| General Administration: |
| 1001 W. Madison Street |
| Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. |
As adopted, 1905, and amended by conventions and ratified by referendum votes, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1916, 1919.
"An Injury to One is An Injury to All"
| General Administration: |
| 1001 W. Madison Street |
| Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. |
As adopted, 1905, and amended by conventions and ratified by referendum votes, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1916, 1919.
The working class and the employing class have nothing in common. There can be no peace so long as hunger and want are found among millions of the working people and the few, who make up the employing class, have all the good things of life.
Between these two classes a struggle must go on until the workers of the world organize as a class, take possession of the earth and the machinery of production, and abolish the wage system.
We find that the centering of the management of industries into fewer and fewer hands makes the trade unions unable to cope with the ever growing power of the employing class. The trade unions foster a state of affairs which allows one set of workers to be pitted against another set of workers in the same industry thereby helping to defeat one another in wage wars. Moreover, the trade unions aid the employing class to mislead the workers into the belief that the working class have interests in common with their employers.
These conditions can be changed and the interest of the working class upheld only by an organization formed in such a way that all its members in any one industry, or in all industries if necessary, cease work whenever a strike or lockout is on in any department thereof, thus making an injury to one an injury to all.
Instead of the conservative motto, "A fair day's wage for a fair day's work," we must inscribe on our banner the revolutionary watchword, "Abolition of the wage system."
It is the historic mission of the working class to do away with capitalism. The army of production must he organized, not only for the 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.
Section 1. This Organization shall be known as THE INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD.
Sec. 2. The Industrial Workers of the World shall be composed of actual wage workers brought together in an organization embodying industrial Departments, Industrial Unions, Industrial Unions with Branches, Industrial Councils and a Recruiting Union.
(a) The Recruiting Union shall be composed of wage workers in whose respective industries there does not exist an Industrial Union, and shall be directly under the control of the General Executive Board of the Industrial Workers of the World. The General Secretary-Treasurer of the Industrial Workers of the World shall act as the Secretary-Treasurer of the Recruiting Union.
(b) Delegates receiving their supplies from the Recruiting Union shall be empowered to initiate all wage workers of any industry. All applications shall be forwarded to the General Secretary-Treasurer of the Industrial Workers of the World, who shall forward these applications weekly to the proper Industrial Union.
Members of Industrial Unions in any locality where there is a branch of the Recruiting Union, but no branch of their respective Industrial Unions, shall have voice and vote in the Recruiting Union in that particular locality.
(c) Officers of Industrial Unions shall be as follows: a Secretary-Treasurer with a General Organization Committee, one of whom shall act as Chairman. Election of officers must be held at least once each year.
The General Organization Committee shall meet as often as necessary, or on the demand of a majority of the branches or members of the Industrial Union.
(d) Industrial Unions shall be composed of actual wage workers in a given industry welded together as the particular requirements of said industry may render necessary.
The General Secretary-Treasurer and the General Executive Board shall have full charge of a newly chartered Industrial Union until such time as a sufficient membership is obtained to place said Industrial Union on a sound financial basis.
(e) Whenever charters have been issued for three branches of any new Industrial Union, the branches shall form a General Organization Committee of the Industrial Union. This General Organization Committee shall maintain relations between the Industrial Union and all its branches, the department to which it belongs and the General Headquarters of the Industrial Workers of the World.
Applications for all accepted members eligible for membership in existing Industrial Unions shall be forwarded to the Secretary of the Industrial Union of which the Secretary and delegates are members, who shall forward them weekly to their proper Industrial Unions who shall deduct only actual cost of supplies used.
Branch Secretaries and delegates of Industrial Unions shall be empowered to initiate and collect dues of all wage workers in any industry in their locality.
Secretaries of Industrial Unions shall forward each week reports with applications of all members lined up in industries not yet chartered to the General Office.
All units of the Industrial Workers of the World shall pay all indebtedness to each other at the end of each month.
(f) An Industrial Department shall be made up of Industrial Unions of closely kindred industries appropriate for representation in the departmental administration, and as signed thereto by the General Executive Board of the Industrial Workers of the World.
