It is not often easy to be a founder of a new chapter of an organization (and for that matter, it is not easy to be the first organizer on the shop floor).  Here are some of the experiences you may encounter:
 
(A) There is no group in your community or industry.  The nearest local / chapter is located too far away or is inaccessible.  You'd like to organize your workplace, but no IWW branch is accessible.  Perhaps no other union will help you either, especially if they only represent workers in an industry besides the one you're currently working in.  Maybe you'd like to provide a union for others who may face a similar situation.
 
(B) You are a member of a mainstream union, but would like to form a more radical, rank & file democratic caucus.  Or perhaps the nearest mainstream union or even IWW chapter, while active and radical, is simply too far away for you to effectively work with.  Perhaps it is even located in the town next to yours, but you believe that there is strength in numbers and more IWW branches or locals would advance our mission of abolishing the wage system.
 
(C) There are plenty of people in your community or industry who would join a radical labor union like the IWW, but you aren't organized, you don't meet regularly, and you are having trouble keeping ourselves and others up to date.
 
(D) There's one person (you) actively interested in the IWW (or labor organizing for that matter) in your community or industry--or at least you don't know of anyone else in the IWW locally--and you'd like to accomplish more, but cannot do it alone.  You feel that there must be other concerned individuals in your community or industry but haven't been able to locate or contact them.
 
(E) There are several folks in your community or industry sitting on the fence.  If you could provide an alternative to the Corporate / Government media and educate people, you could help win the campaign, accomplish your goals, and / or win some political victories.
 
(F) You realize that if you could organize an IWW branch or local, you could also work on other related (and maybe not so related issues) in your community.
 
(G) You also sense that community and industrial union organizations can strengthen your ties with your community and even establish networks of mutual aid such that you will not feel isolated during difficult times.
 

 Previous Page   Return to Index   Top of This Page   Next Page 

---