Thousands of workers will walk off the job on Tuesday at Amazon warehouses in Germany to demand better working conditions, joining colleagues in Spain and Poland in taking action that coincides with a major sales promotion. ... See more

The tools of gentrification are many. You know what to do.

ACTION: Protect DC residents and challenge criminalization and racism Jul 9, 2018 | Posted by Claire S. Gould | The DC City Council has two crucial emergency votes tomorrow that could protect or threaten DC residents. We invite you to take action and call the Council TODAY using the script below. SC... ... See more

We’re going to go ahead and give a big thumbs down to that.

The fuck it is. Filming the police is a crucial accountability tactic.

Like and follow our page Ohio Anti Racist Network for the freshest news from Ohio and beyond.

As we head into July 4 let’s remember the only revolution from the 18th century that really matters.

C.L.R. James - The Black Jacobins: http://www.ouleft.org/wp-content/uploads/CLR_James_The_Black_Jacobins.pdf ... See more

Occupation ongoing at Atlanta City Detention Center (Peachtree St. by Garnett station). Please bring tents, water, food and bodies. #abolishice #shutdownacdc #stopdeportations

#CapitalismIsTheCrisis

"Even the $15 hourly wage touted by labor activists would not be enough to make housing affordable in the overwhelming majority of states, the coalition found. Nationally, someone would need to make $17.90 an hour to rent a modest one-bedroom or $22.10 an hour to cover a two-bedroom place.

Renters across the country earn an average hourly rate of $16.88, the report estimated, a finding that illustrates how even folks earning more than the minimum wage scramble to pay for housing." ... See more

Occupy ICE now includes a medic’s office and a commissary, barricaded by wooden pallets.

"On June 9, Grassroots Campaigns, Inc, locked out their unionized employees in response to protected union activity requesting better training for new employees. While the lockout has since been ended through direct action, pickets all over the country, and call-in campaigns, employees were still out of work for two weeks and many will have difficulty making their rent." ... See more

"On June 9, Grassroots Campaigns, Inc, locked out their unionized employees in response to protected union activity requesting better training for new employees. While the lockout has since been ended through direct action, pickets all over the country, and call-in campaigns, employees were still out of work for two weeks and many will have difficulty making their rent." ... See more

Calling all nonprofit workers! If you have thought about unionizing your workplace come out to this workshop. You will hear from unions that have been organizing nonprofit workers. Learn about the process, tips, challenges and more. After the union speakers are done presenting, there will be a Q&A for you to ask questions. Bring friends and family! All are welcome! ... See more

It's time for real talk about #Initiative77 in DC. One Fair Wage is already working in seven states, including cities like San Francisco and Seattle. Take-home pay there is higher, people still tip like before and the restaurant industry is doing great. Initiative 77 means better wages and better tips for all workers in DC. #VoteYesOn77 on Tuesday, June 19th.

Learn more at https://www.onefairwagedc.com/ and help push back on deceptive rhetoric with these facts: https://www.epi.org/blog/seven-facts-about-tipped-workers-and-the-tipped-minimum-wage/. ... See more

Should there be disruptions in the streets of the u.s leading up to the national prisoners strike dates and throughout?! You damn straight. We thank all those already organizing just to make that happen! #burntheprisons #A21 ... See more

Tabling in SE at Juneteenth fesitivities. Beautiful day to celebrate freedom!

ACTION ALERT: PHONE ZAP TO SUPPORT LOCKED OUT IWW WORKERS

In support of locked out fellow workers in IU650 at Grassroots Campaigns, Inc. in Seattle, we are calling on all Wobblies and friends to participate in a phone zap of GCI’s headquarters! We would like folks to call between 9am and 5pm East Coast time, 6am-2pm West Coast.

GCI canvassers fundraise on the street for a variety of “progressive” causes. The company though, is the very model of exploitation under capitalism, with brutal turnover, low wages and benefits, and blatant union busting. IU650 has waged a formidable fight since going public in February, winning several initial demands and spreading the union to New Orleans. We even have a contract that was signed by local management but which has not been recognized by the corporate office.

Following a successful 12 hour sit-in this past Friday to demand better training and onboarding for new hires plus policies given in writing, the company has retaliated by locking out its Seattle workers.

We would like our supporters to call GCI’s headquarters and demand that they end the lockout and honor the contract. ... See more

ACTION ALERT: PHONE ZAP TO SUPPORT LOCKED OUT IWW WORKERS In support of locked out fellow workers in IU650 at Grassroots Campaigns, Inc. in Seattle, we are calling on all Wobblies and friends to pa…

Yet another Burgerville Workers Union organizer has been fired for a minor infraction, and the union has called for pickets on Friday against Burgerville. Support and solidarity needed!

The debate over whether to give up exclusive representation is a distraction from what it takes to build power and maintain membership in a "right-to-work" state, Jonathan Kissam argues. UE Local 1107 in Necedah, Wisconsin, responded to the threat of impending open shop by pulling out all the stops.... ... See more

They're worried about retaliation but want their voices to be heard.

Members of the DC IWW and DSA were out earlier this morning to show solidarity with workers who are having their right to unionize denied. The workers organizing with LiUNA are mostly immigrants with disabilities who have been on strike for weeks protesting their low wages and outrageous healthcare costs. They will be out tomorrow morning at 8am as well. Here is an article detailing their struggle: https://www.arlnow.com/2018/05/30/workers-at-army-national-guard-center-go-on-strike-demand-ability-to-unionize/ ... See more

“Disclosures show that the Save Our Tips campaign is managed in part by Lincoln Strategy Group, a company that did $600,000 worth of work in 2016 canvassing for the Trump presidential campaign. Lincoln Strategy Group is a firm co-founded and currently managed by Nathan Sproul, a GOP consultant and former executive director of the Arizona Christian Coalition, who has been caught up in scandals for well over a decade.” ... See more

By cloaking its opposition to the wage increase in lefty rhetoric, “Save Our Tips” hopes it can trick D.C. voters into taking down a progressive policy.

Tenant organizers are watching a strike in Northwest Washington to see whether the tactic could be effective in other landlord-tenant disputes.

One Fair Wage is a key equity issue for all tipped workers, especially women, LGBTQ people and people of color. Watch our briefing with Saru Jayaraman, president of Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United). #VoteYesOn77 June 19th. #1FairWage

Thanks to the co-sponsors of today's One Fair Wage DC briefing: National LGBTQ Task Force, Jobs With Justice, Institute for Policy Studies, Corporate Accountability and Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United). ... See more

In preparation for PRIDE, we are meeting at the National LGBTQ Task Force with partners to discuss how #1FairWage would benefit the LGBTQ community and workers. #BetterWagesBetterTips

Another anti-Trump protester acquitted on six charges, and a mistrial on the seventh he faced.

An article by J Pierce on the history of the Mexican IWW.

Today's the day! After two long years, Burgerville workers are finally sitting down with corporate to negotiate a fair contract. We've fought hard to get to this point and we're excited to start this process. We believe that a better world is possible, and this bargaining process is one way we can make that better world a reality.

While our recent election wins are definitely important in the story of how we got to this point, what really made all this happen is our two years of direct action and worker solidarity leading up to this. The chance to negotiate a contract isn't something that Burgerville or the government gifted us -- it's something we fought long and hard for. It's something we won. And we're ready to keep fighting until corporate grants us our demands -- a living wage, an end to e-verify, consistent scheduling, affordable health care, and more.

Thanks to everyone who continues to support us! Stay tuned, and remember that the boycott is on until corporate signs a fair contract.

Love and solidarity,
The BVWU ... See more

The strike, which would be the first at UPS since 1997, could begin after the contract expires at the end of July.

Trouble looms as Teamsters union and United Parcel Service face Aug. 1 deadline on contract negotiations.

When the Boss Gets Word of Organizing - Stage One

Court update from Unicorn Riot. Drop the charges already! #DefendJ20 #J20

"The dialysis workers of Humboldt County are going IWW. Worsening working conditions at the only two dialysis clinics in the County, both owned by the German based company Fresenius, has culminated in a unionization drive that continues to grow momentum. Lives in the community are being put at risk as individual technicians are being routinely forced to take care of 6 to 8 patients at a time for 10 to 16 hour shifts. Grossly underpaid and overworked dialysis technicians who fear for their patients safety, have pleaded for years for more staff, more consistent scheduling, better training and fair pay. Having union representation has been a subject fraught with fear and secrecy at a company whose new hire orientation process consists of having to sit through an anti-union information video. However, workers feel they have run out of options. A proposed law in California would make it illegal to have more than three dialysis patients for every dialysis technician. If passed, the law still wouldn’t be enacted until 2020; however, staff is refusing to wait any longer. " ... See more

Dialysis Workers in Humboldt County, CA go public!

We are Stardust Family United. We are a union of workers at Ellen's Stardust Diner in NYC. After we went public last year, 31 singing servers were terminated in retaliation. We recently settled the NLRB complaint against the Diner and all terminated employees will receive back pay and... ... See more

D.C.'s Initiative 77 — One Fair Wage for tipped workers — is a tried-and-true way to raise the pay of tipped workers, while pushing back on sexual harassment.

Giving an earful to scabs entering C&P Telephone headquarters on 13th Street NW during the 1947 nationwide phone strike.

