Wobbly Lifes: How I became a member of the IWW.

When I was asked if I could write a testimonial to share my journey with the IWW, my first response was "Haha, I met a guy on Tinder worse that's how I discovered the IWW ". This is ridiculous because it's true, but it's still a longer history than that.

There is 2 years, I impliquais asso with my student and I was getting in a class action against the Quebec City police. There is 2 years as, I was hanging on Tinder hopeless when I met someone good. And it turns out that someone is a member of the IWW ... Yes, that's how I discovered the union. Not even in demos, not even by the actions, even by his trade union, just a strange coincidence.

It was agreed at that time, I did not have much experience in activism. some demos, a brutal mousetrap, 2 week strike, presence on the executive of my asso ... It comes down to this, I believe. But I was already tanned student activism, its constraints and especially, the inability to establish real long-term projects : people come to their bacc then disappear, then we must build relationships quickly, work daily. It has its advantages, but for an introverted person like me, who needs to take his time with new people, it is difficult to overcome the constraints. I was made at a time in my life where I wanted to involve myself more sustainably, but I saw not many options ; it is precisely at this time -jolie coincidence- I found the IWW.

One could now believe that after discovering the union, I would have taken my card immediately. From what I could see in demo, and what I heard, it looked like a big family of people who stand tight bends ; it makes you want to reach, non? Yes, but at the same time, it is precisely so that it took me so long to make my decision. How I, who knew virtually no one group, who had almost never participated in direct actions, who do not believe in height, I was going to succeed in making my place in there? well, that the air that I arrived. I took my card and I am, one year later, to be involved in 3 Committees and Secretary of one of them, to be delegated, to giving 2 Introductory courses to the IWW and write an article for our blog. To all the people too shy to make the first move : you lose nothing to try, there's someone who will eat you.

And then the big question : why I ended up so hang on to that group? There are a thousand answers to this, but I find that the union embodies values ​​I share and I never really had the opportunity to express. I have a social work training and it's been years that I occupy jobs in the customer service ; after a while, I finally realize that the insecurity and suffering experienced by people working in counseling, the poverty that is struggling most of the people around me ... it can not last. It is not normal that we should live like this, I can not believe that there is no way to get out. We talk with colleagues, Yes, one complains, but for several reasons we never find ways to tackle the problem. What I think I have found with the IWW, this is a good starting point to do that.

Already, to have a space to talk about those problems and share our experiences, instead of saying that we are worse and we should shut up. Then find out what is done elsewhere, what motivates others, what could be done ; there are a host of possible actions to achieve our goals, phone calls to the occupations, through the demonstrations and discussion workshops. It's not just the strike to overcome a labor dispute : creativity and solidarity can -and will- carry us away.

And to end on a cute notes, it is all this involvement that made me discover a world of possibilities and extraordinary people, in addition to giving me a solid boost confidence in me. Yes, because I assume responsibility and that people trust me, but also because I realize today that I managed to create my network in a new city, in a group that I chose and representing my ideas. I also learned what it was, solidarity. I found the militant commitment that suits me ; active engagement, continual, more action-oriented in this respect than any price of an ideology. We did something together, and that, It does not have a price. This is to stop being passive towards the world and all, actively begin to take our place.

X377108