Think about it (Last part)

Here finally the third and final part of Think, Thin it Over, an introductory pamphlet written by a fellow worker member of the IWW section of Portland, Oregon, Tim Acott. Text in English here.

First part

Second part

The Labor Law in a word
The Labor Law is a subject of study that are taught at the university until Ph.D., and which can provide a very profitable career. You could buy a car per year, live in a big beautiful house in good neighborhoods, meet the needs of a wife or a husband who never has to leave home to make money, be a member of high society club, wear beautiful clothes, and send your children to the most prestigious universities. You would all. Of course, you would not have much in common with the people you spend your days defending. It's the common attorney-e-s - a specialized profession and well-paid. Understand me. We value our lawyer-e-s, especially when justice knocks on our doors. We want them and they are vivid and bright, and they and they intimately understand the complexity of the Labor Law. But neither you nor I have the time and money to study labor law at a prestigious university. However, we must understand the basic principles of labor law and how it affects our daily lives at work.

well, here it is in a nutshell. The Labor Law is implemented by the bosses and their government system and courts to prevent us, Workers medium-do-s, to come together and fight for our fair share, for fear that we would, and that one day we would, all. This is essential information. The basic idea, behind the great laws governing unionization, is it possible to have a union if you really want, but he can only fight for certain causes. It can only solve some problems. It must be sufficiently low and weighed, and follow a set of sophisticated rules that do not apply, at least in practice, your boss and friends at the golf club. You are forced-e-s wait while the latter get a fast court. You should limit your activities to certain legal forms, but these people can virtually do what they want. Their e-s-attorney are recognized-e-s as ours, because they and they cost more. You should see if only their cars !

It surprises you in this country ? I sincerely hope not. You see, this is not really a democracy, economic decisions are made democratically, yet they underpin all other decisions taken there. The circulation of money, the merchandise, goods and services, food and shelter, health and holidays, all fall under this other decision-making system. You can nominate capitalism, corporate reign, business, or what you want, but you can not name it democracy. Everyone laughs. The law is not that of the people, by the people, for the people, no matter what your teachers taught you. Sorry, but it does not work well.

The Labor Law is the result of the influence of corporate interests on the government and the judiciary, and implies that you need to protect your head and your ass, and pay attention to what you say and do. If you want to play their game, just follow the system in place : sign your cards, call for a certification election, and wait. It is possible that by the time this is the right approach to take. But never let the boss set the playing field and decide everything.

This is a street fight, an agression, a coldly calculated assault, and you must defend yourself as much as possible. Protect your head and your ass, use your creativity and above all with your workers comrades, and each tactic, strategy, and interesting idea that you find. If you let them set the playing field and shape the rules, you do not have a single chance to win. It's as simple as that the Labor Law.

But remember that their game is not the only one there. This is not the only way to, the only solution to our problems com
Muns. Take for example the IWW-SITT. Think about it - join the union of your class and fight for full-product of your work, in the manner of Wobblies. Do not let them decide for you. This is our game : we do the work, we manufacture and trans
carry all. Finally, we control the economy. If we organize democratically to advance our own interests, we can share the wealth we produce already and we would have enough for all and all those who are doing the work.

Help advance work
William D. Haywood, alias Big Bill, he used to sign his letters and correspondence "Help advance work, William D. Haywood. "It was a founding organizer and treasurer-general secretary of the ISTC-IWW for many years in our most turbulent times, and it was a great figure of the union. This closing formula will tell you a lot about his leadership methods and the union at that time.

Help advance work. We joined, Today as in the past, to do a job, to accomplish a task, for ourselves and one-e-s for others, for our class and for future generations. This task, clearly affirmed in the preamble, is the abolition of wage labor. Building a new society right inside the old. finishing, once and for all, with the tyranny of money, the bosses on workers.

It's a big job. Too big to accomplish by a single person or e-strip of great people, no matter how powerful-e-s. Help advance work. This is a big job that takes as much time as necessary, no matter how many battles and how many hours of volunteer work and thought we must be. Regardless of the number of tasks, small or large, are accomplished ; How many hours away ; How many editions of newspapers ; how many meetings, discussions, of sent and ballots counted, sold stamps, licked, and affixed in how little red books, and how much money counted and verified.

It is an unglamorous work as a whole. This is serious, and often laborious. A hard job lightened by many arms, and advancing with small steps. Sometimes it's just holding the line against setbacks. Sometimes, it's not even that. And yet sometimes, is vast leaps forward.

"Every member organizer / organizer, "" We are all leaders and all, "" If every wobbly new registered or new e-wobbly weekly, we syndicates the world in a few years. "Help advance work.

Work : Educate, Organiser, emancipate. These are the names of the three stars on the emblem of the IWW-SITT, part of each card and macaroon. Self education and comrades. Self-organization and comrades. The emancipation of a class in the struggle, the war, and earth that feeds us and lulls everyone.

So will you join us ? Will you help advance the work ? We left there to do other ?

Translation and adaptation to French by
Communication-Translation Committee, SITT-IWW Montreal
2015