Edit @3:55 pm: fern was released on her own recognizance with 4 misdemeanors. Donate to support her legal fees: bit.ly/supportmvpresistance

BREAKING UPDATE — fern has been evicted from the skypod and arrested.

Earlier this morning, on day 12 of the skypod on Pocahontas Road in the Jefferson National Forest, fern was extracted from the blockade and arrested.

Law enforcement began arriving to join the skypod’s existing 24-hour watch before 6am. For a couple hours, they discussed extraction, suited up in climbing gear, and attempted to coax fern down — but she refused to give in to their intimidation. Shortly after 8am, a cherry picker drove up the road. By 8:30, fern was on the ground, handcuffed, and arrested.

Although the blockade of this pipeline access road has been removed, the fight is far from over. The Mountain Valley Pipeline remains a dangerous project, installed by force, and part of a network of dead end disasters for water, climate, communities, and ecosystems.

With their recent dangerous assault on Ink at Little Teel Crossing, and now the use of a cherry picker to force fern out of the road, MVP and law enforcement are showing their fear. They cannot allow the continuation of this kind of direct action, of disruptions that threaten the completion of the pipeline, of a resistance that threatens the state and corporate monopolies on power that allow projects like the MVP to keep being violently imposed.

So before MVP and law enforcement even begin to breathe a sigh of relief, thinking they are one step closer to their goal of padding the pockets of executives at the expense of this forest and the lives of all along the route, let’s show them that they have not won.

Let’s remind them that this pipeline is not yet built, that it is not a foregone conclusion.

Let’s prove that they have not extinguished the flame of resistance.

The US Forest Service may have abandoned their stated mission to protect the people and the forest, but we won’t. We are still here.

If you’ve been watching the efforts and sacrifices of the people confronting the MVP, if you’ve been grateful to know that this pipeline isn’t getting through without a fight, now is the time to move forward with actions of your own! None of us can do this alone.

JOIN US (bit.ly/AAPIntakeForm) and take action to stop this pipeline once and for all.

Donate to support fern’s legal fees & continued resistance: bit.ly/supportmvpresistance

#noMVP #nopipelines #belikefern ... See more

An SUV killed Pablo Avendano as he picked up jobs for the food-delivering app Caviar. Who is responsible?

We’re moving!

We promised you a big announcement and here it is: after five amazing years on North Avenue, we’re expanding into the big, beautiful building at 1225 Cathedral Street - next door to the Theatre Project - and creating a multi-story base of operations for our worker-cooperative! This was a big decision for us, and a hard one to make, because we love our North Avenue location, but this was an opportunity we just couldn’t pass up. Why? Check out just a few of the things this new location allows us to do:

* Double the size of our bookstore.

* Offer a seated dinner option (hello plant-based dinner menu!), alongside our casual cafe menu.

* Have a dedicated gluten-free fryer - GF fries, wings, falafel, and more!

* Add a full bar to our already pretty great menu of options! Local beers on tap, sustainably-sourced vegan wines, and a killer cocktail menu, every night. Plus: bartenders and staff committed to making sure our bar stays safe and welcoming.

* Add 10 worker-owner track jobs in the next six months, growing our total staff to 35. That’s 35 people in democratically-managed, living-wage jobs, where they have a say and a stake in how the business runs.

* Provide a variety of different options for daytime meetings and staff retreats for community organizations, and host fundraising events throughout the year.

* Strengthen our commitment to creating and sustaining an inclusive gathering place with regular pay-what-you-can nights and family-style dinners.

* Bring some of our radical politics back to Mount Vernon, where we started almost 15 years ago!

And that’s just some of what’s on our horizon! We’re so excited to share our plans with you as they develop, so stay tuned for more news in the coming weeks. In the meantime, come and visit us on North Avenue! We’ll be open every Wednesday - Sunday through the end of June, and closed for the move in July and August, so buy your summer books and binge on falafel and banh mis now! (You’ll still be able to find our cooperatively-roasted coffee at Greenmount Coffee Lab, though - so no need to panic: coldbrew is still accessible to get you through the summer heat!)

All the love to everyone who’s supported and encouraged us over the last five years, and especially over the last few months while we worked through this decision. Red Emma’s is where it is today because of you - all of you. We wouldn’t have come this far without the communities that support and inspire us. Looking forward to deeper collaborations in our new place.

Xxoo,
The Worker-Owners of Red Emma’s ... See more

🌸Claudia Patrícia Gómez Gonzales🌸 a 20 year old traveling from Guatemala was shot and killed by US Customs and Border Protection agents on Wednesday at the Rio Bravo near Laredo, Texas.

#SayHerName #JusticeforClaudia #WeAreAllImmigrants #NoHumanBeingisIllegal
#StoptheMadness #MilitarizedBorders
#MigrationIsOurNaturalHumanCondition

Art by: @brooks.psd

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/05/27/us/texas-border-patrol-shooting-victim/index.html ... See more

#Breaking! #J20

The move suggests that the government is ready to give up on the cases.

It’s time for prosecutors to shift their focus to protecting the millions of workers who are victimized by their bosses each year.

"Now that the owners have made it a workplace rule to stand during the anthem or stay in the locker room, any player who takes the field and takes a knee is protesting an employer rule. And that is unquestionably protected by federal #LaborLaw." #1u #NFL ... See more

It violates labor law and, most likely, players’ free speech rights.

War is a Racket

Share to spread his shame.

Follow Brian Tyler Cohen for more.

Silence is complicit. #AbolishICE #WhereAreTheChildren #MAGA

Spot on from Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. Don’t say that what we’re seeing right now is un-American. It’s painfully American.

(RNS) — Believers Bail Out aims to raise awareness about the injustices of the prison system by asking Muslims to give zakat to their incarcerated brothers and sisters in faith.

IWOC national convention kicks off!
Solidarity demonstration outside a Florida workcamp before breakfast.
Fists raised to all the prisoners in vans leaving to their assignments.
#EndPrisonSlavery
#August21
#prisonstrike ... See more

Workers are under attack.

President Trump issued a series of executive orders Friday that would streamline firing and could gut federal employee unions’ ability to represent workers.

The first #ULP based on a bosses tweet "the union alleges that the electric-car maker violated the National Labor Relations Act by threatening to take away employee stock options in retaliation for engaging in protected union activity." #1u #Tesla #UAW ... See more

The United Auto Workers is asking the federal labor board to investigate Tesla Inc. over a tweet by Elon Musk.

A new study overturns economic orthodoxy and shows that unions reduce inequality.

“Riders and drivers deserve to know for certain who is accountable when buses break down, when our members get disciplined for using sick leave. We want DDOT to bring the service in-house so we can end this guessing game,” said Todd Brogan, an organizer with the Amalgamated Transit Union. The ATU Local 1764 represents the system’s more than 200 workers.

Brogan said the three-month contract extension with First Transit is a sign the city can postpone awarding a new five-year contract until a municipalization study is done. The city has partnered with the Eno Center for Transportation to study the potential in-house operation of the system, but that study is expected to take a year to complete.

“If they can extend the contract with First Transit until September, why not extend it until the study is done so we can end privatization once and for all?” Brogan said. ... See more

Service is being eliminated on routes with low ridership and redirected to more to popular destinations.

"Similar cooperatives have secured comparable benefits for staff. Whereas the state of Oregon’s minimum wage is $10.25 an hour, Blue Scorcher offers a flat wage of around $15 to $16 per hour including tips. At Austin’s Black Star Co-op brewery, employees start at around $12 per hour and receive pay increases after three months to $13.10 per hour — nearly twice the state’s standard minimum wage. Employees can pursue additional raises if they work towards a role on the managerial-level governing body called the Workers Assembly, which comprises roughly half of the brewery staff. In addition to the living wage, Black Star gives all employees paid time off, and staffers, regardless of their leadership role, are also empowered in the decision-making process. “We operate democratically, so there’s no one person making decisions,” says Black Star business team leader Jodi Mozeika." TPSS Co-op #WorkerPower ... See more

When employees make decisions and advocate for themselves, good things happen

For decades we have been told that the way to fix education is to fire people but teachers across the country have shown the power of solidarity

"And so, to quote Vladimir Lenin, what must be done?

We must invest our energy in building parallel, popular institutions to protect ourselves and to pit power against power. These parallel institutions, including unions, community development organizations, local currencies, alternative political parties and food cooperatives, will have to be constructed town by town. The elites in a time of distress will retreat to their gated compounds and leave us to fend for ourselves. Basic services, from garbage collection to public transportation, food distribution and health care, will collapse. Massive unemployment and underemployment, triggering social unrest, will be dealt with not through government job creation but the brutality of militarized police and a complete suspension of civil liberties. Critics of the system, already pushed to the margins, will be silenced and attacked as enemies of the state. The last vestiges of labor unions will be targeted for abolition, a process that will soon be accelerated given the expected ruling in a case before the Supreme Court that will cripple the ability of public-sector unions to represent workers. The dollar will stop being the world’s reserve currency, causing a steep devaluation. Banks will close. Global warming will extract heavier and heavier costs, especially on the coastal populations, farming and the infrastructure, costs that the depleted state will be unable to address. The corporate press, like the ruling elites, will go from burlesque to absurdism, its rhetoric so patently fictitious it will, as in all totalitarian states, be unmoored from reality. The media outlets will all sound as fatuous as Trump. And, to quote W.H. Auden, “the little children will die in the streets.”" ... See more

Every day the foundations of our institutions decay more, but American society is emotionally unable to grasp the mortal danger that approaches.

