| "Wobblies" at City Lights
By Paul Buhle 
Wobblies on display at City Lights, May 2006
June 02, 2006
Long time syndicalist and IWW supporter Paul Buhle authored
a brilliant comic book history of the Union. It is popping
up everywhere. A friend of Paul's spotted a copy prominently
displayed at the famous City Lights bookstore in San Francisco.
Paul offered this commentary:
City Lights Bookstore and City Lights press have always been the locus of rebellious impulses, poetry as well as politics. HOWL was the literary scandal of the 1950s, its sales booming from seizure of copies printed abroad and imported. WOBBLIES brings the story back home, and visitors from around the world find the Wobbly story close at hand, the other side that never gets onto television or in the commercial press. Wobblies, visit that bookstore yourselves! You'll make a friend.
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New Assessment Stamp for IU 460
By FW Benjamin Ferguson 
The new high colour IU 460 assessment stamp...get yours today.
May 16, 2006
Here's the brand new I.U.460 stamp approved by the New York City General Membership Branch to help raise money for our organizing drives and support the unjustly fired Amersino workers.
All Union members are urged to pitch in and help the organizing effort AND beautify their redcards simultaneously!
Union members can also mail their redcards to:
Benjamin Ferguson
60 Porter ave. #3R
Brooklyn, NY 11237
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Walking Out on the 10th
By FW Brendan Story 
Workers, Not Criminals (Photo: Thomas Good)
May 16, 2006
In the boroughs and nationwide, April 10th marked an important day for momentum against the criminalization of immigrants and immigrant workers.
It was an important day for a handful of Mexican workers who work in a warehouse in Bushwick run by Handyfat Trading Inc. They had voted to walk out a few days before at a foodstuffs workers' meeting at Make the Road by Walking, a nonprofit organization and community organizing center.
They’re a proud part of the “May Day Coalition” which includes the “Workers In Action” project of Make the Road, as well as the NYC Industrial Workers of the World, and blends radical unionism with neighborhood community organizing. After several work-stoppages and a disputed and sabatoged election, Handyfat workers are negotiating a non-majority “solidarity union” agreement with the boss for wages, benefits, and respect. On April 10th they walked out to march with
friends from Make the Road, the IWW, the anarchists, and other immigrant people of New York.
Handyfat was also joined by their fellow workers at Bread & Company, a deli restaraunt in Manhattan, who are also negotiating a contract over wages. Another foodstuffs IWW/Workers-In-Action shop, the Amersino warehouse in Ridgewood, Queens, was not able to march on April 10th because they were on strike and picketing their shop over being denied wages by managers who had meddled with their time cards.
On and off the job, on and off the streets, New York is buzzing with a few pockets of immigrants who are linking arms and marching toward a world without borders or bosses. Hopefully they will continue to share inspiration with what seems to be a newly energized movement.
More Photos: http://antiauthoritarian.net/NLN/photo-gallery/2006_sds_a10/
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Candlelight Vigil for Haymarket and Kent State
By FW John Cronan 
Lauren Giaccone at the Union Square vigil (Villager Photo)
May 04, 2006
A candlelight vigil was held at Union Square on the anniversary the Haymarket and Kent State Massacres.
May 4th is anniversary of both the Haymarket and Kent State Massacres.
The Pace University Chapter of Students for a Democratic Society and others converged at Union Square on the anniversary for a candlelight vigil to honor and remember those murdered by the state while struggling for freedom.
There was a reading the words of the Haymarket Martyrs, Malcolm X, Joe Hill, Martin Luther King Jr., and others. According to organziers, the point was not only to remember them, but to ensure that their message, heart, and struggle carries on, and never dies. It was a moving commemoration that was well attended and brought out the press (FW Lauren Giaccone had her photo appear in the Villager).
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May Day Observations
By FW Thomas Good 
The scene at 14th Street and 4th - Union Square packed with protestors.
May 02, 2006
FW Thomas Good observed several May Day marches for the Lawyers Guild and filed this report...
May Day saw several large marches and one civil disobedience. At around noon approx 200 marched from the UN to the US Mission to the UN, many wearing orange prison jumpsuits and black hoods to protest the US policy of using torture on prisoners. Despite over 50 protestors blocking the entrance to the Mission the owner refused to allow the NYPD to make any arrests, stating that he agreed with the protesters and wanted the US mission out of his building.
At 3pm Make the Road, NYC IWW and the Chinese Staff & Workers' Association assembled at Grand & Chrystie at 3:00 pm for a feeder march. A boistrous march processed up Houston and then 4th Ave, arriving at Union Square in time to witness a huge immigrants' rights rally. There were no incidents or arrests. At 14th Street police were overwhelmed as feeder marches appeared out of nowhere. Very inspiring.
At around 5pm a permitted march left Union Square and processed to Foley Square. It was the third time in a month hundreds of thousands demanded civil rights for all who reside in the US.
