Magazine

Archive of ideas & action Articles

ideas & action was created in July, 1981 as an independent anarcho-syndicalist magazine. After Workers Solidarity Alliance was founded in November, 1984, ideas & action became the magazine of WSA (with issue #5), and continuing through the publication of issue #17 in 1997. The magazine is currently suspended.

#1 — Winter, 1982 Trotskyism and the Myth of a “Workers’ State” by Bruce Allen [scan; reformatted] Poland [scan; reformatted] Debate: No Need for a “Workers’ Party” [scan; reformatted] Discussion: The ACF Experience: [scan; reformatted] Hey, General Custer, why were we there? by Ed Clark The Decline and Fall of the ACF by Steve Rabinowitz A few more theses on Marxism by Steve Rabinowitz [scan; reformatted] Co-ops or workers’ revolution? [scan; reformatted]
#2 — Summer, 1982 Preoccupying Concessions (and Shutdowns) by Dennis Hayes Reaganism isn’t the problem - Capitalism is! Poland: Revolution Self-limited by Bruce Allen No business as usual Review: Man of Iron Polish Women and the Polish Revolution Revolution for Freedom in El Salvador? Quien Salvara El Salvador? Coordinadora Libertaria Latino-Americana: Perspective and Goals Anarchist Shop Experiences
#3 — Spring 1983 Correspondence Exchange on Nicaragua Debate: Democratic Socialists of America & Libertarian Socialism [scan; text] Intro: Bureaucratic Utopianism? by Tom Wetzel DSA & Libertarian Socialism by Chris N. Altered States by R. Dennis Hayes To the Ballot Box! [temporarily of course] by Manuel S. Depression in the ‘80: What’s the Cause? by Tom Wetzel Solidarnosc on the eve of martial law Polish Anarchism Today Solidarnosc Makes Waves in China
#4 — Spring 1984 WAR: Why there are wars and what we can do to stop them by Libertarian Workers Group [scan] Leave the Slave-Driving to Us: A Look at the Greyhound Strike by Chris Fillmer [scan] We want freedom for all: A Jewish Anarchist statement by the Jewish Anarchist Committee [scan] Economic Realities in the ’80s: Part II by Tom Wetzel On the Crisis by the International Workers Association (Northern Europe) Debate: DSA: Giving up on real change by Kent Worcester Who to work with? by Jon Bekken Self-management: Yugoslavia: Model of Workers’ Self-management? by Elias Wolf [scan; reformatted] No borders!: Solidarnosc and Revolutionary Unionism by Adam Borsuk What about nationalism and religion? by Chris Ecks Spanish Libertarian Unionism Today by Tom Wetzel [scan]
#5 — Winter 1985 Silicon Valley Daze Poison! Phelps-Dodge is all of us Debate: Anarchism & Marxism: A Dialogue [scan; text] Revolutionary Socialist League remarks Libertarian Workers Group response Workers Solidarity Alliance Founding Conference WSA Statement: Where We Stand From the audience: ‘The Good Fight’: The Bad Film No borders!: What is the International Workers Association? The Principles of Revolutionary Unionism The Big Portugese Rip-Off For an Anti-Capitalist Alternative German anarcho-syndicalists look at 35-hour strike In a nutshell
#6 — Fall, 1985 Workers power & the Spanish revolution Watsonville Cannery Strike by Tom Wetzel Feminists debate pornography and censorship Pink collar workers Women & the Trade Unions Mujeres Libres: Organizing women in the Spanish revolution Prostitution & the Revolution Mujeres Libres Statement More concessions or time for a fightback? Direct Action: Longshore workers show how Life in the Porn Biz Not Free and Equal: A Review of Women and Revolution by Tom Wetzel Massey coal strike continues TWO PAMPHLETS: Bhopal & Workers Rights Free Time: The Case for a Shorter Workweek by Tom Wetzel We want jobs…but not at any price No borders!: Nicaragua: Between State Power and Liberty International worker links Ford workers conference IBM Resistors Conclusions of the First IBM Workers Conference Spain’s Port Workers Practice Direct Democracy by Tom Wetzel Polish Prisoner Appeal Japan: Death Sentence Protested