(g) Industrial District Councils for the purpose of establishing general solidarity in a given district may be organized, and shall be composed of delegates from not less than four Industrial Unions and shall maintain communication between the Industrial Unions and General Headquarters.
(h) Industrial Unions within the district defined in the charter of a District Council shall be required to maintain affiliation with said Council.
Sec. 3. An Industrial Department shall consist of two or more Industrial Unions aggregating a membership of not less than 20,000 members. The Departments shall have general supervision over the affairs of the Industrial Unions composing same, provided that all matters concerning the entire membership of the I. W. W. shall be settled by a referendum.
Sec. 4. The Departments shall be designed as follows:
Department of Agricultural, Land, Fisheries, and Water Products.
Department of Mining.
Department of Transportation and Communication.
Department of Manufacturing and General Production.
Department of Construction.
Department of Public Service.
Sec. 5. The financial and industrial affairs of each Industrial Department shall be conducted by an Executive Board of not less than seven (7) nor more than twenty-one (21), selected and elected by the general membership of said Industrial Department, provided that the Executive Board, and general membership of the said Industrial Department shall at all times be subordinate to the General Executive Board of the Industrial Workers of the World, subject to appeal, and provided the expense of such referendum shall be borne by the Industrial Departments, or Industrial Union or Unions, involved.
Sec. 2. The General Secretary-Treasurer must be a member of the organization in continuous good standing for at least two years prior to nomination. The General Secretary-Treasurer shall be nominated from the floor of the Convention and the three (3)candidates (for office) receiving the largest number of votes in the Convention shall be submitted to the general membership of the organization for election.
In case he shall resign or be removed from office, his place shall be filled by the candidate receiving the second highest number of votes, and in the event the alternate shall resign or be removed from the office, the Chairman of the General Executive Board shall assume office.
Section 3. The General Executive Board shall be nominated from the general membership by the delegates on the floor of the Convention, and the three (3) candidates for each respective office receiving the highest number of votes in the Convention shall be submitted to the general membership of the organization thru a referendum vote for election. Provided, however, that not more than three (3) members of an Industrial Union shall go on the ballot, and that not more than one member of an Industrial Union shall be elected on the General Executive Board.
In the event of an emergency arising whereby it is necessary to replace the General Executive Board, the alternates in the Industrial Unions in which the vacancy occurs shall fill the vacancy. Nominees for General Executive Board must be members in continuous good standing in the Organization for two years prior to nomination.
He shall conduct the correspondence pertaining to his office. He shall be custodian of the Seal of the Organization, and shall attach same to all official documents over his official signature. He shall provide such stationery and office supplies as are necessary for the conduct of the affairs of the Organization. He shall act as Secretary at all meetings of the General Executive Board, and all General Conventions, and furnish the Committee on Credentials at each General Convention a statement of the financial standing of each Industrial Union. He shall have a voice, but no vote in the governing bodies of the Organization.
The General Secretary-Treasurer shall close his accounts for the fiscal year on the last day of March. He shall make a monthly financial report to the General Executive Board and to the general membership. He shall make a complete itemized report of the financial and other affairs of his office to each annual Convention.
He shall prepare and sign all charters issued by the General Executive Board. He shall receive all moneys from the Recruiting Union for dues, assessments and supplies, and receive all moneys for charters from Industrial Unions, Industrial Councils and Industrial Departments. He shall receipt for same, and care for and deposit all moneys as instructed, by the General Executive Board, in some solvent bank or banks, which shall be drawn out only to pay indebtedness arising out of the due conduct of the business of the Organization, and then only after bills shall have been first duly presented by the creditors, when a check shall be drawn and signed by him in payment thereof.
For the honest and faithful discharge of his duties he shall give a bond in such sum or sums as may be fixed by the Convention or the General Executive Board, the bond so given to be approved by the General Executive Board and kept in their custody.
He shall devote his entire time to the affairs of the organization. He shall receive for his services $4 per day, which shall be paid out of the funds of the organization in the same manner as is provided for in the payment of other bills and indebtedness.
He shall employ such assistants as necessary to conduct the affairs of his office. Remuneration for such employees shall be fixed by him and paid as other bills and indebtedness as hereinbefore provided. He shall convene the General Executive Board as hereinafter provided.
