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----- Original Message -----=20
From: Alex Foti=20
To: r_esistenzeprecarie@???=20
Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2003 3:25 PM
Subject: [r_esistenzeprecarie] Fwd: [CW] Fwd: An Open Letter To The =
McDonald's Workers' Movement
Carissim@s R/Esistenti,
In fondo trovate un comunicato dai McWorkers pi=F9 incazzati del regno =
con cui abbiamo fatto insieme il global day of action against MickeyDee =
il 16 ottobre 002 e che hanno partecipato al nostro workshop alla =
Fortezza dal Basso.=20
Trovo r/esistenze una lista viva, soprattutto considerando il =
recentissimo inizio. Avrei voglia di scrivere qualche considerazione =
strategica, forse provocatoria, sul futuro possibile del conflitto e =
dell'autorappresentazione del precariato dopo la disfatta del 15 giugno. =
Sempre per=F2 che siate pronti a mettere da parte ideologiche certezze =
per sondare pratiche che effettivamente modifichino in meglio le =
condizioni di vita e lavoro delle persone in carne e ossa a partire dai =
pi=F9 deboli: giovani, donne e migranti, che non =E8 affatto la stessa =
cosa che dire lavoratori o operai o impiegati. Per chiarirci meglio: a =
Milano e provincia =E8 dalla met=E0 degli anni 90 che ci sono pi=F9 =
parasubordinati che metalmeccanici. Ergo: la classe operaia non c'=E8 =
pi=F9 e la FIOM non la riporter=E0 certo in vita con i precontratti.=20
La struttura di classe dell'era postindustriale/postfordista/postmoderna =
=E8 in due parole la seguente: il lavoro serializzato networked, che =E8 =
locale, sostituibile e non ha accesso ai mercati finanziari; il lavoro =
reticolare dei networkers, spesso globalizzati e con accesso ai mercati =
finanziari; e il capitale, vale a dire i mercati finanziari globali e le =
loro interazioni/gerarchie geoeconomiche. Lo stato =E8 messo in =
difficolt=E0 sia dal basso dai flussi di lavoro migrante, spesso =
serializzato, sia dall'alto dai flussi di capitale apolide. Regola =
ferocemente i primi per convenienza elettorale e deregola i secondi =
perch=E9 =E8 con essi connivente: =E9lite di impresa e di stato si =
confondono.=20
Insomma, finch=E9 parliamo di nuova classe operaia non si va da nessuna =
parte. L'era dell'industrialismo =E8 finita da vent'anni e Bertinotti =
dovrebbe ben saperlo visto che era sindacalista a Mirafiori nel 1980. Il =
resto =E8 ideologia consolatoria, la cui diffusione =E8 peraltro =
limitata all'Europa mediterranea e al Sudamerica, se si eccettuano =
=E9lites intellettuali marxiane molto vive che peraltro ben =
difficilmente si dichiarebbero comuniste. Vi prego risparmiatemi le =
citazioni di Brecht e di Rosa ochissoio a sostegno di eventuali =
dichiarazioni di fede. Already been there, already done that.
Questa =E8 la mia premessa teorica; se non suscita scandalo, ma =
semplicemente critiche fondate sull'esperienza storica/empirica, sono =
pronto a discutere di strategie e obiettivi.
Con stima e rispetto per l'attivismo che la lista dimostra,
Ale
Reply-To: chainworkers@???
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 12:21:00 +0200
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 13:45:49 +0100 (BST)
From: McWorkers Resistance <mwrposse@???>
Subject: An Open Letter To The McDonald's Workers' Movement
To: info@???
