Industrial Workers of the World Opposes... Nothing!

It's funny how you can stumble around the internet and run across some of the most bizarre things. I was on a blog reading a post titled, "You might be a socialist if..." when I saw another post by the author stating he had joined IWW. Ever curious, I clicked on the link and discovered that IWW was an acronym for Industrial Workers of the World. It's an organization who's stated purpose is to "do away with capitalism. The army of production must be organized, not only for everyday struggle with capitalists, but also to carry on production when capitalism shall have been overthrown. By organizing industrially we are forming the structure of the new society within the shell of the old."

 

I'm going to make a wild guess about the IWW, but I'd say their political leaning is towards socialism. I could be wrong--but I seriously doubt it. On their homepage was a declaratory statement defending the rights of immigrant workers looking for work in the United States. I clicked on it to see what position a labor-union organization would take on the illegal immigration discussion. Below is a copy of their posted declaration: 

May 1st - Defend the Rights of Immigrant Workers

Whereas: the working class knows no borders or races, but exists wherever workers are exploited for the benefit of capital; and

Whereas: all human beings are entitled to the means of obtaining the necessities of life for themselves and their families, regardless of any artificial barriers created by government; and

Whereas: the nature of capitalist economies is to draw workers from all over to the centers of capitalist investment, while at the same time drawing wealth out of less-developed economies, thereby eliminating opportunities to earn a living within such economies; and

Whereas: the recent rise in immigration to the United States of America is directly attributable to this process, as exemplified by the destructive free-trade treaties forced upon Latin America by the United States government, as well as the insatiable lust of North American employers for a dependent, immigrant work-force that can be compelled to labor under sub-minimum wages and deplorable working conditions and used to undermine the working conditions of all workers; and

Whereas: all workers, wherever economic necessity may force them to seek work, are entitled to organize and take concerted, economic action for the defense and aid of their class, for which purpose the Industrial Workers of the World has sought to unite the workers of the world in One Big Union, regardless of nationality or place of origin; and

Whereas: the struggle of immigrant workers is connected and integral to the struggle of all workers for industrial freedom and economic security, which demands the solidarity of all workers, in every industry throughout the world;

Now, therefore, be it RESOLVED,

That the General Executive Board of the Industrial Workers of the World declares its opposition to efforts to prohibit or criminalize the crossing of national borders by workers, and opposes efforts to prohibit the giving of aid and comfort to immigrant workers; and be it further RESOLVED,

That, in order to advance the solidarity of all workers, and to demonstrate to the employing class that an injury to one worker is an injury to all, the General Executive Board of the Industrial Workers of the World hereby endorses the popular call for a general strike and protest in defense of immigrant workers in the United States, and calls upon all Branches and members of the Organization to participate in such a strike and protest, as local circumstances shall permit, on the first day of May 2006, the International Workers' Holiday.

GENERAL EXECUTIVE BOARD INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD

If I were to summarize this declaration I'd have to say that it's basically pointless. They're declaring that they will stand behind immigrants searching for work who are wanting to be paid a fare wage for their labor. However, the way they've chosen to word their declaration leaves the reader to assume the IWW stands in favor of illegal immigration, but they don't. No where in their declaration is the word 'illegal'. Read it again, if you don't believe me. Like I said... Pointless.

 

They resolve to be opposed to "efforts to prohibit or criminalize the crossing of national borders by workers" and also "efforts to prohibit the giving of aid and comfort to immigrant workers." Their two positions are not clearly defined. Are they talking about "legal" or "Illegal" migrant workers? Who knows? I know that there are no efforts to impede legal migrant workers from immigrating into this country. Without stating that they are specifically opposed to "illegal immigration", I'm left to assume they are referring to "legal immigration" and therefore must conclude that they are essentially stating their opposition to nothing.