#7 — Fall 1986 Sex & Censorship IWW sez Shaky Emma Spain again Slaughterhouse Fight: A Look at the Hormel Strike by Steve Boyce, Jake Edwards and Tom Wetzel UFCW: Strategy of Appeasement by Tom Wetzel and Jake Edward [text] The Origin of May Day Why? Where We Stand Self Management: What Will the Working Class Do without Bosses? by Don Fitz [text] Dialogue: Workers Power & the Spanish Revolution by Tom Wetzel No Borders!: France: It is the era of flexibility Mass Strikes in South Africa: On the brink of revolution? Spain: Dock worker struggle continues
#8 –Spring 1987 Labor Pains Kaiser: Two-tier imposed after 7-week strike Hormel update by Mike Harris and Lars Svensdottir [text] What NAMPU says about the UFCW [text] Small Is Not Beautiful: Life at the Bay Guardian by Tom Wetzel After Chernobyl Comments Watsonville Strike One Year On by Mike Harris [text] Abolish the INS! by Chaz Bufe [text] Self Management: Libertarian socialism & direct democracy by Brad Bohland [text] Reply by Tom Wetzel [text] No Borders!: KMU: A Look at Philippine Unionism by Kim Scipes What is the International Workers Association? Part 2 Principles of Revolutionary Unionism IWA Directory Women in the Soviet Union Farm worker unionism in Andalucia by Al Chatfield [text] What is ‘libertarian unionism’? [text]
#9 –Spring 1988 Labor Pains The Meaning of Labor On Organization by Tom Wetzel Music Workers Union: Action & Defiance The Strange History of the Revolutionary Communist Party Where We Stand: W.S.A. Statement of Principles Why Does the Union Bureaucracy Exist? Part 1 by Tom Wetzel [text] Self Management: The Limits of the Cooperative Movement Origins of the Spanish Collectives No Borders!: “Gorbachev? Little Hope, No Trust!” Stalin’s Ghost Haunts Albania Free Moses Mayekiso!
#10 — Fall 1988 The Minimum Wage & the “Labor Aristocracy” Another Orwellian Plebiscite? Repetitive Strain Injury: What It Is, Why It Happens by Tom Wetzel Labor Pains by Mike Harris 1988 Anarchist Gathering: Talk, Networks and Fun by Jack Straw From Stalin to Solidarity: Three Novels of “Socialist” Poland by Martin Comack Why does the Union Bureaucracy exist? Part II: The Rise of the CIO by Tom Wetzel A Few Conclusions Primitive Thought by Chaz Bufe Rebel Legacies: The Mexican Revolution in Baja California by Jack Straw No Borders!: Britain: The Right to a General Strike from Black Flag “Fight the bigots! Fight the clause!” from Direct Action Italy: Time of the Rank-and-File Committees by Massimo Varengo Manifesto by Soviet workers Hungary: “Dump the official unions!” Revolutionary Workers’ International Grows Greetings from Poland Brazil: New Organizational Faces Repressive Climate South Africa: The Workers’ Charter Australian Bicentennial: The Original Inhabitants Have Little to Celebrate
#11 — Summer 1989 Labor Pains by Mike Harris Housing, Homelessness & Working People by WSA New York Group If you eat meat, boycott Perdue’s chicken! by Schuyler Vermont Legal Winnings by Bill Meyers Why Does the Union Bureaucracy Exist?: Part 3: The Origins of the Union Shop by Tom Wetzel [text] Rik Winslow: An Appreciation by Tom Wetzel Ozone Layer Threatened: Action Needed by Al Chatfield Reviews: Do-it-yourself printing by Chaz Bufe Canada: Assault on Union Freedom by Bruce Allen Movements from Below in Eastern Europe by Bruce Allen Rebel Legacies: Italy 1920: When 600,000 workers occupied the factories by Tom Wetzel Mussolini & Syndicalism [scan] Gramsci & Syndicalism No Borders!: Poland: Opposition in the Army from Ukranian Peace News Leaflet issued during Thatcher’s visit Hungarian anarchist group formed Transit Strike Halts Arkhangelsk from Ukrainian Peace News Anarchosyndicalists meet in USSR Spanish Dock Workers Build Union Without Bureaucrats by Don Fitz [text] Comments by Tom Wetzel Brazil: The COB in context from Direct Action
#12 — Fall, 1989 Appeal to North American Dock Workers Technology, the Environment & Workers’ Control by Tom Wetzel WSA Holds 6th Convention Open Letter to the “Without Borders” Anarchist Conference Labor Pains by Mike Harris The Battle for the Coal Fields by Mike Kolhoff Where We Stand: WSA Statement of Principles Organization in an Independent Union: The Lansing Community College Workers Association by Mike Kolhoff What is the Workers Solidarity Alliance? Speaking of Action (WSA activities) Reviews: It Can Happen Here by Sharon Rebel Legacies: El Pueblo Unido: Popular Power in Revolutionary Chile, 1970-73 by Martin Comack [text] No Borders!: Workers Accelerate Withering Away of Chinese State by Ed Elhauge The Beijing Autonomous Workers Federation by Trini Leung Provisional Principles of Beijing Workers Federation