(a) The General Executive Board shall not appoint or cause to be appointed any delegate or organizer without first notifying the Union (if any) where the organizer or delegate is about to operate.
Sec. 2. All organizers shall at all times work under the instruction of the General Secretary-Treasurer. All organizers and General Executive Board members, while in the employ of the Industrial Workers of the World, shall report to the General Secretary-Treasurer in writing on blanks provided for that purpose at least once each week. They shall receive as compensation for their services $4 per day and all organization and transportation expenses.
Sec. 3. The decision of the General Executive Board on all matters pertaining to the organization or any subordinate part thereof shall be binding, subject to an appeal to the next convention or to the entire membership of the Organization; provided that, in case a referendum vote of the membership is demanded by any subordinate part of the Organization, the expense of submitting the matter to the referendum shall be borne by the Organization taking that appeal, except wherein the decision of the General Executive Board shall be reversed by a vote of the membership; then the expense shall be borne by the general organization.
Section 4. The General Executive Board shall have full power to issue charters to Industrial Departments, Industrial Unions and Branches, and Industrial Councils. They shall also have power to charter and classify Unions or organizations not hereinbefore provided for.
Sec. 5. In case the members of any subordinate organization of the Industrial Workers of the World are involved in strike, regularly ordered by the Organization or General Executive Board, or involved in a lockout, if in the opinion of the General Executive Board it becomes necessary to call out any other union, or unions, or organization, they shall have full power to do so.
No Union of the General Organization, Industrial Department, or Industrial Union of the I. W. W. shall enter into any contract with an individual or corporation of employers binding the members to any of the following conditions:
(a) Any agreement wherein any specified length of time is mentioned for the continuance of the said agreement.
(b) Any agreement wherein the membership is bound to give notice before making demands affecting hours, wages or shop conditions.
(c) Any agreement wherein it is specified that the members shall work only for employers who belong to an association of the employers.
(d) Any agreement that proposes to regulate the selling price of the product they are employed in making.
(e) No Industrial Union, or any part of the Industrial Workers of the World shall enter into agreement with any labor organization contrary to the principles of the Industrial Workers of the World.
(a) The General Executive Board shall meet only on the call of the General Secretary-Treasurer, or vote of the General Executive Board, or upon the call of two or more Industrial Unions.
(b) The books of the General Secretary-Treasurer shall be audited twice within the fiscal year, the first time by the General Executive Board members at their semi-annual meeting and the second time by a Committee of five elected on the floor of the General Convention. The General Secretary-Treasurer shall publish the auditing Committee's report along with the Monthly Report, and shall give the names of the auditors, together with their card numbers and the numbers of the Industrial Unions of which they are members.
Sec. 7. The General Executive Board shall have full power and authority over the official organ and guide its policy. The Editor shall be nominated and elected in the same manner as the General Secretary-Treasurer and shall receive such compensation as in the judgement of the General Executive Board is just and proper.
Sec. 8. The members of the General Executive Board shall have power to visit any subordinate body of the I W. W. and have full authority to examine and audit all accounts of said subordinate bodies, and also to compel the use of the universal system of bookkeeping as adopted by the convention of the I. W. W. from time to time.
Sec. 9. All business conducted by the General Organization in localities other than where headquarters are located that involve the handling of finances, shall be audited as follows: The General Organization shall appoint an auditor or auditors and the Unions of the locality shall elect an auditing committee to work with the auditor or auditors from the General Organization.
Sec. 10. Charges Against General Officers--Charges against any of the General Officers shall be filed in writing with the G. E. B. or the General Convention at the option of the person filing charges. If the charges are filed before the G. E. B. they shall at once have a copy of the charges sent to the accused, together with a notice of the date of the hearing of the charges. Charges filed before the General Convention must be sent to the General Secretary at least sixty days prior to the date of the convening of the convention. On receipt of the charges the General Secretary will forward a copy of the same to the accused and notice to appear at the convention for trial. Any decision of the G. E. B. on charges tried by them shall be subject to appeal to the next General Convention and from the General Convention to the general membership. The decision of the General Convention on charges can be appealed from to the general membership. The cost of appealing to the general membership shall be borne by the party taking the appeal. If the vote on appeal results in the favor of the party taking the appeal then the General Organization shall refund the cost of the appeal.
