In Portland, moms are standing up to protect protestors. Meanwhile, US Atty. Gen. William Barr is suggesting that the Sedition Act be used to bring many US cities—including Seattle and Portland—under "control." He has suggested that these cities be declared "Anarchist Jurisdictions." In November, we remember that the Sedition Act was one of the main … Continue reading In November, We Remember: Sedition Act of 1918
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When Fort Lewis Soldiers Fought For a Union: “The Battle of Cascadia”
The following article was a collaboration between Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and GI organizers, and members of the Seattle Worker committee. -ed. For American working class youth during the Vietnam War, the US military was often their first real encounter with employment. The Vietnam War was a brutal, ugly, and dangerous conflict, with millions … Continue reading When Fort Lewis Soldiers Fought For a Union: “The Battle of Cascadia”
Working Under Threat of COVID
Seattle Worker: What was workplace organizing like before COVID? William Clayworth (customer service): Before COVID I was doing customer service, and we were making progress. It was easy to talk to my coworkers during the down time. We had been talking about our grievances, and some of us were meeting in a space the IWW … Continue reading Working Under Threat of COVID
The Rise of the Freelance Journalists Union
As I'm sure most of you are all too aware, slogging through the wage system is no easy ride, no matter how you sell your labor. If, however, you sell your labor as a freelance journalist, there is a new organization that hopes to make the task a little easier: The IWW Freelance Journalists Union. … Continue reading The Rise of the Freelance Journalists Union
The Forever War on the Homefront
by x388133 The 9/11 attacks will always remain a foggy memory for me. I was 9 years old and in the first couple weeks of fourth grade when the towers came down. The adults’ fear permeated every part of life in the days and weeks afterward. My parents sheltered my sister and I in the … Continue reading The Forever War on the Homefront
Labor News for November 2019
Remember when Amazon announced they would increase the minimum wage of their workers to $15 an hour in order to head off multiple union drives and undermine the popularity of the Stop BEZOS Act? Well, Amazon’s uncharacteristic fit of forced humanity is officially over. Amazon owned Whole Foods recently announced that all part-time workers will … Continue reading Labor News for November 2019
Know Your Rights: Washington Equal Pay and Opportunites Act
Starting July 28, 2019, the "Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act" went into effect. From now on, when interviewing for a job, your potential future boss can't ask you how much money you make (or even how much you have made in the past) until after they have made you a job and compensation offer. … Continue reading Know Your Rights: Washington Equal Pay and Opportunites Act
The Reinvigoration of Labor Organizing in the IWW
The IWW is now stronger than it has been in eight decades. At our historic peak in 1917, the IWW claimed 150,000 members. State repression helped destroy the union, but it never fully disappeared. With a worldwide membership of 6,600 (3,900 in North America, 2,700 internationally), we are far from that high watermark now. But … Continue reading The Reinvigoration of Labor Organizing in the IWW
5000 Years of Class Struggle
One of the IWW’s most famous slogans is “We Never Forget.” But sometimes, we do forget. Or, more accurately, we are made to forget. Erasing information and history has long been a tool of the ruling classes. It’s part of their war on the workers’ minds; they try to erase all evidence that human society … Continue reading 5000 Years of Class Struggle
