The IWW (Starbucks Workers Union) campaign to organize Starbucks has gone public at the Mall of America! Especially proud to be a wobbly this week.

Lots of other stuff happening. Summer's surprisingly busy.

Visto en | Kaos en la Red

During a Sunday in July, 1922, no less than twenty men spoke on the box at the corner of Jefferson and Madison streets; and as many topics were treated.  In the afternoon the following speakers shared the time.

1.  The meeting was opened by a man who borrowed a box from a nearby fruit stand.  He tried to get another man to speak first, so that he would not have to hurt his voice gathering the crowd, but no one cared to start.   He talked for twenty minutes about graft in the patent medicine trade.  He had a very catchy speech, well tempered with humor, and he gathered a big crowd.  Evidently he had made a study of the patent medicine business, and his speech was an "exposure" of the game.  He finished by selling some pamphlets dealing with the subject.

2.  The second speaker was an I.W.W. who talked for fifteen minutes on education.  He was a good talker, and held the crowd.  He would up by selling some I.W.W. literature and periodicals, in which the thoughts of economists had been reduced from the difficult academic language to the understanding of the man on the street.  He also passed out some old literature, i.e., old issues of Solidarity, an I.W.W. paper.

3.  Another I.W.W. talked twenty minutes on organization.  He argued that the rich man organizes and for that reason is successful.  He does not want the poor men at the bottom to organize, because he fears that he will not be able to keep them at the bottom.  He did not blame the rich man for organizing; he blamed the poor man for not organizing.  He gave some literature away and sold some.

4.  A speech on superstition followed.  It lasted twenty minutes, and was aimed at a mission group that was holding a meeting across the street.  The argument was that the Bible and the Church were the most powerful instruments in the hands of rich men for keeping the poor man down.  No collection was taken.

5.  A twenty-minute speech on the economic organization of industry was given by a man who took great pains to remind the crowd that he had spent seven years to learn all about it.  He made a plea for the co-operation of labor to combat the organization of capital.  No collection was taken.

6.  The next man argued that the unemployment problem was caused by two things--the overcrowding of population, and the concentration of wealth into the hands of a few; 85% of the people had but 15% of the wealth and 15% of the people had 85% of the wealth, or more than they could possible consume.  This man usually takes up a collection, on the grounds that he is physically handicapped, but on this occasion he did not.  He spoke for twenty minutes.

7.  No more speakers wanted the box, so a drunk got on the stand and asked for the attention of the crowd.  He furnished amusement for fifteen minutes.  He was witty, but was easily led from subject to subject.

No speaker talked long enough to bore the crowd.  Each speaker, when he had finished, yielded the box to his successor.  The crowd was a characteristic hobohemian gathering, willing to stand as long as they could be interested by some talk that touched their interests.  Like most such gatherings, it kept diminishing and increasing in size.  Some would stand in front and listen for an hour, while others would stop for only a few minutes on the outer edge of the gathering.  The reaction to the speakers was for the most part sympathetic.  Occassionally, a man on the sidelines would be seen to frown disapproval, but the custom is for those who are not interested to worm their way out of the group and go their way.

Soap Box Ethics and Tactics

While the sixth speaker of the above list was talking, the crowd was attracted to the side by a discussion between one of the previous speakers and another man.  The argument attracted so many listeners that the speaker became irritated; he called to one of the men engaged in the discussion--"Say, B--, do you think that's a square deal?"  Sorry, C--, I didn't know that we were disturbing you."  The crowd on the side dispersed and gathered around the speaker on the box.

Just as there are certain unwritten laws that are found in the [hobo] jungle camps, so there are unwritten laws that the soap-boxer observes.  Regardless of how much they differ in their schemes of reforming the world, they are seldom personal in their opposition to each other.  Soap-boxers behave toward each other when not on the box, much as lawyers do when they are out of the courtroom, and even while on the box they consider each others' interests.  The six speakers who took part in the above program were far from being of one mind, but they co-operated admirably in holding the crowd for each other and in dividing up the time.  Any one of them could have talked longer, but each one closed with some such statement as this:  "I'd like to talk longer on this subject, but there are other speakers here, and they have something to say that you might like to hear."

###

Nels Anderson, "Document 60: Notes on an Afternoon's Series of Talks," Ernest W. Burgess Papers–Other’s Work, Individual Students and Collaborators, Nels Anderson, Box 127, Folder 1.  Department of Special Collections, University of Chicago, Library.

RSI’s Themes:  One ETF pick today and it is the Mexico fund.  Stock picks were a mixed bag with a new pick,  Red Hat.  Remember when that was the red hot stock and market darling?  At the top of the Tech Bubble it traded close to $140/share.  Today it ended it $21.43.  Anyway RSI believes it has potential, but don't expect anything close to its record highs of eight years ago.  Again we are seeing a ton of falling knives as RSI detects some life in this group.  Please use caution.  As its name implies, you can get slashed.

ETF/CEF Medium Volatility:

• EWW - Mexico iShares

Stocks Low Volatility:

• ATT - AT&T Inc. - Sr Notes

Stocks Medium Volatility:

Stock Picks New to RSI:

• Red Hat, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides open source software solutions to enterprises.

