Statements
In Solidarity with It’s Going Down and Other Anti-fascists Suspended by Twitter
On December 15, 2022, the news website It’s Going Down was suspended from Twitter, along with several other prominent anti-fascist organizations and journalists, such as CrimethInc, Ignite the Right and Chad Loder. The Industrial Workers of the World Freelance Journalists Union calls on Twitter to immediately lift these suspensions, and we encourage other journalists’ unions to also express their solidarity with the affected groups and individuals.
Until the suspension is lifted, the IWW FJU will be sharing content from It’s Going Down on the union’s Twitter account, @IWWFJU. We also encourage all of our members and supporters to do the same. In this small way, we can stand resolutely by the motto of the IWW: An injury to one is an injury to all!
In Memory of Fellow Worker Tortuguita
On January 18, 2023, Manuel “Tortuguita” Páez Terán was murdered by the Georgia State Patrol in Atlanta, according to comrades with whom they were defending Weelaunee Forest from the construction of an 85-acre police training facility appropriately derided as “Cop City.”
As a member of the Industrial Workers of the World, Tortuguita belonged to the countless ranks of Fellow Workers who seek, in the words of the IWW Constitution, to “take possession of the means of production, abolish the wage system, and live in harmony with the Earth.” In death, Fellow Worker Tortuguita joins the long list of IWW martyrs who have been murdered by the forces of the state and capital, which exploit all workers and our planet.
To support Fellow Worker Tortuguita’s family in this moment of need, the IWW Freelance Journalists Union encourages all of our members and supporters to donate to, and share widely, the fundraiser established for their funeral expenses.
We also encourage our members and supporters to donate to, and share, the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, which continues supporting Fellow Worker Tortuguita’s comrades who are yet being prosecuted by the state for defending Weelaunee Forest against Cop City.
Fellow Worker Tortuguita may be gone, but if we are able to defeat Cop City, then their spirit can live forever in the hearts of all those who visit Weelaunee Forest for generations to come. To paraphrase the words of another IWW martyr: Don’t mourn — organize!
In Solidarity with Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Workers on Strike
Since mid-October, workers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who are organized with the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, have been on strike. Management has already posted jobs replacing the striking workers, and union members have asked local freelancers not to cross the picket line. The picket line was nevertheless crossed by scabs who earned bonuses of as much as $1,500, combined with a further raise, totalling around $40,000.
The Industrial Workers of the World Freelance Journalists Union expresses our full solidarity with striking workers from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. We encourage everyone to donate to the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh’s strike fund, and we endorse the request that freelancers not accept jobs or assignments that would undercut the strike. Instead, IWW FJU members who have assignments with the newspaper should appeal to us for support from our solidarity strike funds.
The IWW FJU wishes the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette workers a swift victory in their conflict with management. Until then, we hold fast to the IWW motto: An injury to one is an injury to all!
In Solidarity with Fort Worth NewsGuild Workers on Strike
On November 28, journalists at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram who are organized with the Fort Worth NewsGuild went on strike. McClatchy, the newspaper’s parent company, has already posted jobs to replace the striking workers, and union members have asked local freelancers not to cross the picket line.
The Industrial Workers of the World Freelance Journalists Union expresses our full solidarity with the Fort Worth NewsGuild. We endorse the request that freelancers not accept jobs or assignments that would undercut the strike, and we encourage everyone to donate to the union’s strike fund: Fort Worth NewsGuild Strike Fund.
The IWW FJU wishes the Star-Telegram journalists a swift victory in their fight with management. Until then, we hold fast to the IWW motto: An injury to one is an injury to all!
In Solidarity with Gannett Workers on Strike
On November 4, hundreds of workers across 14 unionized Gannett newsrooms went on a one-day strike, including Asbury Park Press, Courier News, Home News Tribune, Journal News, Poughkeepsie Journal, Times Herald-Record, Bergen Record, Daily Record, New Jersey Herald, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Utica Observer-Dispatch, Times Telegram, Desert Sun, Arizona Republic, and Atlantic’s Digital Optimization Team.
The Industrial Workers of the World Freelance Journalists Union expresses our full solidarity with the Gannett workers on strike. We have made a donation to the workers’ fundraiser and encourage everyone to do the same: Support Striking Gannett Union Workers
The IWW FJU wishes Gannett workers a swift victory in their conflict with management. Until then, we hold fast to the IWW motto: An injury to one is an injury to all!