More Photos: http://antiauthoritarian.net/NLN/photo-gallery/2006_mayday_march/
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April 29th Anti-War Festival
By FW David Temple 
Wobblies and friends marched on A29
April 29, 2006
The IWW table sponsored a table in the Direct Action tent at Foley Square on Saturday, April 29th. A number of books and other items were sold. The march was huge and many wobblies and friends stopped to say hello and support the Union by purchasing stamps, etc.
The tent was a moneymaker and a busy place in the Peace and Justice festival that followed the gigantic anti-war march. Sharing the tent with the IWW were Students for a Democratic Society, the War Resisters League and Witness Against Torture, all direct action organizations.
More Photos: http://antiauthoritarian.net/NLN/photo-gallery/2006_sds_a29/
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Starbucks Benefits Report
By FW Daniel Gross 
April 16, 2006
Through the hard work of many, especially Demien Schroeder and Richard Reta, we were able to turn a slow holiday weekend into a great benefit for the IWW Starbucks Workers Union! We raised funds for organizing, built support for the campaign, and created working class community. The performers were great and diverse as was the crowd. We will have some very useful material on video to use in future documentaries.
Many SWU and GMB members were instrumental in making the event happen: our MCs Laura De Anda and Sarah Bender; bartenders Pete Montalbano and Abe Walker kept the drinks were flowing, and; Bert got the suds over to the theatre. Two SWU members gave riveting performances, Ivan and Tina. We were also privledged to have FW George Mann play some labor tunes. Benjamin, Brendan, and Johannah were excellent at the door and an extra thanks to Benjamin for a top-notch event flyer. David Temple came through with a banner reading, "Abolition of the Wage System." Thanks to all who helped especially the cleaning crew.
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Action At Amersino
By FW Tomer Malchi 
Workers at Amersino joining the IWW
April 05, 2006
On March 20th at 5:30 AM workers at Amersino, a
produce distribution warehouse in Brooklyn, met in a
deli to sign IWW membership cards and prepare to stand
up to an abusive boss. On that chilly Monday morning
close to 20 Latino workers along with a diverse IWW
contingent, including workers from Handyfat, Starbucks
and Mayday books, marched on the boss demanding the
immediate reinstatement of fired workers, an end to
violations of minimum wage and overtime laws as well
as respect from the boss.
As the boss drove up in his new Mercedes Benz, workers
march with bikes in hand ready to demand justice. The
showdown between the workers and their boss is just
one example of the class conflict that exists in NYC.
The workers organized to end the harsh treatment from
the boss who would yell racist remarks at workers
while paying them far below what they earned.
Meanwhile the boss used the money he was stealing to
build a collection of trucks he is using for his long
haul operations and other business endeavors.
The workers surrounded the boss as IWW organizer Billy
Randel negotiated. After exchanging some words and
laying out the demands two fired workers were
immediately reinstated. In addition the boss agreed
to temporarily agree to all demands. Although that
did not mean much it was enough to prevent a strike.
Workers returned to work proudly wearing their IWW
buttons.
Within the same week the Boss began to engage in his
anti-union campaign. In an attempt to intimidate
workers the boss fired 2 workers claiming that since
he rehired the other 2 workers he now has to fired
these 2 workers. In addition the boss refused to talk
to IWW representatives and made it clear that he was
not looking to negotiate.
On Saturday March 25th Amersino workers once again met
at 5:30 AM with the intension of going on strike
unless their demands were met. With the help of Bert
Picard workers engaged in a consensus based decision
making process. Workers decided that unless the boss
reinstated the fired workers they would be going on
strike. The workers marched on and confronted the
boss. The boss claimed he did not have the money to
pay everyone, the boss asked workers not to be
influenced by outsides, the boss red baited and
declared his passion for America. Workers stood their
ground as the boss rambled nonsense. Finally after
the seeing that the workers were ready to strike the
boss rehired the 2 fired workers.
The boss at Amersino is still violating the law and
stealing from workers, however workers are backed by
the IWW and Make The Road by Walking who together are
building power for an underclass of undocumented
workers in Brooklyn. Immigrant workers in Brooklyn
are standing together and organizing in demand of an
end to the abusive condition of work, an end to
disrespect and an onset of having their voice heard.
An NLRB election is set for Friday April 28th.
Editor's Note:
Amersino workers were locked out on April 30. The lockout lasted until May 2nd at which point most of the workers returned. However, the Boss fired five workers who are currently attempting to get their jobs back - in the interim the IWW has established a strike fund for these workers unjustly fired. Wobblies wishing to contribute to the fund may purchase assessment stamps (see page 3). Others may send checks - contact Tomer Malchi at 646.753.1167 for more information.
More Photos: http://www.wobblycity.org/photo-gallery/2006_amersino_nyc/
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