ETF/CEF Catch a Falling Knife:

ADX    Adams Express Co.
DGT    SPDR DJ Global Titans ETF
DIA    Diamonds
EFA    EAFE Index iShares
EFG    iShare MSCI Growth
EFV    iShares MSCI Value
ETG    Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Global Dividend Income Fund
ETW    Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Global Buy-Write Opportunities Fund
EWG    Germany iShares
EWH    HongKong iShares
EWJ    Japan iShares
EWY    South Korea iShares
EXI    iShares S&P Global Industrials Sector Index Fund
FEU    streetTRACKS Dow Jones STOXX 50 Fund
FEZ    streetTRACKS Dow Jones Euro STOXX 50 Fund
FGF    Sun America Focused Alpha Growth Fund Inc.
IHF    iShares Dow Jones U.S. Healthcare Providers
IOO    S&P Glbl 100 iShares
ISI    iShares S&P 1500 Index Fund
ITF    TOPIX 150 Index iShares
IVE    S&P 500 Value iShares
IVV    S&P 500 iShares
IWB    Russell 1000 iShares
IWD    Russell 1000 Value iShares
IWV    Russell 3000 iShares
IWW    Russell 3000 Value iShares
IYC    Consumer iShares
IYK    Consumer Non-Cyc
IYY    Total Market iShares
IYZ    Telecom iShares
JKD    iShares Morningstar Large Core Index Fund
JKI    iShares Morningstar Mid Value Index Fund
KF    Korea Fund, Inc.
NYC    iShares NYSE Composite Index Fund
OEF    S&P 100 Index Fund - iShares
PPA    PowerShares Aerospace and Defense Portfolio
PRF    PowerShares FTSE RAFI U.S. 1000 Portfolio
PWV    Powershares Dynamic Large Cap
SCD    LMP Capital and Income Fund Inc.
SPY    S&P 500 SPDRs
TTF    Thai Fund, Inc.
TTH    Telecom Holders
VEU    Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US
VGK    Vanguard European VIPERs
VO    Vanguard Mid Cap VIPERs
VOX    Vanguard Telecommunication Services VIPERs
VTV    Vanguard Value VIPERs
VV    Vanguard Large Cap VIPERs
XLG    Rydex Russell Top 50
XLI    Industrials Select Sector SPDR

I didn't filter this list so here is the full 50 count.  Use this list with caution.  Talk to you tomorrow.

This September the Republican National Convention is coming to St Paul, MN...it is our chance to let whoever gets into the white house in November know:

Rising fuel prices are putting us out of business!

Rising fuel prices don't just effect drivers - they effect everyone when the higher costs are passed on to consumers in the price of food, the price of clothing, and other essentials!

It is time the US Government begins focusing on economic issues at home!

When Shell and Exxon Mobile are raking in record profits, drivers and consumers are getting squeezed out!

JOIN US ON THE HIGHWAY SEPTEMBER 2ND TO SAY ENOUGH! DRIVERS AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE CAN'T FOOT THE BILL FOR SURGING OIL SPECULATION!

Meeting Place and Time: Sept 2nd (Time To Be Announced)
Ikea Parking Lot Entrance on 22nd Ave and Lindau LN.
Maps and routes will be handed out at the starting point.

Protest Organizers

Contact Information:

SUPPORTERS

Arkansas Independent Truck Drivers Association
Director: Karaga "Red" Jackson

Poor Peoples Economic Fight For Life
Lead Organizer: Cheri Honkala

http://urlet.com/reserved.preface

http://truckersandcitizensunited.theamericandriver.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=28

RSI’s Themes:  RSI's fund picks represent foreign debt, materials and Mexico.  The stock picks are in the healthcare and industrial goods sectors.  I cannot make any sense of a theme form all this.  Got an idea?

ETF/CEF Low Volatility:

• ESD - Western Asset Emerging Markets Debt Fund Inc.
• XLB - Materials Select Sector SPDR

ETF/CEF Medium Volatility:

• EWW - Mexico iShares

These three funds haven't burned up the charts but they still may do better going forward.

Stocks Medium Volatility:

• COV - Covidien Ltd.
• VMI - Valmont Industries, Inc.

As you can see from the chart, Valmont was up huge today +16%....don't chase after it.  FYI -  it was first picked by RSI on our Dec. 20th and then again in February, April and May of this year.

ETF/CEF Catch a Falling Knife (CFK):

AGD    Alpine Global Dynamic Dividend Fund
DLS    Wisdom Tree International Small Cap Dividend Fund
DOO    Wisdom Tree International Dividend Top 100 Fund
DTH    Wisdom Tree DIEFA High Yielding Equity Fund
DWM    Wisdom Tree DIEFA Fund
EFA    EAFE Index iShares
EFV    iShares MSCI Value
EVV    Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund
EWG    Germany iShares
EWH    HongKong iShares
EWI    Italy iShares
EWK    Belgium iShares
EWL    Switzerland iShares
EWQ    France iShares
EWU    United Kingdom iShares
ICF    Realty Major iShares
IEV    Europe 350 iShares
IWD    Russell 1000 Value iShares
IWM    Russell 2000 iShares
IWW    Russell 3000 Value iShares
JKF    iShares Morningstar Large Value Index Fund
KIE    SPDR KBW Insurance Index ETF
PBW    Powershares Wilderhill Clean Energy Portfolio
PPA    PowerShares Aerospace and Defense Portfolio
RWX    SPDR DJ Wilshire Intl Real Estate Index ETF
VBR    Vanguard Small Cap Value VIPERs
XLY    Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR

This gaggle again represents all the fallen sectors that RSI believes will recover from their decline.  Remember, CFK funds are not recommended.

