Joe's Mt. Washington Bike Shop goes IWW - Workers Act in Solidarity to Defend and Improve Their Jobs.
Submitted on Thu, 05/03/2007 - 2:41pm
All of the ten employees at the Mt. Washington Bike Shop have joined the Industrial Workers of the World, one of the oldest and most storied unions in our country. The workers have taken these actions in order to secure and improve their jobs in the “best bicycle shop” in Baltimore.
The demands by the union center largely around the lack of employee policy. Before the union there was no system for scheduled raises, sick days, or vacation policy. Decisions were the sole prerogative of the boss. Now a reasonable consensus must be reached regarding these important factors of running a business.
“I feel a sense of empowerment,” says Johnny May, one of the full time employees at Joe’s Bike Shop. “ The union has given me a more active role as a more active role as a worker.”
The Mt. Washington Bike Shop workers have chosen to affiliate with the Industrial Workers of the World because they are an organization that is dedicated to shop floor democracy. “There are no professional organizers telling us what is in our best interest. Every member is an organizer, every member is a leader.” says Josh Keogh, another full time worker.
While a local small business might seem a odd place for a union, full time worker Kris Auer makes it clear that “It is not a direct attack on the owner; it is a step toward securing my future.”
Joe’s will join Red Emma’s, Baltimore’s radical bookstore and coffee shop, as the second IWW shop in baltimore. Both workplaces anticipate this federation of industrial democracies will grow and prosper in the near future.
For more information about the Mt. Washington Bike Shop Workers Union, or to schedule an interview please call Josh Keogh at 410-627-3715, or email jskeogh (at) umd.edu