Greater Kansas City Industrial Workers Of The World
One Big Union!

We expect this document to undergo many changes as we learn what does and does not work well. If you have suggestions or comments, please email us at greaterkciww at gmail dot com

Goal:

To educate ourselves, each other, and the wider population about bigotry, including, but not limited to racism and homophobia. As workers, the unemployed, the under employed, and prisoners, we have been divided us along the lines of race, gender, sex, ethnicity, etc. “Divide and conquer” is a phenomenally powerful weapon and these divisions have seeped deep into our culture. Saying “all are welcome” is not enough to combat the overwhelming bigotry, both overt and tacit, that plagues us. To build class consciousness, it is essential that we actively work to deconstruct barriers to organizing and combat bigotry in its many forms. Overt bigotry, practiced by those who actively choose to hate and engage in hateful speech or activities, will be immediately rejected, censured, and publicly exposed by any and all means, for the safety and comfort of our members as well as the wider population. We will approach tacit bigotry, which often arises out of ignorance, with an intent to educate people and eradicate the tendencies, instead of simply alienating ignorant individuals and throwing them back out into the world as ignorant as they were when they came to us.

Tactics:

Conduct anti-oppression workshops for branch members and the general public. The workshops will be directly influenced by local, regional, national, and international members of the communities we are studying, whether they are IWW members or not. It is key that we take guidance directly from members of oppressed communities wherever possible. Where direct interaction is not possible, we may take guidance from a trusted person who is in direct contact with the individuals involved in the situations we would like to address. For some groups, developing relationships will be difficult and may require online interaction, travel, and other creative means of getting feedback. This direct interaction is essential so that we may learn to offer the exact kind of solidarity the people want in the most effective and least intrusive ways possible.

To learn how to most effectively address racism, we will be using the anti-racist training manual, “The Progressive Plantation: Racism Inside White Radical Social Change Movements” by Lorenzo Kom’boa Ervin and strongly suggest that other Anti-Oppression Committees do the same since the author is an accessible anti-capitalist, anti-racist of color who is intimately familiar with the goals, ideology, history, methods, and structure of the IWW. It is recommended that the book is first reviewed people who are comfortable with criticism before sharing the text with the rest of the branch in anti-racist workshops. The Progressive Plantation can be purchased here https://www.wepay.com/x18fpby/stores/829693 Additional manuals will be recommended as they are identified, based on the simplicity of language, availability, recommendations from members of oppressed communities, etc.

Use all of our resources, outlets, networks, and social media to increase awareness about hateful groups, individuals, and activities and denounce them wherever they may occur. Our participation includes, but is not limited to, promoting petitions, phone and email campaigns, standing in solidarity if asked, and protesting hateful gatherings as a branch, rather than just as individuals. Again, as with the workshops, it is essential to work with, and take instructions from members of the communities who are directly affected in any given situation. Where direct interaction is not possible, we may take guidance from a trusted person who is in direct contact with the individuals involved in the situation we would like to address. Raising awareness and encouraging people to engage in activities do not require a vote but significant activity regarding a specific community should be discussed at Anti-Oppression Committee meetings so that we may all understand the community being addressed. Official branch support and statements of endorsement require a vote per Article V, Section 3 of the branch bylaws. In the event we wish to mobilize quickly, we may act as individuals in a personal capacity and seek branch endorsement after the fact, or we may attempt to call for a special meeting per Article II, Section 1 of the branch bylaws. Relevant portions of the bylaws are included at the end of this document.

Work closely with the General Defense Committee (GDC), Women’s Caucus, Gender Issues Committee, any future People of Color Caucus or Unemployed Caucus that may form, etc so that we may learn to recognize overlapping forms of oppression.

Coordinate with other branches that would like to form Anti-Oppression Committees.