I'll blog you next Monday PM....have a great weekend.

For some time now we've noticed that old enemies of the void, Starbucks, have been using the notorious Eye in the Pyramid logo on some of their stores. Are they trying to tell us that they are a secret front group for sinister satanists, the Illuminati?

Who fucking cares, but sticking Illuminati in the title always pulls the google punters in.

Luckily some folk are fighting back. Last weekend saw the International Day of Action against the union busting planet fuckers. Protests were held around the world focussing on the sacking of workers who've attempted to organise the underpaid and mistreated Starbucks baristas.

London Solidarity Federation joined with London IWW on Saturday to picket the flagship 2 story Starbucks in New Oxford St. The picket resulted in half of customers deciding to choose somewhere to slurp their Lattes.

Starbucks are very much on the rocks with news that they will be closing 600 stores in the US next year. We suspect they won't be missed.

Meanwhilethe Satanists at Starbucks have been upsetting nutty Christians with their new retro style logo which is not this:

We just quite liked it. It's actually this:

San Diego based Christian group, strangely named The Resistance, says the new logo:

"has a naked woman on it with her legs spread like a prostitute,"

With Mark Dice, founder of the group, adding:

"Need I say more? It's extremely poor taste, and the company might as well call themselves Slutbucks."

Which is what we'll be calling the heathens from now on.

*void disclaimer: the Illuminati do not fucking exist.

El continente americano estuvo plagado de protestas. En Estados Unidos el sindicato IWW organizó acciones en: Phoenix, Nueva York, Gran Rapids, Philadelphia, Rochester, Burlington, Salt Lake City, Boston, Fresno, Tempe, Los Angeles y Chicago.

En Brasil, la COB-AIT, ante la imposibilidad de concentrarse en las cafeterías por estar dentro de centros comerciales privados, optó por realizar acciones rápidas y abandonar el lugar y posteriormente informar al público desde fuera. En Chile, el colectivo Voz Negra realizó varias acciones en Santiago de Chile en repudio de las prácticas anti-sindicales de la multinacional. En Argentina, la FORA-AIT organizó piquetes en Buenos Aires con el apoyo de la Red Libertaria.

En Europa, además del estado español, las actividades fueron especialmente intensas en Alemania. La FAU-IAA, sección alemana de la Asociación Internacional de Trabajadores, organizó piquetes frente a 40 establecimientos en 16 ciudades, entre ellas: Aachen, Berlín, Bonn, Braunschweig, Bremen, Darmstadt, Dortmund, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt/Main, Münster, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg y Wuppertal. En Suiza, Systembruch realizó una concentración y reparto de panfletos en Zug. En Austria, el sindicato FAS informó a trabajadores y consumidores en los ocho establecimientos de la multinacional en Viena. En Reino Unido, los compañeros de Solidarity Federation (Sección de la AIT en Reino Unido) y de la IWW, hicieron piquetes en varias cafeterías de Londres, Brighton, Manchester, Birmingham y Bristol. En Irlanda, el grupo Workers Solidarity Movement reunió a unos 50 activistas en Dublín que distribuyeron miles de panfletos en 5 cafeterías. Otros tantos realizaron acciones similares en Belfast (junto al grupo Organise!) y en Cork.

En Polonia, la Unión de Sindicalistas de Polonia (ZSP) se concentró frente a la sede de la empresa AmRest - American Restaurants que lleva la gestión de las marcas Pizza Hut, KFC y Starbucks, y entregaron una carta a la gerencia solicitando la readmisión de los despedidos. Starbucks todavía no está implantada en Polonia pero está previsto abrir una cafetería a lo largo de este año. En Rusia, CRAS-AIT informa que militantes anarcosindicalistas llenaron las instalaciones de Starbucks en Moscú con pegatinas haciendo referencia a la política anti-sindical de la empresa. Otras organizaciones, como la USI, Prima Akcia y la NSF (Secciones italiana, eslovaca y noruega de la AIT), enviaron faxes de protesta a intereses empresariales en su territorio, mensajes de solidaridad con los despedidos y han divulgado el conflicto en sus respectivos países.

Oceanía no quedó al margen. En Australia una veintena de solidarios pertenecientes a la IWW, la ASF (Sección de la AIT en Australia), el Club Anarquista de Melbourne, y Union Solidarity, se concentraron frente al Starbucks principal de Melbourne informando hasta dejar la cafetería prácticamente vacía a pesar de la fuerte presencia policial. En Nueva Zelanda un nutrido grupo de activistas, repartió gratuitamente café de comercio justo en Christchurch e informó al público sobre las deleznables prácticas de la empresa.

Los motivos de la protesta: El 24 de abril, Mónica, barista afiliada al Sindicato de Comercio de Sevilla la Confederación Nacional del Trabajo, fue despedida en respuesta a su continua práctica sindical. Unos días más tarde, el 6 de junio, Cole Dorsey, delegado sindical del Sindicato de Trabajadores de Starbucks de los IWW (Industrial Workers of The World) en Gran Rapids, Michigan (Estados Unidos), era despedido mientras preparaba acciones de protesta ante el despido de Mónica y la discriminación sindical en su establecimiento.