#13 — Spring 1990 Los Angeles Derailed: Why the System Degrades Public Transit by Tom Wetzel Crisis in the “Communist Bloc” Defending Abortion Rights White Workers & Racism by Neil Farber [text]
#14 — Fall 1990 “White Skin Privilege”? by Wesley Harris Response by Tom Wetzel Labor Pains by Mike Harris Poultry Processing: A Lesson in Labor Exploitation by Gizmo Stress Hoosier Hysteria by Nick Keirn Just say “No” to Mideast Intervention by Tom Wetzel Environmentalists & Workers Unite by Mike Kolhoff WSA Holds 7th National Convention by Mike Harris & Mike Kolhoff Women in Workers Solidarity Alliance by Ginger Hutton Redwood Summer: An Issues Primer by Bill Meyers IWW/Earth First! Organizers Bombed by Bill Meyers The Case Against the Auto by Tom Wetzel [text] Self Management: Worker Control in Melbourne by Mike Kolhoff No Borders!: International Labor News by Mike Harris European Greens: The New Social Democracy by Philippe Pelletier Anarchosyndicalism in Poland and Russia by Mike Harris Russian anarchosyndicalist murdered from Black Flag Declaration by Polish Anarchists Bulgarian Anarchist Statement
#15 — Spring 1991 Letter from Brazil by Carlos Baqueiro From Behind the Walls by Joseph Francis Salerno On The Gulf War: The dogs of ware are loose and hungry by Ivan Kalita Opposition to the War in the Bay Area by Bill Meyers & Mike Kolhoff Noam Chomsky on the War interview by Nick Keirn Resistance in the Military by Mike Kolhoff This Is Too High a Price to Pay for Oil! by International Workers Association Labor Pains by Mike Harris Creating Unity From Below The Health Care Nightmare by Mike Kolhoff Pioneer Health Centre Free Clinics Child Care: Interview with Anna Marie Stenberg by Bill Meyers Farewell, Comrade! by Mike Kolhoff Blues at the News: (Craft) Unionism at the Crossroads by Neal Farber Reviews: This’ll Kill Ya by J.G. Eccarius In Search of the Warrior Spirit by J.G. Eccarius Wonderful Life by J.G. Eccarius No Borders!: Free Women Network by Ashleigh International Labor News by Mike Harris The Reorganization of Work by Mike Kolhoff
#16 — Fall 1991 On Imperialist Barbarism & the Need for World Democracy by Tom Wetzel 1 — The Destruction of Iraq: Why? 2 — The Rise and Decline of the American Empire 3 — Every Nation-State Is Imperialist By Nature 4 — For National Autonomy within a World-wide Democracy Labor Pains by Mike Harris The Rail Strike that Wasn’t by Mike Harris WSA Activist Jailed for Opposing the Oil War The Bay Area Direct Action Network by Mike Kolhoff [scan] San Francisco’s Queer Street Patrol by Ed Elhauge [scan] WSA Convention Report by Ginger Hutton [scan] Around WSA [scan] Hoosier Hysteria Update by Nick Keirn [scan] Requiem for Nick Keirn [scan] Talking About WSA: An Interview with Ginger Hutton by Clare Cunningham & Trevor Blake Where We Stand by WSA Reviews: Sexual Anarchy by Mike Kolhoff Media Monopoly by J.G. Eccarius Life on Earth by J.G. Eccarius Peasant Revolt by J.G. Eccarius Brave New World Order by Mike Kolhoff Take My Rights, Please by Mike Kolhoff No Borders!: General Strike Rocks Tahiti by Bill Meyers 70th Anniversary of Kronstadt Rebellion by Mike Harris [scan] Caste and Class Struggle in Guatemala by Martin Comack
#17 — Winter 1997 Prison Labor in the USA New Leaders for AFL-CIO Scapegoating Immigrants IWA News Organizing Updates Putting the Reins on Technology Union Democracy A Practical Approach to Fighting Racism UC Clerical Workers Launch Independent Union French Lesson Pacifica Radio Tries to Bust Union Schools For Profit Get an “F” for Failure International News International Campaign to And Awareness League Cuban Anarchism Living in the USA — Some Thoughts by Mike Harris WSA information