Boston Report

[Matthew Andrews]

Fellow workers,

I think re-starting the WIIU was a fanciful project from the beginning.
Establishing a union requires a lot of work and should develop naturally
out of workplace struggles. That doesn't mean resurrecting the WIIU was
a bad idea. But we should recognize that what connects us is mostly
ideological, and what we are capable of doing as a group is limited to
labor education and solidarity work.

I joined the Boston IWW GMB a few months back. Over the course of a
couple months I've learned that prior to my return to Boston there were
many rancorous conflicts in the branch. Long standing members that I
had good relations with were pushed out under accusations of
sexist/oppressive behavior. I wasn't sure what to think of it, until
after a picket about a month ago, a member made similar accusations
against me. The allegations were baseless and hateful. Typical avenues
of conflict resolution were rejected. Her motives don't seem to reflect
any underlying political conflict. I haven't been pushing any agenda in
the branch. Apparently however the leadership of the Boston GMB
subscribes to a kind of identity politics that facilitates witch hunts.
This experience has alienated me, and led me to re-examine the prior
conflicts that drove historically solid members away from the branch.

I recently met up with a handful of IWW members who are on the outs. We
discussed the potential options for rescuing the branch from the current
factionalists, or starting something independent. These folks are
anarchists who would not likely be interested in the WIIU. The main
points of unity we share regard union member rights against
unsubstantiated accusations, and other matters of transparency and
accountability.

So at present I don't see a direct route toward building the WIIU from
where I am. But I do like the idea of keeping likeminded people
connected for when the opportunity to organize may arise. I suppose
both my experiences with the Boston GMB and the WIIU, reflect the
complexities of building a meaningful unity and sustaining good work.


In Solidarity,
~Matt A.

[Donald J Donaker (Don)]

 

"limited to labor education" Thugh! Wa ya say?

[Donald J Donaker (Don)]

 

I had the pleasure and enlightenment of meeting 5 workers
who were members of the original IWW. Their demeanor and
social  understanding were far removed from the beer
guzzlers, who were fond of singing the line, "I am a bum,"
from the "bummery" song.

The later, with their false delegate credentials, contributed
to the wrecking of the original IWW. Heaped upon that was
betraying the members of the Socialist Trade and Labor
Alliance, who contributed their alliance to the IWW.

 

If those 5 workers were alive today, I seriously doubt they
would be favorably impressed with any faction of the 
existing IWW nor the current attempted revival of the
original WIIU, as it stands in its current form. More likely
they would be downright disappointed

 

What about the motto: First, education, then organization and
finally, action?

[Scott Wallace]

Educate, organize, emancipate.

---

From: Donald J Donaker (Don) <ddon...@comcast.net>;
To: Workers' International Industrial Union <workers-internation...@googlegroups.com>;
Subject: Re: Boston Report
Sent: Tue, Dec 22, 2015 3:45:09 AM

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