Submitted by x344543 on Sat, 06/17/2006 - 2:10am
By Kdog - Twin Cities IWW GMB Friday, Jun 16 2006
In August 2005 the mechanics and cleaners at Northwest Airlines (NWA), the world’s fourth largest passenger airline went out on strike. The workers were rejecting the company’s final offer of massive concessions, including 53% job cuts, 26% wage reductions and sharp cuts to their benefits and pensions.
This battle is in response to a new round of attacks by the old large industrial corporations, such as the Airlines and Automakers against their heavily unionized and relatively better-off workers. Out-sourcing (reducing unionization), and sharp scaling back of pay, benefits, and pensions are the general thrust, part of their drive to make US workers more “competitive” with the rest of the world. The enormous power and prestige these brand name corporations have means these attacks set the tone and establish the trend for all class relations in the US. As the necessary norm for doing business in the global market.
Today’s unions for the most part accept the logic of the capitalist market and are completely out of practice of any kind of militant struggle. This poses the question how are workers going to be able to resist these attacks, and how are we as revolutionary anarchists and class partisans going to be able to best aid our sisters and brothers given our extremely limited size, resources, and influence? Let’s look at this strike and try and draw out some lessons so far.
Submitted by x356985 on Tue, 05/30/2006 - 11:10am
By Jeff Pilacinski, Twin Cities GMB
On Saturday, June 3 we remember the valiant struggle of over 15,000 fellow workers and through our continued agitating in 2006, carry their fighting spirit forward. This date marks the 90th anniversary of the great mine workers strike on Minnesota’s Mesabi, Cuyuna, and Vermillion Iron Ranges – a strike that threatened the economic grip of the U.S. Steel war profiteers and strained relations between several prominent Wobbly organizers and the union’s general headquarters.
After a large uprising was crushed with the help of immigrant strike breakers in 1907, Minnesota mine workers were poised to confront the steel trust once again. In a report to the Minneapolis headquarters of the IWW’s Agricultural Workers Organization dated May 2, 1916, one organizer had “never before found the time so ripe for organization and action as just now.” The appeal from one Minnesota miner in the May 13, 1916 issue of the Industrial Worker summarized the workers’ discontent best as “the spirit of revolt is growing among the workers on the Iron Range,” and that there was a need for “workers who have an understanding of the tactics and methods of the IWW and who would go on the job, and agitate and organize on the job.” Less than a month later, an Italian worker at the St. James underground mine in Aurora opened his pay envelope and raged over his meager earnings under the corrupt contract system, whereby wages were based upon the load of ore dug and supplies used, not hours worked. By the time other miners arrived at the St. James for the night shift, production at the mine was halted. All pits in Aurora were soon shut down as the strikers proclaimed, “We’ve been robbed long enough. It’s time to strike.”
Submitted by x344543 on Wed, 05/17/2006 - 10:47am
It's time to line up for the Midwest Wobfest, which will be hosted by the Twin Cities General Membership Branch between July 14 -16, 2006. IWWs from around the country will converge on Minneapolis and St. Paul for a weekend of music, history, and discussion around how we build community and solidarity in our union.
The festival schedule begins with a bonfire of discontent on Friday, July 14th with food, song, and soapboxing.
On Saturday the 15th, there will be discussion forums throughout the day on - Wobbly communication structure, industrial classification, regional organizing, dual card direct action, Solidarity Brigade or One Big Union? - to name a few. We're honored to have Brother Staughton Lynd with us for the keynote afternoon address on Saturday. A large revue will close out Saturday, with several musical acts, one comedian, and a slide presentation showcasing photographs and art of the IWW.
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