Ante la globalización de la economía y la transnacionalización de las empresas, la resistencia obrera no puede hacer otra cosa que internacionalizarse. Entre las secciones de la Asociación Internacional de Trabajadores (a la que se encuentra adherida la CNT española) y los Trabajadores Industriales del Mundo (IWW) han puesto en marcha una campaña con el objeto de conseguir la readmisión de ambos trabajadores.

El futuro de la campaña

Los organizadores de la campaña, el Sindicato de Comercio y Hostelería de la CNT-AIT de Sevilla y el Sindicato de Trabajadores de Starbucks de Gran Rapids de los IWW, consideran un éxito la convocatoria y anuncian nuevas acciones hasta que los sindicalistas no sean readmitidos. Recuerdan a los trabajadores que se organicen en sindicatos de base y hacer uso de las redes de solidaridad internacional, siendo la mejor forma de defender sus derechos laborales.

Agradecimientos: Desde el Sindicato de Comercio y Hostelería de la CNT-AIT de Sevilla y el Sindicato de Trabajadores de Starbucks de los IWW, queremos agradecer la solidaridad e implicación de las siguientes organizaciones:

• CNT-AIT (España)
• IWW (Estados Unidos e Internacional)
• AIT-Asociación Internacional de Trabajadores (Internacional)
• FAU-IAA (Sección de la AIT en Alemania)
• Solidarity Federation-AIT (Sección de la AIT en Reino Unido)
• Sindicato de Artes e Ofícios Vários de São Paulo. COB-AIT (Sección de la AIT en Brasil)
• Unione Syndicale Italiana-AIT (Sección de la AIT en Italia)
• Workers Solidarity Movement (Irlanda)
• Organise! (Irlanda)
• Föderation des Arbeiterlnnen-Syndikate. FAS (Austria)
• Systembruch (Suiza)
• Prima Akcia-AIT (Sección de la AIT en Eslovaquia)
• Voz Negra (Chile)
• Federación Obrera de la Región Argentina-AIT (Sección de la AIT en Argentina)
• Red Libertaria de Buenos Aires
• NSF (Sección de la AIT en Noruega)
• ASF (Sección de la AIT en Australia)
• Melbourne Anarchist Club (Australia)
• Union Solidarity (Australia)
• ZSP (Polonia)
• KRAS-AIT (Sección de la AIT en Rusia)
• Melbourne Anarchist Club (Australia)
• Union Solidarity (Australia)

My office is based in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine.  I'm also the winner of the 2008 SBA Home-Based Business Champ for Maine and New England.  My services are free to micro and small businesses.

My goal for this blog is help micro and small business grow!!  I will be looking for your ideas and comments.  Have a question just ask it.  This is forum for all of us.  You also have great information to share about your business experience. Plus I will post information updates, links, articles and more to help you grow your business!!

Thanks,

James Macomber

Föredragen var varierande och väckte många tankar och diskussioner. Några jag var på handlade om:

SUFs kampanj Arbetarungdomar slår tillbaka.

Den fackliga reorganiseringen som pågår inom SACs olika lokala samorganisationer, i syfte att öka självorganiseringen ute på arbetsplatserna.

Ett historiskt föredrag om syndikalister och andra radikala fackliga aktivister i Västervikstrakten under tidigt 1900-tal.

Anatole Dolgoff pratade om hur det var att växa upp under samma tid i New York med anarkistiska föräldrar aktiva i IWW. IWW var en slagkraftig revolutionärt sinnad organisation. Till skillnad från övriga amerikanska fackföreningar organiserade man i första hand den oskolade, lägst betalda arbetskraften. Wobblies som dom kallades var inte sällan imigrantarbetare eller deras barn, man struntade i dom rasbarriärer som annars helt definierade landet vid denna tid. Och man hade många aktiva och stridbara kvinnor som talare, organisatörer och aktivister. Således tillhör IWW den syndikalistiska tradition som inte bara i ord, utan genom organisation och handling, hävdar att arbetarklassen klarar sig bäst utan gränser. Nationalitet, så kallad ras och kön är alla kategorier som i bästa fall är ointressanta och i sämsta fall splittrar oss. One Big Union var istället IWWs motto.

En representant från Autonoma Kärnan pratade om händelserna under det Italienska 70-talet. Ett kunnigt och intressant föredrag om en ytterst spännande, viktig, men ganska bortglömd tid. Detta ämne har jag skrivit ett tjockt specialarbete om när jag gick på komvux, och många gånger känt mig lockad att skriva en bok eller novellsamling om (men inser att förarbetet skulle bli för massivt). Så om du också tycker det är intressant med den militanta arbetarkampen i de italienska fabrikerna där arbetarna började bestämma sin egen arbetstid och uppfann en mängd nya kreativa kampformer, den nya kvinnorörelse som föddes där, dom jättelika så kallade självreduktionskampanjer genom vilka folk tillsammans sänkte priserna på allt från elräkningar till kollektivtrafiksbiljetter, BZ-rörelsens födelse eller den ungdomliga autonomiarörelsen. Då tycker jag att du ska kontakta Autonoma Kärnan och fråga efter deras föredrag.

