Friday, February 20, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
"The Starbucks Problem"
A fellow worker in Minnesota writing about the possibilities of a wider revitalized labor movement, based on rank and file solidarity. Thanks to the ever impressive wikileaks we can now hear the adversaries of workers talk clearly about their rabid resistance to any force that could check their power.
http://tcsbuxunion.com/2009/02/13/the-starbucks-problem/
http://tcsbuxunion.com/2009/02/13/the-starbucks-problem/
Friday, February 13, 2009
MASH to ride Tour of California
... I still can't decided if this is a joke or not.
MASH SF to ride fixed in Tour of California
... maybe they are planning on being some sort of low-tech first wave of foot soldier in the war against The Govenor of Califorinia, Shimano electronic shifting, and skynet. I hear people have seen Christian Bale riding a fixie.
I think they underestimate how brutal a pro tour stage race is going to be. If the had a team in full skin suits, with new carbon wunderbikes ... I doubt they would finish stage one. Seeing as they are riding tight jeans, and steel fixed gears, I doubt they will finish the first climb.
I have visions of a MASH domestique working his heart out to bring a water bottle to their number one guy ... so he can fill his bong without stopping.
MASH SF to ride fixed in Tour of California
... maybe they are planning on being some sort of low-tech first wave of foot soldier in the war against The Govenor of Califorinia, Shimano electronic shifting, and skynet. I hear people have seen Christian Bale riding a fixie.
I think they underestimate how brutal a pro tour stage race is going to be. If the had a team in full skin suits, with new carbon wunderbikes ... I doubt they would finish stage one. Seeing as they are riding tight jeans, and steel fixed gears, I doubt they will finish the first climb.
I have visions of a MASH domestique working his heart out to bring a water bottle to their number one guy ... so he can fill his bong without stopping.
on a lighter note about the looming Apocalypse
Shimano is going to be unveiling its new Dure Ace electronic shifting at this years tour of California.
Which makes it official:
at 10 am Febuary 14 Skynet will become self aware.
I am pretty sure this is a picture of the Governor of California at last year's race.
I think we also now know why Christian Bale is so irritible ... he is going to be busy trying to shoot the derailleurs of of lance's new black and yellow live strong Trek. Funded by the Kasak state ... just like Borat.
Which makes it official:
at 10 am Febuary 14 Skynet will become self aware.
I am pretty sure this is a picture of the Governor of California at last year's race.
I think we also now know why Christian Bale is so irritible ... he is going to be busy trying to shoot the derailleurs of of lance's new black and yellow live strong Trek. Funded by the Kasak state ... just like Borat.
closely following bosses hoard their gold, to the detriment of society as a whole
Again ... more good news from the BRAIN
Turns out REI is firing people and blaming our new depression. (we should really spend some time and figure out a name for this depression ... I can't believe they decided to call the last one "great" because it seems for everything I gather like it sucked real bad.)
REI is a cooperative, but it is a consumer cooperative as opposed to the Baltimore Bicycle Works which is a worker cooperative. Being a worker cooperative gives people more control over their workplace because decisions are made democratically and because positions of authority and responsibility are accountable to all of the people who own shares of the business.
A consumer cooperative gives the patrons of a store deals in exchange for their membership. Not a bad thing in the least, but it is ultimately a business model for a regular old hierarchical corporation.
If the workers at REI got to vote on the direction of their company, I doubt they would vote to loose their jobs while simultaneously opening up new stores. Yet that is what they are going to do.
Turns out REI is firing people and blaming our new depression. (we should really spend some time and figure out a name for this depression ... I can't believe they decided to call the last one "great" because it seems for everything I gather like it sucked real bad.)
REI is a cooperative, but it is a consumer cooperative as opposed to the Baltimore Bicycle Works which is a worker cooperative. Being a worker cooperative gives people more control over their workplace because decisions are made democratically and because positions of authority and responsibility are accountable to all of the people who own shares of the business.
A consumer cooperative gives the patrons of a store deals in exchange for their membership. Not a bad thing in the least, but it is ultimately a business model for a regular old hierarchical corporation.
If the workers at REI got to vote on the direction of their company, I doubt they would vote to loose their jobs while simultaneously opening up new stores. Yet that is what they are going to do.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
"150,000 members"
I saw this article at this blog after doing google searches for bicycle worker stuff.
"Getting back to the late 19th century, workers began to use this new tool for political purposes as well as transportation. Activists pedaled to workers who lived further away from town centers, allowing for greater inclusion in union meetings and other worker organizations. The Workers Cycling Federation was a political organization that distributed flyers and literature at public events. With over 150,000 members by 1913, the Federation “had a chain of bicycle shops, a bicycle factory, and a bi-weekly newspaper called The Worker-Cyclists, all owned collectively and run co-operatively.” The Socialist Wheelmen’s Club joined the fight for workers’ rights by distributing political literature between Boston and New York.
Thus, the bicycle had a prominent place in workers’ lives both then and now. Class issues still divide bicyclists, with “lycras” and racers sometimes pitted against messengers and commuters. Bicycling is still often thought of as transportation for the poor, and it often is! Cars are very expensive to own and maintain, putting them out of reach for many low-income folks. I’ve heard of die-hard bike commuters renting cars to go to job interviews because they were worried about the negative image of bicycle commuting.
interesting stuff.
"Getting back to the late 19th century, workers began to use this new tool for political purposes as well as transportation. Activists pedaled to workers who lived further away from town centers, allowing for greater inclusion in union meetings and other worker organizations. The Workers Cycling Federation was a political organization that distributed flyers and literature at public events. With over 150,000 members by 1913, the Federation “had a chain of bicycle shops, a bicycle factory, and a bi-weekly newspaper called The Worker-Cyclists, all owned collectively and run co-operatively.” The Socialist Wheelmen’s Club joined the fight for workers’ rights by distributing political literature between Boston and New York.
Thus, the bicycle had a prominent place in workers’ lives both then and now. Class issues still divide bicyclists, with “lycras” and racers sometimes pitted against messengers and commuters. Bicycling is still often thought of as transportation for the poor, and it often is! Cars are very expensive to own and maintain, putting them out of reach for many low-income folks. I’ve heard of die-hard bike commuters renting cars to go to job interviews because they were worried about the negative image of bicycle commuting.
Being poor in America (or anywhere) is tough, but the bicycle has definitely helped to make transportation more affordable for the working classes throughout the past century."
source: Biketivism and Technology: Historical Reflections and Appropriations. Zack Furness.
interesting stuff.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
