Paul Philadelphia GMB: PO Box 42777, Philadelphia, PA
Manchester: manchester@iww.org.uk www.iww-
iw@iww.org manchester.org.uk Street, Baltimore MD 21212, 410-230-0450, iww@ 19101. 215-222-1905. phillyiww@iww.org. Union
Greece
redemmas.org. Hall: 4530 Baltimore Ave., 19143.
Norwich: norwich@iww.org.uk Athens: Themistokleous 66 Exarhia Athens
Printer: Massachusetts Paper Crane Press IU 450 Job Shop: papercrane-
www.iww-norwich.org.uk iwgreece@iww.org
Saltus Press Boston Area GMB: PO Box 391724, Cambridge press@verizon.net, 610-358-9496.
Worcester, MA Nottingham: notts@iww.org.uk Netherlands: iww.ned@gmail.com 02139. 617-469-5162. Pittsburgh GMB : PO Box 831, Monroeville,
Reading: reading@iww.org.uk United States Cape Cod/SE Massachusetts: PO Box 315, West PA,15146. pittsburghiww@yahoo.com
Send contributions and letters Barnstable, MA 02668 thematch@riseup.net
Sheffield: Cwellbrook@riseup.net Arizona Rhode Island
to: IW, PO Box 7430, JAF Phoenix GMB: 480-894-6846, 602-254-4057. Western Mass. Public Service IU 650 Branch: IWW,
Station, New York, NY 10116, Somerset: guarita_carlos@yahoo.co.uk Po Box 1581, Northampton 01061. Providence GMB: P.O. Box 5795 Providence, RI
United States. Tyne and Wear: c/o Philip Le Marquand, 36 Abbot Arkansas 02903, 508-367-6434. providenceiww@gmail.com
Court, Gateshead NE8 3JY tyneandwear@iww.org. Fayetteville: PO Box 283, 72702. 479-200-1859, Michigan Texas
uk. nwar_iww@hotmail.com. Detroit GMB: 22514 Brittany Avenue, E. Detroit, MI
Next deadline is West Midlands: The Warehouse, 54-57 Allison Street 48021. detroit@iww.org. Dallas & Fort Worth: 1618 6th Ave, Fort Worth, TX
October 2, 2009. DC 76104.
Digbeth, Birmingham B5 5TH westmids@iww.org.uk Grand Rapids GMB: PO Box 6629, 49516. 616-881-
www.wmiww.org DC GMB (Washington): 741 Morton St NW, Washing- 5263. South Texas GMB: grodrigueziww@yahoo.com
US IW mailing address: York: york@iww.org.uk ton DC, 20010. 571-276-1935. Central Michigan: 5007 W. Columbia Rd., Mason Vermont
IW, PO Box 7430, JAF Sta- Scotland California 48854. 517-676-9446, happyhippie66@hotmail. Burlington GMB: macgilleain@gmail.com
tion, New York, NY 10116 Los Angeles GMB: PO Box 811064, 90081. (310)205- com.
Aberdeen: aberdeen@ iww.org.uk Washington
2667. la_gmb@iww.org Minnesota
ISSN 0019-8870 Clydeside GMB: c/o IWW PO Box 7593, Glasgow, Bellingham: P.O. Box 1793, 98227. BellinghamI-
G42 2EX. clydeside@iww.org.uk .iwwscotland. North Coast GMB: PO Box 844, Eureka 95502-0844. Twin Cities GMB: PO Box 14111, Minneapolis 55414. WW@gmail.com 360-920-6240.