Sec. 11. The General Secretary-Treasurer, the General Executive Board, and other officials of the General Office, shall be subject to recall upon a referendum, initiated by two or more Industrial Unions (as provided for in Article VII).
Sec. 2. The General Executive Board shall draw up a list of delegates against whom no contest has been filed at the general office. The General Secretary-Treasurer shall call the convention to order and read the aforesaid list. The delegates on the said list shall proceed to form a temporary organization by electing a temporary Chairman and a Committee on Credentials.
Section 3. Delegates to the Annual Convention shall be as hereinafter provided. The General Secretary-Treasurer and other members of the General Executive Board shall be delegates at large, with voice, but no vote, and shall not be accredited delegates nor carry the vote of any unit of the Organization. No delegate shall cast more than one vote when voting on the seating of a contested delegate or delegates.
Sec. 4. Unions chartered directly by the Industrial Workers of the World shall have one delegate for 200 members or less and one additional delegate for each additional 200 or major fraction thereof.
Section 5. When two or more delegates are representing an Industrial Union in the Convention, the vote of such Industrial Union shall be equally divided between the delegates.
Sec. 6. Representation in the Convention shall be based on the dues paid to the Industrial Unions for the fiscal year prior to the Convention, except in Industrial Unions that have chartered less than a year, who shall have representation for the average amount of dues paid since their charter was issued.
Sec. 7. On or before March 1 of each year the General Secretary- Treasurer shall send to each Industrial Union credentials in duplicate for the number of delegates and alternates they are entitled to in the Convention, based on the dues collected within the last fiscal year.
Section 8. The Industrial Union shall properly fill out the blank credentials received from the General Secretary-Treasurer and return one copy to the General Office not later than April 15. The other copy shall be presented by the delegate to the Committee on Credentials when the Convention assembles.
Sec. 9. The delegates to the Convention from Industrial Unions shall be in continuous good standing in the general organization for at least one year, and in their Industrial Union at least ninety days prior to the nomination and election of delegates
Sec. 10. The expense of the delegates attending the General Convention shall be borne by their respective Industrial Unions, except mileage, which shall be paid by the General Organization out of a fund raised as hereinafter provided. On or before September 1 of each year, the General Secretary- Treasurer shall issue a special voluntary convention mileage stamp at 50 cents to all Industrial Unions. The Secretaries of all Industrial Unions shall dispose of these voluntary convention mileage stamps, and remit all money so collected to the General Secretary-Treasurer at the end of each month. All unsold Convention Mileage Stamps shall be returned to the General Office by July 1.
Sec. 11. Two or more Unions in the same locality, with a total membership of 500 or less, may jointly send a delegate to the convention, and the vote of said delegate shall be based on the representation hereinbefore provided for, provided said delegate is a member of good standing of one of the unions so sending him.
Sec. 12. Industrial Unions that are indebted to the Official Organ, or the Publishing Bureau controlled by the General Organization, having sufficient funds to pay their indebtedness, and falling to do so, shall not be entitled to representation in the General Convention.
Sec. 13. The convention of the Industrial Workers of the World is the legislative body of the organization, and its enactments are of legal force when sustained by a referendum vote of the membership touching any and all amendments to the organic law which the convention may adopt. As to such amendments, they shall be submitted to a referendum vote by the General Executive Board within thirty days after the adjournment of the convention. The vote shall close thirty days after the date of the call for the referendum.
When the label is so printed it shall be done by the authority of our Organization, without the intervention of any employer.
Whenever the Universal Label is placed upon a commodity as evidence of work done by Industrial Workers, it shall be accompanied by an inscription underneath the label stating what the work is that Industrial Workers have done, giving the name of Industrial Department to which they belong and the number or numbers of their Unions; and the Universal Label shall never be printed as evidence of work performed without this inscription.
Sec. 2. Industrial Departments shall pay as dues into the General Treasury at the rate of five cents per month per member.
Industrial Unions shall pay at the rate of 15 cents per month per member. Industrial Union branches shall purchase all due stamps and other supplies from Headquarters of their Industrial Union.