It is with great pleasure that we have watched the growth and =
development of a small but ever expanding movement of McDonald's workers =
who are fed up with their treatment at the hands of the company and, =
more importantly, are prepared to do something about it. What follows =
this introduction is an open letter from the secretariat of McDonalds =
Workers Resistance proposing that we all jointly set up one e-mail =
discussion group that can link our different initiatives, not as an =
alternative to what we already all do, but as an addition. Firstly, we =
address this proposal to the wider movement of McDonald's workers, =
especially in English speaking places, to all the different websites, =
groups and individuals, but this letter is also to anyone with a =
supportive interest in the attempts McDonald's workers are making to =
change their working lives. Before anyone tries to set such a forum up, =
we think we everyone concerned should get a say, so please send your =
input to forum@??? and we'll publish it at =
http://www.geocities.com/globaldayofaction/news.html<?xml:namespace =
prefix =3D o ns =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
=20
=20
=20
Fellow workers/ trouble makers/ bored computer surfers,
=20
Those of us who now form the secretariat of McDonalds Workers =
Resistance (http://mwr.org.uk) have been centrally involved in the =
campaigns of the McDonalds workforce since 1998 when workers at one =
restaurant in <?xml:namespace prefix =3D st1 ns =3D =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Scotland fought for bonus =
money we were owed with the collective threat of forming a union. In =
2000 when we recognised the futility of attempting to take on such a =
massive corporation in one restaurant and committed ourselves to =
communicating publicly with McDonalds workers around the world, the only =
other organisations in the English speaking world that were explicitly =
relevant to McDonalds workers were those that remained from the Mclibel =
trial, including the McSpotlight website (http://www.mcspotlight.org). =
Since then our progress has exceeded all our expectations, we have =
experienced the highs of international organisation, co-ordinated action =
(See http://www.geocities.com/globaldayofaction) and have shared advice, =
ideas, tactics and visions with hundreds and hundreds of McDonalds =
workers. Simultaneously, we have watched with pleasure as a =
proliferation of organisations and websites have been started by =
McDonald's workers and former McDonald's workers. Some organisations =
have flourished briefly in one or two stores- McDonalds International =
Liberation Front (http://mwr.org.uk/milf.htm), WcDonalds of Australia, =
"Out Of Hours", many local branches of MWR, The 'Chicago Corps of the =
paramilitary front for the liberation of McDonalds Workers', etc. =
Others have developed websites, like Workers Resistance Against =
McDonalds (http://www.wram.org.uk), Manchester MWR =
(http://www.mmwr.vze.com/), MWR Midlands (http://www.mwrm.tk/), =
McSlackers (http://www.geocities.com/mc_slackers/), Fuck McDonalds.co.uk =
(http://www.fuckmcdonalds.co.uk), McDoof (http://www.mcdoof.co.uk/), =
McShit (http://www.mcshit.co.uk/), MWR UK =
(http://www.geocities.com/mwrposse/index.html), etc (apologies to anyone =
missed out).
=20
In the UK there are over 1000 McDonalds Restaurants and the company =
has been present for over 25 years. That there has never been one =
unionised is testimony to McDonalds legendary hostility to unions, but =
also to the trade union movements' total inability to respond to the =
needs of McDonaldized workforces. Constrained by the law, by a lack of =
flexibility and imagination, trade unions have increasingly become =
disinterested, preferring to sell pension schemes to middle managers =
than to engage in the difficult and financially unrewarding business of =
organising low paid casualised workers. Out of necessity, McDonald's =
workers ourselves, with neither experience nor resources, have produced =
information and satires, organised campaigns, created space for =
discussions and supported each other where possible. That it is now =
possible to talk of a movement of McDonalds workers reflects =
achievements of which we should all be proud.
=20
Less positively, after nearly 6 years at McDonalds, I cannot say =
that either wages or conditions have improved appreciably. Although to =
us it may seem that management is not quite as authoritarian as it used =
to be, in real terms we are paid as little as ever, the pace of work has =
not changed significantly, scheduling frequently remains unfair and =
sometimes illegal, we are still expected to "stay on", the =
discriminatory practice of underpaying young workers continues, and the =
work is as robotic, tedious and dehumanising as it ever has been.