Being an organized force of rank and file workers ready to defend ourselves with direct action will be a very crucial aspect of our movement building if we want to win because of rulings like this:

"When workers charge their employers with unlawful conduct -- in this case, violations of laws governing wages earned and hours worked -- there is strength in numbers," she said.

As a result of the ruling, she said, "there will be huge under-enforcement of federal and state statutes designed to advance the well-being of vulnerable workers." ... See more

Employers bested workers in the first of two big labor rights cases heard by the Supreme Court this term. The justices ruled that employers have the right to insist that labor disputes get resolved individually through arbitration, rather than allowing workers to join together in class action suits. ... See more

Successful contract campaigns rely on wide participation. Creative and aggressive tactics can demonstrate members’ solidarity, resolve, and willingness to act. Cartoon: Nick Thorkelson

DC has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the U.S. Research shows black women are a vunerable population.

Image caption: A white banner hangs off a chain link fence on top of an overpass. It reads “THE GIG ECONOMY KILLED PABLO: REST IN POWER” By Mar Escalante Photo Credit: Mar Escalante On …

***

NC Rep. Mark Brody says this is a photo of "union thugs". What do you think? #ItsPersonal #red4ed #redfored

From Food and Retail Workers United:

"The Industrial Revolution also taught us that yes, new technology did indeed lead to an increased and varied number of jobs, producing a variety of different items, some garbage, some with a different branding, but also all at decreased wages. Some would say, low wages are better than no wages. But low wages don't help the worker and their families thrive. It just keeps them at a level where all the income the worker makes must immediatey return back to the economy in the form of rent, food, clothing, health care, education, commuting, etc. in order to survive. All that income returns back to the collective capitalist as wealth.

Technology isn't the enemy. Robots aren't the worker's enemy. The means of production aren't our enemy.

The collective few, the 1% or so, who currently own those means of production all along the supply chains are the enemy.

How do YOU, the worker, believe we can defeat this enemy? We have a small window remaining, where humans still occupy enough of the economy in the form of labor, that if we can get organized, and internationally corroborate to place the capitalist economy on hold (ie. general strike) along those same supply chains, take the old engines out and install new worker owned engines, then simultaneously hit that start button. We can begin making these machines work in our, the working class', favor." ... See more

Will robots take over the world? Most experts don’t think so. But what about taking our jobs?

This video features:

Pedro Domingos, professor and researcher in machine learning at the University of Washington

Tye Brady, chief roboticist at Amazon

Peter Singer, strategist and senior fellow at New America Foundation ... See more

Happy Birthday Utah Phillips! Songwriter, folk singer, and IWW member!

Next Labor Working Group meeting will be May 29th, We will be following up about the Democracy @ Work panel, an organizing workshop for non-profit workers, any updates from APWU, and explore the potential for a wage theft base building project. https://www.facebook.com/events/166310150730684/ ... See more

Gaza is an open-air prison.

Congratulations to everybody at Gladstone from the Hawthorne workers! Thanks for being an inspiration to us. We were so excited about your win we got our sign flipped upside down 😃

The system is the problem.

The IWW was one of several revolutionary labor unions (including the Spanish CNT, the Italian USI, the Argentine FORA, and the German FAU) that met in Parma, Italy, this weekend to discuss the forming of an new international federation of revolutionary unions. The English name for the new International will be the International Confederation of Labour (CIT).

One of the first official acts of the CIT was to issue a statement of solidarity with the remaining 59 #J20 defendants, and to demand the dropping of all charges against them.

#DropJ20 #1U #SolidarityForever #NewInternational ... See more

“The #newinternational of revolutionary unions was officially formed today as “International Confederation of Labor”. First official decision was to declare solidarity with all @defendj20 defendants, call to drop the charges, & encourage member unions to organize local solidarity.” ... See more

AND WE WIN AGAIN!

Today Burgerville workers once again voted overwhelmingly in favor of the BVWU, this time at the Gladstone location. This is the second NLRB election the BVWU has won in a month. The first, at 92nd and Powell, made us the only fast food union in the country, and this one demonstrates the momentum the BVWU has going into contract negotiations.

Gladstone workers in particular deserve extra celebration for their win today. Despite the friendly attitude Burgerville has taken in the press about being willing to work with the union, Gladstone workers didn’t see anything close to friendliness on the shop floor. During the election, despite all their words of openness and cooperation, Burgerville was up to its old tricks: retaliation, intimidation, even straight up lying. Gladstone workers faced down all of that and STILL won a major victory for the union. Standing up to your boss like that takes bravery and every one of them deserves applause.

The win at 92nd wasn’t the end of the fight, and neither is this win at Gladstone. The fight won’t be over until Burgerville stops paying us poverty wages, stops threatening undocumented immigrants through their use of e-verify, and stops treating us like we’re disposable. We demand respect, and we won’t stop until we get it. Gladstone is an important step in that journey.

Remember too that the boycott is on until the company signs a fair contract. They’re not off the hook yet.

#BoycottBurgerville #CongratulationsGladstone ... See more

So far, 21 school districts across North Carolina have canceled classes next Wednesday as anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 teachers plan to march to the Legislative Building then rally on Bicentennial Plaza. ... See more

To all carers/parents/chosen family this Mother's Day, regardless of gender or orientation:

A brief fight between two inmates and two Louisiana State Penitentiary guards spilled over into an ongoing prison strike Wednesday.

Mark your calendars! We are hosting a screening of the documentary We the Owners on May 17 in Belfast, ME. After the film, a panel discussion featuring local worker-owned co-ops. All the info & trailer here: http://bit.ly/2vyqpOB ... See more

Laid-off workers are getting nothing, sparking pleas to lawmakers about how private equity owners operate

Officials say the cause is unknown, but the fire is not suspicious. –Philadelphia CBS Local Move over Mr. Burns. Jeff Bezos, now the richest men alive and the CEO of Amazon, has entered both the popular blue collar imagination as the public image of both the neoliberal capitalist (who bought The W... ... See more

If we can't abolish the wage system just yet, there can at atleast be one "fair" minimum wage + tips if patrons want to leave one. The bottom line is that restaurant OWNERS should be the ones responsible for supplying their employees with a livable income. That should NOT be the responsibility of the patron. ✊🏼 ... See more

One side predicts peril for the D.C. restaurant industry. The other is fighting for justice for marginalized workers.

Workers will gather tomorrow at the Gladstone Burgerville to vote for federal recognition. These people participated in our historic strike just a couple months ago, and their momentum is still going strong. In light of our previous success at 92nd, BVWU is hopeful that this is only the start of the movement.

Boycott will continue until corporate does what's right and negotiates! Go Gladstone workers! ... See more

On Tuesday, inmates took part in a work stoppage at the infamous Angola prison in Louisiana to decry prison slavery. Angola is known for iconic pictures of prisoners laboring on the former slave plantation which played a major role in the implementation of racial slavery in the United States. Under.... ... See more

Our April episode is out! In "On Carceral Capitalism" we speak with Jackie Wang about her recently released book. Listen to it via iTunes, Soundcloud, Google Play, or through our website: https://rustbeltradio.org/2018/04/11/ep16/ ... See more

Once again, congratulations to the Burgerville Workers Union for becoming the first federally-recognized fast food union in the US.

“This is a scrappy union with no staff, all the committees are worker-led,” says Stackhouse. “We’re not pitching anything to anybody, we’re not going out of our way making wild promises. We are building an organization out of mutual aid and demonstrated action that we can support each other.”

#IWW #WorkersPower #1u ... See more

Working In These Times is dedicated to providing independent and incisive coverage of the labor movement and struggles for workers' rights.

Burgerville employees vote to unionize.

In our next episode Prof Wolff explains the right to bargain collectively, what obstacles still remain, and ultimately how our current system sets us up for constant struggles such as these. ... See more

"The following is a call for not only a deep commitment to supporting the J20 Defendants, but participating in building revolutionary momentum which will see these charges dropped."

The following is a call for not only a deep commitment to supporting the J20 Defendants, but participating in building revolutionary momentum which will see these charges dropped.   We write this call, in the spirit of those who’ve struggled before us. We ask that our reader(s) turn their attenti... ... See more

DC Restaurant Industry Colleagues: Have you heard about our #1FairWage campaign?

Check out our info session - participants will learn what the one fair wage campaign is and why this is a racial, gender, and economic justice issue. We will discuss the seven states that have implemented one fair wage and how their restaurant industries are doing (spoiler: they’re doing great!) and hear from workers who have worked in both a one fair wage state and in Washington, D.C. Lastly participants will be able to learn how they can get involved with this important campaign to make everyone in DC #VoteYesOn77 !

