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Relief and Solidarity needed for Haiti

Submitted by bostonbill on Sun, 01/17/2010 - 9:12am.

IWW Fundraising for Haiti Earthquake Relief
Haiti's Tourniquet (Part 1 of 2)
Haiti's Tourniquet (Part 2 of 2)
A devastating 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti Tuesday January 12th. Thousands have been killed, and much Port au Prince leveled. This follows a series of deadly hurricanes in late 2008, and decades of foreign-influenced economic terrorism, culminating in a US-led coup in 2004, and continuing UN occupation. Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, is the only country to successfully liberate itself from slavery and the former colonial masters have not let them forget. Most people live on less than $2 a day, and many on less than $1. In April 2008 representatives of the ISC participated in an IWW delegation to Haiti where they met with workers and peasants struggling against neo-liberal slavery. We pledged our continued support to their struggle, and FW's donated generously to support their organizing, and again for aid following the hurricanes. Currently communications with Haiti are nearly impossible, but no doubt they will need our help again.


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Haiti's Tourniquet

Submitted by bostonbill on Sun, 01/24/2010 - 12:14pm.


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Oppose US Occupation of Haiti

Submitted by John Reimann on Mon, 01/18/2010 - 8:55pm.

Disclaimer: the following is the opinion of the author and not the official position of the IWW.

When the earthquake leveled much of Haiti, including the Presidential Palace, it destroyed the capitalist state apparatus as well as buildings and lives. In a country whose history includes bloody repression and paramilitary death squads, all reports were that both the police and the military had disappeared from the streets.

For several days, the US administration dithered, uncertain of what to do. Then Obama announced the sending of troops to Haiti along with the commitment of the miserly sum of $100 million in aid (one third less than was spent on his inaugural ball). What is the purpose of those troops there? 

“Restoring Order”

The conservative Heritage Fund spelled it out: “We should rapidly deploy sufficient US military and civilian forces to help Haitians restore order in the capital of Port-au-Prince and in surrounding areas,” they write on their web site. They also clearly see the necessity of using the troops to prevent the Cuban and Venezuelan regimes from increasing their influence in Haiti. Nobody should be surprised if conflicts develop along these lines in Haiti. 

Obama also carried out the Heritage Fund’s recommendation of appointing Bill Clinton and George Bush to head up US initiatives in Haiti. Clinton has a long history of helping foster neo liberal policies there (low wages and privatization) as well as having supported the coup against Aristide. Bush is famed for his administration’s “relief” effort in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The failure to provide timely aid in Haiti shows that the direction of efforts in New Orleans was no mere accident, nor the product of the incompetence of one particularly stupid US president; it was the result of the policy of massive privatization. The fact that these two are in their present position regarding Haiti shows that nothing has changed.


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International Solidarity Commission of the IWW resolution on Gaza

Submitted by intexile on Fri, 01/16/2009 - 3:42pm.

Saturday 10 January 2009

The International Solidarity Commission (ISC) of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) condemns in the strongest possible terms the military attack by the Israeli state and IDF on the 1.5 million Palestinian people living in the Gaza strip. This attack has included sustained indiscriminate aerial bombing of urban population centers, schools, mosques, hospitals and other civilian infrastructure. Hundreds of civilians have been killed and injured, and homes have been destroyed. This attack is a form of collective punishment by the Israeli state against the people in Gaza. This attack on the people in Gaza is barbaric and represents an attack on the working class in all countries.

The ISC condemns the 18-month siege against the population in Gaza which has prevented food, electricity, medical supplies, and other basic necessities from reaching the people of Gaza and crippling the economy. This form of collective punishment against the people of Gaza is barbaric and represents an attack on the working class in all countries.

The ISC condemns rocket attacks fired into southern Israel by various factions in Gaza. These attacks have killed and injured Israeli civilians. This form of collective punishment against the people of southern Israel represents an attack on the working class in all countries.

The ISC recognizes the urgency and massive scale of the current attacks and mass murder against the people of Gaza by the Israeli state.

It is estimated that 850 Palestinians in Gaza and 13 Israelis have died so far.

The IWW is a revolutionary international industrial union that works to build unity of workers and working class people across all borders, occupations, industries, religions, races and nationalities. The IWW stands, and has always stood against all wars. Wars are caused by capitalist governments, and anti-working class leaders and movements, for the economic and political benefit of the ruling elites. We the working class are made to fight each other against our own interests.


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Motion passed by the New York City GMB of the IWW in Solidarity with Insurgent Workers of Thessaloniki

Submitted by intexile on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 9:04pm.
We, the New York City General Membership Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World--an international, rank-and-file labor union--enthusiastically express solidarity with the occupants of the central offices of the General Confederation of Labour of Greece and the Thessaloniki Trade Unions Center. The brave, and principled, actions of our working class brothers and sisters in Greece is an inspiration to us. We recognize that our struggle is one, and offer the fullest capacity of our solidarity and support.

