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.
Preamble of the Constitution of the Industrial Workers of the World, 1905
Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) is a grassroots union that uses the methods of solidarity unionism to organize across industries and workplaces. We do not organize on behalf of people, but as fellow workers, organizing together.
What IWW offers is a tried-and-tested framework for workplace organizing and a network of comradely members. Together, we take direct action in workplaces and contexts that standard unions often overlook or avoid.
We are International
The Finnish branch of IWW is just one of many internationally all organizing under Industrial Workers of the World. While workplace organizing and casework – especially with workers who have been neglected by traditional unions – form the core of IWW activity, these efforts are always linked to a broader struggle for the overcoming of capitalism. The unapologetically revolutionary aim of the IWW is to abolish wage slavery. With its long history, the IWW brings over a century of experience in developing tactics that have shaped international struggles against the power of capital.
An injury to one is an injury to all. We are dedicated to fighting for the liberation of all workers, everywhere, from the river to the sea.
We are Industrial
The IWW does not organize along traditional trade lines, as is common in many unions. We call ourselves industrial because we invite all workers across an entire workplace or industry to organize together. For example, this means that both cleaners and teachers in a school organize collectively as fellow workers in the same workplace, rather than through separate, trade-specific unions.
Our Diverse & Finnish Roots
The IWW was first founded in North America in 1905 and took the revolutionary step of being the first union to welcome all workers – regardless of gender, race, or immigration status – into the same organisation. Many of its early members were immigrants, some of whom rose to prominence within the union’s leadership.
Finnish immigrants made up a significant portion of the IWW’s early membership and played a key role in its development in the areas of Finnish American settlement.
Historical Figures
The IWW has long been at the forefront of innovating worker tactics, bringing direct action into focus rather than relying solely on conventional strike methods. One historical figure in these innovations was IWW founding member Lucy Parsons, whose Native American, Mexican, and African American heritage reflected the union’s diverse membership. One of her most well-known statements captures her radical vision of worker action:
“My conception of the strike of the future is not to go out and strike and starve, but to strike and remain in and take possession of the necessary property of production.”
The IWW continues to work across ideological lines. Some members are drawn to anarchist traditions; others are influenced by Marxist thought. A historical figure who embodied this spirit of ideological openness was Big Bill Haywood, a founding member of the IWW. He believed in uniting workers across ethnic lines and political backgrounds and prioritised direct action over political reform. As he once said:
“I haven’t read Marx’s Capital, but I’ve got the marks of capital all over my body.”
Our Administration
The Finnish branch of IWW is administered by FINROC (Finnish Regional Organizing Committee). While operating independently, FINROC is chartered under WISERA (Wales, Ireland and Scotland Regional Administration) which covers IWW’s European and Middle Eastern branches.
Formal registration of members is managed by WISERA, while local membership matters – including the payment of dues – are handled by FINROC, the administrative body of IWW in Finland.
We support dual and multiple unionism. You can be a member of other unions while being a member of the IWW.
Our Union Officers
IWW does not have a complex bureaucratic hierarchy. Instead we elect voluntary officers who participate in members monthly meetings and help maintain the administration so that members can focus on organising in their workplaces.
IWW Finland has elected Officers including a Secretary, Chair, Co-Chair and Treasurer as well as an International Delegate. We are also seeking additional Officers including a Communications Officer, Transformative Justice Officer, and Membership Officer. If you are a member you can run for an Officer position.
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