The Industrial Workers of the World (the IWW) is a rank and file run, international union for all workers, dedicated to organizing both on and off the job, in our industries and our communities. We are not affiliated with any political party.
We organize the worker and the job, meaning that, unlike most unions, you carry your membership with you no matter what job you have, including if you are unemployed. Because we are a democratic, member run union, decisions about what issues to address and what tactics to pursue are made by the workers directly involved. Our dues are lower than any other union, and the members democratically decide how dues money is spent. We believe in the power of rank and file direct action, shop floor organization and class solidarity, both to win better economic conditions and to build a world without bosses. Additionally, the IWW is based on two guiding principles, “the one big union” and “industrial unionism.”
The One Big Union is the idea that the entire working class must be united to act in our interests as a class and against capitalism. The united working class must be intersectional in that it must cross geographic, cultural, and industrial boundaries as well as work through the divisions of race, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, and age.
While we do different kinds of work, we have the same basic role in the economy: we’re the people who make our society run but who have no power over how it is run. We recognize that unionism is not about government certification or employer recognition, but about rank and file workers coming together around common interests.
Because of this, we have often stood out for organizing workers that the “business style” unions are either unwilling or unable to organize. By joining into One Big Union we make it possible to shut down not only one shop, but an entire supply chain, or even an economy in order to organize as a class, take possession of the means of production, and abolish the wage system.
Industrial Unionism is the idea that we need to build labor organizations connected to each other logically based on the way that the modern economy runs. Industrial Unionism is understanding how we carry out our principles in action. By organizing unions in this way, we can strengthen our power across connected industrial chains.
Organizing along the supply chain amplifies our power: a union of agricultural workers, food processing workers, truckers, and fast food workers in one chain has more power against the employer or employers on that chain than organizing all the fast food workers in one city. While One Big Unionism is a set of principles that guides our work, Industrial Unionism gives us practical suggestions about how to implement ideas and win.