Periodicals postage wordpress.com. 707-725-8090, angstink@gmail.com. 612- 339-1266. twincities@iww.org.
paid Cincinnati, OH. Red River IWW: POB 103, Moorhead, MN 56561 Tacoma IWW: P.O. Box 2052, Tacoma, WA 98401
Dumfries and Galloway GMB: dumfries@iww.org.uk San Francisco Bay Area GMB: (Curbside and Buyback
IU 670 Recycling Shops; Stonemountain Fabrics 218-287-0053. iww@gomoorhead.com. TacIWW@iww.org
Edinburgh IWW: c/o 17 W. Montgomery Place,
Postmaster: Send address EH7 5HA. 0131-557-6242, edinburgh@iww.org.uk Job Shop and IU 410 Garment and Textile Worker’s Missouri Olympia GMB: PO Box 2775, 98507, 360-878-1879.
changes to IW, Post Office Box Industrial Organizing Committee; Shattuck Cinemas) olywobs@riseup.net
Canada PO Box 11412, Berkeley 94712. 510-845-0540. Kansas City GMB: c/o 5506 Holmes St., 64110.
23085, Cincinnati OH 45223 USA 816-523-3995. Seattle GMB: 1122 E. Pike #1142, 98122-3934.
Evergreen Printing: 2335 Valley Street, Oakland, CA
Alberta 94612. 510-835-0254 dkaroly@igc.org. 206-339-4179. seattleiww@gmail.com
Edmonton GMB: PO Box 75175, T6E 6K1. edmon- Montana
San Jose: sjiww@yahoo.com. Two Rivers GMB: PO Box 9366, Missoula, MT 59807, Wisconsin
SUBSCRIPTIONS ton@lists.iww.org, edmonton.iww.ca.
Individual Subscriptions: $18 Colorado tworiversgmb@iww.org 406-459-7585. Madison GMB: PO Box 2442, 53703-2442. www.
British Columbia Denver GMB: c/o P&L Printing Job Shop: 2298 Clay, Construction Workers IU 330: 406-490-3869, madisoniww.info.
International Subscriptions: $20
Vancouver IWW: 204-2274 York Ave., Vancouver, BC, Denver 80211. 303-433-1852. trampiu330@aol.com. Lakeside Press IU 450 Job Shop: 1334 Williamson,
Library Subs: $24/year V6K 1C6. Phone/fax 604-732-9613. gmb-van@iww.
Four Corners (AZ, CO, NM, UT): 970-903-8721, 53703. 608-255-1800. www.lakesidepress.org.
Union dues includes subscription. ca, vancouver.iww.ca, vancouverwob.blogspot.com New Jersey
4corners@iww.org. Central New Jersey GMB: PO Box 10021, New Madison Infoshop Job Shop: 1019 Williamson St. #B,
Published monthly with the excep- Manitoba Brunswick 08904. 732-801-7001 xaninjurytoallx@ 53703. 608-262-9036.
Winnipeg GMB: IWW, c/o WORC, PO Box 1, R3C 2G1. Florida
tion of March and September. Gainesville GMB: 1021 W. University, 32601. 352- yahoo.com, wobbly02@yahoo.com Just Coffee Job Shop IU 460: 1129 E. Wilson, Madi-
winnipegiww@hotmail.com, garth.hardy@union.
246-2240, gainesvilleiww@riseup.net New Mexico son, 53703 608-204-9011, justcoffee.coop
org.za.
Articles not so designated do Pensacola GMB: PO Box 2662, Pensacola, FL 32513- Albuquerque: 202 Harvard SE, 87106-5505. 505- GDC Local 4: P.O. Box 811, 53701. 608-262-9036.
not reflect the IWW’s Ontario 2662. 840-437-1323, iwwpensacola@yahoo.com, 331-6132, abq@iww.org.
Ottawa-Outaouais GMB & GDC Local 6: PO Box Railroad Workers IU 520: 608-358-5771.
official position. www.angelfire.com/fl5/iww
52003, 298 Dalhousie St. K1N 1S0, 613-225-9655 New York eugene_v_debs_aru@yahoo.com.
