Upcoming event – 23rd & 30th of April – Workplace Organising Skills 101

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RSVP: http://goo.gl/forms/IIFYBHsqK0

A two-day organiser training workshop, presented by two comrades from the anarcho-syndicalist union the FAU (Berlin section).

When: 11am-5pm on Saturday 23 April and Saturday 30 April. Persons wishing to participate need to be available for both dates.

Where: Activity Rooms 1 & 2, Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre (251 Faraday St, Carlton).

As many bosses increasingly emphasise flexibility, adaptability and competition between workers as the values founding the modern workplace environment, precarity and abuse of power has become rife. As workers, many of us can easily identify the issues big and small within our workplaces which negatively impact on our received wages, the amount of hours we are expected to spend in our workplaces, our health and safety concerns and our right to be treated with dignity, equality and respect whilst at work. If you are experiencing violations within any of these aspects of your work life (or others) they do not have to be tolerated! There are always steps that can be taken for workers to level the playing field once we are armed with the right skills!

Anarchist Affinity is hosting Organiser Training 101 to help you build these skills. Based on Australian, British (Solidarity Federation), and North American (Industrial Workers of the World) experiences, the Organiser Training is an intensive, hands-on, two day workshop where participants learn basic tools needed to successfully organise and operate their workplaces democratically. OT 101 takes participants through the early development of an organising campaign. Over the weekend you will learn what exactly it means to be organised, why we do it, and techniques to carry out your own campaign.

FAU Berlin Foreigner’s Section comrades Madelaine and Carmen will take you through role plays, group facilitated discussion, and interactive lectures.

Topics include: gathering contact information, approaching co-workers, and building an organising committee relevant to workers who participate in workplace organising.

The training is for free and open to everyone who wishes to participate. We warmly encourage people to attend who have had no prior union experience or organising/activist experience. You don’t have to be working in an industry that is traditionally union-based, as long you have co-workers (in whatever capacity) we can devise a strategy to get you started! In fact if you know other colleagues in your workplace who want to see some change, bring them too. We especially encourage attendance from workers who experience disproportionate exploitation, including people of colour, first nation people, women, LGBTI workers and workers with disability.

Basic snacks and refreshments will be provided on both days, there are a variety of places to get lunch near the training venue.

If you are going to attend please send an RSVP to the Anarchist Affinity before 9 APRIL with the following information:

Name:
Phone #:
Occupation (Industry):
Other notes (i.e. dietary requirements):

But seriously, RSVP because knowing who’s coming helps us plan.

Facebook event here.

Labour and Direct Action in America – The Seattle Solidarity Network

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In 2007 a group of activists from Seattle decided they needed to try a new approach to help working people stand up to their bosses and landlords directly and personally. The result was a network called “Seattle Solidarity”; a directly democratic, mutual-aid network of working people. “SeaSol” is an inspiring new strategy of networking that is neither a union or a party; they exist to support individuals to overcome hierarchical barriers, encouraging and backing them up in direct actions against their employees or landlords. The model has been largely successful, winning most campaigns, and inspiring similar networks around the globe.

Antonio became a member of SeaSol who joined after learning about some of their past victories. His issues regarded his employer: ‘Working regular 6-day, 72-hour weeks, Antonio received no breaks, no overtime pay, and was paid less than $7 per hour (far below Washington State’s minimum wage)’. Together, Antonio and SeaSol voted and agreed to ‘fight for 30 weeks of back wages, or $6,710.’ In an example of group direct-action, SeaSol (consisting of roughly 50-100 members) and Antonio walked into the store he worked at and delivered their letter straight into the hands of his boss- requesting that he meet their demands. The boss contacted a lawyer and made some attempt at bargaining for less than their demands, but after only one more direct action from Seasol and Antonio, the boss caved and paid on the spot!

Not all actions are as straight forward, however, and many campaigns have had to escalate and continue for a long time. The democratic approach means that when someone approaches SeaSol with an issue, the group votes on whether they deem the issue reasonable and worthwhile undertaking. If so, the approaching person decides on what actions SeaSol are allowed to undertake around their issue. For example, if an action might result in unreasonable retaliation from a persons employer, and the worker is unwilling to face that, then SeaSol will not proceed with that action. However, there is a ‘level’ based system of actions in order to avoid such conflicts. The first action sees the group delivery of a letter of demands to the landlord/boss, giving them two weeks to meet their demands. If these are not satisfied, the second action involves a more public approach. Seasol will distribute leaflets and letters to the neighbours/ investors, and organise pickets outside the establishment/housing block. In these actions they try to use as little political language as possible in their interaction with the public, sticking to plain and simple language to highlight the essence of the matter. A typical leaflet might read ‘Did you know that this restaurant pays its employees less than minimum wage?’

A frustration with traditional unions and NGOs, especially in the case of small-scale issues in the workplace or with landlords, led to the idea of building a network that could take on such issues in a more personal and straightforward way. According to one member the drive behind SealSol ‘originated from frustration with symbolic and ineffectual anti-war and anti- globalisation protests and anarchist propaganda groups that had limited relevance to most people’s lives.’ The organisation does not have an explicit political mission– they do not exist to overthrow capitalism, there is no clearly defined political project, and the organisation has had to learn-as-they-go regarding issues around the various ism’s of discrimination. As a consequence, the organisation is changing, learning and adopting processes to help better themselves, and in the meantime, is doing an amazing job improving the lives of many people. SeaSol helps to educate workers and tenants, teaching people that demanding dignity and fairness from an employer or landlord is not ‘causing trouble’, but is instead standing up for basic rights. Actions undertaken help put the working class back on the offensive, rather than scrambling to defend the few rights they have through
traditional institutions.

SeaSol has proven to be an inspiring example of direct democracy, direct action and class-organisation outside traditional organisations, entirely capable of engaging in battles and winning. There may be limits to the organisation’s political capabilities, but it certainly does what it sets out to do – inspire, and win victories for working-class.

You can find more information at:

http://www.seasol.net/

http://libcom.org/library/seasol-interview