In addition, we offer our condolences to the family, friends, and comrades of Alexandros Grigoropoulos, a 16-year old boy whose murder by the police last month triggered a widespread uproar from workers, students and the downtrodden throughout Greece. We also stand with Konstantina Kuneva, an immigrant worker in Athens who recently fell victim to a severe retaliatory attack while organizing for decent conditions for the workers of the Attica Union of Domestic Workers and Cleaners. Consistent with the demands of the occupants, we demand a full investigation of the attack with justice for the perpetrators, and that Konstantina's employers comply with the just demands of her union. We also call for an end to the abuse and lethal brutality of Greek law enforcement and reactionaries on working people, immigrants, and the youth.


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Motion Passed by SFBA GMB of the IWW on Siege of Gaza

Submitted by intexile on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 8:59pm.
The following motion was passed at the San Francisco Bay Area GMB January meeting, Thursday, Janury 8, 2009 with few dissenting votes:

"WHEREAS the Apartheid State of Israel has conducted a siege of Gaza for many months; and

WHEREAS this siege, itself, is an act of war as well as an act of collective punishment; and

WHEREAS  this siege is simply a further extension of the apartheid policies of the State of Israel, including calls within Israel for ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Israel, stealing of land and water rights from Palestinians both within Israel as well as in the West Bank, and the
building of the Apartheid Wall, as well as other measures; and

WHEREAS the Industrial Workers of the World stands for working class unity, which is impossible as long as any sector of the working class is oppressed in the way that the Palestinian people are by the State of Israel; now be it

RESOLVED that the San Francisco chapter of the IWW unreservedly condemns the Israeli attack on the people of Gaza; and be it further

RESOLVED that we also oppose all terrorist acts aimed at civilians, whether they be Palestinian, Jew or anybody else, and in this particular case we recognize that the rocket attacks on Israel being carried out by Hamas can only serve as a cover for official Israeli racism and expansionism, even though we recognize that the State of Israel bears primary responsibility for the situation; and be it further

RESOLVED that we call for complete Israeli withdrawal to its pre-1967 borders, including dismantling of the settlements and the Apartheid Wall, the right to return of the Palestinians driven into refugee status, and for equal rights for all within the State of Israel; and be it further

RESOLVED that we recognize that the Histadrut leadership, in their support for the Israeli bosses and the bosses' politicians as well as their support for the apartheid policies of the State of Israel, have placed themselves squarely in the camp of the class opponents of the working class; and be it further

RESOLVED that we oppose the state imposition of or support for any religion; and be it finally

RESOLVED that we will support any steps to oppose division within the working class as well as racism and all forms of special oppression in our struggle for workers' rights and workers' power internationally."


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International Solidarity Commission Monthly Update Bulletin -- December 2008

Submitted by mpesa on Sat, 12/20/2008 - 7:06pm.
Greetings from the International Solidarity Commission (ISC) of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and welcome to the sixth digest of our monthly international news letter.

The purpose of this newsletter is to keep our allies around the world informed of our activities, solidarity campaigns, and relevant international labor struggles. It is our hope that this newsletter will contribute to building worker-to-worker solidarity through strengthened communications and exchanges of information.

If you would like to contribute story ideas or news for the bulletin, or wish to contact the ISC, you can email solidarity@iww.org.

Saludos de la Comisión de Solidaridad Internacional (ISC) de los Trabajadores Industriales del Mundo (IWW) y bienvenidos a nuestro boletín internacional mensual.

El propósito de este boletín es mantener a nuestros aliados alrededor del mundo informados de nuestras actividades, campañas de solidaridad, y luchas obreras relevantes. Esperamos que este boletín contribuya a construir solidaridad entre trabajadores reforzando las comunicaciones e intercambios de información.


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International Solidarity Commission Monthly Update Bulletin (October 2008)

Submitted by mpesa on Mon, 10/20/2008 - 8:26am.
Greetings from the International Solidarity Commission (ISC) of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and welcome to the fifth digest of our monthly international news letter.

The purpose of this newsletter is to keep our allies around the world informed of our activities, solidarity campaigns, and relevant international labor struggles. It is our hope that this newsletter will contribute to building worker-to-worker solidarity through strengthened communications and exchanges of information.

If you would like to contribute story ideas or news for the bulletin, or wish to contact the ISC, you can email solidarity@iww.org.

Saludos de la Comisión de Solidaridad Internacional (ISC) de los Trabajadores Industriales del Mundo (IWW) y bienvenidos a nuestro boletín internacional mensual.

El propósito de este boletín es mantener a nuestros aliados alrededor del mundo informados de nuestras actividades, campañas de solidaridad, y luchas obreras relevantes. Esperamos que este boletín contribuya a construir solidaridad entre trabajadores reforzando las comunicaciones e intercambios de información.


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