The info session will go from 12:00 - 1:30 pm on each Tuesday of this month (5/8, 5/14 and 5/21) and will be at our office (1100 Florida Ave NW). For those who can't attend in person, you can participate online: https://zoom.us/j/974847395

#DC #ServerProblems #ThisIsMyRealJob #77 #1FairWage #TipsOnTop #YesOn77 ... See more

DC Restaurant Industry Colleagues: Have you heard about our #1FairWage campaign?

Check out our info session - participants will learn what the one fair wage campaign is and why this is a racial, gender, and economic justice issue. We will discuss the seven states that have implemented one fair wage and how their restaurant industries are doing (spoiler: they’re doing great!) and hear from workers who have worked in both a one fair wage state and in Washington, D.C. Lastly participants will be able to learn how they can get involved with this important campaign to make everyone in DC #VoteYesOn77 !

The info session will go from 12:00 - 1:30 pm on each Tuesday of this month (5/8, 5/14 and 5/21) and will be at our office (1100 Florida Ave NW). For those who can't attend in person, you can participate online: https://zoom.us/j/974847395

#DC #ServerProblems #ThisIsMyRealJob #77 #1FairWage #TipsOnTop #YesOn77 ... See more

#DCMayDay en espanol!

En EE.UU., a pesar de no ser una fecha del calendario oficial de feriados, varias ciudades celebraron el Día Internacional de los Trabajadores con marchas y ...

Remember the Heroes of Haymarket. May they Rest in Power.

🎵 There is power in a union! 🎵

Today on #InternationalWorkersDay #DíaInternacionaldelosTrabajadores we acknowledge why we should thank a Union and the Labor Movement.

Happy International Workers Day! #MayDay #May1 #WorkersOfTheWorldUnite

Here's the truth about the danger of working in fast food https://fightfor15.org/burned/ #FightFor15 #WorkersMemorialDay

"The May Day 2008 anti-war walk-out was a clear reminder of the right and need of union members to be social activists."

Thirty years ago, in March of 1988, Gallaudet University students organized a historical movement that led to appointments of Deaf presidents at the university, a flurry of legislative and social change and empowerment to Deaf people everywhere. We salute you. #DPN30 ... See more

Support workers of color organizing their shops!

The strike, part of a long-running battle over unionization, comes at the busiest time of the school year, as the spring semester nears its end.

The owner of neglected rental properties settles with the District.

More than a century ago, Joe Hill wrote some of the most enduring anthems in the radical union’s Little Red Songbook—and today’s activists carry on that legacy of struggle through music.

“This is the right next move for us,” said Stefan Stackhouse, an employee at the Gladstone location. “People are ready to negotiate, they’re ready to be a part of history. They feel like they’re part of a bigger movement, and they want to support other Burgerville workers.” ... See more

Workers at the Gladstone, Oregon, location will decide in May if they will be the second restaurant of the local fast food chain to unionize.

This is what 75,000 people standing up for our schools and students looks like. Governor Ducey, can you hear us now? #RedforEd

“Years ago, I recognized my kinship with all living beings, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on earth. I said then, and I say now, that while there is a lower class I am in it; while there is a criminal class I am of it; while there is a soul in prison I am not free.” ... See more

A charismatic and militant labor leader, five-time Socialist Party presidential candidate, class-war prisoner jailed by the ostensibly liberal Woodrow Wilson administration for opposing U.S entry into World War 1 and a fiery, moral force in a corrupted era — Eugene Victor Debs was among the greate... ... See more

After an hour-long sit-in, graduate students will meet with Provost Forrest Maltzman Thursday afternoon to discuss unionization efforts.

Hey folks!

This is just a reminder that today is the last day of the Atlanta IWW General Defense Committee 's phone zap of the DeKalb County School Board, to show solidarity with the 400 striking bus drivers.

This IGD article gives background information about the strike, as well as a link to a fundraiser for the drivers and their families, and call-in info and a script:

[https://itsgoingdown.org/reinstate-the-dekalb-8-support-bus-drivers-fired-for-organizing/]

It is recommended that you call until 4 PM EST, so keep calling until then if you can!

#PowerFromBelow #WorkersPower #SolidarityForever ... See more

The Maryland Food Collective has been a great resource and space for our union to host events and trainings, not to mention a great source of income for many of the worker-owners who are also members or the IWW. Lets help them square up with their debts so they can continue to do what they do!!

"At the start of this semester, we owed about $25,000 to Stamp in rent, utilities, and phone bills. Right now, Stamp has waived $3,000 of back rent for us, and will waive the remaining $16,000 if we can pay off our utility bills. We have raised some of this ourselves, but we still need $8,000 by June 1st to pay back the remainder. With your help, we can start fresh and thrive again." ... See more

Friends, customers, comrades -- we are still in danger of going out of business. We can solve the problems we've been having, but we need your help. More details at this link; please read and please donate. ... See more

"Someone should check on Burgerville's buns, because it looks like their ass got burnt. Branch members at another Burgerville location are planning on organizing their own vote with the NLRB soon — meanwhile in the UK, McDonald's workers continue their own historic fast food unionization efforts. A world where fast food workers are paid better and treated fairly is possible, as is a world where fast food companies don't face plant in response to workers' efforts to organize." #BVWU #UnionizeYourWorkplace Burgerville Workers Union ... See more

Next time a company wants to pat itself on the back for recognizing a union, they might want to steer clear of an easily-parodied video.

The Wobblies turned out a great group at yesterday's picket in support of MPS students and educators. Thank you for joining this fight! Solidarity!

Picket To Defend Our Schools

#fightforfunding

Burgerville

It is important to recognize that the Burgerville Workers Union has made history by being the first formally recognized Union in the fast food industry.

How they did it is also important. Worker led organizing, from below, is a strategy that empowers workers and builds a movement. ... See more

Workers at Portland Bugerville launched a historic three-day strike and boycott campaign in February which points towards a militant and worker centered unionism for low wage workers. #PowerFromBelow

“The workers united will never be defeated! #CUonStrike #WeAreWorkers #CUBargainNow”

IWW for the win! First Fast Food Union in the U.S.

Burgerville workers at the chain’s 92nd and Powell Street location just voted 18-4 to unionize. The store is now the only fast food union in the nation with formal recognition.

ATTN Fellow Workers & Defenders:

The Atlanta IWW General Defense Committee has been working with the nearly 400 school bus drivers for Dekalb County, Georgia (near Atlanta), who have taken part in a 3-day sickout for better pay, a better retirement package, and safer working / riding conditions for both drivers and students.

Unfortunately, the Dekalb County School Board has fiercely retaliated against the striking bus drivers, firing 8 of the drivers for engaging in "unlawful striking activity" as public employees. The School Board has also engaged in a slander campaign against the striking bus drivers, claiming that they are endangering the safety of the students.

In response to these unjust retaliations from management, the Atlanta GDC has asked Wobs & Defenders around the country to engage in a 3-day phone zap of the Dekalb County School Board, from Tuesday (4/25) to Thursday (4/27).

You can find out more information about the bus driver strike, as well as information for the phone zap & a fundraiser for the striking drivers, at the following IGD link: [https://itsgoingdown.org/reinstate-the-dekalb-8-support-bus-drivers-fired-for-organizing/].

The Atlanta GDC would like IWW branches & GDC locals to each commit to a time slot on at least one of the days between Tuesday - Thursday. Please try to get as many of your fellow workers as possible to call in over the next 3 days!

Finally, if you can commit to helping the Atlanta IWW / GDC contact other branches and ask them to commit to time slots over the next three days, please contact FW Brandon, from the Atlanta GDC, at lifelongwobbly@gmail.com.

Let's show these bus drivers that the IWW & GDC had their backs! #1u #WorkersPower #PowerFromBelow ... See more

The amazing story of the anti-capitalist eco-commune in France you've never heard of

Harvard alums: please sign this letter congratulating student workers at Harvard on their new union, and urging Harvard to fulfill its commitment to negotiate a meaningful contract with them.

Please join us in saying congratulations to Harvard University: The mark of a great institution is its sincere commitment to improve. Harvard is not a perfect institution, but we are extraordinarily proud of a school that listens to and respects its students. Last week, Harvard conducted a unionizat... ... See more

Congrartulations Fellow Workers!

We won the election. We did it. We made history.

Today workers at 92nd and Powell overwhelmingly voted yes, making the Burgerville Workers Union the only formally recognized fast food union in the country. For a long time people have dismissed fast food as unorganizable, saying that turnover is too high, or the workers are too spread out. Today Burgerville workers proved them wrong.

The fight isn’t over, of course. We still need to bargain a fair contract with Burgerville, and until then the boycott still stands. And we need to remember what got us to this point: workers taking action for themselves, standing up against poverty wages and horrible conditions. We got here because of the strike, union benefits, pickets, and marches on the boss. We got here through direct action, and that won’t change now that we’ve won an election. If anything it’s even more important.

In this moment of victory we want to celebrate, yes, but we also want to turn our attention to the 4.5 million other fast food workers in the United States. We want to speak to everyone else who works for poverty wages, who are constantly disrespected on the job, who are told they aren’t educated enough, aren’t experienced enough, aren’t good enough for a decent life. To all of those workers, to everyone like us who works rough jobs for terrible pay, we say this:

Don’t listen to that bullshit. Burgerville workers didn’t, and look at us now.