St Petersburg/Tampa: Frank Green,P.O. Box 5058,
Fax: 613-274-0819, ott-out@iww.org French: Gulfport, FL 33737. (727)324-9517. NoWageSlaves@ Binghamton Education Workers Union: bingham- Milwaukee GMB: PO Box 070632, 53207. 414-481-
Press Date: September 22, 2009. ott_out_fr@yahoo.ca. gmail.com toniww@gmail.com 3557.
October 2009 • Industrial Worker • Page 3
T
The working class and the employing
cisms only the previous week and may be
he IWW is a union for all workers, a union dedicated to organizing on the sentenced to prison time.
class have nothing in common. There can job, in our industries and in our communities both to win better conditions
be no peace so long as hunger and want today and to build a world without bosses, a world in which production and
are found among millions of working distribution are organized by workers ourselves to meet the needs of the entire popu-
people and the few, who make up the em- lation, not merely a handful of exploiters.
ploying class, have all the good things of
We are the Industrial Workers of the World because we organize industrially –
life. Between these two classes a struggle
that is to say, we organize all workers on the job into one union, rather than dividing
must go on until the workers of the world
organize as a class, take possession of the
workers by trade, so that we can pool our strength to fight the bosses together.
means of production, abolish the wage Since the IWW was founded in 1905, we have recognized the need to build a truly
system, and live in harmony with the international union movement in order to confront the global power of the bosses
earth. and in order to strengthen workers’ ability to stand in solidarity with our fellow
We find that the centering of the man- workers no matter what part of the globe they happen to live on.
agement of industries into fewer and fewer We are a union open to all workers, whether or not the IWW happens to have
hands makes the trade unions unable to representation rights in your workplace. We organize the worker, not the job, recog-
cope with the ever-growing power of the nizing that unionism is not about government certification or employer recognition
employing class. The trade unions foster but about workers coming together to address our common concerns. Sometimes
a state of affairs which allows one set of this means striking or signing a contract. Sometimes it means refusing to work with
workers to be pitted against another set an unsafe machine or following the bosses’ orders so literally that nothing gets done.
of workers in the same industry, thereby Sometimes it means agitating around particular issues or grievances in a specific
helping defeat one another in wage wars. workplace, or across an industry.
Moreover, the trade unions aid the employ- Because the IWW is a democratic, member-run union, decisions about what issues
ing class to mislead the workers into the to address and what tactics to pursue are made by the workers directly involved.
belief that the working class have interests
in common with their employers. TO JOIN: Mail this form with a check or money order for initiation See what all the purring is about
These conditions can be changed and and your first month’s dues to: IWW, Post Office Box 23085, Cincinnati OH
the interest of the working class upheld
only by an organization formed in such
45223, USA.
Initiation is the same as one month’s dues. Our dues are calculated Subscribe to the
a way that all its members in any one in-
dustry, or all industries if necessary, cease
work whenever a strike or lockout is on in
according to your income. If your monthly income is under $2000, dues
are $9 a month. If your monthly income is between $2000 and $3500,
Industrial Worker
any department thereof, thus making an dues are $18 a month. If your monthly income is over $3500 a month, dues
injury to one an injury to all. are $27 a month. Dues may vary outside of North America and in Regional 10 issues for:
Organizing Committees (Australia, British Isles, German Language Area).
Instead of the conservative motto, “A • US $18 for individuals.
fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work,” we __I affirm that I am a worker, and that I am not an employer. • US $20 for internationals.
must inscribe on our banner the revolu- • US $24 for institutions.
tionary watchword, “Abolition of the wage __I agree to abide by the IWW constitution.
Name: ________________________
system.” __I will study its principles and acquaint myself with its purposes.
It is the historic mission of the work- Name:_________________________________ Address:______________________
ing class to do away with capitalism. The
Address:_ ______________________________ State/Province:_______________
army of production must be organized,
not only for the everyday struggle with City, State, Post Code, Country:________________ Zip/PC________________________
capitalists, but also to carry on production Occupation:_ ____________________________ Send to: PO Box 23085,
when capitalism shall have been over- Cincinnati OH 45223 USA
thrown. By organizing industrially we are Phone:_____________ Email:________________
forming the structure of the new society Amount Enclosed:__________ Subscribe Today!
within the shell of the old. Membership includes a subscription to the Industrial Worker.