=20
Indeed, our conditions have even deteriorated over this period- =
where once we received double time on the days McDonalds decreed as bank =
holidays we now receive time and a half. Time and a half on Boxing Day =
or New Years Day is a fucking insult. But McDonalds will continue to =
pay us as little as they possibly can, in their own words, "we couldn't =
actually pay any lower wages with out falling foul of the law" (Sid =
Nicholson, then McD's UK Vice President, at the McLibel trial). =
Profiteers like McDonalds behave like a river- they follow the path of =
least resistance and like a river this means they are invariably =
crooked. McDonald's workers are the unqualified, youth, students, =
immigrants, single mothers, and just now we continue to offer the path =
of least resistance. Our conditions and wages will not improve until we =
block the flow of profit like a damn and make it clear to McDonalds that =
while we are exploited to this degree it will simply be impossible for =
their business to function.
=20
If we are to build such resistance to the tide of profit that =
currently washes through us we will need a close level of co-ordination =
between the different groups and individuals that together comprise the =
McDonalds workers movement. To facilitate this we propose that we =
should establish an e-mail discussion group for the joint use of the =
entire McDonalds workers movement. We do not propose this as an =
alternative to the various forums and discussion groups that already =
exist but think it is imperative these continue: there is strength in =
diversity (and weakness in being a monolithic global monstrosity). =
Rather, this new group would be an all encompassing open forum where key =
points from the other forums could be shared. We do not propose this =
group as an initiative of MWR but suggest it in the hope it will be =
supported and promoted consistently over a period of time by all the =
McDonalds workers organisations. To this end we invite you to send =
feedback on this proposal to forum@??? and we will publish all =
replies received at http://www.geocities.com/globaldayofaction/news.html
=20
Before concluding, we would like to raise a few points of discussion =
regarding how we envisage this forum. We would like to see it open to =
anyone interested and supportive of attempts to improve the conditions =
of McDonalds workers whether they work for McDonalds, used to work for =
McDonalds, work for a similar company or industry, or have an interest =
in workplace activism.
We think it should be a forum that concentrates on workers issues =
and not a general anti-McDonalds forum. There are already plenty of the =
latter and while environmentalists, nutritionists and animal rights =
activists may celebrate the demise of McDonalds, for workers this is a =
double edged sword that leads to us being squeezed even more, and in =
some cases facing forced redundancies.
We think the forum should be a space for piss-takes, satire, moaning =
and complaining, but more than that it should be about working together =
to change the things that we all complain about.
We propose to keep things simple and use an open yahoo discussion =
group. The group will be low maintenance as people can subscribe and =
unsubscribe themselves.
We suggest the group should be un-moderated but would be in favour =
of banning anyone who uses the group for profit making schemes or to =
send racist/ homophobic/ unnecessarily abusive comments, etc.
We consider it imperative that people from different McWorkers =
organisations work together on this and share responsibility for =
promoting, running and using the group.
=20
We thank you for your attention and look forward to your comments,
=20
Best wishes and solidarity,
=20
The secretariat of McDonalds Workers Resistance
July 2003=20
""Why of course the people don't want war ... But after all it is =
the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it is always a =
simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a =
fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship ... =
All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce =
the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to =
danger." Hermann Goering, Nazi leader, at the Nuremberg Trials after =
World War II http://www.mwr.org.uk
Want to chat instantly with your online friends? Get the FREE Yahoo! =
Messenger=20
~~~~~~=20
Alex Foti, foreign rights editor
Universit=E0 Bocconi Editore/ Egea=20
phone +02.5836.5759 (afternoons)
www.egeaonline.it
Address all mail to:=20
Egea S.p.A. viale Isonzo 25 20135 - Milano, Italy=20
ph +02.5836.5751 fx +02.5836.5753=20
Please use legal address for contract headings:=20
Egea S.p.A. via Sarfatti 25 20136 - Milano, Italy=20
Yahoo! Gruppi - Sponsor=20
=20
Per annullare l'iscrizione a questo gruppo, manda una mail =
all'indirizzo:=20
r_esistenzeprecarie-unsubscribe@???
