The IWW FJU is a relatively new organization, so there are understandably lots of questions about who we are, what we’re doing, and more. Many of these are answered below, but if you find yourself still wanting to learn more, please email us at [email protected].

1. What is the IWW FJU?

The Industrial Workers of the World Freelance Journalists Union is a group of freelance journalists, bloggers, writers, photographers, filmmakers, and illustrators in news media from all around the world, organizing to improve our working conditions and assert our rights.

2. What is the IWW?

The Industrial Workers of the World is an international, democratic union for all workers.

3. What is the relationship between the IWW and the IWW FJU?

The IWW is "One Big Union" for all workers. It has individual branches representing everyone from restaurant waitstaff to incarcerated workers. The IWW FJU is one of these branches, organized specifically for freelance journalists. The IWW has been, and will continue to, support the IWW FJU with guidance, funding, and other resources. The IWW FJU operates under the IWW Constitution but is otherwise autonomous.

4. What is the IWW PPWU?

The Industrial Workers of the World Printing and Publishing Workers Union is the section of the IWW dedicated to organizing all workers in the printing and publishing industry. According to the classification system of the IWW, the IWW PPWU is also known as Industrial Union 450.

5. What is the relationship between the IWW PPWU and the IWW FJU?

The IWW FJU helped charter the IWW PPWU in order to better support the organizing of staff journalists and other workers employed in the printing and publishing industry. Although the IWW FJU precedes the IWW PPWU, the former is now technically a subsection of the latter. According to the classification system of the IWW, the IWW FJU is a “job shop” of the IWW PPWU.

6. What are the goals of the IWW FJU?

Broadly speaking, the IWW FJU is committed to improving working conditions for freelance journalists, bloggers, and other writers in news media. More specifically, we're currently finalizing a survey to distribute to our contacts and the wider freelance community to understand the specific issues that we're facing at particular publications. Armed with this information, we will be designing our first concrete campaign — e.g. going after publication X for overdue invoices. We hope that this first campaign will not only bring material benefits to some of our members, but increase the stature of the IWW FJU, thus building our collective power — and hopefully lighting a fire under some of the more notoriously bad publications.

7. What is the IWW FJU offering members?

The IWW FJU is not a "business union" which offers its members services in exchange for dues. The IWW FJU is a "solidarity union," or an organization comprised of the workers themselves acting collectively to improve their working conditions. We offer freelance journalists, bloggers, and other writers in news media the opportunity to realize their collective interests and to pursue those interests through direct action — basically, by pressuring publications to shape up. To that end, we provide tools, guidance, funding, and other resources.

8. How long has the IWW FJU existed?

The organizing behind the IWW FJU began in September of 2018. Since then, we’ve built an international network of journalists through hundreds of one-on-one conversations and meetings, discussing the struggles that members of our profession face and how we can collectively overcome them.

9. How does the IWW FJU relate to other freelance organizing groups?

The IWW FJU is independent of other efforts to organize freelancers, although we support them wholeheartedly. Solidarity!

10. How much are dues?

IWW FJU dues range from between $6 to $33 per month based on your self-reported income. Initiation fees equal one month of dues, so your first month will be double. Dues are as follow: $6 per month if you are financially burdened; $11 if you make less than $2,000 per month; $22 if you make between $2,000 and $3,500 per month; and $33 if you make more than $3,500 per month. The IWW FJU is entirely driven by volunteers, so your dues are reserved to cover the material needs of organizing, such as the cost of logistics, and all spending must be democratically approved by members like you. That said, dues are not meant to be a barrier to entry, just a way for us to independently support our organizing. Whether or not you pay dues, you are welcome to get involved with the IWW FJU.

11. Does the IWW FJU offer health insurance?

Health insurance is a huge issue, but one that the IWW FJU unfortunately does not have a clear path to address, outside of fighting for better wages for freelancers to allow them to purchase their own plans. This is an especially tough issue because it lies at the intersection of journalism and healthcare, which are both extremely unstable industries. One example: Some freelancers unions in the United States previously offered their members health insurance, but provisions in the Affordable Care Act made it impossible for them to continue.