Sec. 3. The initiation fee for members of Industrial Unions shall be $2. The regular dues of Industrial Unions directly united with the General Organization shall be fifty cents per month. No part of the initiation fee or dues above mentioned shall be used as a sick or death benefit, but shall be held in the treasury as a General Fund to defray the legitimate expenses.
Sec. 2. A majority vote cast shall rule in the General Organization and its subordinate parts, except as otherwise provided for in this Constitution.
Sec. 3. No member of the Industrial Workers of the World shall be an officer of a pure and simple trade union.
Sec. 4. No one employed in an industry which is organized is eligible for membership in a Recruiting Union and no member of a Recruiting Union can remain a member of the same after an industrial union of the industry in which he works has been organized.
Sec. 5. The General Executive Board, or not less than three Industrial Unions may initiate a referendum on any subject. Referendum returns from the Industrial Unions or Departments cannot exceed the average paid-up membership of the Industrial Union or Department for three months prior to the vote on the referendum in question.
Sec. 6. As soon as two or more Industrial Unions in closely related industries see fit, they shall proceed to call a Convention of these Industrial Unions and organize themselves as an Industrial Department of the Industrial Workers of the World.
Sec. 7. All unions, departments, and individual members must procure supplies, such as membership books official buttons, labels, badges and stamps, from the General Secretary-Treasurer, all of which shall be of uniform design.
Sec. 8. There shall be a free interchange of cards between all organizations subordinate to the Industrial Workers of the World, and any Union or Industrial Department shall accept, in lieu of initiation fee, the paid up membership card of any recognized labor union or organization. Whenever an applicant wishes to retain his membership in another labor union, said applicant shall be required to pay an initiation fee.
Sec. 9. All departments and other subordinate organizations of the Industrial Workers of the World shall use the official Industrial Workers of the World stamps in membership books. All stamps shall be paid for as provided in Article VI, Section 2, and no member shall be considered in good standing who fails to pay dues and assessments inside of sixty days.
Sec. 10. Editors of papers not controlled by the I. W. W. shall not be eligible to membership in the I. W. W.
Sec. 11. No member of the I. W. W. shall represent the organization before a body of wage earners without first having been authorized by the General Executive Beard or a subordinate part of the I. W. W.
Sec. 12. No Organizer of the I. W. W. while on the platform for this Organization shall advocate any political party or political party platform.
Sec. 13. The General Organization, Industrial Departments and Industrial Unions shall be prohibited from employing or reinstating expelled members, except as provided for in the By-Laws and Constitution of the Industrial Workers of the World, until such expelled members shall be reinstated and placed in good standing by the Union or Unions from which they were expelled.
Sec. 15 [sic]. All persons hired by the I. W. W. shall be members of the I. W. W. for at least 90 days where-ever possible.
Sec. 2. Industrial Unions, or any subordinate part of the Industrial Workers of the World, upon application to the General Executive Board with good reasons shall be entitled to financial assistance from a fund provided as follows: The General Executive Board shall issue a voluntary $1 General Organization Stamps to all Industrial Unions and subordinate parts of the Organization, who shall dispose of same and remit all moneys to the General Secretary-Treasurer.
Sec. 2. Obligation to new members shall be printed on the application blanks.
Sec. 3. No general officer of the Organization or parts thereof, or any salaried organizer, shall be permitted to accept any office in any political organization for any political office except permission be granted by a referendum vote of the entire Organization.
Sec. 2. All proposed amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws shall clearly state the Article, Section and Paragraph to which the amendment applies. New articles and sections shall be so stated. Each clause to be amended shall be on a separate sheet.
Sec. 2. Any Union or Department of the Industrial Workers of the World that fails to pay its per capita tax for a period of six (6)months shall be considered defunct, and all property, books, moneys and effects shall be surrendered to the General Office of the Industrial Workers of the World, to be held in trust for a period of one year p ending the reorganization of such Union or Department. At the end of that period the funds and property shall become the property of the General Organization.
Sec. 3. The Charter of a Union shall not be surrendered so long as ten members who agree to abide by the rules and regulation of the General Organization object thereto, nor shall the funds of any organization be divided among its membership.
Section 1. No working man or woman shall be excluded from membership in Unions because of creed or color.
Sec. 2. Unions shall define the eligibility of their membership, not conflicting with the provisions of this Constitution.