Page 4 • Industrial Worker • October 2009
Education First!
By Jim Crutchfield the U.S., seem to be children of the petty
I’ve been thinking a lot about the bourgeoisie—of school teachers, preach-
three stars of the IWW constellation: ers and small-business owners.
Education, Organization and Emancipa- The early 20th century IWW poured
tion. They don’t represent a time line or massive resources into education and
a hierarchy, really, but I think there’s a propaganda. Every delegate carried a
reason why Education comes first, and I stock of pamphlets for sale, and the
think we need to re-examine our current pamphlets weren’t just about organizing.
priorities in light of it. They were about economics, history and
Capitalism de-educates workers. It the operations of the industries in which
actively works to make us dumber and Wobblies worked. The field in which they
more ignorant. It encourages us to waste labored was much richer than what we’re
our brains on entertainment and pre- faced with today: there was tremendous
digested “news” and other propaganda, pressure among working-class families
so that our natural mental abilities atro- to get educated, especially among im-
phy or never develop. As the Sex Pistols migrant families; there were far fewer
put it, “God save the Queen/ And the distractions; reading was encouraged
fascist regime/ That made you a moron/ and widespread; workers formed study
A potential H-bomb.” groups and self-improvement societies;
The average worker today believes and Socialist propaganda was available
what the state tells her to believe, seeks everywhere. Hundreds of thousands of
protection under dependency, and workers actually read Marx, as well as
spends more mental effort on sports other socialist, anarchist, and otherwise
statistics and celebrity divorces than radical writers. Today, workers are far
on understanding her place in society. more likely to read only the sports pages,
She looks on education as a burden or a or entertainment magazines, if they read
threat, and on educated people as aliens, at all.
often hostile aliens who are going to We latter-day Wobs glorify and
make her speed up at work or give her fetishize organizing above all else, yet
job to a machine. She is no more fit to we have scarcely organized anybody or
run an industry than the average bank anything. For years our organizing ef-
president is to carry a load of bricks up a forts have mostly been complete failures,
ladder. In her present state, the aver- and those efforts that haven’t failed have
age worker can’t be the self-disciplined, generally been either window-dressing
self-directed rebel worker of our dreams. or business union-style service opera-
She’s fit only to be a member of a mob, tions with virtually nothing to distin-
or the pas- guish them as
sive, obedi- IWW shops.
ent stooge of I think that’s
a business because we
union or van- have grossly
guard party. neglected the
I’m not educational as-
talking about pect of our mis-
anything to do sion. We seem
with the mod- to think that
ern worker’s simply encour-
inherent Students focused on socialism and worker edu- aging workers
qualities and cation at the Work People’s College in Duluth, to organize
capabilities: Minn. These photos appeared in Clifford B. our way will
I’m talking Ellis’ piece, “What Life Means to a Worker,” somehow turn
about what from May 1926 Industrial Pioneer. them into free,
workers in thinking men
modern soci- and women,
ety are taught who know how
and trained to make smart
from birth to decisions, de-
be and to do. velop winning
Anybody can strategies, and
be made a mo- stick together
ron. Just look when things
at rich kids— get scary. We
whose parents are kidding
may be bril- ourselves.