Because our win today isn’t just about Burgerville. It’s about history. It’s about a movement of workers who know that a better world is possible, and that together they can make that world real.

Today we became the only recognized fast food union in the country. But we won’t be the only one for long. ... See more

We won the election. We did it. We made history.

Today workers at 92nd and Powell overwhelmingly voted yes, making the Burgerville Workers Union the only formally recognized fast food union in the country. For a long time people have dismissed fast food as unorganizable, saying that turnover is too high, or the workers are too spread out. Today Burgerville workers proved them wrong.

The fight isn’t over, of course. We still need to bargain a fair contract with Burgerville, and until then the boycott still stands. And we need to remember what got us to this point: workers taking action for themselves, standing up against poverty wages and horrible conditions. We got here because of the strike, union benefits, pickets, and marches on the boss. We got here through direct action, and that won’t change now that we’ve won an election. If anything it’s even more important.

In this moment of victory we want to celebrate, yes, but we also want to turn our attention to the 4.5 million other fast food workers in the United States. We want to speak to everyone else who works for poverty wages, who are constantly disrespected on the job, who are told they aren’t educated enough, aren’t experienced enough, aren’t good enough for a decent life. To all of those workers, to everyone like us who works rough jobs for terrible pay, we say this:

Don’t listen to that bullshit. Burgerville workers didn’t, and look at us now.

Because our win today isn’t just about Burgerville. It’s about history. It’s about a movement of workers who know that a better world is possible, and that together they can make that world real.

Today we became the only recognized fast food union in the country. But we won’t be the only one for long. ... See more

Action Alert for IWW Prisoner! 21st April 2018 IWW member Kevan has been kept in solitary confinement for over 8 years, a victim of injustice based on hearsay and ‘joint enterprise’ – convicted of a serious crime despite no DNA, forensics, ballistics, or cell-phone siting placing Kevan at or a... ... See more

VOTING BEGAN TODAY. Workers at 92nd will finish hitting the ballot box tomorrow, and we expect results to be available soon afterward. One last reminder of what we're fighting for...

We're so close to making history, folks. Thanks for sticking with us.

#WhatAYesVoteMeans ... See more

Issue 7 of the excellent Workers Wild West, a local working-class paper produced by West London warehouse workers and distributed in front of local workplaces, job centres, housing estates.

www.labornotes.org published a book/guide for workers who wish to lead the way, with their fellow workers, to a workplace that is organized in favor of the workers.

FRWU will share some of the handouts associated with the lessons in this guide with the hope that maybe it will assist you, the reader, in navigating organizing obstacles in the workplace. 🌈

Lesson One: How the Boss Keeps the Us Disorganized ... See more

JetBlue flight attendants vote to unionize, leaving Delta Air Lines as an outlier among major carriers.

MAKE Kuwasi Balagoon memes

Rest In Power!

Marielle Franco was a symbol of hope to many marginalized communities who have felt left out of politics for decades – here’s what led Marielle Franco to a life of activism in Brazil (via NowThis World) ... See more

SONG is bailing out Black mothers and caregivers to reunite Black families for Mother’s Day again!! Will you join us in this fight break them out of cages? Donate to SONG’s Give Out Day fundraiser now! We are collectively making an intervention in the criminal legal system that constantly isolates loved ones and separates families. Help us TODAY to reconnect and protect Black families!
Donate NOW: http://bit.ly/songgiveout-pledge18
Share with your loved ones to join us in reuniting loved ones across the South!
#freeblackmamas #endmoneybail ... See more

The people of Bent Mountain are fighting on familiar territory -- where they've grown up and built their lives. It's abounding with the meaning and stories of lifetimes. It has a pulse and that pulse is beating as they fight for their own.

Song: Fire and Blood--Ralph Stanley ... See more

There is at present no movement in the U.S. that can stop this crime (and all the others like it). It is essential that we build one.

President Donald Trump said airstrikes by the three nations targeted sites associated with Syria’s chemical-weapons capabilities, a reprisal for an attack last week that killed at least 43 civilians and injured hundreds more. ... See more

SPREAD THE WORD

https://www.tmccsettlement.com/

Support Kentucky Teachers! Every day, our teachers work to secure the future of our children and of our commonwealth. However, Governor Matt Bevin and Kentucky Republicans are selling out the future of our teachers. On Thursday, March 29, they forced a bill (details at the bottom of the page) thr... ... See more

"We implore you to do likewise – reject this call by the OEA to return to work, maintain the picket lines at home, and flood the capitol where possible. Pressure your lawmakers and union officials to reconcile the fact that labor will not go quietly into that dark night; we will continue to fight, tooth and nail, until our demands have been met. To follow through with the OEA call now would provide conservative lawmakers a blue print for how to crush this new labor movement; to continue to fight back, however, would bar the gates to an undemocratic compromise."

#77United #120Strong #RedforEd #OKlaed

From West Virginia IWW ... See more

#UPDATE: Oklahoma Education Association has called off the strike, citing a lack of superintendent and legislative support for their reasons to call off the strike.

The WV IWW vehemently opposes any and all calls by the state's education associations to call off the strikes until the strikers' demands have been met in full:

- A $10,000 raise for educators
- A reinstatement of the 7% tax on new well drilling to pay for school funding
- A $200 million investment in schools to pay for rebuilding of school infrastructure, textbooks, chairs, etc.

The Oklahoma Teachers United page and the walkouts at large were started by rank and file members -- only rank and file members can call it off.

Time for the teachers of Oklahoma to remember the lessons of West Virginia and #Wildcat this strike! ... See more

"Capitalism is defined as an economic system in which a country’s trade, industry, and profits are controlled by private companies, instead of by the people whose time and labor powers those companies. The United States and many other nations around the world are capitalist countries, but capitalism is not the only economic system available; throughout history, other countries have embraced other systems, like socialism or communism, so it’s important to explore what capitalism actually is." ... See more

"Capitalism is defined as an economic system in which a country’s trade, industry, and profits are controlled by private companies, instead of by the people whose time and labor powers those companies. The United States and many other nations around the world are capitalist countries, but capitalism is not the only economic system available; throughout history, other countries have embraced other systems, like socialism or communism, so it’s important to explore what capitalism actually is." ... See more

ORGANIZE EVERYWHERE 💕🌸✊

A couple days late but happy birthday to Paul Robeson!

Today we recognize the life of Paul Robeson: an African-American singer, actor, athlete, and leftist who was an active member in anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist struggle. He was born on a day like today, 120 years ago. ... See more

A month after Betsy DeVos trashed a 30-year collective bargaining agreement, today, she’s kicked union representatives out of their Department of Education office space throughout the country.

Support public employees and tell DeVos that union busting is disgusting. ... See more

Hey friends and Fellow Workers!

As many of you know, April 17th marks the beginning of the next round of trials for #J20 defendants.

What you may *not* already know is that nearly all of the defendants in the upcoming trial group are members of the IWW or the IWW General Defense Committee, including our region's own Mid-Atlantic General Defense Committee. Several of our fellow workers in the Baltimore and DC metro areas have faced continued repression and harassment from the government, and the prosecution is using their IWW / GDC membership as a justification for the felony charges against them.

You can help by using today -- the international day of solidarity for #J20 defendants -- to spread the word about this ongoing political repression. You can also attend the rally for the defendants in front of the DC courthouse on the morning of April 17th.

Finally, you can donate to Defend J20 Resistance 's fundraiser for all remaining 59 defendants:
https://fundrazr.com/j20resistance?ref=ab_8AMJ4JHwTS68AMJ4JHwTS6

Thanks for all your help! Let's show our comrades and fellow union members that they are not forgotten, and we will continue to fight for all the charges for *ALL* the remaining defendants to be dropped! ... See more

The next #J20 trial is on April 17, followed quickly by the start of another #J20 trial group on April 23. It is vital for anyone who values dissent to be in solidarity with the defendants facing politically motivated trials.

Apr 17 | 8:00 AM
DC Courthouse at 500 Indiana Ave NW

On January 20, 2017, 230 people were mass arrested during demonstrations against Donald Trump's inauguration.

The arrests were made by the controversial -- and increasingly common — use of the "kettle" technique on the corners of 12th and L Streets, without any dispersal warnings. Defendants' cell phones were confiscated and searched, their homes were raided, and their social media data were seized. Some defendants also experienced sexual assault at the hands of DC police (MPD).

Of these initial arrestees, 215 were charged under the Federal Riot Statute. The prosecution's case rests on a dangerously broad interpretation of the Federal Riot Statute that, if successful, could make a participant in a political rally guilty for any property damage that takes place during that time. On April 27, 2017, multiple additional felony charges were added. One trial group was acquitted of all charges on November 15, 2017, and the Attorney's Office dismissed cases without prejudice against an additional 129 defendants on January 18, 2018 — but didn’t drop their charges, meaning they still face nearly 6 years of uncertainty since the prosecution can reinstate the charges during that time. But far worse, there are still 59 people who are being prosecuted with multiple felonies and face up to over 60 years in prison.

In some ways the US Attorney's Office is functioning as it always has. Attempts to crush dissent through scare tactics, such as trumped-up charges, is not new. Yet blanket charging hundreds of people with felonies and branding standard political organizing tactics as "criminal” borders on unprecedented behavior.