L'utilizzo, da parte tua, di Yahoo! Gruppi =E8 soggetto alle Condizioni =
di Utilizzo del Servizio Yahoo!=20
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<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----=20
<DIV style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A=20
title=3Dalex.foti@??? =
href=3D"
mailto:alex.foti@uni-bocconi.it">Alex=20
Foti</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=3Dr_esistenzeprecarie@???=20
href=3D"
mailto:r_esistenzeprecarie@yahoogroups.com">r_esistenzeprecarie@y=
ahoogroups.com</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, July 31, 2003 3:25 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> [r_esistenzeprecarie] Fwd: [CW] Fwd: An Open Letter =
To The=20
McDonald's Workers' Movement</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size=3D3><A =
href=3D"
mailto:Carissim@s">Carissim@s</A>=20
R/Esistenti,<BR><BR>In fondo trovate un comunicato dai McWorkers pi=F9 =
incazzati=20
del regno con cui abbiamo fatto insieme il global day of action against=20
MickeyDee il 16 ottobre 002 e che hanno partecipato al nostro workshop =
alla=20
Fortezza dal Basso. <BR><BR>Trovo r/esistenze una lista viva, =
soprattutto=20
considerando il recentissimo inizio. Avrei voglia di scrivere qualche=20
considerazione strategica, forse provocatoria, sul futuro possibile del=20
conflitto e dell'autorappresentazione del precariato dopo la disfatta =
del 15=20
giugno. Sempre per=F2 che siate pronti a mettere da parte ideologiche =
certezze per=20
sondare pratiche che effettivamente modifichino in meglio le condizioni =
di vita=20
e lavoro delle persone in carne e ossa a partire dai pi=F9 deboli: =
giovani, donne=20
e migranti, che non =E8 affatto la stessa cosa che dire lavoratori o =
operai o=20
impiegati. Per chiarirci meglio: a Milano e provincia =E8 dalla met=E0 =
degli anni 90=20
che ci sono pi=F9 parasubordinati che metalmeccanici. Ergo: la classe =
operaia non=20
c'=E8 pi=F9 e la FIOM non la riporter=E0 certo in vita con i =
precontratti. <BR><BR>La=20
struttura di classe dell'era postindustriale/postfordista/postmoderna =
=E8 in due=20
parole la seguente: il lavoro serializzato networked, che =E8 locale, =
sostituibile=20
e non ha accesso ai mercati finanziari; il lavoro reticolare dei =
networkers,=20
spesso globalizzati e con accesso ai mercati finanziari; e il capitale, =
vale a=20
dire i mercati finanziari globali e le loro interazioni/gerarchie =
geoeconomiche.=20
Lo stato =E8 messo in difficolt=E0 sia dal basso dai flussi di lavoro =
migrante,=20
spesso serializzato, sia dall'alto dai flussi di capitale apolide. =
Regola=20
ferocemente i primi per convenienza elettorale e deregola i secondi =
perch=E9 =E8 con=20
essi connivente: =E9lite di impresa e di stato si confondono. =
<BR><BR>Insomma,=20
finch=E9 parliamo di nuova classe operaia non si va da nessuna parte. =
L'era=20
dell'industrialismo =E8 finita da vent'anni e Bertinotti dovrebbe ben =
saperlo=20
visto che era sindacalista a Mirafiori nel 1980. Il resto =E8 ideologia=20
consolatoria, la cui diffusione =E8 peraltro limitata all'Europa =
mediterranea e al=20
Sudamerica, se si eccettuano =E9lites intellettuali marxiane molto vive =
che=20
peraltro ben difficilmente si dichiarebbero comuniste. Vi prego =
risparmiatemi le=20
citazioni di Brecht e di Rosa ochissoio a sostegno di eventuali =
dichiarazioni di=20
fede. Already been there, already done that.<BR><BR>Questa =E8 la mia =
premessa=20
teorica; se non suscita scandalo, ma semplicemente critiche fondate=20
sull'esperienza storica/empirica, sono pronto a discutere di strategie e =
obiettivi.<BR><BR>Con stima e rispetto per l'attivismo che la lista=20
dimostra,<BR><BR>Ale<BR><BR><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=3Dcite cite=3D"" type=3D"cite">Reply-To:=20
chainworkers@???<BR>Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 12:21:00=20
+0200<BR><BR><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=3Dcite cite=3D"" type=3D"cite">Date: Mon, 28 Jul =
2003 13:45:49=20
+0100 (BST)<BR>From: McWorkers Resistance=20
<mwrposse@???><BR>Subject: An Open Letter To The =
McDonald's=20
Workers' Movement<BR>To: info@???<BR><BR></FONT><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" size=3D3>It is with great pleasure =
that we have=20
watched the growth and development of a small but ever expanding =
movement of=20
