[Iyf-ct] CT IWW and CSAAWU

Mon May 31 23:51:27 PDT 2010

Dear fellow worker Dave,
Thank you very much for following up on our questions, for the detailed information and your continued support - it is greatly appreciated. I am also cc'ing all our 'members' here so that we can build concensus. I think that the option you have suggested sounds like a workable one and I am pretty sure everyone here will agree.
On behalf of all of us in Cape Town, we are very excited to be part of the IWW and looking forward to working with both workers in South Africa and our IWW comrades (in SA this word still holds positive connotations of class struggle and freedom) across the world. We look forward to hearing from the GST.
In solidarity
Mandy

Date: Mon, 31 May 2010 16:11:25 -0700
Subject: Re: CT IWW and CSAAWU
From: mr.kloker at gmail.com
To: mandymoussouris at hotmail.com; ghq at iww.org; redgrocer at gmail.com
CC: nathanielpmiller at gmail.com; phatmatt_11 at hotmail.com; mr.kloker at gmail.com

Fellow Worker Mandy,
I have been reading the IWW constitution to try to get some guidance on your concerns and questions. I think there are two separate issues that we need to think about. First, I want to make sure that you and every member in Cape Town feel like full fledged members. To this end I think section 8(f) of the constitution is our best way to move forward. I think ultimately Cape Town needs to take the lead in forming a South African Regional Organizing Committee (ROC). Section 8(f) reads: 

"In the absence of a ROC in a region, one or more individuals may be delegated by regional members, or by the GST, for a period of one year for the purpose of organizing an ROC. Such delegates shall report at least quarterly to the GST, and may retain all dues and initiation fees collected."

Mandy, I think you should serve as as an IWW delegate as appointed by the General Secretary Treasurer (GST). The GST is Joe Tessone, who I am carbon copying on this email.  As I read the constitution, it would be up to you to set and retain the dues. The IWW International Solidarity Commission has endorsed the recommendation of 1% of take-home pay as a guide for dues. Further, members without employment may pay a sub-minimum dues rate (whatever contribution is possible).  The GST, assuming he agrees with my suggestion, would send you the 'rigging' material necessary to issue IWW membership cards to every interested worker. FW Tessone, please respond to Mandy and me with your thoughts on this suggestion. 

In terms of a possible affiliation with CSAAWU, I think it may be most appropriate to save that conversation until a South African ROC is up and running.  I believe that CSAAWU and the IWW are working for the same things on very similar principles, which is why I am so enthusiastic for all of us IWW members supporting CSAAWU's efforts in whatever ways we can. However, I do not see anything in the Constitution that specifically speaks to this situation. I am also carbon copying Ryan Gaughan of the General Executive Board (GEB) of the IWW. FW, Ryan please discuss this issue with the GEB and get back to us as to what it thinks about a possible affiliation. 

On behalf of the other members of the IWW ISC, who I am also including on this letter, thank you for the work that you are doing to support CSAAWU and forming an IWW presence in South Africa. Let's stay in regular contact to help your efforts.

Regards,
D.M. Kloker, chair of the IWW International Solidarity Commission

On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 11:57 PM, Mandy Moussouris <mandymoussouris at hotmail.com> wrote:

Thank you! 

I think e-mails to Trevor for now are still the best as he is really not comfortable with facebook yet - maybe after training next week it will be better. 

In terms of affiliation, we need a lot more information. CSAAWU support the principles of the IWW and have a very solid constitution which has very similar principles. It's the in's and outs we need to discuss. One of the issues is the principle on dues collection. Because of the extreme distances and difficulties organisaing farm workers they do have a system where the employer pays the dues form salaries - which is one area we (IWW CT) have identified another area that we are unclear about is dues. CSAAWU would not be in a position to pay pretty much anything at the moment. I think most importantly we (IWW CT) would need to have a proper workshop on the possibilities,options etc. I will make sure we discuss this at the next meeting. If IWW has some kind of step by step guide to affiliation that would help a lot.

Another concern for us is that we have not yet been able to pay our dues so we don't feel like we are officially part of the IWW. In the second meetings minutes we sent we made soem suggestions in terms of dues, especially for unemployed comrades and very badly paid workers (there are many in SA). Can you let us know if these are okay? One of our members has a paypal account so we could possibly use this untill we sort out this insane bank account saga.

Thank you once again for your patience, continued support and encouragement. 

In solidarity
Mandy

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