liant and accomplished—but they waste I submit that we will never build up a
their school years drinking and doping successful, revolutionary, and fully dem-
and competing for social status, and ocratic industrial union movement un-
never put a minute’s effort into improv- less and until we educate ourselves and
ing themselves mentally. They’ll be taken our fellow workers to understand what
care of, of course, and may even become the problems are that make revolution
President of the United States some necessary, to exercise our mental mus-
day, but they’re still morons. Workers’ cles and to rid ourselves of the bigotry,
kids—who are inundated from day one stupidity and ignorance that capitalist
with pleasing distractions from mental society forces upon us. I don’t mean that
development, and are taught to hate and “we” need to teach “them” proper doc-
fear education—are even more likely to trines and enlightened attitudes—that’s Graphic: Mike Konopacki
turn out ignorant and stupid, because bullshit and mind-control. I mean that around us. More realistically, if we fail to focus on
they aren’t even exposed to educational we need to teach and train ourselves and To that end, I propose that the IWW education, we’re just likely to remain
opportunities beyond the basic schooling the rest of our class to use our brains—to stop focusing single-mindedly on orga- what we are now—an irrelevant bunch of
that’s needed to thresh out the potential think critically, to judge ideologies skep- nizing here and now; not that we give discontented misfits (I include myself in
engineers and actuaries, so that they can tically, to be inventive and audacious in up on organizing, but that for the next this description), full of thrilling words,
be steered towards college. our strategies, to assess and understand several years we devote the majority of but incapable of doing much besides
The average worker today may be the past and the present, and to develop our energies and resources to preparing fighting among ourselves and fool-
angry and dissatisfied with her lot, and realistic and rational plans for building a the ground before we try to build the ing trusting workers into staging little
may instinctively know that something better future. We who have already come great edifice that is to be the One Big revolts that will only lose them their jobs
is badly wrong with our system. She may to some level of intelligence and joined Union of All the Workers. If we fail to and their union.
even seek out learning on her own, and the IWW need to rid ourselves of the educate ourselves and the workers we We can organize all the workers of
develop a certain level of intelligence and New-Left nihilism, egoism, utopianism, want to organize, then the best we can the world into One Big Union. But we
insight into the problems of our society. and naive idealism that characterize so hope for is to become a vanguard—an can’t do it without first preparing the
But the vast majority of workers under much of the discourse within the IWW enlightened elite at the head of a mass workers, including ourselves, for Orga-
capitalism are taught and trained to be today, and learn to think as free indi- of pure and simple, unthinking foot nization and Emancipation. The key to
passive, to fear change, to obey orders viduals within communities, basing our soldiers capable only of destroying the that preparation is Education, and we
and to only look out for themselves. At ideas and actions not on philosophical old society, instead of building a new have a tremendous amount of it to do
this point, few workers are really Wobbly constructs or mental categories, but on and better one within the shell of the old. before we can hope to reach the other
material; which may explain why the a rational observation and deep under- That has happened many times before, two stars of our constellation. It’s time
great majority of Wobblies, at least in standing of the flowing, changing world with disastrous results for humanity. we got to work at it.
October 2009 • Industrial Worker • Page 5
Gourmet Exploitation? Quad City Die Casting Workers Lose Jobs, Benefits
By UE Local 1174 The laid-off workers are owed earned
Workers Picket Upper East Side Specialty Market MOLINE, Illinois – More than 100
employees of Quad City Die Casting
pay and benefits, but Wells Fargo is tell-
ing Quad City Die Casting that they must
By Stephanie Basile Members of Brandworkers Internation- permanently lost their jobs on Sep- not pay the workers—instead, says Wells
NEW YORK — A group of workers al— a Queens-based workers’ center that tember 4 after Wells Fargo did not Fargo, all the proceeds of the liquidation
and supporters picketed outside Agata works in solidarity with Local 1500— continue to offer financing to the com- must go to the bank. Wells Fargo was a
and Valentina on August 15 as part of an joined the protest. pany, forcing its closure. But they did recipient of $25 billion in federal bailout
ongoing labor dispute with the company. In the summer of 2008, Agata and not go out quietly. Instead they ended funds and is refusing to allow payment
Workers are calling on the grocery store Valentina workers began meeting with their last day of work with a protest of legally owed pay and benefits to the
to respect their right to organize and to UFCW organizers and decided to assert to demand that Wells Fargo cough up Quad City employees.