McDonald=92s workers who are fed up with their treatment at the =
hands of the=20
company and, more importantly, are prepared to do something about =
it. =20
What follows this introduction is an open letter from the =
secretariat of=20
McDonalds Workers Resistance proposing that we all jointly set up =
one e-mail=20
discussion group that can link our different initiatives, not as an=20
alternative to what we already all do, but as an addition. =
Firstly, we=20
address this proposal to the wider movement of McDonald=92s workers, =
especially in English speaking places, to all the different =
websites, groups=20
and individuals, but this letter is also to anyone with a supportive =
interest in the attempts McDonald=92s workers are making to change =
their=20
working lives. Before anyone tries to set such a forum up, we =
think we=20
everyone concerned should get a say, so please send your input to <A =
href=3D"mailto:forum@mwr.org.uk">forum@???</A> and we=92ll =
publish it at=20
<A=20
=
href=3D"http://www.geocities.com/globaldayofaction/news.html">http://www.=
geocities.com/globaldayofaction/news.html</A></FONT><?xml:namespace=20
prefix =3D o ns =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" =
/><BR><BR><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" size=3D3> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" size=3D3> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" size=3D3> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" size=3D3>Fellow workers/ trouble =
makers/ bored=20
computer surfers,<BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, =
Times"=20
size=3D3> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" =
size=3D3>Those=20
of us who now form the secretariat of McDonalds Workers Resistance =
(<A=20
href=3D"http://mwr.org.uk/">http://mwr.org.uk</A>) have been =
centrally=20
involved in the campaigns of the McDonalds workforce since 1998 when =
workers=20
at one restaurant in <?xml:namespace prefix =3D st1 ns =3D=20
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Scotland fought =
for bonus=20
money we were owed with the collective threat of forming a =
union. In=20
2000 when we recognised the futility of attempting to take on such a =
massive=20
corporation in one restaurant and committed ourselves to =
communicating=20
publicly with McDonalds workers around the world, the only other=20
organisations in the English speaking world that were explicitly =
relevant to=20
McDonalds workers were those that remained from the Mclibel trial, =
including=20
the McSpotlight website (<A=20
=
href=3D"http://www.mcspotlight.org/">http://www.mcspotlight.org</A>).&nbs=
p;=20
Since then our progress has exceeded all our expectations, we have=20
experienced the highs of international organisation, co-ordinated =
action=20
(See <A=20
=
href=3D"http://www.geocities.com/globaldayofaction">http://www.geocities.=
com/globaldayofaction</A>)=20
and have shared advice, ideas, tactics and visions with hundreds and =
hundreds of McDonalds workers. Simultaneously, we have watched =
with=20
pleasure as a proliferation of organisations and websites have been =
started=20
by McDonald=92s workers and former McDonald=92s workers. Some=20
organisations have flourished briefly in one or two stores- =
McDonalds=20
International Liberation Front (<A =
href=3D"http://mwr.org.uk/milf.htm"=20
eudora=3D"autourl">http://mwr.org.uk/milf.htm</A>), WcDonalds of =
Australia,=20
=93Out Of Hours=94, many local branches of MWR, The =91Chicago =
Corps of the=20
paramilitary front for the liberation of McDonalds Workers=92, =
etc. =20
Others have developed websites, like Workers Resistance Against =
McDonalds=20
(<A href=3D"http://www.wram.org.uk/">http://www.wram.org.uk</A>), =
Manchester=20
MWR (<A =
href=3D"http://www.mmwr.vze.com/">http://www.mmwr.vze.com/</A>), MWR=20
Midlands (<A href=3D"http://www.mwrm.tk/">http://www.mwrm.tk/</A>), =
McSlackers=20
(<A=20
=
href=3D"http://www.geocities.com/mc_slackers/">http://www.geocities.com/m=
c_slackers/</A>),=20
Fuck McDonalds.co.uk (<A=20
=
href=3D"http://www.fuckmcdonalds.co.uk/">http://www.fuckmcdonalds.co.uk</=
A>),=20
McDoof (<A =
href=3D"http://www.mcdoof.co.uk/">http://www.mcdoof.co.uk/</A>),=20
McShit (<A =
href=3D"http://www.mcshit.co.uk/">http://www.mcshit.co.uk/</A>),=20
MWR UK (<A=20
=
href=3D"http://www.geocities.com/mwrposse/index.html">http://www.geocitie=
