About the IWW
“The working class and the employing class have nothing in common. There can be no peace so long as hunger and want are found among millions of the working people and the few, who make up the employing class, have all the good things in life.”
The Industrial Workers of the World is a member-run union for all workers, a union dedicated to organizing on the job, in our industries and in our communities. IWW members are organizing to win better conditions today and build a world without capitalism tomorrow. We want our workplaces run for the benefit of workers and communities rather than for a handful of bosses and executives.
We are the Industrial Workers of the World because we organize industrially. This means we organize all workers producing the same goods or providing the same services into one union, rather than dividing workers by skill or trade, so we can pool our strength to win our demands together. Since the I.W.W. was founded in 1905, we have made significant contributions to the labor struggles around the world and have a proud tradition of organizing across gender, ethnic and racial lines long before such organizing was popular.
We invite you to become a member whether or not you have a union in your workplace. We organize the worker, not the job, and recognize that unions are not about government certification or employer recognition but about workers coming together to address common problems. Sometimes this means refusing to work with dangerous equipment and chemicals. Sometimes it means striking or signing a contract. Other times it means agitating around particular issues or grievances in a workplace or industry.
The IWW is a democratic, member-run union. That means members decide what issues to address and which tactics to use, and we directly vote on office holders, from stewards to national offices.
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.