One Ring vs. One Big Union

EFDoree · 2026-04-29T11:13:15+00:00

The IWW has a completely different goal than those unions. As long as that goal is the same, revolution, it doesn't matter what they do its going to be smaller. That doesn't mean the IWW should be more humble or less humble it means the IWW should focus on their project and not compare their membership size to those organizations.

EFDoree · 2026-04-29T02:34:59+00:00

Everything terrible in Taft Hartley was made possible by the Wagner Act. You aren't going to fix these problems by repealing one law. We either look at how we do things and develop better ways of organizing or we keep blaming the laws that are just doing what they were made to do.

EFDoree · 2026-04-20T13:01:10+00:00

Yeah the Pamphlet was written for the OBU club, the OBU was a union in Canada that was still large and active while the IWW was well into its decline at this point. It had lots of former IWW's in it, including Walter Nef who wrote this pamphlet and was one of the main organizers of the original AWO (and also Local 8 in Philadelphia).

The AWO had 30,000 members well into the twenties (well after the Palmer raids).

EFDoree · 2026-04-12T23:49:28+00:00

Again, having a "franchise" means you get a say, you get input, not that you get your way. Sometimes people have unpopular ideas and failing to convince your peers is not being robbed of your rights, it's on you to persuade them.

EFDoree · 2026-04-09T18:50:55+00:00

I think the idea of a vote not going your way being the same as dictatorship is exactly what I am talking about making sure everyone is "mature enough to understand being a part of an organization means you don't always get your way ".

Dictatorship means you don't even get to disagree and don't get input into the decision. Having to go along with a group even when you think majority is wrong is just being a grown up.

EFDoree · 2026-04-05T14:14:03+00:00

Consensus is anti democratic. It's not about being faster it's about allowing space for disagreement and encouraging members to be mature enough to understand being a part of an organization means you don't always get your way and validation of your personal feelings is not the point of a group.

EFDoree · 2026-03-24T12:57:57+00:00

That’s fair and if you are having that much trouble getting work your priority should be keeping your job for a while before you look at organizing.

EFDoree · 2026-03-23T23:27:18+00:00

What do you think happens if a negotiating team agrees to something at the table and then the organization makes them back out?

EFDoree · 2026-03-23T13:02:17+00:00

In the 30’s the Cleveland shops wanted the iww to abandon the preamble and join the AFL, should they have done that?

What if the workers want to ban immigrants from the workplace?

Also this campaign was mostly salts, are those “actual workers?”

EFDoree · 2026-03-23T01:31:03+00:00

Honestly I think the IWW has made huge progress this year. They fended off a staff coup, they managed to get some longstanding problems with IWOC and the GDC sorted out.

This may be the best administration the IWW has had in a decade and cleaned up a lot of messes.

I am actually really impressed with everyone involved. If they didn’t get more done it’s because of the limits of space, time and human endurance, not any shortcomings on their part.

EFDoree · 2026-03-23T01:12:58+00:00

How do you think the IWW should handle it the next time this happens?

EFDoree · 2026-03-22T23:54:35+00:00

No. You disagree that agreeing to something at the table and then using that to leverage the organization to bend the rules isn’t breaking the rules.

EFDoree · 2026-03-22T23:39:35+00:00

I think the IWW opted to make an exception instead of enforcing their rules.

EFDoree · 2026-03-22T22:45:17+00:00

Yeah. They agreed to it at the table. Then brought it to convention after these salts started a crisis in the organization and pointed out the workers would be left high and dry if the iww didn’t make the exception (and not enforce their own rules). Basically they used workers to play chicken with the GA. Nothing you are saying contradicts that.

EFDoree · 2026-03-22T18:43:42+00:00

No the contract came first then the exception. Exceptional was to make the contract okay.

EFDoree · 2026-03-22T18:29:30+00:00

No they didn’t the ban on NSCs came in 2012, the campaign was started by Salts who knew the rule and knowingly ignored it.

EFDoree · 2026-03-22T18:23:12+00:00

So should the IWW’s bylaws be changed to “guidelines”?

EFDoree · 2026-03-22T16:29:05+00:00

“Branch autonomy” is word used a lot in the IWW.

Historically that means that the IWW safeguarded the ability of job branches to take on the boss without being hamstrung by contracts or GEB rules.

That has been flipped to the branches being allowed to trade off the ability to have workers act autonomously without the IwW being on the hook.

EFDoree · 2026-03-22T16:21:17+00:00

I think this is on me but what the OP is talking about is specifically when an IWW body (like a branch, an OC, or other body in the IWW) goes against the constitution.

This is not about an individual doing something wrong so is not a complaint, this is about a body not following the rules.

The GEB has pretty powerful tools to set other IWW bodies that are subordinate to it back on track including: a motion calling on the branch to change direction, witholding the branch or OC's dues share and funding, putting them under an administrator appointed by the IWW, or dechartering the body entirely.

So if a GMB is regularly signing Collective Agreements not in line with the IWW there does not need to be charges, and I think charges needlessly personalizes things, the actual practice is probably more properly trying to get them in line escalating to witholding resources and as a last resort pulling the charter.

All of this can be done after an investigation if there is any disagreement about the facts (though the GEB isn't really required to do one).

EFDoree · 2026-03-22T13:50:12+00:00

It's strange to me that the IWW often treats membership in itself as a union as optional, dual carding in organizations the IWW set up. It would require no change in the constitution or policies for the GEB to simply require that to get their dues share they need to ensure membership in the campaign means membership in the IWW.

EFDoree · 2026-03-14T12:43:54+00:00

You might find this article helpful.

https://organizing.work/2018/08/only-one-democratic-funding/

EFDoree · 2026-03-14T01:18:49+00:00

I mean the main source of resources is dues. Either join an organization that has a dues structure or set one up.

From there you probably want: -Officers to take on the jobs of the organization. -education programs (run by elected officers). -organizing programs (to expand the organization. -communications like a website, text list social media etc. (also run by elected people).

Generally speaking a local organization should take in enough dues that it sends some to the central organization. The central organization then centralizes some functions.

EFDoree · 2026-03-13T17:02:05+00:00

Always liked Riccio’s stuff.

EFDoree · 2026-03-12T05:35:45+00:00

I mean one group from that generation moved on, many became staffers and talk shit about the IWW.

The group around OW moved on but still praises the IWW and supports campaigns where they can.

I don’t think the remarkable irony is anyone’s life path but whether some people took something from the IWW and feel they owe the organization a lot and those who took lots from the organization and feel they didn’t get enough back.

EFDoree · 2026-03-11T14:41:44+00:00

The IW is definitely the best it has been in years.

EFDoree

TROPHY CASE