This case in many ways resembles a pattern of other politically motivated arrests around the country: those of the hundreds of water protectors facing charges in North Dakota; those arrested during actions against rulings on police violence in Saint Louis, Sacramento, and countless other cities; and those of antiracist protesters in Charlottesville.

For more information or to other ways to support, check out defendj20resistance.org or follow @[1322360694543124:274:Defend J20 Resistance] @DefendJ20 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Donate: https://fundrazr.com/j20resistance…
Watch on vimeo: https://vimeo.com/263736862
Join the J20 solidarity thunderclap: https://www.thunderclap.it//projects/69303 ... See more

USAO_DC should drop the charges against all 59 J20 protesters before the next trial begins on April 17th. http://thndr.me/TB3U0c

For the rich, every day is a holiday. The corporate bosses enjoy lives of comfort and security by exploiting our labor, debt, and hardship. May Day is OUR holiday. A day for the working class to come together and recognize the achievements of our labor, and continue the fight for a better future. On May 1st we ask you to stand with us regardless of race, religion or immigration status against corporations and corrupt politicians. The day has come for solidarity. Celebrate International Workers’ Day with the working class!

LET’S REMIND THE WORLD THAT ALL POWER IS WITH THE PEOPLE!

JOIN US FOR THE DC MAY DAY MARCH 2018!

We will gather at about 4 PM at the Columbia Heights Civic Plaza. Together, we will start marching to Malcolm X Park at about 4:30 PM. The DC May Day Festival will begin at Malcolm X Park at 5 PM. ... See more

The next #J20 trial is on April 17, followed quickly by the start of another #J20 trial group on April 23. It is vital for anyone who values dissent to be in solidarity with the defendants facing politically motivated trials.

Apr 17 | 8:00 AM
DC Courthouse at 500 Indiana Ave NW

On January 20, 2017, 230 people were mass arrested during demonstrations against Donald Trump's inauguration.

The arrests were made by the controversial -- and increasingly common — use of the "kettle" technique on the corners of 12th and L Streets, without any dispersal warnings. Defendants' cell phones were confiscated and searched, their homes were raided, and their social media data were seized. Some defendants also experienced sexual assault at the hands of DC police (MPD).

Of these initial arrestees, 215 were charged under the Federal Riot Statute. The prosecution's case rests on a dangerously broad interpretation of the Federal Riot Statute that, if successful, could make a participant in a political rally guilty for any property damage that takes place during that time. On April 27, 2017, multiple additional felony charges were added. One trial group was acquitted of all charges on November 15, 2017, and the Attorney's Office dismissed cases without prejudice against an additional 129 defendants on January 18, 2018 — but didn’t drop their charges, meaning they still face nearly 6 years of uncertainty since the prosecution can reinstate the charges during that time. But far worse, there are still 59 people who are being prosecuted with multiple felonies and face up to over 60 years in prison.

In some ways the US Attorney's Office is functioning as it always has. Attempts to crush dissent through scare tactics, such as trumped-up charges, is not new. Yet blanket charging hundreds of people with felonies and branding standard political organizing tactics as "criminal” borders on unprecedented behavior.

This case in many ways resembles a pattern of other politically motivated arrests around the country: those of the hundreds of water protectors facing charges in North Dakota; those arrested during actions against rulings on police violence in Saint Louis, Sacramento, and countless other cities; and those of antiracist protesters in Charlottesville.

For more information or to other ways to support, check out defendj20resistance.org or follow @[1322360694543124:274:Defend J20 Resistance] @DefendJ20 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Donate: https://fundrazr.com/j20resistance…
Watch on vimeo: https://vimeo.com/263736862
Join the J20 solidarity thunderclap: https://www.thunderclap.it//projects/69303 ... See more

Workers who are willing to work for garbage wages, hours and benefits is at an all time low. This means workers who are employed in this industry (and many others) have more power than ever and should begin organizing YESTERDAY. ... See more

ORGANIZE EVERYWHERE 💕🌸✊

For the rich, every day is a holiday. But May 1 is our day!

On May Day the international working class comes together to celebrate all we have achieved and to continue our fight for a just and equitable future devoid of the menace of capitalism.

On May 1, march with us to Malcolm X Park for a lively community festival featuring local speakers, musical acts, art, and tables with incredible local organizations working in the interest of residents of the DC area!

Rally and March: Gather at 4 PM at Columbia Heights Civic Plaza
Festival: 5 PM onwards at Malcolm X Park (Meridian Hill Park)

The day has come for solidarity! Bring your friends, family, fellow workers, and your indomitable spirit of resistance to celebrate May Day with our communities!

Join us this May Day as we continue to build a movement to:

Demand Political Power for the Working Class – We call on all workers to organize their workplaces and communities to take political power from the banks, corporations, political parties, and politicians of the 1%.

Smash Racism, Sexism, and Fascism – We stand united against racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia, anti-semitism, and Islamophobia – the tools used by capitalists and politicians to divide, suppress, and intimidate our communities.

Oppose Imperialist War – We demand an end to US wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, and Libya, an end to US military expansionism, and US support for tyranny, apartheid, and violence abroad.
Stop Mass Deportations – We demand an end to racist deportation policies and travel bans. Corporate profiteering, a corrupt and ineffectual political class, and the police state are the driving forces behind our economic and physical insecurity.

End Mass Incarceration – We demand an end to militarized and racialized policing, which overwhelmingly criminalize and incarcerate the poor and people of color, protect the interests of corporations and banks, and stifle protest and dissent.

Defend the Earth and its Resources – We demand an end to the commodification of the planet’s natural resources and extraction industries that threaten to destroy our natural environment and the health and safety of all living organisms.

Fight for Health Care, Education, and a Living Wage for All – We demand recognition of our fundamental rights to universal healthcare, quality education, and a living wage for all, not as products for the enjoyment of the wealthy and the profiteering of the 1%. ... See more

Urgent Info for All Union Members - Please Share Widely

If you have not heard about the April 17 trials of members of the labor union, Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), please see information below. Many groups are organizing to bring attention to this matter as it could be a sign of things to come in the ongoing attack on organized labor in the U.S.

Overview of situation:

~IWW members are being targeted by the state for their organizing on J20.

~The next trial for people arrested for protesting on January 20, 2017 (post-Trump election) is April 17.

~Every defendant on April 17 is an IWW member. (This one is unique because it's the only trial block where every single defendant is an IWW member.)

~The prosecutors are blatantly singling people out for being members of the IWW. IWW membership cards, bylaws, and union communications are being used as evidence in the trial. This behavior hearkens back to the McCarthy era.

Call to Action/Internet Campaign:

~Worldwide Day of Solidarity with the J20 defendants on Tuesday, April 10th

~Livestream and share the talking points above

~Use #J20Solidarity #SolidarityWithIWW

~Even if you just have one person hold a sign and a second person take a picture, every little bit helps

~Mobilize in person at the courthouse if you are in DC where the trials are being held

~Sign up for the thunderclap here https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/69303-j20-protester-2nd-trial (for this you sign up now and then the posts happen automatically on April 10th)

~Hold solidarity rallies in your town

~Let your fellow union members know what is happening

~A simple post on social from your personal account is deeply appreciated

More information available here: http://defendj20resistance.org/dropj20 ... See more

INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED BREAD & PUPPET THEATER
TO PERFORM at ST. STEPHEN AND THE INCARNATION
ONE DAY ONLY! 7 p.m. Saturday, April 7th

[Washington, DC] Bread & Puppet Theater returns to St. Stephen and the Incarnation Saturday, April 7th, with a new play, The Basic Bye-bye Show, a manifesto on transformation, inspired by Albrecht Dürer’s apocalyptic woodcuts, birch branches lost during an ice storm, and the daily news.

In The Basic Bye-bye Show a series of quiet object fantasies unfolds in black, white, and grey inside a small fabric stage printed with elementary words -- "Resist," "Bread," "Yes," "Sky," "Riot," "Byebye." Outside, an orchestra of nonsense instruments arises, spins, and recedes. A birch forest grows. Sculpted clouds produce hands, chairs, and rain. The storm passes. The episodes that make up The Basic Byebye Show develop in abstract counterpoint to periodic handkerchief-assisted "basic byebyes" to various brutal unnecessities of our current politics.

B&P director, Peter Schumann, says of the show: "The Basic Bye-bye Show is based on the fact that our culture is saying its basic bye-bye to Mother Earth by continuing the devastating effects of the global economy on our planet - which is why our show proclaims the Possibilitarian's basic bye-bye to capitalism in order to welcome the 1000 alternatives to this rotten system."

After the performance Bread and Puppet will serve its famous free sourdough rye bread with aioli, and Bread and Puppet’s “Cheap Art” – books, posters, postcards, pamphlets and banners from the Bread and Puppet Press – will be for sale. The Bread and Puppet Practitioners-of-the-Pursuit-of-What Fiddle Band will welcome the public.

Bread and Puppet Presents The Basic Byebye Show, 7 p.m. Saturday, April 7th, at St. Stephen and the Incarnation, 1525 Newton St. NW, Washington, D.C.

ADMISSION BY DONATION: $10-$25 sliding scale suggested, no one turned away for lack of funds.

