From notes@igc.apc.org Mon Dec 12 03:36:10 1994 Received: from mail.igc.apc.org (root@mail.igc.apc.org [192.82.108.38]) by fido.wps.com (8.6.9/8.6.9) with ESMTP id DAA16222; Mon, 12 Dec 1994 03:36:10 -0800 Received: (from notes) by mail.igc.apc.org (8.6.9/Revision: 1.52 ) id BAA25156 for "conf-iww.news"; Mon, 12 Dec 1994 01:35:44 -0800 Date: 11 Dec 1994 21:25:53 Reply-To: Conference "iww.news" From: bh295@freenet.carleton.ca Subject: Various Projects To: Recipients of conference Message-ID: <199412120525.AAA12364@f> X-Gateway: conf2mail@igc.apc.org Errors-To: owner-iww-news@igc.apc.org Precedence: bulk Lines: 128 Status: OR From: bh295@freenet.carleton.ca (Lee Murray) This message contains information about: -This mailing list/conference -UK IWW Courier Workers -Chicago IWW / 1995 Calendar -San Francisco IWW Temp Workers -Los Angeles IWW Film Workers -A Wobbly Christmas [bedtime propaganda] WHAT'S HAPPENING TO JOB SAFETY ? Dec.9-- 7 workers of the UK retail industry were injured by an armed assailant. Dec.10-- About 29 maritime transport workers died off Newfoundland as a freighter sank. In Ontario, Canada: Dec.11--A miner was killed at Placer Dome. Last week a miner was killed at INCO. A month ago, another miner was killed by falling rock at Placer Dome. RE: THIS CONF/MAILING LIST is for everyone, so feel free to share news about your activities. This list reaches many people in many places, and is a good chance to tell others about your situations and projects and problems with management. Those of us in the IWW want to hear about your organizations as well, and make links of practical solidarity. I hope everyone's posts are getting distributed. There doesn't seem to be much appearing on the webnet conference board. My posts to the list seem to appear okay. So maybe all you new subscribers are simply a silent lot! But I did discover that some messages apparently went to the list, but not to the webconf. I've asked igc to look into it so if there's a problem it should be fixed soon. Today will be my last post until Jan.1. Best Holidays. Carlos Murray SOME CURRENT IWW PROJECTS The information below is digested from _Industrial Worker_ newspaper Nov-Dec.94 *** UK WOBS ORGANIZE COURIERS A first meeting was held Oct.19. Two couriers who had been active in the now-defunct Despatch Industry Workers Union (International Workers Assoc) were present. Ads were planned for the Trade Paper Motor Cycle News and the paper of the Motor Cycle Action Group, a national body fighting for the rights of motor cyclists. Issues to be addressed: arbitrary fines, pay level, being forced to buy expensive insurance [one company has 90% of the market]. Future meetings were scheduled, funds were provided for advertising and to establish an office with a telephone. In other UK news, new IWW groups have set up in Edinburgh and Aberystwyth. A job shop is expected at a college for further education in Edinburgh. The IWW has established 100% membership among employees of Oxford Claimants Union and among a majority of the volunteers. At an Oct.22 meeting a general organizing committee was proposed and discussed. Fellow worker Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin spoke about the situation of black workers in the USA and the need for a Black Workers Organizing Committee. Another worker from Illinois spoke about the strike in Decatur. The meeting agreed to invite strikers to the UK and to take action against Tate and Lyle, the owners of Staley. The UK Wobs reported around 50 members `and growing'. *** CHICAGO IWW Chicago Wobs met with factory workers and bicycle messengers to discuss unionizing their jobs. Members from Champaign, Chicago, St. Louis and Ypsilanti participated in the Oct.15 Solidarity Rally in Decatur. The bosses closed up shop at all 3 struck plants, rather than expose their scabby operations to public view. A literature table at the Midwest Radical Scholars Conference distributed 200 copies of Industrial Worker. The Branch's *1995 IWW Labor History Calendar* was a hit. [Have you got your copy yet? $7.50: IWW, Box 204 Oak Park IL 60303; 40% off for 5 or more copies. This year's theme is Women Workers: The Struggle Continues]. *** SAN FRANCISCO TEMP WORKERS Temp workers started last year to create an alternative to traditional employment agencies, which take almost half of a worker's hourly wages `for doing nothing except relieving the employer of the responsibility of providing... basic rights: a living wage, medical benefits, pension plan, worker solidarity and job security.' The workers created Progressive Temps of San Francisco, a member-controlled, not-for- profit employment agency. The volunteers lacked organizational experience, and had only moderate success. This year the IWW is hoping to help workers make another run. The agency won't charge fees for workers whose jobs become permanent, and will only take enough of wages to cover operating costs. `It's a reality that more and more work is going to be temporary,' says Ray Levy of the IWW. `Employers are looking at the fact that rather than paying a salary and benefits they can have people at home and on call, desperate for a job.' By building solidarity among Temp Workers and providing a model alternative agency, the IWW hopes to give workers more control and better pay. The Temp Workers project is currently looking for volunteers and donations. For information: Temp Workers Union IWW, 1095 Market St. San Francisco CA 94103. Tel: 415 863-9627. Email leave message>>> iww@igc.apc.org [with info from November issue of _The Progressive_] FILM WORKERS Los Angeles Film Workers, ignored by the trade unions, are organizing in the IWW. For information: Email>>> wobbly@liberty.com ****************************************************** * * * A WOBBLY CHRISTMAS *-\:-) * Santa Classwar has just joined the Union on the first of December and his whole shop of elf crafters is now democratic. All shop workers get warm red suits with free dry cleaning. * On Christmas, FW Santa and his partner Emma the Red -- with a workforce of 10,000 card carrying Elves deliver only environmentally friendly, non-violent toys to all the children. * The Classwars bring Nintendo games for some children, and other children get powdered milk. But for the adults of every land, they only leave a note on recycled paper, saying: * Dear Fellow * Worker, * The fantastic wealth created by your own labor is a gift only you can give to yourself. Unite with your fellow workers, get rid of all bosses! Democratic production, and democractic sharing of the wealth. Smell the bread and roses! * You don't need bosses and IMF financers. You don't need to pay interest on the wealth we all create. You won't need Santa Claus, either, when you own the world in common economic democracy! * -- Santa Klasswar and Emma the Red * Industrial Dept. 400 manufacture & gen. production North Pole Brrranch. ###