Sist men inte minst kom två kvinnor från Malmö LS och berättade om den konflikt med en arbetsköpare som misshandlade sin anställde, som nu resulterat i att 26 strejkvakter blivit åtalade i en brottsmålsprocess. Om denna konflikt och framförallt dom absurda konsekvenserna -att strejkvakter i en varslad konflikt angrips fysiskt av polis, häktas och anmäls till tingsrätten. En situation unik i modern tid. Om Malmöpolisens kampanj mot syndikalistiska strejker under senare tid, där man med våld lagt sig i fackliga konflikter och ställt sig på arbetsköparnas sida. Om den speciella Malmöanda som möjliggjort händelseutvecklingen: en närmast korporativistisk socialdemokrati som känner sig mer än hotad av att ett självständigt fack utanför deras kontroll tillåter sig att ställa krav, och en högerradikalt färgad poliskår med en tradition av att hata vänstern och se det kommunistiska spöket överallt. Om en arbetsmarknad där servicessektorn, och inte minst restaurangbranchen, idag 2008 präglas av maktfullkomliga arbetsköpare, som tycker att de har rätt att hota och misshandla arbetarna, använda slavarbetskraft, och många gånger också har försänkningar i maffia eller annan organiserad brottslighet. Om kampanjen Malmö 26. Själv ska jag inte skriva mer om detta här och nu. Istället planerar jag att skriva en artikel om det, för dessa händelser förtjänar verkligen att föras fram i ljuset.

Slutligen gjorde jag det jag var där för, och höll själv ett föredrag. Titeln var Anti-fascistisk hisoria. Men det rörde sig om något mer begränsat, modern svensk anti-fascistisk historia från 1980-talet och framåt.

Jag berättade bland annat om det ökade behovet av självförsvar för en social och anarkistisk vänstermiljö som vid slutet av 80-talet utsattes för allt fler och grövre fysiska attacker från den nyvaknade fascist-miljön. Om tidsandan med en smygande kris som officiellt inte fanns, invandrarna som blev syndabock, ett ökande våld mot enskilda, brinnande flyktingförläggningar och rena mord från fasciströrelsens aktivister och sympatisörer. Fast ord som fascist eller nazist vågade inte tv-reportrarna säga. På 30 november stod därför konflikten officiellt mellan "karl den tolfte fans" och "anti-demonstranter". Jag berättade om dom små lokalgrupper som föddes ur nödvändigheten överallt i landet och kom samman som nätverk när dom upptäcte att dom fanns överallt. Om stora konfrontationer kring 30 november, Hessmarcherna, SDs valturné men också om skolpresentationer, basarbete och kampanjerna mot dom lokaler nazisterna hade, tidningsförsäljningen och den fascistiska rörelsens kassako, musikproduktionen.

Man kan se många intressanta mönster när man betraktar 90-talet i ett historiskt ljus. Ett är en fascist-rörelse på flykt under hela årtiondet: inställda, avbrutna eller flyttade tidningsutdelningar, demonstrationer och manifestationer, stängda lokaler. Ett annat är en stark folklig mobilisering till den militanta anti-fascismen. Gång på gång; i Malmö, Lund, Växjö, Stockholm, Roskilde, Greve och på många andra platser, fick vi se lokalbefolkningen strömma till och genom sitt antal möjliggöra dom anti-fascistiska framgångarna. Och gång på gång fick vi höra samma märkliga budskap i media: lokalbefolkningen är rädda, nyfikna ur allmänheten tittar på eller flyr. Konflikten beskrevs som en helt opolitisk intern uppgörelse mellan två kriminella extremistgäng, utan socialt sammanhang.

För mig verkar denna desinformation och demonisering i media tillsammans med den fysiska och rättsliga repressionen mot anti-fascister, som var som allra starkast under andra halvan av 90-talet, ha ett klart samband med våra framgångar. Genom inte minst 30 novenber 91, och den stora organiseringsvåg som följde i dess kölvatten, vände vi faktiskt trenden för den fascistiska rörelsen i Sverige. Innan detta datum surfade den på en framgångsvåg, efter detta datum var den i praktiken på flykt. Men det innebar också att vi mobiliserade/uppviglade människor att ta sina problem i egna händer och att gå ut på gatorna och visa att det var nog. Detta uppfattades säkerligen uppifrån som ett hot. Vi skulle kunna få med oss folk även i andra frågor eller, ännu hemskare tanke, inspirera dom att agera självständigt även i andra frågor.

De som idag säger att det är dom militanta anti-fascisternas fel att den folkliga mobiliseringen har minskat i samband med fascistdemonstrationer, är samma personer som på den tiden försökte stoppa den folkliga mobiliseringen. Genom att uppmana folk att "reagera" endast genom att tiga och vända ryggen till. Att agera eller ens yttra sig emot fasciströrelsen fick man absolut inte.

Mitt föredrag med efterföljande debatt pågick i en och en halv timme. Sen var jag tvungen att dra med bussen, men diskussionen fortsatte. Det var jättekul att märka intresset för dessa frågor.

