New IWW Office in Twin Cities
Submitted on Mon, 11/09/2009 - 4:03pm
Steady Growth Spurs IWW To Open Space in NE Minneapolis
For decades, IWW members in the Twin Cities were without a place to call home, but beginning in November, our branch will open hop in the historic Grain Belt Bottling House in Northeast Minneapolis – a neighborhood hose early residents and their vision of industrial organizing were instrumental in establishing he “One Big Union” here and beyond.
In 1905, two Northeast railroad workers – William Bradley and Fred Henion - participated in a select Chicago conference that laid the roundwork for a unique labor organization, which would later be dubbed the Industrial Workers of the World. Unlike the American Federation of Labor, the IWW proposed that all workers in an industry should harness their power together into one union, instead of dividing themselves by the many different crafts or trades on a job. This new union grew quickly and immediately appealed to Northeast workers employed in the Harrison St. rail yard and the massive Mill District, as the IWW welcomed immigrant and non-white orkers - workers long deemed “unskilled” by the exclusive, craft-based AF of L locals. Just as in 1905, the IWW is thriving and continues to organize in industries that are considered low wage nd “unorganizable” by today’s large business unions. The determined efforts of local WWs have yielded considerable success in several workplaces and subsequently seen the Twin Cities branch grow exponentially in just a few short years. With his expansion has come the need or our own gathering space and the Bottling House fit the bill.
Along with the connection to our union’s past, this Northeast landmark offers room for significant future growth. Our office will now house the meetings of workers in food service, transportation, retail, and education to name a few. We’ll hold basic organizer trainings and courses from our Work Peoples College, with the building’s sizable atrium providing an ideal venue for large public discussions, film showings, and gala events. All in all, this space fill become a destination where area working people can access myriad resources on labor law and organizing and meet others struggling to make their jobs and communities better places for all.