Strongly encourage all members of marginalized groups to guide the Anti-Oppression Group and provide a safe space where marginalized people may freely express exactly what they think without fear of being shut down or offending anyone. Participants that are not part of an marginalized community should be prepared for harsh criticisms from marginalized people. These criticisms should be accepted gracefully and with humility. Criticism is essential to the ability to offer solidarity in a non-offensive manner and thereby build class consciousness.

Isolate and educate members who are potentially bigoted. Because we have such strong rhetoric, few bigots want to join the union, however all workers are welcome to join the IWW, and distinguishing between racism, for example, and ignorance can be difficult, so there is always a risk of accidentally letting overt racists in or accidentally alienating ignorant people who could be educated. If, after someone joins, that person begins making offensive comments, they will immediately be required to begin attending Anti-Oppression workshops and will be denied access to the main body of the branch, its listservs, and all other means of interaction until the Anti-Oppression Committee is satisfied that the individual is able to conduct themselves in an inoffensive manner.

Members of the Anti-Oppression Committee should make every effort during workshops to not shame or humiliate people who are ignorant but not hateful. Those who are there to attend the workshops are there to learn. Being divided and conquered means that there is an incomprehensible amount of power and wealth dedicated to keeping us ignorant. In undertaking this task, we recognize that we are deconstructing a culture of bigotry and it is important to remember that the ignorant are victims of a cultural indoctrination program and are often not choosing to be hateful. This should, in no way, be misinterpreted as an effort to accept ignorance or hatred, but, rather, as an effort to isolate and eliminate it.

kc iww gkc iww kciww gkciww kansas city iww greater kansas city iww kansas city industrial workers of the world greater kansas city industrial workers of the world

Many of you have already applied for the IWW Work Peoples College Summer Institute, however, there are still seats available. Please encourage additional members in North America to apply before the 25th of March.

We are making every effort to make this program accessible. There will be assistance available for travel costs, child care will be provided at the site, and stipends for lost wages while taking off work will also be available. There is no reason we should not be full to capacity! Encourage everyone, particularly Members of Color, LGBTQ*, Women, and other marginalized people. Please also consider members that do not seem to participate as much. The institute could be just the push they need to become more involved.

http://workpeoplescollege.org/apply-now/

Brochure available here: http://www.kciww.org/2012/01/29/work-peoples-college-summer-institute-brochure-for-iww-members/

kc iww gkc iww kciww gkciww kansas city iww greater kansas city iww kansas city industrial workers of the world greater kansas city industrial workers of the world.

Click here for page 1 of the brochure

Click here for page 2 of the brochure
kc iww gkc iww kciww gkciww kansas city iww greater kansas city iww kansas city industrial workers of the world greater kansas city industrial workers of the world

The application for individuals for the Work People’s College Summer Institute for IWW Members is ready! IWW members in North America are encouraged to apply whether or not you or your branch pre-registered. Personally, I recommend writing down the questions, preparing your answers a little at a time as you are able, and then filling out the online form. The form has to be filled out all at once and can’t be saved. If you have questions, please contact us at workpeoplescollege[at]gmail.com The deadline for applying is February 25th, 2012.

Individuals can apply here:

http://workpeoplescollege.wordpress.com/apply-now/

Branches and groups can register here:

http://workpeoplescollege.org/pre-register-now/

(individuals who are with branches or groups need to fill out the application in addition to the branch/group registration)
kc iww gkc iww kciww gkciww kansas city iww greater kansas city iww kansas city industrial workers of the world greater kansas city industrial workers of the world

kc iww gkc iww kciww gkciww kansas city iww greater kansas city iww kansas city industrial workers of the world greater kansas city industrial workers of the world
Many thanks to the HLF and FWs Fred and John for conducting the calendar sales fund raising project for the GKCIWW! thanks to their efforts, we will be able to send 12 area members to the upcoming Organizer Training 101 in Omaha and we will also be able to send 2 area members to the week-long Work People’s College Summer Institute for IWW members. The Greater Kansas City GMB also thanks everyone who bought calendars and thereby contributed to the future success of organizing campaigns in the greater Kansas City area!

kc iww gkc iww kciww gkciww kansas city iww greater kansas city iww kansas city industrial workers of the world greater kansas city industrial workers of the world
Source: http://www.iww.org/en/content/what-next-occupy-oakland

By John Reimann – Fellow Worker Reimann has been involved with Occupy Oakland, along with several other members of the Bay Area IWW since its inception. The opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, though they generally reflect the views of many others who are active in OO and are rank and file union members.

