Any IWW members online?

[Red_Banner]

I am thinking of joining the IWW.

What have your experiences been like with them?

Any advice?

[The Feral Underclass]

We have a large solid branch in Sheffield, England and we have a few good organising campaigns and a regional office. A lot of my friends (people who I've been organising politically with for seven years) are also in it, so it's a lot of fun too.

This is probably unique and your experience will vary from branch to branch. Some are really active, some are not. If you want to get involved with syndicalism, but don't want to join an anarchist union then the IWW is pretty good.

I have various political issues with the IWW. My main issue being the way some members and the union in general fetishise form over content, but this is the limitation of any union.

[Os Cangaceiros]

Well I'm a relatively new addition to the organization, but I've always had respect for the historical legacy of IWW. The IWW branch here is trying to just get on it's feet, get a good core group of 20-30 members and then go from there & try to engage locally when and how we can. I've been pretty impressed with the caliber of people involved in the organization thus far, it seems like a good protean mix of people who are primarily attracted to the revolutionary message of the organization but may not have much experience with organized labor (aka students, mostly), and unionists/labor folks with many years of experience in union organization like in the local wildfire fighters/"smoke jumpers" union and other industries.

Plus it gives me the benefit of talking and strategizing with people about my own industry, which I've always wanted to do but have never really had the chance to.

[Art Vandelay]

Some wobblies tried to recruit me once after I ran into them in a pub in Toronto and ended up getting drunk and talking politics till the pub was closing down and we were the only ones left as the employees were closing up. I came pretty close to getting in contact and joining them, this was before I was in the CWI. Overall I think they're a positive group, with a great historical legacy and if you think that there is some tangible benefit in you joining, I'd say go for it.

[bcbm]

are there any active campaigns in your area or enough potential members to start one? if you're just joining to get a red card and a newspaper, i wouldn't bother. if there is actual activity, go to some meetings and see how serious/effective they are and decide if it is something you would like to be a part of.

i have been a member twice. the first time was basically for the red card and newspaper; there was no organizing happening here and most of the wobblies around my area worked at the one 'union shop' which was more of a cooperative, or were just syndicalists with a historical fetish. the second time was during a campaign to organize my workplace which was stalled at the time i stopped going to meetings and, checking in infrequently, doesn't seem to have progressed much farther since. i admire that group for being more active and having a go, but they still seemed to attract the syndicalist with a historical element and a mishmash of leftist types and did not to me seem to have any potential to actually organize my job, so i quit.

[Ceallach_the_Witch]

There was an active branch in Hull until about a decade ago, but as far as I know it's pretty much been silent since

[Os Cangaceiros]

are there any active campaigns in your area or enough potential members to start one? if you're just joining to get a red card and a newspaper, i wouldn't bother. if there is actual activity, go to some meetings and see how serious/effective they are and decide if it is something you would like to be a part of.

^I definitely agree with that.