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> They're doing what one would expect the IWW to do - trying to organize Wal-Marts, fast food chains, retail stores etc.
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> No, I'm just kidding. They've been spending an awfully large amount of time, effort and money trying to get union recognition for the workers of some left-leaning non-profit called ACORN that works to improve organization in poor communities ( http://bari.iww.org/ACORN ). I guess when they get that wrapped up they'll find some other left-wing non-profit group to organize, maybe Nader's PIRG's or something. One day, everyone working in a left-wing non-profit group will belong to ONE BIG UNION!
The ACORN drive, which was initiated by employees internally at ACORN, and not by the IWW from the outside, is way old news. That was a year and a half ago. No one is organizing ACORN now. But since you mention it, the common notion that the IWW targeted ACORN as some sort of broad campaign is false - and ridiculous. Employees on the inside approached the IWW. It would have been a poor show of concern to turn these workers away from organizing with the IWW simply because they work for an non-profit. Unfortunately, these workers' concerns and benefits matter as well - a radical notion some seem not to understand.
Here in Dallas I was involved in one of these struggles where workers at a poorly run ACORN office were fired not because they were trying to organize with the IWW, but because they were talking union on the job at all (they thought of going with the SIEU, too, if it matters). The day after their boss overheard them talking union they were fired. These workers won an Unfair Labor Practices charge against ACORN. And rightfully so. This has nothing to do with any IWW campaign, but simply with anti-union bosses who happen to be working for a non-profit org. For what it's worth, I admire ACORN's work externally and support it. But if they treat employees like shit, as they were, then their bosses don't get my sympathy.
Nationally, different IWW branches are up to various projects. It varies city to city. The northwest has seen the most activity with something in the order of ten job shops and a collectivized cafe, the Red and Black Cafe. Mostly it's educational or solidarity work with other worker actions, given the relatively small number in the IWW right now, however. In Seattle, for example, a grocery store is in the middle of an organizing drive. And a Mr Gatti's pizza near Portland recently closed its doors after the IWW won a majority vote of workers. There's a print shop pressing for an NLRB election right now, etc., etc.
Brian
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"At times one remains faithful to a cause only because its opponents do not cease to be insipid." - Friedrich Nietzsche