IWW strikes for respect at Sister’s Camelot

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/Channels/story.aspx?ID=1907278

3/8/2013

By Doug Cunningham

A dozen workers at a non-profit collective in Minnesota are on strike seeking resolution of workplace grievances by insisting on their right to collectively bargain as a unit of the Industrial Workers of The World (IWW). John Snortum is one of the IWW workers at Sister’s Camelot, which provides free food to low-income people who need it. Snortum says Sister’s Camelot isn’t respecting its workers and despite being a collective is resisting true collective bargaining for its canvassers. The canvassers do door-to-door fundraising for Sister’s Camelot.

[John Snortum]: “The real issue that comes down to me is they don’t respect us as a part of Sister’s Camelot. The way I see it isthat they think Sister’s Camelot is the collective when really, you know, we raise 95% of the funds for Sister’s Camelot and they can’t do it without us.”

The IWW Sister’s Camelot workers have a list of demands and are attempting to negotiate them. The collective said in a statement that the workers are trying to force the collective into the role of boss. The collective then acted very boss like by firing Shuge Mississippi - one of the IWW workers.

[John Snortum 2]: “Yeah, it is really strange, you know. The behavior that they’re showing is a clear sign that they are drawing straws and they’re unwilling to give up any power that they hold.”