Section 1. Whenever charges are filed by a member of an Industrial Union against another member of the same Industrial Union, they shall be in writing, setting forth the facts, together with the names of witnesses and their statements regarding offenses with which the accused member is charged. The charges shall be read in the Industrial Union branch at the next regular meeting, at which time five members shall be elected from the floor of the meeting to act as a Charges Committee. This Committee shall furnish the accused member with a true copy of the charges, either by registered mail or by personal delivery in the presence of witnesses. The Charges Committee shall collect all the evidence both for and against the accused and shall send this evidence together with a copy of the charges, to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Industrial Union, who, on receipt of same, shall have sufficient copies made and shall send them to each member of the General Organization Committee of the Industrial Union for a hearing.
(a) The General Organization Committee shall file their decision with the Secretary-Treasurer of the Industrial Union within thirty days after the above copies of charges and evidence have been forwarded to them and their decision shall be forwarded to both the accuser and the accused by registered letter, by the Secretary-Treasurer, and be published to the membership in the regular bulletin of the Industrial Union.
(b) Either party involved may appeal the decision of the General Organization Committee within sixty days from the date of the decision, either to the membership [? read, "convention"] of the Industrial Union or to the membership by referendum.
(c) The Industrial Union Branch shall pass no verdict, nor can the accuser act on the Charges Committee.
Sec. 2. When charges are filed against a member of one Industrial Union, by a member of another Industrial Union, the same procedure shall be followed as in Section 1, except that the charges and the evidence shall be forwarded from the Secretary-Treasurer of the Industrial Union of which the accuser is a member to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Industrial Union of which the accused is a member from which office it shall take the same course as it would if the charges had originated in that Industrial Union. The decision shall be filed with the Secretary-Treasurer of the Industrial Unions involved, and by them communicated to the accuser and the accused, and shall be published to the membership in the bulletins of the Industrial Unions. If so desired, an appeal may be taken by either party to the General Executive Board, to the General Convention, or to the general membership by a referendum.
Sec. 3. In matters of charges the Recruiting Union shall be regarded as identical with an Industrial Union. The right of appeal to be the same in all cases. The expense, if any, in appeals, on charges, shall be borne by the respective organizations to which the charges are transmitted on appeal. Sufficient funds shall redeposited by the one taking the appeal with the General Secretary-Treasurer of the Industrial Workers of the World to cover the cost of the appeal
Section 1. Each Union shall be provided with a Seal by the General Secretary-Treasurer, which shall bear the number of the Union, and all official papers from the Union must bear an imprint of this Seal, and none will be legal without such impression.
Section 1. The initiation fees and other fees, dues and assessments may be determined by Unions, but shall not conflict with the General Constitution. Sec. 2. Monthly dues are payable on the first day of each month. Members who do not pay dues for sixty days shall be in bad standing. Members in bad standing are not entitled to benefits of any kind from the union nor from the Industrial Workers of the World. Sec. 3. Members who become delinquent from failure to pay dues shall not again be entitled to any benefits until thirty days after such dues shall have been paid. Sec. 4. Delinquent delegates are members in bad standing. Delinquency of delegates shall be defined by the Industrial Union or the Recruiting Union to which the delegate belongs.
Section 1. On application, members who cease to be wage workers shall send their cards to the Secretary-Treasurer of their Industrial Union, who shall enter date of withdrawal on transfer page of membership book, his official signature, and shall return same to the withdrawing member.
Section 1. Members of an Industrial Union who cease work in that industry and are working in another industry for thirty days or more, must ask the nearest delegate or branch secretary to transfer them to the proper Industrial Union. Sec. 2. When a Union, to which a member transfers, collects for delinquent dues, none shall be remitted tithe Industrial Union to which the member formerly belonged, but shall be retained by the Industrial Union making the collection. Delinquent Delegates cannot transfer.
Section 1. All Industrial Union Branches shall hold at least one regular meeting each month, and as many additional meetings as they may decide upon. Financial Secretaries shall advise the General Secretary-Treasurer immediately of changes of unions, of time and place of meetings so that the official directory of the Industrial Workers of the World may be correct at all times.