s.com/mwrposse/index.html</A>),=20
etc (apologies to anyone missed out).<BR></FONT><BR><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" size=3D3> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" size=3D3>In the UK there are over =
1000 McDonalds=20
Restaurants and the company has been present for over 25 =
years. That=20
there has never been one unionised is testimony to McDonalds =
legendary=20
hostility to unions, but also to the trade union movements=92 total =
inability=20
to respond to the needs of McDonaldized workforces. =
Constrained by the=20
law, by a lack of flexibility and imagination, trade unions have=20
increasingly become disinterested, preferring to sell pension =
schemes to=20
middle managers than to engage in the difficult and financially =
unrewarding=20
business of organising low paid casualised workers. Out of =
necessity,=20
McDonald=92s workers ourselves, with neither experience nor =
resources, have=20
produced information and satires, organised campaigns, created space =
for=20
discussions and supported each other where possible. That it =
is now=20
possible to talk of a movement of McDonalds workers reflects =
achievements of=20
which we should all be proud.<BR></FONT><BR><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" size=3D3> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" size=3D3>Less positively, after =
nearly 6 years=20
at McDonalds, I cannot say that either wages or conditions have =
improved=20
appreciably. Although to us it may seem that management is not =
quite=20
as authoritarian as it used to be, in real terms we are paid as =
little as=20
ever, the pace of work has not changed significantly, scheduling =
frequently=20
remains unfair and sometimes illegal, we are still expected to =
=93stay on=94,=20
the discriminatory practice of underpaying young workers continues, =
and the=20
work is as robotic, tedious and dehumanising as it ever has=20
been.<BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times"=20
size=3D3> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times"=20
size=3D3>Indeed, our conditions have even deteriorated over this =
period- where=20
once we received double time on the days McDonalds decreed as bank =
holidays=20
we now receive time and a half. Time and a half on Boxing Day =
or New=20
Years Day is a fucking insult. But McDonalds will continue to =
pay us=20
as little as they possibly can, in their own words, =93we couldn=92t =
actually=20
pay any lower wages with out falling foul of the law=94 (Sid =
Nicholson, then=20
McD=92s UK Vice President, at the McLibel trial). Profiteers =
like=20
McDonalds behave like a river- they follow the path of least =
resistance and=20
like a river this means they are invariably crooked. =
McDonald=92s=20
workers are the unqualified, youth, students, immigrants, single =
mothers,=20
and just now we continue to offer the path of least =
resistance. Our=20
conditions and wages will not improve until we block the flow of =
profit like=20
a damn and make it clear to McDonalds that while we are exploited to =
this=20
degree it will simply be impossible for their business to=20
function.<BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times"=20
size=3D3> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" =
size=3D3>If we=20
are to build such resistance to the tide of profit that currently =
washes=20
through us we will need a close level of co-ordination between the =
different=20
groups and individuals that together comprise the McDonalds workers=20
movement. To facilitate this we propose that we should =
establish an=20
e-mail discussion group for the joint use of the entire McDonalds =
workers=20
movement. We do not propose this as an alternative to the various =
forums and=20
discussion groups that already exist but think it is imperative =
these=20
continue: there is strength in diversity (and weakness in being a =
monolithic=20
global monstrosity). Rather, this new group would be an all=20
encompassing open forum where key points from the other forums could =
be=20
shared. We do not propose this group as an initiative of MWR =
but=20
suggest it in the hope it will be supported and promoted =
consistently over a=20
period of time by all the McDonalds workers organisations. To =
this end=20
we invite you to send feedback on this proposal to <A=20
href=3D"mailto:forum@mwr.org.uk">forum@???</A> and we will =