12. What is my status in the IWW FJU if I do not become a dues-paying member?

As mentioned above, dues are not meant to be a barrier to entry in the IWW FJU, only a way for us to independently support our organizing. Whether or not you pay dues, you are welcome to get involved with the IWW FJU.

13. Is the IWW FJU only for “hard” journalists, as opposed to critics, essayists, and photojournalists?

The IWW FJU is open to all freelancers in news media, including journalists, bloggers, writers, photographers, filmmakers, and illustrators. Our efforts to date have been focusing on those who write, but we are interested in supporting everyone in their struggles for better working conditions.

14. Is it safe to disclose my involvement in the IWW FJU publicly?

That’s for you to decide. Unfortunately, history demonstrates that employers will try to retaliate against workers who organize, so the IWW FJU does not advertise its membership without the consent of individual members. That said, unions are working-class fighting formations which demonstrate workers’ ability to stand up for themselves, so union membership can also act as a proverbial shield from employer abuse. Ultimately, whether or not you disclose your involvement in the IWW FJU is up to you. Either way, we welcome you to get involved and will always respect your privacy.

15. How can I get involved if there is no IWW branch near me?

A full list of IWW branches worldwide can be found here. Whether or not there is a branch near you, you can still get involved in the IWW FJU. Simply email us at [email protected].

16. Can people from outside the United States participate?

Yes! As mentioned above, the IWW FJU is a group of freelance journalists, bloggers, writers, photographers, filmmakers, and illustrators in news media from all around the world. Our efforts to date have been focusing on those who work for US-based publications, but we are interested in supporting everyone in their struggles for better working conditions.

17. If I am already an IWW member, how do I become a member of the IWW FJU?

Simply email us at [email protected]. Membership in the IWW = membership in the IWW FJU. The IWW FJU is a branch of the IWW, so you do not need to separately sign up for each.

18. How does the IWW FJU plan to organize such a large and decentralized group of workers?

Freelancers are far flung and disconnected, yes, but that doesn't mean organizing them is impossible. In order for the IWW FJU to be successful, we don't need to get every freelancer on board, we just need to be strategic. Targeting publications with known bad behavior and further targeting the stringers (or freelancers producing work day in and day out, rather than contributing only occasionally) reduces the numbers we need to attain to have real leverage from thousands to a hundred or maybe even a dozen, depending on the size of the publication. As journalists, we have the added benefit of being relatively public: It's easy to find the bylines for everyone who's written for a particular publication, and it's not much more difficult to get in touch with them.

19. How does the IWW FJU plan to deter “unintentional scabbing” — i.e. freelancers working for publications that are known to be abusive, but are not facing any official labor action?

There's no practical way to deter freelancers from contributing to every single abusive publication — simply because there are so many abusive publications out there. The IWW FJU hopes that, by concentrating our energies on the bad practices of specific publications, we'll be able to set both acceptable standards for freelancer-publication working relationships and a precedent for going after publications if they continue to mistreat freelancers.

20. How does the IWW FJU plan to tackle issues that have hurt freelancers organizing in the past, such as price-fixing regulations?

Some independent contractors collectively bargaining over wages have been stymied by US laws against price-fixing in the past, but it's important to keep in mind that the law itself is a field of contention, which can be influenced in our favor. For example: Many US workers in film and television are technically independent contractors, yet they belong to unions that fight for better wages. Regardless, unionizing involves a lot more than bargaining over wages, and you are completely within your rights to join the IWW FJU.

21. How should I talk to my colleagues about the IWW FJU?

We’re so thankful that you would like to spread the word about the IWW FJU! You can share content from our social media accounts, but we would recommend emailing us at [email protected] to learn more about the best ways to organize your colleagues.

22. What are the best ways I can currently help the IWW FJU?

As mentioned above, the IWW FJU is entirely driven by volunteers. We’ve got dozens of volunteers helping out with outreach, social media, this website, and more. If you would like to get involved in some way — any way — please email us at [email protected].

23. How can I transfer my membership from another section of the IWW to the FJU?

If you are already a member of the IWW, you may switch your membership from your current section to the FJU — but it is not compulsory. To switch, simply email [email protected] with your union membership number and current IWW section.