General Administration Directory
Office
Call us:
(773) 270-0284
Email (Press and General Inquiries):
frontdesk@iww.org
Email (Membership):
membership@iww.org
Email (General Administration):
ghq@iww.org
Address:
IWW General Headquarters –
Mail: PO BOX 577893, CHICAGO, IL 60657-3012
Officers
General Executive Board Chair
Working in a team of seven, General Executive Board members have a seat on the highest decision-making body in our union between our annual conventions. This is a very important body that ensures the union acts in compliance with our constitution, the law, and the will of the membership expressed at our conventions.
- Supervising all affairs of the union between conventions
- Processing and complete requests to charter branches and committees
- Guiding and supervising all union publications and their policy
- Visiting, examining, and / or auditing accounts of subordinate union bodies as needed
- Giving overall oversight to the operations, finances, and activities of the union
- Receiving and processing funding requests related to major expenditures
- Ensuring that all parts of the union are operating in compliance with the Constitution and Manual of Policies & Procedures
- Directly supervising and managing the General Secretary-Treasurer staff member
- Establishing and maintaining regular contact with union branches and committees
General Executive Board
Working in a team of seven, General Executive Board members have a seat on the highest decision-making body in our union between our annual conventions. This is a very important body that ensures the union acts in compliance with our constitution, the law, and the will of the membership expressed at our conventions.
- Supervising all affairs of the union between conventions
- Processing and complete requests to charter branches and committees
- Guiding and supervising all union publications and their policy
- Visiting, examining, and / or auditing accounts of subordinate union bodies as needed
- Giving overall oversight to the operations, finances, and activities of the union
- Receiving and processing funding requests related to major expenditures
- Ensuring that all parts of the union are operating in compliance with the Constitution and Manual of Policies & Procedures
- Directly supervising and managing the General Secretary-Treasurer staff member
- Establishing and maintaining regular contact with union branches and committees
General Secretary-Treasurer
The General Secretary-Treasurer is a key role that keeps our basic union membership and financial processes going.
- Preparing, signing, and distributing charters issued by the General Executive Board or Regional Organizing Committees
- Credentialing union delegates
- Processing Branch Secretary-Treasurer reports and remittances
- Ensuring the membership database is updated and maintains status changes
- Collecting, compiling, and circulating information regarding Job Branches
- Process and track payments and spending, ensuring that all financial transactions are documented and reported in accordance with accepted accounting principles
- Managing accounting, financial documents, and governance documents
- Managing the union’s bank account and paying bills
- Supervising staff employed at the Office of the General Secretary Treasurer
- Publishing a monthly union bulletin
Departments and Committees
Organizing Department
The Organizing Department consists of three components: a Survey & Research Committee, an Organizer Training Committee, and a 7 member Board of Directors (ODB or Organizing Department Board).
The ODB is responsible for mobilization and coordination of the IWW’s workplace unionization campaigns. Three critical ways the ODB supports this mission are through disbursement of organizing funds; assisting the formation and long-term sustainability of local, regional, and industrial organization initiatives; and gathering and compiling information from the union’s sections to improve development of workplace organizing.
The ODB’s goal is to ensure the vitality and success of the IWW’s organization projects. The ongoing activities include overseeing the union’s organizing campaigns, acting as a steward of the union’s organizing funds, holding planning and coordination meetings, communicating with campaigns, union branches, and other union bodies, and providing logistical support as needed.
Education Department
The Education Department’s role is to provide the means and support necessary for members to become effective organizers in their workplaces, their industries, their branches, and the broader union, through the development and administration of trainings. Trainings are broadly defined as teaching skills and knowledge that are related to organizing, administration, or political education. Trainings may be in-person group workshops, curriculum to be engaged individually, or other forms of engagement and delivery.
Communications Department
The role of the Communications Department Board (CDB) creates a messaging strategy that embodies the goals of the various NARA departments and committees and ensures that the content of all of our internal and external communications platforms are in alignment with that messaging strategy and its goals.
International Committee
Working in a team of five, the International Committee members act as the union’s department for international relations with unions outside of North America.
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee:
- Advises the General Executive Board on financial matters
- Assists in preparing an operating budget
- Advises General Headquarters on bookkeeping and accounting procedures
- Make a report to the membership at least once per fiscal year.
Gender Equity Committee
The Gender Equity Committee:
- Processes funding requests related to the SATO Fund
- Receives and renders assistance to members regarding Safer Space violation complaints
- Managing the professional mediation fund
Surveys and Research Committee
The Survey and Research Committee consists of five members appointed by the General Executive Board. The purpose of the research committee is to develop analysis of organizing strategies and tactics and support local campaigns in their research needs.
Industrial Worker
Launched in 1907, Industrial Worker is the official publication of the Industrial Workers of the World, a worker-led union dedicated to direct action, workplace democracy and industrial unionism.
Publications Committee
The Publications Committee is responsible for official external publishing for the union.
Organizer Training Committee
The role of the Organizer Training Committee is to coordinate the Organizer Training Program, which consists of the Organizer Training 101 and Organizer Training 102, as well as any other training program the GEB and the OTC agree on, and continues to develop these trainings as needed. The OTC consists of five members appointed by the GEB.