publish all=20
replies received at <A=20
=
href=3D"http://www.geocities.com/globaldayofaction/news.html">http://www.=
geocities.com/globaldayofaction/news.html</A><BR></FONT><BR><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" size=3D3> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" size=3D3>Before concluding, we would =
like to=20
raise a few points of discussion regarding how we envisage this =
forum. =20
We would like to see it open to anyone interested and supportive of =
attempts=20
to improve the conditions of McDonalds workers whether they work for =
McDonalds, used to work for McDonalds, work for a similar company or =
industry, or have an interest in workplace =
activism.<BR></FONT><BR><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" size=3D3>We think it should be a =
forum that=20
concentrates on workers issues and not a general anti-McDonalds =
forum. =20
There are already plenty of the latter and while environmentalists,=20
nutritionists and animal rights activists may celebrate the demise =
of=20
McDonalds, for workers this is a double edged sword that leads to us =
being=20
squeezed even more, and in some cases facing forced=20
redundancies.<BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" =
size=3D3>We=20
think the forum should be a space for piss-takes, satire, moaning =
and=20
complaining, but more than that it should be about working together =
to=20
change the things that we all complain about.<BR></FONT><BR><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" size=3D3>We propose to keep things =
simple and=20
use an open yahoo discussion group. The group will be low =
maintenance=20
as people can subscribe and unsubscribe =
themselves.<BR></FONT><BR><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" size=3D3>We suggest the group should =
be=20
un-moderated but would be in favour of banning anyone who uses the =
group for=20
profit making schemes or to send racist/ homophobic/ unnecessarily =
abusive=20
comments, etc.<BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" =
size=3D3>We=20
consider it imperative that people from different McWorkers =
organisations=20
work together on this and share responsibility for promoting, =
running and=20
using the group.<BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" =
size=3D3> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" =
size=3D3>We=20
thank you for your attention and look forward to your=20
comments,<BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times"=20
size=3D3> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" =
size=3D3>Best=20
wishes and solidarity,<BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, =
Times"=20
size=3D3> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" =
size=3D3>The=20
secretariat of McDonalds Workers Resistance<BR></FONT><BR><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman, Times" size=3D3>July 2003 =
<BR></FONT><BR><BR>""Why of=20
course the people don't want war ... But after all it is the leaders =
of the=20
country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter =
to drag=20
the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist =
dictatorship, or a=20
parliament, or a communist dictatorship ... All you have to do is to =
tell=20
them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of =
patriotism and exposing the country to danger." Hermann Goering, =
Nazi=20
leader, at the Nuremberg Trials after World War II <A=20
href=3D"http://www.mwr.org.uk/"=20
eudora=3D"autourl">http://www.mwr.org.uk</A><BR><BR><BR><FONT =
size=3D2>Want to=20
chat instantly with your online friends? <A=20
=
href=3D"http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/mail/tagline_messenger/*http://uk.messenge=
r.yahoo.com/"><B>Get=20
the FREE Yahoo! Messenger</A></B></FONT><FONT size=3D3>=20
</BLOCKQUOTE><BR></FONT><FONT size=3D2>~~~~~~ <BR>Alex Foti, foreign =
rights=20
editor<BR>Universit=E0 Bocconi Editore/ Egea <BR>phone +02.5836.5759=20
(afternoons)<BR><A href=3D"http://www.egeaonline.it/"=20
eudora=3D"autourl">www.egeaonline.it</A><BR>Address all mail to: =
<BR>Egea S.p.A.=20
viale Isonzo 25 20135 - Milano, Italy <BR>ph +02.5836.5751 fx =
+02.5836.5753=20
<BR>Please use legal address for contract headings: <BR>Egea S.p.A. =
via=20
Sarfatti 25 20136 - Milano, Italy</FONT><FONT size=3D3> =
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