Section 1. Unions shall have the power to enact such laws for their government as they may deem necessary, provided they do not conflict with the Constitution and By-Laws of the Industrial Workers of the World.
Section 1. A Union shall not surrender its charter if ten members who agree to abide by the rules and regulations of the General Organization object thereto.
Sec. 2. Upon a Union surrendering its charter, the General Secretary-Treasurer shall appoint a representative of the Industrial Workers of the World to take charge of the charter, supplies, property and funds of said Union. Members or Officers of said Unions refusing to deliver charter, supplies, property or funds of Unions surrendering their charters to the authorized representatives of the Industrial Workers of the World shall be expelled from the organization and prosecuted.
Section 1. Not less than seven members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business of a Union.
Any official or employee of any part of the Industrial Workers of the World seen in public in a state of intoxication shall, upon sufficient proof, be at once removed from his position by the authority having jurisdiction over such employee, and upon conviction, shall not be eligible to hold office in any part of the organization for two years thereafter.
No official of the General Organization, except editors, shall hold office for two consecutive terms.
"Whereas, The primary object of the Industrial Workers of the World is to unite the workers on the industrial battlefield; and
"Whereas, Organization in any sense implies discipline through the subordination of parts to the whole and of the individual member to the body of which he is a part; therefore, be it
"Resolved, That to the end of promoting industrial unity and of securing necessary discipline within the organization, the I. W. W. refuses all alliances, direct and indirect, with existing political parties or anti-political sects, and disclaims responsibility for any individual opinion or act which may be at variance with the purposes herein expressed."
1. Opening and Calling Meeting to Order.
2. Reading of Minutes.
3. Reading of Applications for Membership.
4. Reports of Committees, Standing and Special.
5. Reports of Delegates and Officers.
6. Reading of Communications and Bills.
7. Monthly Report of Financial Secretary.
8. Reading of the Receipts and Expenses since the Last Meeting by the Financial Secretary.
9. Unfinished Business.
10. New Business.
11. Nominations, Elections and Installation.
12. Good and Welfare.
13. Adjournment
Marine Transport Workers Industrial Union No. 8
Bakery Workers' Industrial Union No. 48.
Metal and Machinery Workers' Industrial Union No. 300.
Shipbuilders' Industrial Union No. 325.
Agricultural Workers' Industrial Union No. 400.
Fishermen's Industrial Union No. 448.
Furniture Workers' Industrial Union No. 480.
Oil Workers' Industrial Union No. 450.
Rubber Workers' Industrial Union No. 470.
Lumber Workers' Industrial Union No. 500.
Construction Workers' Industrial Union No. 573.
Railroad Workers' Industrial Union No. 600.
Shoe Workers' Industrial Union No. 820.
Metal Mine Worker.' Industrial Union No. 800.
Coal Miners' Industrial Union No. 900.
Textile Workers' Industrial Union No. 1000.
Hotel, Restaurant and Domestic Workers' Industrial Union No. 1100.
Printing and Publishing Workers' Industrial Union No. 1,200.
General Distribution Workers' Industrial Union No. 1300.
Food Product Workers Industrial Union No. 1500.
1. In filling out applications for membership, it is necessary that the occupation of applicant be written in; also the Industry in which he works. This is necessary because workers of the same occupation are engaged in many different Industries, and we are organizing by Industry, not by occupation.
2. The Membership books are left blank. The delegate must write in the applicant's name, the Industrial Union and number. He must also write in his occupation and the Industry in which he works, to correspond with the application.
3. Delegates must send all reports to the Industrial Union from which they get their supplies, marking in the column of the delegate's report blank headed "I. U. No. . . . ", the number of the Industrial Union to which the member paying dues or initiation fee belongs. The Industrial Union receiving the report will then report the business done for the different Unions and remit to them for it.
4. The Universal Credential makes a delegate an agent for all Industrial Unions. But he is also an agent of the member with whom he does business, and, as such, should see that a correct report is made to the Union.
5. The name and number of all Industrial Unions will be found on the third page of the cover of the Constitution.
Transcribed by J. D. Crutchfield. Cover picture from the University of Arizona's Bisbee Deportation site, with grateful acknowledgment, and painstakingly retouched by JDC.
Last updated 31 January 2004.