IWW organizes worker-owned restaurant

[Sosa]

Grand Rapids, MI - Bartertown Diner and Roc’s Cakes a raw, vegan/vegetarian restaurant opening in a couple weeks in downtown Grand Rapids has decided to go “wobbly.” The seven member team which constitutes the worker-run establishment have all decided to join the old and storied Industrial Workers of the World labor union.

“It just seemed like the perfect fit for us. After meeting with members of the IWW it was clear that we all want the same things and being that we really don’t want to be just another restaurant it seemed logical,” said Ryan Cappelletti cook at the new Diner.

Bartertown Diner and Roc’s Cakes, which will be located at 6 Jefferson St., joins a growing list of worker-owned IWW shops. The Red and Black Cafe in Portland, Oregon and Just Coffee in Madison, Wisconsin being two others.

“We are very happy that Bartertown and Roc’s Cakes has decided to go IWW and believe it can only help in our larger campaign to raise the standard of living and benefits for all food and beverage workers in Grand Rapids,” said Shannon Williams, Treasurer of the local IWW branch.

The Grand Rapids Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World has been involved in food service organizing for many years. From the IWW Starbucks Workers Union to the IWW Jimmy Johns Workers Union.

The Industrial Workers of the World is a rank-and-file labor union open to all workers.

http://grsbuxunion.blogspot.com/2011/05/local-worker-owned-restaurant-joins.html

[ellipsis]

duplicate post, please don't do this. global mod needs to merge threads

[Sosa]

or just delete this one. I couldn't find a way to delete it myself

[TheLeftStar]

Hail International Workers of the World. More power to Workers!

[syndicat]

International Workers of the World

it's Industrial Workers of the World

[theblackmask]

This really doesn't change the fact that restaurants are still an exploitative and unnecessary establishment.

http://libcom.org/library/abolish-restaurants

[RED DAVE]

This really doesn't change the fact that restaurants are still an exploitative and unnecessary establishment.

http://libcom.org/library/abolish-restaurantsOn that basis, should we call for the workers to quit the union, close the restaurant and ... ?

I also have to say, with regard to the OP, that this is hardly a major victory for the working class. Hopefully, though, like the Starbucks (http://www.starbucksunion.org/) and Jimmie Johns (http://www.jimmyjohnsworkers.org/) campaigns, it's a harbinger of future efforts.

RED DAVE

[NoOneIsIllegal]

It's a positive in a world of negatives at least :cool: I have a good friend who just moved to Grand Rapids, so I told her to check it out (plus, she's vegan, the restaurant I believe is vegan, you do the math....)

[DinodudeEpic]

Great! The cooperatives will spread and prosper while the corporations will fall! :thumbup1:

Seriously, I prefer a market of cooperatives then planned economies. Not saying that you support planned economies, but I just want to rub it in the face of the teabaggers! :lol:

[dernier combat]

Not saying that you support planned economies
But we do support democratically- and worker- run and planned economies...

[Blackscare]

But we do support democratically- and worker- run and planned economies...

Some of us do, others support the idea of reflexive/automated/'participatory' economics.

[dernier combat]

Some of us do, others support the idea of reflexive/automated/'participatory' economics.
What exactly is the difference? Forgive my stupidity.

[Reznov]

it's Industrial Workers of the World

lmao, yes it is.

Anyways, thisw is something positive I believe, it shows that organizations like the IWW can still mobilize the proletariats.

Now they need to start doing more action like this!