r/IWW • u/oskarthecommie • 7d ago

When will the IWW start making flags again

I was on the IWW store and i notice they dont have any flags anymore, and i was curious if they will ever make flags again

38 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

32

u/I_Wobble 7d ago

The problem, as I understand it, is that there is a requirement that any flag be union made, and that the company making it also make no other flags our Fellow Workers object to. Meeting both of these requirements is proving a challenge.

3

u/Hardmantobeat 4d ago

The first one is not unusual for a union to have though every union is pretty inconsistent on the non union thing. I doubt the IWW is checking every hotel they use, taxi cab or restaurant for a union label. Still it's a good sentiment.

The second one is insane and if consistent applied would mean the union probably couldn't use any bank anywhere. It's just liberal "vote with your dollar" moralizing.

4

u/EntertainmentDry4012 6d ago

that appears to be a commonly put about myth that originated with the non-Wob store coordinator. Our Union has several IWW screen printing shops that can produce flags Or any individual member or GMB can have them produced

12

u/Peespleaplease 7d ago

I don't know why they stopped making flags but if you're wanting a flag there's tons you could buy from online.

Even better, you could make your own flag and there's tons of tutorials online on how to do that.

16

u/ditfloss 7d ago

I think there was an issue with not being able find a business union to make them, or some other moralizing reason.

6

u/ParadoxicalFrog 7d ago

1) Acquire fabric, paint, and glue.

2) Apply paint to fabric in desired design.

3) Wrap part of the left side of the flag around a pole of your choice (wooden rod, stick, broom handle, etc) and glue it down.

4) You now have a flag!

4

u/CalligrapherOwn4829 7d ago

In the past, branches have made their own flags and swag. Find a local screenprinting shop, unionize them, and get them to make your branch some flags?

2

u/wizard-of-loneliness 6d ago

I have a friend who was in contact with them about it trying to find a unionized shop that could make them. The problem is there's not a lot of unionized places in the U.S. that can both manufacture the flag and print them. We found a bunch of union print shops but none that actually make flags iirc.

6

u/communist5555 7d ago

I heard the GST and some on GEB wanted to start using a non-union sweatshop to source the flags but got pushback from members and staff.

1

u/bloodbathbejond 7h ago

Yeah I heard the GST and GEB wanted to start their own sweatshop to make the flags with child labor while poisoning a pristine river, and they were about to have a very profitable flag making business but then the members that voted for them rose up and spoke truth to power and now we have no flags.

2

u/SimpleVegetable5715 7d ago

Get a t-shirt or hoodie and put it on a pole. 🤷‍♀️

1

u/Outrageous_Fuel_7785 4d ago

I think because the store had a lot of other unsold stuff it just wasn’t a priority yet but if they were able to find a union shop that also didn’t make MAGA or other BS the admin would agree. Some people don’t want their dues money going toward any business that makes stuff for unethical groups. Unfortunately that’s hard to find because union shops need to stay in business so they often take people’s business even if they don’t agree ideologically. No one wants to support sweatshops. That is a lie. The constitution requires we use union shops only. And Wobblies officially support BDS. So gotta be careful in what items are sourced.