Industrial Workers of the World

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I.W.W. ROC (Australia)

Minutes 15 February 2007

Virtually present : Mike (Sec/Treas), Meela (IT)

Report upon allegations made by Greg. W. from Queensland:

Greg claimed that on two occasions he had been able to organise workers to take industrial action and had approached the IWW to take the action in the IWW name and for support and was knocked back and told he had to wait a year to get the confidence of the ROC.

Still do not know what happened here and why. I am coming to the conclusion that it is not all bullshit as I originally thought. According to Gregg "it would have to be at least two years ago now regarding the warehouse issue and I attempted to make contact I think about 1 1/2 years ago regarding my friends' workplace."

Seems to me that if someone told him that he had to wait a year and get the confidence of the ROC this was totally wrong. (Everyone is equal in the IWW and length of membership effects nothing and no member has to gain the confidence of the ROC - the position is quite the reverse) There may have been reasons for it. The fellow worker concerned might have considered that Greg was a complete nutcase for example and that it would be disastrous to have our name linked with any action he was organising. Must say that is not at all the impression that I am getting from my limited email contact - but this or some other consideration may have come into play. Still it was against our constitution and I have said that if events took place as he reports then I apologise.

I did point out, however, that it is a tad pathetic, if you support the means and aims of the IWW, that you don't join to union and put something into its survival and development (the easiest person to organise is after all yourself). And if you don't support the means and ends its a bit pathetic asking for our assistance only when the shit is about to hit the fan - particularly if you have been sowing the seeds of the situation for some extended period as he says he was. If workers do not assist the union it might not be around to assist them when they think they need it is the sad fact - however much we would want it otherwise.

Still it may be that we let a good opportunity to organise slip by here. Guess that we will never know. Don't see much gain in beating ourselves up over it though.

Meela: “I'm not sure who could've told him they needed to wait 12 months to organise. It does sound ridiculous!! Perhaps he misunderstood some kind of legitimate request?

Anyway, his complaints are kinda symptomatic of activity in this country - we all want someone else to show us how. But the reality is that only you can do it, and that it is HARD. You gotta stretch your own leash. No-one else can do it.

Mike: But anyway I think we have sorted out our relationship with Greg. Am sending him a bundle of stuff though doubt that he will come over. He seems quite amicable and pleased that we took him seriously though so I hope there will not be more postings like that from him.

Web Page:

Meela: Some of the other criticisms he has are a fair cop - I know the website isn't nearly as great as it could be. I know we aren't as organised as we could be... we labour under a historical burden, and with all the other handicaps that activist groups have. But his complaints (like I said before) make me want to tell him to get fucked. That energy wasted in ranting could be better spent getting onto our website and writing something useful!! Or, shock horror, talking to his workmates about revolution!

Mike: Meela I would like to help out and put stuff on the website but with all this other stuff I just don't have the time to learn the basics. Will put an appeal in the next AMB for people to start making more use of it if I can. You have certainly given us all the information to do so many times - but I feel that a lot of the people that we could expect something from are in the same position as myself.

Meela: With the website - I am happy to post things, but I need people to meet me half way. Email it to me with "FOR THE WEBSITE" in the subject... the hard part is thinking, looking for stuff and having to clean it up to post it.

Mike: OK will do. with the articles and related. How do we go for graphics and stuff. I had an idea for a page dealing with our pamphlets - maybe a linked thing to the main website. It I got the text and graphcs onto a Publisher page could you post that or would I need a different format?

Meela: A pamphlets section is a great idea. Publisher is probably not the best format - pdf is much better. Though perhaps I can convert it... not sure, and will have to try it out

Resolved: - That we conduct a minor campaign to get more people sending material to Meela for inclusion in the web page such material to be given the subject heading “For the Web Page”. Mike to design a section promoting the IWW pamphlets available.

New Pamphlet:

Mike: I am trying to get out another pamphlet to go with the next AMB - collection of poems, doggerel and songs from the IWW publications over the last ninety years or so. "Fanning Discontent's Flames". Another historical thing in a lot of ways when we need more immediate stuff but it is the easiest and least time consuming one of the set that I have on hand. Might cost a few dollars more than usual so if you want to veto the scheme say so now - but I think it is looking like quite a good venture.

Meela: No objections.

Resolved: - That Mike go ahead and try and get the new pamphlet out with the next AMB

ROC Meetings:

Mike: I really think we should have one of these on line discussions at least once a month - tidy them up a bit put them into a word document and call it the ROC minutes. Could even post it if you wanted in the interests of democracy. Otherwise I just do stuff - which is sort of OK in an emergency but we should probably regularise things a bit more now.

Meela: Agreed

Resolved: - That the ROC shall convene in cyber space at least once a month at a time suitable to its members. That minutes shall be posted on the web site