Tech Wobblies/Announcement 2018-11-12

To: KWNPSA Announcement Mailing List <mailto:kwnpsa-announce@kwnpsa.ca>
From: Bob Jonkman <mailto:bobjonkman@kwnpsa.ca>
Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2018 04:22:27 -0500
Subject: Meetup about "Tech Wobblies", 7pm Mon 12 Nov 2018 at Conrad Grebel rm 1301

Hi fellow SysAdmins! It's been a while since I had a long-term gig as a SysAdmin. My tech work for a couple of years has been limited to break/fix work -- one day, two hours at a time. And at my last long-term contract, where I helped set up a new e-mail system and then converted tens of thousands of mailboxes, I wasn't hired to Admin the System I had built -- instead, the full-time gig went to the lowest bidder. Not only am I a little miffed at losing out on seniority, but the fellow who became SysAdmin isn't really making the Big Bucks.

It seems that everywhere, tech workers are working on shorter-term, lower paid, longer hours, less secure contracts than ever before. And, from experience, it's worse in the Non-Profit sector than in private business. What can be done?

Tech Workers, Unite!

But organization of labour is difficult. Most industry has separate unions for Manufacturing (ie. the United Steelworkers Union) and Transportation (ie. the Teamsters Union) Should there be a separate union for Programmers and SysAdmins? Database Administrators and Web Developers? Front-End and Back-End designers?

The Industrial Workers of the World, known as The Wobblies, had a solution: One union for workers across all sectors. This idea was considered so radical that the IWW was banned as a subversive organization in Canada during the First World War!

KWNPSA organizer Steve Izma knows all about the history of the Wobblies, and we'll be joined by special guests Sean Howard and "Wobbly Sunny", who is organizing the local tech workers chapter!

If you have the chance before the meetup, check out some of the resources at:

https://sobac.com/wiki/Tech_Wobblies

I think it's the longest list of articles, web pages, and information we've ever had on a topic!

See you at the meeting!

What: KW Non-Profit SysAdmins Meetup: Tech Wobblies

When: Monday, 12 November 2018 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm

Where: Room 1301, Conrad Grebel University College

Location: 140 Westmount Road North, Waterloo, Ontario Map

--Bob.

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Bob Jonkman <mailto:bjonkman@kwnpsa.ca>

KW Non-Profit System Administrators

http://kwnpsa.ca http://sobac.com/kwnpsa