Social Media & Activism

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Comment by Adam O'Maolagáin on November 6, 2012 at 11:30

This is an article that Irish Tapestry workers have put together commemorating the 1913 lockout.http://ning.it/RPCoHN"

Comment by Jill Biddington on October 15, 2011 at 0:46

I'm looking for a discussion about creating tools for organising - just received the BC Fed leaflet on supporting Occupying Wall Street. Thought it was one of the best formatted tools I have seen in ages. I reckon that we all share the passion for organising but would like to connect with others who want to improve the creation of tools for others.

Happy for some guidance here.

Comment by Walton Pantland on May 31, 2011 at 12:11

Hi all

 

We've been exploring some of these debates over at Cyberunions.org. 

 

We recently launched a weekly podcast - why not check it out?

 

W.

 

Comment by Gordon Glick on December 21, 2010 at 4:47

No need to hate to say that, FW. I have known that the left's message has been muddied by factionalism and an inabilty to generate a cohesive, understandable message. I agree with your assessment. The Wobblies used lots of unconventional (for the time period) methods of communication: songs, music troupes, street speeches, boxcar stickers and posters, all were used to great effect. The job ahead is to update the message, get it out without lying about it (as our opposition has no qualm about doing) and use the current technology to do that. I'm not talented in this sphere, but would be happy to support the efforts.

Comment by lana fargis on December 21, 2010 at 4:28

I hate to say this, but it all comes down to communication and outreach. All of it. PR obviously works, and tends to sway the perception on issues. We are at this point playing catch-up on marketing.

That said, as an example, our efforts to produce RadioLabour (weekly and daily) are extremely short on funding, and our fundraising efforts have fallen short of expectations. I am not certain where the money is going, but it certainly isn't toward PR.

Comment by Gordon Glick on December 21, 2010 at 1:31

FW Orsan, I completely agree. We are now a small Union compared to the peak membership before WW II, and paid a dear price in blood and freedom after the Red Scares in 1919 and 1950. We are originally an American Union, and spread to the anglophone world, and had several score newspapers printed in various languages for the ethnic workers here and abroad.  Our Bard, Joe Hill, was born in Sweden. We are, however, in close solidarity with other Unions, particularly in Europe and some in South America: our symbol, the Black Cat, is used by many Anarcho-Syndicalist Unions throughout the world, like the CNT in Spain and FAI in France. We believe in International solidarity, and I will check out that other group you recommended. For the One Big Union.

Comment by Orsan Senalp on December 21, 2010 at 0:34

Hi Gordon, IWW indeed is a unique inspiration for workers’ of the world but also for a such new social network union idea, in terms of perspective, class politics, principles and vision.

However, in fact it seems like its reach is limited with the English speaking West. 

It seems, since its members (numbers, voices of members, interactions among members) are not visible on online space (although there are members blogs) to the other members. 

I also can't get an idea how decisions are being made and what is the depth of grassrootness; interaction among, participation of members so on, I can not see it through the documents and the website. 

Social network unionism idea can, I believe, complete the IWW project, in terms of its reach, quest for direct democracy and class struggle.

Recruiting members that are active in other social movements, landless peasants, immigrant workers, domestic workers so on would expand the alliance. 

In order to turn the IWW into a truly global worker's union, social network principle would play a crucial role. Therefore the invitation is not to create something like a competition to the IWW. 

We have a lot to learn from IWW and its members about the experience, so please join the group and to the discussion going on in the  'Social Network Unionism' working group. In solidarity!   

 

    

Comment by Gordon Glick on December 20, 2010 at 17:36

The IWW already is in place. We have accepted all workers since our founding. Please check out our page here on Union Book, the Facebook group, and the website: www.iww.org. Read the Preamble to our constitution and see if these principles align with yours.

Comment by Orsan Senalp on December 20, 2010 at 14:00

An open invitation for inventing a 'common' and grassroots labour union for the 21st Century

 

Hundreds of millions not if billions of workers in the world are out of reach for the established trade union mechanisms and structures, so they are not protected at all. Peter Waterman calls them 'Labour's others', for some others they are the new working class; the precariat composed of people who holds no property and even secure job.

What kind of trade union structure will go beyond the ongoing problems and the crisis of unionism, which was born out of well known problems and will become the change maker of our time. Can Unionbook ensemble a model for such future union organisation through the net?

There are already many good examples of action and organising taking place via the net and incredible results are getting reached , as it happened in 2007 when financial support has been mobilized from the wealthier segments of the Western working classes for the Ford worker's first ever strike organised in Russia since the beginning of the 20th Century.
 
For already some times Social Networks are gaining ground as an important and dynamic forms of communication and collective action tools. Many activists are  involved today in one or another social network on the net, or on the real world. Is time came to transform  this tool into a new generation labour union.

There is a  need to start discussion can this happen, can it work, and how? How would we build and gain legal ground for such a union, is it possible, or necessary? How would such union look like, be governed and function against the offensive coming from the employer and the state?

 
'Social Network Unionism' working group has recently been created with the aim of promoting such discussion and providing a space for comprehensive work in order to experiment with Social Network Union idea by utilizing the opportunity created by LabourStart team and Eric Lee, by creating the unique tool of Unionbook and bringing hundreds of unionist together on the net.

 

I want to suggest that this is actually the discussion towards the New Unionism for the 21st century. With this call I would like to invite all who involved one way or other in labour and trade union movements to join and contribute this working group.

Comment by lana fargis on November 10, 2010 at 5:37

I'll try to generate some kind of info on how to commit successful facebook suicides. will update soon!

most people (myself included) have issues with facebook because it has become a tool of a professional presentation - it's work, not fun - it isn't nearly nuanced enough to satisfy multiple facets of one's personality, hobbies and variety of social circles and interests we keep. how can it be a social tool when we're supposed to be acting like good little soldiers? aren't my personal time or my thoughts my own? Facebook doesn't really allow for that distinction or for our "multiple personalities" - as in, it fails to recognize that we belong to numerous communities of practice, only as to the degree that it tries to market them as much as possible.

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