stop engaging in illegal anti-union activ- their right to join a labor union. The checks for the pay and benefits they are In August, the National Labor Rela-
ity. supermarket responded by using tactics still owed. tions Board (NLRB) announced it will
Agata and Valentina, located on of misinformation and intimidation United Electrical, Radio and issue a complaint against Quad City Die
79th Street and 1st Avenue, is one of to scare the workers from joining the Machine Workers of America (UE) Casting, stating that workers are legally
many upscale gourmet grocery stores in union. In March 2009, Roberto De La representative Tim Curtin said that owed vacation pay and payment of ben-
the Upper East Side. Local 1500 of the Cruz, a counterperson in the produce de- workers were scheduled to come in efits as a result of the illegal cancellation
United Food and Commercial Workers partment, was terminated for his union that morning and work their regular of their health insurance in May. The
(UFCW) has been organizing the largely activity. “I was called into the office and shift, but found the doors locked when NLRB is seeking voluntary settlement of
immigrant workforce in the gourmet fired. They told me it was because I sup- they arrived. Curtin said the third shift the money owed.
supermarket industry. In recent years, ported a union,” said De La Cruz. was asked to leave at 4:15 a.m. and the "We are angry that Wells Fargo is
Local 1500 won union contracts at two UFCW Local 1500 has been holding first shift was cancelled with no notice. refusing to pay us what we have earned
specialty grocery stores in New York— daily picket lines outside the supermar- "I think the company was nervous and and we won't stop fighting for justice.
D’Agostino and Gristedes. ket for more than six months, and will they locked the plant today," Curtin We have the whole community support-
Approximately 15 people were on the continue to do so until the company told local television station WQED. "I ing us, and we won't give up until Wells
picket line. Picketers held signs, handed settles with the workers. don't know what they were anticipat- Fargo pays us what we worked so hard to
out flyers, spoke to customers about the This story originally appeared in ing, but I think people in Quad Cities earn," said Keith Shribner, President of
dispute and chanted pro-worker slogans. Next Left Notes (NLN), August 19, 2009. know the UE workers mean business." UE Local 1174.
Page 6 • Industrial Worker • October 2009
Book Review
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By Kenneth Miller among the strikers, replacement labor- Witek and her coworkers talked with
McKee’s Rocks, Pa. – On August ers, and state police erupted into a riot the SWU and came up with a plan to get
22, 2009, the annual gathering of the on August 22. Eleven men were killed Mehrbatu her job back.
Pennsylvania Labor History Society held near this footbridge. Strikers were aided The SWU held a picket for Mehrbatu
its annual gathering to coincide with the by the Industrial Workers of the World.” on August 15 outside of the store where
Centenary of the McKee’s Rocks Pressed Members of the Pa. Labor History she worked. Hopes were high as several
Steel Car strike and its “Bloody Sunday” Society and the McKee’s Rocks Histori- dozen union members and supporters
massacre. The day’s activities included a cal Society worked closely together to waved signs supporting Mehrbatu and
march and a picnic, along with the erec- involve the community in this Centenary calling out Starbucks for its discrimina-
tion of a second official State of Pennsyl- event. Evan Wolfson of the Pittsburgh tory behavior. According to workers
vania historical marker on the site of the IWW spoke at one of the panel discus- inside, the picket slowed business to a
massacre. sions at the Ryan’s Arts Center. Pitts- crawl inside the store and gave Star-
The Pressed Steel Car Company pro- burgh ’s Mike Stout and his band, the bucks the message that the union was
vided worker housing at substantial cost Human Union, played for the Historical not going to let Mehrbatu fight this
to employees, keeping them in constant Society’s Dinner on August 21, and at the battle alone. After a fruitless call with
debt. During the 1909 strike, immigrant picnic. Mike wrote a song that tells the Starbucks’ Human Resources later that
workers were evicted from their compa- story of this strike–every IWW member day, the SWU remains committed to get-
ny homes. The eviction led to the August should listen to this song and it should ting Mehrbatu her job back and getting
22 “Bloody Sunday Uprising,” in which be considered for the “Little Red Song- Starbucks to throw out the promissory
at least 11 people were killed. The houses book.” note they pressured her to sign.