The port shut down of Dec. 12 showed that there is a lot of support for and strength in the Occupy Oakland movement. Sometimes, though, the greatest problems for a movement can arise exactly out of the successes, when we don’t think enough about what problems there are.

Worker Participation Necessary

The port shut down was accomplished with the active involvement of almost none of the workers there, especially the longshore workers. This can become a critical weakness if actions continue against employers and those actions don’t come from the workers themselves. In fact, there were several reports that a layer of the longshore workers were somewhat hostile to the Occupy pickets, who were causing them to lose a day’s pay.

This cannot continue. We cannot continue to act in the place of workers; we must find a way to draw in a wider layer of working class Oakland. If we don’t, we will alienate large sectors of the working class.

In order to do this, we should make a drive into the work places. Where there are unions and where officials of those unions claim to support Occupy Oakland, we should ask them to organize work place meetings for us to meet with the workers. If they don’t do this, then their “support” doesn’t really count for very much, but in any case, we can find ways to get into those work places. The purpose of such meetings would be to discuss with those workers the issues they are confronting and how Occupy Oakland can help them. This includes the public sector workers who are facing layoffs and cuts. In many cases the union leadership has accepted these cuts, but we in Occupy Oakland should not.

Within the mainstream unions there is a massive discontent against the leadership of these unions. We cannot continue to ignore this. In the earlier days of Occupy Oakland, we had speakers at our public events who directly spoke to this and to how the unions have to return to their fighting origins. This means a debate and some conflict with the mainstream union leadership, but Occupy Oakland should not shrink from that anymore.

Also, there are thousands of youth in Oakland who are condemned to low wage, non-union jobs at fast food, etc. We can go and directly contact them in their work places and raise the issues that young workers in Oakland face: Low wages, bad working conditions, no job security, etc. On top of that, there are the thousands of workers in banks and offices, most of whom have no union.

If those workers see Occupy Oakland supporting them, this can motivate them to organize to fight for their interests.

Program

Already, many workers who support Occupy Oakland are asking the question: “What are they fighting for?” We now need to more clearly answer that question. Here are some ideas for a program to be worked out:

•A guaranteed job for everybody who wants one and a $15 per hour minimum wage.
•A mass union organizing campaign to win union rights for all workers.
•No concessions, no concessionary contracts; the unions must fight for their members with mass pickets, work place occupations, etc.
•Socialized medical care.
•No support, including union support, for any wing of the Democratic (or Republican) Party
•Mass funding for clean, safe, renewable energy sources.
•Stop all evictions and foreclosures through mass action.
•A mass, publicly financed and run home building program – affordable housing for all.
•Put the banks and finance capital under public ownership.
•Link up the Occupy movement nationally and internationally.
•For a society whose production is based on social need, not corporate profits.

No Leadership?

One other issue should be considered: Officially, Occupy Oakland has no leadership. We all know this is not really true. What has happened is that those with more time and connections tend to make the decisions. There should be no behind-closed-door meetings with union bureaucrats by a self-selected few. If there are to be such meetings, then the group as a whole should decide who are to be involved and what will and won’t be agreed to. Either a leadership will be elected by Occupy Oakland and its role and policies defined, or it will be self-appointed and will tend to do what it wants.