Slutligen vill jag tacka arrangörerna för ett otroligt välplanerat arrangemang med god mat, tid för fritid, och stimulerande föredrag att ta med sig tillbaka i vardagen igen. Tack också alla trevliga kamrater, både er jag kände innan och er jag nu lärt känna. Hoppas ni alla får en fortsatt fin sommar!

pdf

(Source: Bibliothèque et Archives du Canada)

***

The Workers' Marseillaise

Ye sons of toil, awake to glory!
Hark, hark, what myriads bid you rise;
Your children, wives and grandsires hoary
Behold their tears and hear their cries!
Behold their tears and hear their cries!
Shall hateful tyrants mischief breeding,
With hireling hosts, a ruffian band–
Affright and desolate the land,
While peace and liberty lie bleeding?

Chorus
To arms! to arms! ye brave!
Th' avenging sword unsheathe!
March on, march on, all hearts resolved
On Victory or Death.

With luxury and pride surrounded,
The vile, insatiate despots dare,
Their thirst for gold and power unbounded
To mete and vend the light and air,
To mete and vend the light and air,
Like beasts of burden, would they load us,
Like gods would bid their slaves adore,
But man is man, and who is more?
Then shall they longer lash and goad us? 

0, Liberty can man resign thee?
Once having felt thy generous flame,
Can dungeon's bolts and bars confine thee?
Or whips, thy noble spirit tame?
Or whips, thy noble spirit tame?
Too long the world has wept bewailing,
That Falsehood's dagger tyrants wield;
But Freedom is our sword and shield;
And all their arts are unavailing!

(Extrait de l'IWW Songbook, 19° édition, 1923)

Voir aussi:

• Préambules à la Constitution des IWW (1905 & 1908)
• The Little Red Songbook (1916)
• One big union of all the workers : the greatest thing on earth, by the I.W.W. (1917) pdf
• The One Big Union Monthly N° 1 (1919)
• Anciens pamphlets des IWW

From John Dos Passos' novel 1919:

Joe Hill

A young Swede named Hillstrom went to sea, got himself calloused hands on sailingships and tramps, learned English in the focastle of the steamers that make the run from Stockholm to Hull, dreamed the Swede's dream of the west;

when he got to America they gave him a job polishing cuspidors in a Bowery saloon.

He moved west to Chicago and worked in a machine shop.

He moved west and followed the harvest, hung around employment agencies, paid out many a dollar for a job in a construction camp, walked out many a mile when the grub was too bum, or the boss too tough, or too many bugs in the bunkhouse;

read Marx and the I.W.W. Preamble and dreamed about forming the structure of the new society within the shell of the old.

He was in California for the S.P. strike (Casey Jones, two locomotives, Casey Jones), used to play the concertina outside the bunkhouse door, after supper, evenings, (Longhaired preachers came out every night), had a knack for setting rebel words to tunes (And the union makes us strong).

Along the coast in cookshacks flophouses jungles wobblies hoboes bindlestiffs began singing Joe Hill's songs. They sang 'em in the county jails of the State of Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, in the bullpens in Montana and Arizona, sang 'em in Walla Walla, San Quentin and Leavenworth,

forming the structure of the new society within the jails of the old.

At Bingham, Utah, Joe Hill organized the workers of the Utah Construction Company in the One Big Union, won a new wage scale, shorter hours, better grub. (The angel Moroni didn't like labororganizers any better than the Southern Pacific did.)

The angel Moroni moved the hearts of the Mormons to decide it was Joe Hill shot a grocer named Morrison. The Swedish consul and President Wilson tried to get him a new trial but the angel Moroni moved the hearts of the supreme court of the State of Utah to sustain the verdict of guilty. He was in jail a year, went on making up songs. In November 1915 he was stood up against the wall in the jail yard in Salt Lake City.

"Don't mourn for me organize," was the last word he sent out to the workingstiffs of the I.W.W. Joe Hill stood up against the wall of the jail yard, looked into the muzzles of the guns and gave the word to fire.

They put him in a black suit, put a stiff collar around his neck and a bow tie, shipped him to Chicago for a bangup funeral, and photographed his handsome stony mask staring into the future.

The first of May they scattered his ashes to the wind.

By EMILY RISTOW – 28 minutes ago

LONDON (AP) — Hundreds of truckers drove to Britain's Parliament on Wednesday to protest the rising cost of fuel.

Police closed a section of a highway into the capital to let the trucks gather, then escorted the 200 trucks in convoys of 20 into the center of town. Dozens of protesters on foot gathered outside the Houses of Parliament, waiting to go inside to lobby members of Parliament and holding placards that said "Fair Play on Fuel."

http://urlet.com/keno.sensitive

Millions of Indian truckers go on strike to protest rising fuel prices, road tolls

The Associated Press Published: July 2, 2008

 NEW DELHI: Millions of truck drivers went on strike across India on Wednesday to protest rising fuel prices and road tolls, union leaders said, in a move that could paralyze much of the Indian economy.

http://urlet.com/gold.auditing

As you probably know, the fair city of St Paul, Minnesota has the unlucky distinction of hosting the Republican National Convention this coming Labor Day weekend. We are writing to invite all North American wobs who can't afford to go to GA in London to come to the Twin Cities for an Anti-Capitalist Bloc in the Anti-War March on September first + optional direct action components throughout the convention.