were sold after the company ceased The IWW is a fighting and singing “District management now won’t
operations in 1949. union, and the tactics that worked in have their meetings in our store because
The original historical marker McKee’s Rocks in 1909 still work today. they know they are wrong and they are
erected in 2000 reads: “1909 MCKEE’S We need a labor union that juxtaposes afraid of that,” said Witek, adding that
ROCKS STRIKE – On July 14, unskilled the nationalism and jurisdictionalism of the union continues to fight and is “not
immigrant workers led a strike against the trade unions, and with the IWW, we going to back down.”
the Pressed Steel Car Company. Strain Photos: Pittsburgh IWW organize the worker, not the job! This article originally appeared in
The Organizer, September 2009.
Philly Cab Drivers Demonstrate Against Parking Authority Ticketing Continued from 1
trians cross the street, and even Worker,” I said to UTWA press secretary After the union’s press conference at
got out of his car to help guide John Hough as he waved our IWW flag Ninth and Filbert Streets, a cab driver,
a person out of the protest traf- in the middle of the street. “PPA has got Sebastian Chuwko, took us back to 31st
fic. When I asked Abdul about to go!” he replied succinctly. “PPA stole Street. He told us that Verifone had
the nationalities of Philly’s cab $75,000 of our money last year. Where recently held his earnings for a week
drivers, he responded, “They did it go? Nobody knows.” before depositing them. In the time
are from everywhere. Many This $75,000 is the UTWA’s aggre- between when he expected them and the
are from here. Many are from gated estimation of the money driv- time the funds were released, Sebastian
other countries. That’s why ers have reported missing from their incurred two overdraft fees from his
they call it the United States. accounts. When a passenger pays with bank, totaling $70. His two debit card
All of us come together to make a credit card, Verifone—the credit card expenses, not surprisingly, were for
one. All from different coun- processor—takes a painful 5 percent gasoline.
tries; all here together.” fee off the top and is then supposed to In addition to his daily airport
Every cab company was deposit the rest of the money into the routes, Sebastian is the UTWA’s trea-
represented in bright colors. driver’s account. Instead, drivers get surer. Back in Nigeria, Sebastian was an
Photo: Diane Krauthamer Activist drivers scouted out mysterious chunk deposits that bear no elected member of his local government.
Center City as chaos surrounded. Some shirking drivers still “open for busi- relation to, and no itemization for, their He said that that experience helps him
pedestrians were shaking their fists, ness” during the demonstration and receipts, hence the missing $75,000. in his work for the UTWA. It’s still very
coming up to the cab windows and ask- harangued them with invitations to join John, or “Chicago” as they call him, is hard to work full time and do his vol-
ing questions—sometimes even uttering the protest. The action amounted to a just as pissed as any other taxi driver unteer union work, he told us. I replied
a rude disapproval about the noise and short protest strike that lasted for only because, in addition to being a union of- that we in the IWW could identify. We
inconvenience. In the middle of all this, two hours, yet it gave the City a sharp ficer he’s also a working cab driver—the too have to build our organization and
Abdul kept his cool and helped people spanking in the process. same holds true for all of the UTWA’s fight the bosses while exhausted from
pull out and change lanes, helped pedes- “Give me a quote for the Industrial staff. overwork.
Page
October Industrial
10 • 2009 Worker •Worker
• Industrial October•2009
Page 10
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color images, the text contributes to a much deeper understanding of the politics, history,
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October 2009 • Industrial Worker • Page 11