JOINING THE IWW

Help the work along - let's build the IWW together!

Who can join the IWW?

As long as you are a worker — not an employer — you can join the IWW. Members of other unions, students, retirees, the unemployed, the self-employed, those in informal professions, and those unable to work may also join. To us, you are all workers.

There is a difference in interests at work between employees and employers. Even if someone doesn’t own the business, if they have real hiring and firing power over other workers then they count as an employer to us.

By restricting our membership to only workers we make it easier to act in solidarity with other people at your job and improve your working conditions. If you are a worker then you belong in the IWW with us!

Why Relationships?

Your ability to improve your working conditions depends on your collective power with other workers – meaningful solidarity needs organisation and relationships. You can’t go on strike to demand better if you don’t know your coworkers and have some structure for making that decision.

Direct Action

Getting to a formally recognised union at your job takes time and organisation. If you have strong relationships with your coworkers you can already start winning improvements in your working conditions through concerted actions at your job even before formal recognition.

Why join?

The IWW is more than a pension fund or a collective bargaining agreement.

Organization

Fight to win better working conditions at your job with the weight of the IWW behind you

 

Education

Receive help from our Organizing Department and your other fellow workers in your local branch in building the skills you need to start organizing a union at your job

 

Agitation

You need a union, and so does every other worker in the world – spread the good word with us!

 

Solidarity

Be part of something bigger than yourself and your workplace – meet other fellow workers, be supported by them, and support them in turn

 

Comradery

Find joy with your fellow workers in standing together and fighting for a better world

 

Community

Get to know other friendly fellow workers who are invested in building a kinder, a more humane, and a more just future (and who understand the unfair bullshit at your current job)

 

Dues

Dues are scaled based on your monthly income at levels that are democratically decided on by the entire membership.
Dues are used for strike funds, organizing campaigns, and more*

 

* Full details on how union dues are spent and how this is decided on can be found in our constitution and the manual of policies and procedures.
Joining the IWW requires an initiation fee equal to one month of dues in addition to your first monthly dues payment.