In order to communicate a message against the capitalist system and not against the Republican Party, we call on you to join us in the tradition of the Anarcho-Syndicalist and Libertarian Socialist Unions of Western Europe. In Spain, Italy, France, and Sweden revolutionary unions including the CNT, the CGT, the SAC, and USI unify workers who reject the capitalist system in broad and effective demonstrations/ direct actions that reflect worker power from the shop floor onto the streets.

We seek to create a parallel Anti-Capitalist Movement in North America. We believe that rather than detracting from the primary focus of the IWW, a strong Anti-Capitalist Movement in the Americas would support and complement industrial and shop floor organizing.

We've heard from several IWW members individually to say that they are coming to town during the RNC - please get in touch with us if you're planning to come! We want to get a sense of how many IWW members are going to be here so we can plan accordingly - whether you're interested in participating in the bloc or not, we'll help you get set up with transportation/ places to stay, plug into actions and strategies, connect you with legal support/jail solidarity, and hopefully use the RNC as a springboard to move Twin Cities organizing campaigns forward with the support of wobblies from other areas of the US (or elsewhere).

If you have any other questions or are interested in organizing the bloc, please let us know. You can email us at anticapbloc@ iww.org.

If there's anyone else you think should get this email, please forward it to them.

Solidarity,
Anti-Capitalist Bloc Organizing Committee,
Twin Cities GMB

The store closures are likely to please Wall Street, which has called for more store shutdowns and swifter spending cuts.

So what does this represent? Well it is the culmination of Starbuck’s general strategy. They have expanded and expanded throughout the US as if they were some kind of monstrous blob. But now that they’ve devoured the whole country and eviscerated their competitors, Starbucks is loosing profitability in some of its stores. This is not a surprise since they deliberately over saturate an area in order to drive out competitors. Starbucks directly owns its stores so branches don’t have to make money to stay in business. Now that most of its competitors have either died or adapted, Starbucks no longer needs its excess stores or its excess employees. The article concurs.

But last year, as Starbucks sales began to soften, it became clear that the company's growth was cannibalizing its sales in a way that was threatening the chain's success, as well as causing the quality at existing locations to slip. Analysts have said that Starbucks lowered the bar on selecting new locations in recent years.

This is oh so hilarious, as Starbucks has long clung to its reputation as one of the “best” places to work. Of course the kind folks at the IWW beg to differ. They’ve been organizing Starbucks locations for years now, with varying degrees of success. But one thing is always the same; Starbucks comes in to brutally bust that union as fast as a cheetah shot out of a cannon.

Starbucks never did and never will care about its baristas. People have deluded themselves into viewing this as some sort of benign company. No company is benign. Capitalism, no matter the form, is always exploitative. Often the friendliest of corporate images cover up the most sinister of corporate practices.

Comic vom Anfang des 20. Jhd. im Umfeld der IWW

Hier geht dieser immer noch aktuelle Comic weiter.

Nous avons numérisé au format pdf le premier numéro du One Big Union Monthly, édité le 1° mars 1919 à Chicago par les I.W.W.

*

La rapide accumulation de la richesse et de la concentration de l'administration des industries dans un nombre de mains de plus en plus réduit rend les Trade Unions incapables de lutter contre la puissance toujours croissante de la classe patronale, parce que les Trade Unions favorisent un état de choses qui permet d'opposer une catégorie d'ouvriers à une autre catégorie dans la même Industrie, et de les employer les uns contre les autres dans les guerres de salaires. Les Trade Unions aident la classe patronale à entretenir les ouvriers dans la croyance erronée que la classe ouvrière a des intérêts qui lui sont communs avec la classe des patrons.

Ces tristes conditions ne peuvent être changées et les intérêts de la classe ouvrière ne peuvent être efficacement défendus que par une organisation formée de telle façon que tous ses membres dans une industrie quelconque, ou dans toutes les industries s'il est nécessaire, cessent le travail lorsqu'il y a une grève ou un lockout dans n'importe quelle section de cette organisation, faisant ainsi de l'injure d'un seul l'injure de tous.

(Traduction de la Vie ouvrière publiée en 1911.)

La classe ouvrière et la classe patronale n'ont rien de commun. Il ne peut y avoir de paix aussi longtemps que la faim et le besoin seront le partage de millions de travailleurs, pendant que la minorité, qui compose la classe des patrons, possède tous les biens de la vie.

Entre ces deux classes il doit y avoir lutte, jusqu'à ce que les ouvriers du monde entier s'organisent comme classe, prennent possession de la terre et des instruments de production, et abolissent le système du salariat.

Nous trouvons que la concentration de l'administration des industries dans un nombre de mains de plus en plus réduit rend les Trade Unions incapables de lutter avec la puissance toujours croissante de la classe patronale. Les Trade Unions favorisent un état de choses qui permet d'opposer une catégorie d'ouvriers à une autre catégorie dans la même industrie, et de les employer les unes contre les autres dans les guerres de salaires. En outre, les Trade Unions aident la classe patronale à entretenir les ouvriers dans la croyance erronée que la classe ouvrière a des intérêts qui lui sont communs avec la classe des patrons.

