Industrial Worker

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A twelve-panle comic strip entitled “Pacey Pratt the Sabo Cat in Sick Out, Don’t Stick Out” In the first panel Hunter performs a calculation on his phone in the foreground while in the background two delivery workers, Mattie and Bella, push a dresser on a dolly. “Hey Hunter”, says Mattie, “give us a hand.” “Oh sorry,” Hunter replies. “My bad.” In the second panel Hunter helps Mattie and Bella load the dressor into a delivery truck. Another delivery truck in the background sports a decal reading “Big Time Furniture” with an image of a purple chair. “You all were right,” says Hunter, “my paycheck didn’t add up again, even after we complained to the boss about wage theft.” “They’re shorting all our checks,” says Mattie. “We need to escalate to direct action,” says Bella. In the third panel all three workers are sitting on the back of the delivery truck eating lunch. “But what if the boss retaliates?” asks Hunter. “If we let the boss have all the power, he’ll do what he wants,” says Mattie. “We can only challenge him by organizing our own power through the union,” says Bella. In the fourth panel Hunter is walking away from the others, holding his cell phone. “Yeah, okay, but I’m getting ripped off here,” he says, “and I have rights as an American.” In the background Mattie says “Yeah, the right to remain silent....” The fifth panel is divided in two parts by a telephone cord. On one side is Hunter, speaking into his cell phone with coworkers in the background. “Hello, Police?” he says. “I work in retail and the company is stealing my wages.” In the other half of the panel a police officer sits at a desk strewn with papers, speaking into a cordless telephone. “I see,” he says. “I’m glad you called, but local police don’t handle this type of case. You need to call the F.B.I., or maybe the army! This could be the crime of the century, so call the president!” The sixth panel is also divided in half by a phone cord. On one side Hunter clutches his cell phone angrily. “You’re making fun of me?” he asks. “Did you know the total amount of wage theft each year is more than all other theft combined?” In the other half of the panel the police officer has reclined in his chair and put his feet up on the desk. “Ha ha ha,” he laughs. “What about Space Force? Have you called Space Force yet?”

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Cartoon: Sick Out, Don’t Stick Out

Posted on March 19, 2025March 20, 2025 by x423931

Editors note: This is the seventh issue in the “Pacey Pratt the Sabo Cat” series. Today, Pacey Pratt...

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Culture

Our Trip to Centralia

Posted on March 9, 2025March 7, 2025 by Fellow Workers Enfields

The IWW monument in Centralia’s George Washington Park. Photo by D. Tucker CENTRALIA, WA–As we study IWW history...

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Around the IWW

Food Fight: March Edition

Posted on February 28, 2025February 28, 2025 by Jean-Carl Elliott

March 30, 2013. Chicago Lake Liquors Picket in Minnesota. Throughout history, working class people have stood up and...

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Joe Hill in front of a pink background with red and pink hearts.

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That Glorious Land Above the Sky: Heaven and Hell in the Songs of Joe Hill

Posted on February 12, 2025February 14, 2025 by KJ Choi

Many classic union songs were written to the tune of religious songs. In a time when only the...

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Group of Workers holding signs for Peets Labor Union in a street in Berkeley, California.

Around the IWW

Peet’s Enacts Sweeping Heavy-handed Discipline on Union Members

Posted on February 12, 2025February 13, 2025 by Peets Labor Union

Peets Labor Union. Photo from PLU. Berkeley, CA–Peet’s Corporate is stonewalling the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)...

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A giant Donald Trump leers over the Department of Labor building, using scissors to cut a carrot off a fishing pole that the government workers are dangling to catch workers.

Culture

No NLRB? No Problem

Posted on February 7, 2025February 7, 2025 by x364181

art by x364181. Last week Trump fired two members of the National Labor Relations Board, leaving the body...

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Around the IWW

Food Fight: February Edition

Posted on January 29, 2025January 31, 2025 by Jean-Carl Elliott

Ellen's Stardust Diner, NYC, 2017. Photo courtesy of LibCom. Throughout history, working class people have stood up and...

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A thirteen-panel comic strip entitled “Pacey Pratt the Sabo Cat In No Pain, No Thane” Panel one shows a close-up of hands in rubber gloves attempting to glue a red ribbon into a bow using hot glue. The owner of the hands shouts “Yow!” as his left index finger touches the hot glue. “Glueing these bows together burns my fingers every time!” he says. In panel two The Boss, a giant rat in overalls, approacheds three workers as they glue ribbons together at their workbench. “Better toughen up,” he says, “because if it doesn’t hurt, you’re not doing it right.” A note says “This is a real quote by a real boss I had at this real job”, signed, the author, X423931. The three workers are Bella, Mattie, and Daniella. Mattie holds up his aching finger and asks “Are we going to take this? The boss should provide better gloves at least.” Daniella responds, “Eh, I’ll just bring gloves from home tomorrow. But if you can’t deal with it, stop complaining and stand up for yourself.” In panel three Mattie, his brow furrowed, leans towards Daniella across the work bench and asks, “You’de rather donate to the boss than work together to improve our conditions?” To which Daniella responds “You won’t catch me sneaking arouind having secret meetings—I handle my problems myself.” In panel four Daniella has gone back to glueing ribbons and says “Besides, this is barely even—ow!—a problem for me. Owww....” Mattie rolls his eyes and says “Wow, I never knew how badass you are.” At this, Bella raises her right arm, left hand on her hip, and says “That’s enough you two!” In panel five Bella says “You could fight until your fingers burn off, but it’s time to get organized!” At this, she squirts a huge mass of glue from her glue gun, the size of a person, onto the work bench. Within the molten glue is a dark figure with catlike ears. Mattie raises his arms in shock while Daniella protects her face with both hands. In panel six the mass his become an anthropomorphic cat with black fur and a white tabby mark on his head. He wears a black leather jacket, dark jeans, and black boots, and walks the length of the workbench with his left arm raised jaunitly at his side. “It’s Pacey Pratt—” gasps Daniella. “The Sabo Cat!” says Mattie. Pacey says “Instead of fighting with each other, tackle the problem at hand.” To which Bella groans and says “outside of work, please.” The bottom of the page notes the author is X423931, website TwistAway.Neocities.Org, page one.

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Cartoon: No Pain, No Thane!

Posted on January 3, 2025January 30, 2025 by x423931

Editors note: This is the sixth issue in the “Pacey Pratt the Sabo Cat” series. Today, Pacey Pratt...

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Si Kahn and George Mann Release “Labor Day” Album

Posted on January 3, 2025January 16, 2025 by x331980

Fellow Worker George Mann has released a wonderful compilation of songwriter Si Kahn’s songs about working folks and...

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The IWW monument in Centralia’s George Washington Park. A rose sits on the plaque.

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Inslee Refuses to Pardon IWW Union Men in 100-year-Old Centralia Murder Case

Posted on January 10, 2025January 10, 2025 by X331980

The IWW monument in Centralia’s George Washington Park. Photo by D. Tucker OLYMPIA, WA–Washington Governor Jay Inslee has...