For more information on the event, please visit http://breadandpuppet.org/

Like and Share this Facebook event!

______________________________________________________

Background Information about Bread and Puppet:


Bread & Puppet Theater is an internationally celebrated company that champions a visually rich, street-theater brand of performance art filled with music, dance and slapstick. Its shows are political and spectacular, with huge puppets made of paper maché and cardboard. Founded in 1963 by Peter Schumann on New York City's Lower East Side, the theater has been based in the North East Kingdom of Vermont since the early 1970s.

Please contact Josh Krugman (jrkrugman@gmail.com; 802-525-3031) with further questions, or for interview with company members and B&P director, Peter Schumann. ... See more

#ItsonWendys to make better choices for its consumers, and the workers facing sexual violence and labor exploitation in their supply chain. It’s on Wendy's, to join the Fair Food Program. Thanks to students from Georgetown and George Washington universities, an incredible crew from the DC IWW, and community members for standing in solidarity with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers yesterday!

An extra shoutout to those who extended their solidarity to students involved in #HUResist by joining our post action march to support the students at Howard University creating their own radical changes in their institutions. ... See more

"When you are taught about the fight for liberation in this country, do not forget about the pages that were never written. When you sing about our freedom, remember the women who helped us get there—especially the invisible women Alice Walker speaks about: domestic workers.

Remember these women of our mama’s and mama’s mama’s generations who, like Alice Walker’s mother, worked 11-hour days for a few dollars a week. Remember the women who raised America—who nursed and bathed its children—both black and white—fed its workforce and cleaned its households. Remember these women, because America will not." ... See more

Two federal bills -- SESTA and FOSTA -- have just passed the Senate under the pretense of protecting sex trafficking victims and have already had a dire impact on sex workers here in DC.

Websites like Craigslist that sex workers use to safely do their work have shut down their personals sections, and as a result, sex workers are being kicked out of housing for nonpayment and they're forced to work in the street at higher risk of violence.

This harms sex workers, sex trafficking victims, and our communities at large.

On Sunday, we're hosting a lunch for sex workers who have been directly impacted so you can access food and toiletries. Join participants in the Rethink Masculinity program, CASS, BYP100, and Metro DSA to canvass neighborhoods and talk to community members about why we need to decriminalize the survival of people in the sex trade in order to make our communities safer.

The lunch and canvass are open to the public. Additionally, there will be a training before heading out! ... See more

We are outside Wendy's on Georgia Ave in Washington DC in solidarity with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and DC Fair Food.

"Having learned the tactics of the West Virginia struggle, educators in Kentucky and Oklahoma are currently engaged in statewide strikes of their own, while those in Arizona have plans for future walkouts. In each of these deeply conservative states, where budget cuts and austerity measures have severely damaged the public good in favor of private interests, labor will make its stand in opposition to the dual forces of neo-liberal capitalism and its henchmen.

We have already seen the power of collective labor struggles across both private and public sectors, joining forces under the recognition that, “An injury to one is an injury to all.” From the Communication Workers of America and the United Steel Workers strikes to the struggles of educators in Puerto Rico and Jersey City. Workers around the world have engaged in solidarity actions in support of one another’s strikes, providing material and physical aid where possible while spreading the fire of rebellion." ... See more

This extract from the forthcoming Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers’ Rights by Juno Mac and Molly Smith (both sex workers and activists in the UK) shows a glimpse of the mutual aid and radicalism of sex workers around the world from medieval to contemporary times.

Sex workers in the IWW are organized in Industrial Union 690: https://www.iww.org/no/unions/dept600/iu690 ... See more

This extract from the forthcoming Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers’ Rights by Juno Mac and Molly Smith (both sex workers and activists in the UK) shows a glimpse of the mutual aid and radicalism of sex workers around the world from medieval to contemporary times.

Sex workers in the IWW are organized in Industrial Union 690: https://www.iww.org/no/unions/dept600/iu690 ... See more

Attn: Washington, DC -- The DC IWW can help get you and your fellow workers to this point and beyond! Get in touch! www.dciww.org

Yesterday, Burgerville announced in a press release that they will honor the election process at 92nd and Powell and support workers voting freely. This victory for the union testifies to the power of the workers at Burgerville, the strength of our February strikes, and the commitment of our community supporters. The win was not just given to us by Burgerville, after all. It was won by workers and their communities fighting hard and fighting together.

But the fight is not over. Until Burgerville negotiates a fair contract with workers we are continuing to call for a boycott. Because even though Burgerville’s press release claims that they believe “that every employee’s voice needs to be respected,” we know the lengths they have gone to over the past two years to silence workers and bust the union. Burgerville has fired multiple workers for supporting the union, has assaulted workers on the picket lines, and has spent God knows how much on a union busting law firm while continuing to pay workers poverty wages.

If Burgerville truly respected its workers voices, they would have negotiated with us a long time ago. They would have started paying us living wage, provided consistent scheduling, stopped using e-verify, and offered affordable health care a long time ago.

If you haven’t already, sign a boycott pledge at http://www.boycottburgerville.com/ and show the company that you know what it means to respect workers voices and that you believe that no one should expect to live in poverty.

#BoycottBurgerville #VoteYes #UnionYes ... See more

Inmates at Washington State Penitentiary began a hunger strike Easter Sunday, according to prison officials.

Join the picket line this evening from 6pm - 7pm.

Following last week’s incredible Freedom Fast outside the hedge fund offices of Wendy’s Board Chair Nelson Peltz in New York City, in which over 80 farmworkers and allies demanded Wendy's join the Fair Food Program to end sexual harassment and assault against women in the fields, Wendy’s took a desperate stab at a public response. Wendy’s Director of Corporate Communications Heidi Schauer (if she still holds this position) went on record in the Huffington Post accusing CIW farmworker women leaders of “trying to exploit the positive momentum that has been generated by and for women in the #MeToo and Time’s Up movement to advance their interests.”

Wendy’s shameless attack on farmworker women not only hit a nerve with leaders in the movement against sexual violence, but unsurprisingly sparked outrage among students and young people, the prized demographic the company brazenly flaunts as its target market.

Students and young people are gearing up for battle — and we’re fighting back with a National Day of Action on April 5 declaring “It’s On Wendy’s!”

It’s on Wendy’s to retract their wild accusation that farmworker women are “exploiting” the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements in order to avoid backlash for refusing to join the Fair Food Program, the world’s golden standard for eliminating and preventing sexual abuse in the agricultural industry.

It’s on Wendy’s to take responsibility for unconscionably choosing to partner with the Mexican tomato industry, where impunity for crimes of sexual violence in the fields forces women farmworkers into an endless cycle of silence and abuse.

And so, it’s on us — the brilliant grassroots network of students and young people that fuel action in CIW’s national Wendy’s Boycott — to mobilize our communities in support of farmworker women’s rights.

Join us for our local DC action in calling on Wendy's to end sexual violence in their supply chain:
6pm- Meet at the Georgia Avenue Metro (Green Line) (Safeway side)
6:15 March over to the Wendy's on Georgia Avenue
6:30- 7:30 Rally and picket outside of Wendy's & Manager Letter Delivery ... See more

Despite the “World” in its name, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) has largely been viewed as an American or North American union. Indeed, the proposed name “Industrial Workers of America” was considered and rejected at its first convention. ... See more

For the rich, every day is a holiday. But May 1 is our day!

On May Day the international working class comes together to celebrate all we have achieved and to continue our fight for a just and equitable future devoid of the menace of capitalism.

On May 1, march with us to Malcolm X Park for a lively community festival featuring local speakers, musical acts, art, and tables with incredible local organizations working in the interest of residents of the DC area!

Rally and March: Gather at 4 PM at Columbia Heights Civic Plaza
Festival: 5 PM onwards at Malcolm X Park (Meridian Hill Park)

The day has come for solidarity! Bring your friends, family, fellow workers, and your indomitable spirit of resistance to celebrate May Day with our communities!

Join us this May Day as we continue to build a movement to:

Demand Political Power for the Working Class – We call on all workers to organize their workplaces and communities to take political power from the banks, corporations, political parties, and politicians of the 1%.

Smash Racism, Sexism, and Fascism – We stand united against racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia, anti-semitism, and Islamophobia – the tools used by capitalists and politicians to divide, suppress, and intimidate our communities.

Oppose Imperialist War – We demand an end to US wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, and Libya, an end to US military expansionism, and US support for tyranny, apartheid, and violence abroad.
Stop Mass Deportations – We demand an end to racist deportation policies and travel bans. Corporate profiteering, a corrupt and ineffectual political class, and the police state are the driving forces behind our economic and physical insecurity.

End Mass Incarceration – We demand an end to militarized and racialized policing, which overwhelmingly criminalize and incarcerate the poor and people of color, protect the interests of corporations and banks, and stifle protest and dissent.

Defend the Earth and its Resources – We demand an end to the commodification of the planet’s natural resources and extraction industries that threaten to destroy our natural environment and the health and safety of all living organisms.

Fight for Health Care, Education, and a Living Wage for All – We demand recognition of our fundamental rights to universal healthcare, quality education, and a living wage for all, not as products for the enjoyment of the wealthy and the profiteering of the 1%. ... See more

This is how you get a generation of socialists.