Ces conditions ne peuvent être changées et les intérêts de la classe ouvrière ne peuvent être efficacement défendus que par une organisation formée de telle façon que tous ses membres, dans une industrie quelconque, ou dans toutes les industries s'il est nécessaire, cessent le travail lorsqu'il y a une grève ou un lock-out dans n'importe quelle section de cette organisation, faisant ainsi de l'injure d'un seul l'injure de tous.

Au lieu de la devise conservatrice : A fair day's wages for a fair day's work [« Un juste salaire pour une journée de travail consciencieuse »] nous devons inscrire sur notre drapeau le mot d'ordre révolutionnaire : Abolition du salariat.

La mission historique de la classe ouvrière est de supprimer le capitalisme. L'armée des producteurs doit être organisée non seulement pour la lutte quotidienne contre les capitalistes, mais aussi pour prendre en mains la production quand le capitalisme aura été renversé. En nous organisant par industries, nous formons la structure de la nouvelle société à l'intérieur même de l'ancienne.

(Traduction dans IWW et syndicalisme révolutionnaire aux États-Unis de Larry Portis, Spartacus, 1985).

Voir aussi:

• Industrial Unionism: Selected Editorials, D. De Leon (1905-1906)
• The I.W.W.: a study of American syndicalism, Brissenden (1919)
• Joe Hill: L’IWW et la Création d’une contre-culture ouvrière révolutionnaire, Rosemont (2002)
• Note sur les IWW, Parti socialiste du Canada
• 1917, la répression s'abat sur les IWW, Alternative libertaire (2007)

RALLY AT THE GABLES JUNE 22ND EXIT 77 Off I 81 at 2pm We are talking about whats going on for Harrisburg.

TACU Is Rolling on Harrisburg PA, JUNE 23rd. at 8:30 am.
Join us at the Gables I 81 exit 77 At 6:30 am we are Coordinating the Convoy. We are Leaving Gables truck Stop 8:30 am Sharp to go To Harrisburg, PA We are bringing the fight back to Harrisburg, PA. 1. To end the I-80 toll issue. 2. Stop the lease of the P.A Turnpike 3. The Ongoing fight to lower fuel costs   

Chicago Daily Tribune, November 12, 1916, p. 4

"REDS" RECALL HANGING WITH SOCIAL EVENT

Meeting at East End Hall Attended by Anarchists Big and Little.

Flowing black ties and wavy hair to match were in evidence at East End Hall, 635 North Clark street, last night when the anarchists of Chicago met in a social gathering to commemorate the twenty-ninth anniversary of the Haymarket riot which resulted in the hanging of four anarchists. Speakers of nationalist and internationalist renown in anarchist circles told of brethren now in jails in various parts of the country for breaking the capitalists' law.

Four and 5 year old anarchists toddled about the hall claiming fierce eyed men for fathers and mild eyed women for mothers. Sprinkled here and there in the audience were university students gathering material for themes.

Ben Reitman Presides.

Ben Reitman presided, and his heavy voice resounded throughout the hall despite the many arguments and discussions, in as many different languages, which sometimes discouraged the speechmakers. In turn, Miss Emma Goldman, anarchist; Mrs. Albert J. Parsons, "wife of the anarchist murdered in the county jail"; William Haywood general organizer for the I.W.W., and Edward J. Morgan, representing the street car workers of San Francisco, were introduced amid handclapping and arguments.

A little girl spoke a piece and a German singing society sang some songs.

Stenographer on Job.

A stenographer took down every word uttered to forestall the police department, which always has a stenographer present. The hope is that some day the two stenographers will disagree.

Following the announcement of a number of meetings Sunday morning, Ben Reitman said: "Every one of you should attend these meetings. There is no excuse now for any of you to go to church Sunday."

###

Photo credit: Dr. Ben L. Reitman, 1908, DN-0052268, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society.

We are ready to take Albany, NY

Truckers and Citizens United of New York

New Yorkers and American citizens are asked attend this Protest The Issues at hand does effect us all.

Fight for Lower fuel costs!!

Fight to get rid of the Ton mile tax !!

Protest DATE: June 19th, 2008, 8:00am (EST)
LOCATION Our convoy will assemble in Fultonville (the base will be at the Betty Beaver Truck Stop)

Thursday June 19 and hit the road at 9:00 AM sharp. We expect to parade down State Street in Albany by 10:00 AM and encircle the Capitol Building. Join us at any point along the way in your own vehicle! Be heard! Be seen! Take back our state!

ATTENTION TRUCKERS - FOR CONVOY DETAILS AND MORE INFORMATION (INCLUDING TOLL REIMBURSMENT) CALL (800) 724-5345

Contact Info For More Information please contact: NY Reps
Charles Claburn Director TACU:NY - 518-810-1776
Paul Looman - 518-774-0997
Bill Sutton - 585-300-7327

Also reach our National reps at:
Mark Kirsch Director TACU 717-717-821-2013
Ronald Wenger 717-821-6237
Leon Martin -717-507-6587

www.truckersandcitizensunited.net 

But Gramuglia said at a recent meeting, city leaders raised concerns about the convoy blocking police and fire vehicles in the event of an emergency.

"They said under no circumstances do they want the trucks in the city. They said if they get word of a convoy they are going to blockade the city," he said.

http://urlet.com/nearly.dinner