Occupy Oakland and the Mainstream Union Leaders

This is especially important now that the officialdom of the unions in the area is starting to recognize Occupy Oakland as a force to be contended with. Their approach is to seek to make links with a layer of the de facto leaders of Occupy Oakland (whether they are formally recognized or not). The idea is that if they – the union officials – give a certain recognition to Occupy Oakland, then Occupy Oakland can be guided into a safe course. It can be guided into limiting its program to what the labor leadership wants – that is, what the liberal wing of the Democrats can accept. Equally important, it will be guided away from doing anything that might tap into the anger that the union membership feels – an anger at their own leaders for refusing to organize against the employers. It will be guided away from helping this rank and file organize to transform their own unions.

If Occupy Oakland accepts this arrangement, then they become the enablers, the left cover, for the union leadership. Among other things, we then are in the position of being unable to organize among the rank and file of the mainstream unions, since we would have little to say to them.

The choice is clear: Either orient towards the union officialdom or towards the rank and file. This does not mean ignoring or being hostile to the leadership of the mainstream unions. Nor does it mean going to the rank and file with a crude approach, telling them what they should do. It requires a lot of sensitivity as well as a respect for rank and file workers. It means recognizing that we organizers have at least as much to learn from rank and file workers as we have to contribute to them. It is a difficult task, but unless we start down this path, we risk either becoming irrelevant or becoming the unwitting agents of the union hierarchy.

In order to develop a plan of action – a program and a strategy – for Occupy Oakland we must, therefore, have a serious discussion on where we are headed. We cannot simply continue with one action after another without such discussions. First and foremost, what is needed is an in-depth discussion on the state of organized labor today and Occupy Oakland’s relationship with the unions.

That should be the first order of the day.

Unemployment and underemployment are becoming ever more permanent phenomena within advanced capitalistic economies.  Conventional economic wisdom has provided many excuses for unemployment and underemployment but fails in ultimately correcting the issue.  Time has come to re-examine the importance of the 19^th century Luddite movement and its corresponding thesis that there is a conflicting relationship between technology and employment.  Most have rejected this.  But fail to account reality and the dynamic changes within employment over time, leave us ignorant and weak.  Historical Luddite arguments happen to fit well with today’s observable reality, and this analysis is proved by contemporary empirical and axiomatic data proving validity.  But no-one seems to want to listen to the fact that labor saving technology is actually the poison pill of capitalists against humanity.

The IWW.ORG Administration Committee has created a new position called IWW.ORG editor. The duties of the editor are as follows:

WHERE AS the role of the IAC has long been to maintain both the content and mechanics of iww.org, WHERE AS the IAC is a technical

committee, best suited to maintaining the mechanics of iww.org, BE IT RESOLVED that the IAC establish an Editorial Committee for iww.org BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the IAC establish a set of guidelines which will govern the Editorial Committee, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that said guidelines may be amendable by a motion from the IAC, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following text be adopted as the Editorial Committee Guidelines:

Eligibility:

*Members of the IAC are not eligible to be on the Editorial Committee

*Members must be nominated by their branch, and installed by the IAC; at-large members will be consider on a case by case basis by the IAC

*Branches are encouraged to nominate people who have been members for at least one year, but is not required.

*The Editor of the Industrial Worker is automatically on the Editorial Committee.

Duties:

*Responsible for posting new content

*Revising old content.

*May promote stories to the front page.

Realm:

*The editorial committee will have authority over content that is not already “owned” by an existing body of the Union. Various committees, and branches have sections on IWW.org, which they shall have authority over. The editorial committee will have authority over the rest of the site.

*The editorial committee’s authority is only over content.

Your branch is entitled to elect or appoint an editor. Please do so at your earliest convenience and then contact the IAC at www@iww.org or you can call me at 510-459-6586 and inform me of the selection.

Please be prepared to provide the name and contact information of the member you elect / appoint. Phone numbers are best, because some open-ended explanation may be required for the best results.

Some quick guides on HOW to publish content and why is here: http://www.iww.org/en/content/publicize-your-iww-campaigns-events-and-actions