More than a third of them don't have enough to eat and a similar number lack stable housing, according to a survey published Tuesday by researchers at Temple University and the Wisconsin HOPE Lab.

The latest on the Burgerville Workers Union where workers are poised to become the first recognized union in the fast food industry. "A raise alone doesn’t empower workers to change their own lives and community.” #PowerFromBelow #IWW

Also we recommend reading this interview with a Burgerville worker organizer to background: http://blackrosefed.org/unionism-from-below-burgerville/ ... See more

What has been your experience with on-the-job training? Have you gotten any? Do you get less than you used to a few decades ago? Do you even expect it anymore?

"These complaints reveal an unsettling truth: What employers really want are workers they don’t have to train... Companies simply haven’t invested much in training their workers. In 1979, young workers got an average of 2.5 weeks of training a year. While data is not easy to come by, around 1995, several surveys of employers found that the average amount of training workers received per year was just under 11 hours, and the most common topic was workplace safety — not building new skills. By 2011, an Accenture study showed that only about a fifth of employees reported getting on-the-job training from their employers over the past five years." ... See more

Back in the 1920s, the Industrial Workers of the World, the historic union known for its opposition to capitalism and demand for direct democracy in the workplace, was a vocal opponent of the Ku Klux Klan. ... See more

Hey Fellow Workers & Comrades!

As many of you know, today is the 2nd day of an nationwide phone zap toward the US Attorneys Office in DC, demanding that they drop the charges for ALL remaining 59 J20 defendants! You can find info. about the phone zap, as well as a general script and numbers to call at the following link: https://usattorneyliu.org/#script.

What you may *not* already know is that several of the remaining defendants are members of the IWW or the IWW General Defense Committee, including our own Mid-Atlantic GDC. Several of our fellow workers in the Baltimore and DC metro areas have faced continued repression and harassment from the government, and the prosecution is using their IWW / GDC membership as a justification for the felony charges against them.

If you are an IWW or GDC member, you can choose to support our fellow workers by using our Wobbly-specific call script below.

***NOTE: Please be advised that you should try *NOT* to use your personal cell number when calling, especially if you were present in DC during the inauguration protests. The US Attorneys Office has caller ID, and they have been trying to intimidate Mid-Atlantic GDC members who have called in on their personal phones.***

WOBBLY CALL SCRIPT:

"Hello. My name is __________, and I am a member of the Industrial Workers of the World international union.

I am calling because I've heard reports that 59 Inauguration protesters are still facing excessive criminal charges. A number of these defendants are members of our union.

These prosecutions are a blatant and unprecedented act of political repression. Your office has submitted an IWW membership card as evidence, as well as emails from a local union list serve including a bylaws document. This behavior harkens back to the McCarthy era. Using your position as prosecutors to bully union members is a gross abuse of power, and is alarming to me both as a citizen and as a unionist.

In light of the first trial's outcome--where the judge threw out one charge for complete lack of evidence, the jury handed down ‘not-guilty’ verdicts for the rest, and you subsequently dropped charges against 129 other protesters--I ask that your office drop the remaining charges against all 59 defendants.

Prosecutors have the choice of when or how to bring charges. Your office has abused that power to punish, repress, and intimidate.

Drop the charges now." ... See more

Amazon workers are rising up for a good reason.

After a successful unofficial strike in West Virginia, educators in Kentucky walked out on Friday and Oklahoma is poised to follow suit

How much longer will AAUP staff members have to wait for a fair contract??

#AAUPworksBecauseWeDo #USAAUP #ContractNow

What is being done at YOUR workplace to combat harassment from customers? Share your ideas and in the comments!

"We decided on a color-coded system in which different types of customer behavior are categorized as yellow, orange or red. Yellow refers to a creepy vibe or unsavory look. Orange means comments with sexual undertones, such as certain compliments on a worker’s appearance. Red signals overtly sexual comments or touching, or repeated incidents in the orange category after being told the comments were unwelcome.

When a staff member has a harassment problem, they report the color — “I have an orange at table five” — and the manager is required to take a specific action. If red is reported, the customer is ejected from the restaurant. Orange means the manager takes over the table. With a yellow, the manager must take over the table if the staff member chooses. In all cases, the manager’s response is automatic, no questions asked. (At the time of our meeting, all our shift managers were men, though their supervisors were women; something else we’ve achieved since then is diversifying each layer of management.)" ... See more

What is being done at YOUR workplace to combat harassment from customers? Share your ideas and in the comments!

"We decided on a color-coded system in which different types of customer behavior are categorized as yellow, orange or red. Yellow refers to a creepy vibe or unsavory look. Orange means comments with sexual undertones, such as certain compliments on a worker’s appearance. Red signals overtly sexual comments or touching, or repeated incidents in the orange category after being told the comments were unwelcome.

When a staff member has a harassment problem, they report the color — “I have an orange at table five” — and the manager is required to take a specific action. If red is reported, the customer is ejected from the restaurant. Orange means the manager takes over the table. With a yellow, the manager must take over the table if the staff member chooses. In all cases, the manager’s response is automatic, no questions asked. (At the time of our meeting, all our shift managers were men, though their supervisors were women; something else we’ve achieved since then is diversifying each layer of management.)" ... See more

Employers: the right to property is sacred.
Also employers:

In this month, March 1984, the great UK miners strike began. In March 1985 it ended in defeat. This is a short video history of the dispute. To see our other videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/workingclasshistory
To support our work, you can donate here: https://patreon.com/workingclasshistory
This is an interesting selection of texts on the dispute: https://libcom.org/tags/miners-strike ... See more

IWW fast food workers leading way.

You had 48 hours, Burgerville, and we haven't heard from you yet. Your time is up. Game on.

The Burgerville Workers Union is *officially* filing for an election at the 92nd and Powell location. We expect it to be held in April, provided the company does not interfere with the democratic process.

Burgerville had more than enough chances to do the right thing and recognize the union. For two years workers have been asking the company to treat them with respect, to pay them a living wage, to fulfill its motto of "serve with love." For two years Burgerville consistently refused to do so. It ignored its own workers, treating them not as human beings but as numbers on a spreadsheet, as things that make a profit. The company can't ignore us any longer.

When we win, the BVWU will be the first ever formally recognized fast food union in the United States. Burgerville workers are making history here. Charting new territory. Proving to the world that fast food workers can change their lives for the better.

To everybody who has supported us so far, infinite thanks. To everybody who is looking to be involved, to take part in this moment and this movement, we say this: boycott Burgerville and help us make history. Show workers at 92nd that you support with them as they try to better their lives. Stand with us as we build a better, fairer world.

With love and solidarity,
The BVWU

#VoteYes #UnionYes ... See more

Despite the “World” in its name, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) has largely been viewed as an American or North American union. Indeed, the proposed name “Industrial Workers of America” was considered and rejected at its first convention. ... See more

As California budgets millions to rebrand long-disparaged vocational education, there are an estimated 30 million jobs in the U.S. that pay at least $55,000 per year and don’t require a bachelor’s degree. ... See more

Support the Boycott of Wendy's called for by farm workers with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers #CIW #BoycottWendys #FarmworkerJustice

Following last week’s incredible Freedom Fast outside the hedge fund offices of Wendy’s Board Chair Nelson Peltz in New York City, in which over 80 farmworkers and allies demanded Wendy's join the Fair Food Program to end sexual harassment and assault against women in the fields, Wendy’s took a desperate stab at a public response. Wendy’s Director of Corporate Communications Heidi Schauer (if she still holds this position) went on record in the Huffington Post accusing CIW farmworker women leaders of “trying to exploit the positive momentum that has been generated by and for women in the #MeToo and Time’s Up movement to advance their interests.”

Wendy’s shameless attack on farmworker women not only hit a nerve with leaders in the movement against sexual violence, but unsurprisingly sparked outrage among students and young people, the prized demographic the company brazenly flaunts as its target market.

Students and young people are gearing up for battle — and we’re fighting back with a National Day of Action on April 5 declaring “It’s On Wendy’s!”

It’s on Wendy’s to retract their wild accusation that farmworker women are “exploiting” the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements in order to avoid backlash for refusing to join the Fair Food Program, the world’s golden standard for eliminating and preventing sexual abuse in the agricultural industry.

It’s on Wendy’s to take responsibility for unconscionably choosing to partner with the Mexican tomato industry, where impunity for crimes of sexual violence in the fields forces women farmworkers into an endless cycle of silence and abuse.

And so, it’s on us — the brilliant grassroots network of students and young people that fuel action in CIW’s national Wendy’s Boycott — to mobilize our communities in support of farmworker women’s rights.

Join us for our local DC action in calling on Wendy's to end sexual violence in their supply chain:
6pm- Meet at the Georgia Avenue Metro (Green Line) (Safeway side)
6:15 March over to the Wendy's on Georgia Avenue
6:30- 7:30 Rally and picket outside of Wendy's & Manager Letter Delivery ... See more

Support students at Howard! Donate via PayPal:
ConcernedStudent1867@gmail.com

Big development is often times bad for a community, and this one is not an exception. TPSS Co-op #TPSSWorkersUnion #IWW #Gentrification

goo.gl/YAVo6p