A Little Bit About Us . . .

MISSION STATEMENT: The Northwoods Socialist Collective is a group of working class activists based in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin.  We believe everyone should have a say in the matters that affect their lives.  That is why we are socialists.  We advocate for a socialism that is revolutionary, internationalist and feminist, as well as being anti-racist, anti-ableist, anti-imperialist, environmentally sustainable and fully committed to LGBTQAI+ liberation.  We invite you to join us in the struggle to make our communities and world a better place!

Below is an attempt to list the things that we do, and the framework that we have for achieving the goals listed is our Mission Statement.

• POLITICAL EDUCATION: We feel that a crucial part of building a socialist movement is political education.  We encourage our members to study Marxist theory, and to apply it to understand how the world works and what can be done to change it.  We put on monthly Socialism and a Slice current events discussions.  We organize study groups and Marx and a Mug events, which consist of a presentation on different facets of political theory.  We also host a library of socialist books, publish a quarterly newsletter, set up political literature tables at events and in the community, distribute leaflets and brochures and try to connect workers and activists with educational tools.

• LABOR ORGANIZING: We put a lot of time and energy into the labor movement.  We engage in labor solidarity by walking EVERY picket line, engaging in strike support and doing whatever we can to help union's that are fighting with their employers.  We help non-union workers to unionize their workplaces.  And withing unions we are working to build a class struggle left wing.  Our goal is to revitalize the labor movement into a democratic, militant and effective vehicle for social change.

• SOCIAL MOVEMENT BUILDING: We seek to be an ally, partner and constructive participant in the movements for social change in our region, from the abortion rights movement, to the fight against the Line 5 pipeline to Black Lives Matter.  We believe that social movements are one of the main drivers of change.  They give workers and the oppressed power by collectively mobilizing people independent of the power structure.  It is crucial that the people directly effected by issues are the ones who come together to come up with demands, tactics and organizations for their liberation.  We are big believers in the tactic of the united front (the bringing together working class groups into coalitions around the issues where we agree), and believe that it is a vital tool in social movement building. 

• MASS ACTION & DIRECT ACTION: While ultimately the power of the working class lies in its ability to shut down production through political and general strikes, we have a lot of work to do before those kind of tactics are possible (let alone a revolution!).  Our class needs to learn how to walk upright before it can run.  We put a lot of time into encouraging unions and social movements to adopt the tactics of mass action and direct action.  These are tactics that encourage working people to take matters into their own hands and act collectively - instead of relying on lobbyist or politicians to do things for them.  Informational pickets, marches and even simple things like getting all of your co-workers to wear a union sticker on the same day, are crucial first steps in normalizing collective action.  We have to make it easy for folks to take that first step into opposition to the status quo, but it also has to be in a way that empowers them, provides them with valuable experience, and points in the direction of more militant, and more powerful forms of collective action.  We embrace tactics that give working people a sense of the power that they have when they act collectively.

• COORDINATION & ORGANIZATION: We believe that it's very important for revolutionaries to be part of an organization - to be part of a project where we can support one another and coordinate our education and political work.  Without organization it's too easy to get burned out and/or succumb to the enormous pressures that the status quo can bring to bear on its opponents.  Our Collective is a modest attempt at providing our members with support and a vehicle for coordination.  We hold monthly membership meetings, along with socials and a members only email list and facebook discussion group.  Through these mediums we report on the work we are doing, network with other activists, plan future campaigns and provide feedback and support.
  

OUR HISTORY: The Northwoods Socialist Collective was founded in the Fall of 2020.  The initiative came out of a proposal from Carl Sack (an amazing local activist who tragically passed away in the Spring of 2024) to create an organization where local revolutionary socialists could come together and coordinate their work.  While the founding core were former members of Socialist Action (a national group which had had a local branch from 1997 to 2019), the Collective has counted among its members who come from a variety of different political traditions (including the IWW, DSA, Communist Party, Socialist Resurgence, Workers' Voice and Tempest).

JOIN US: If you are interested in formally joining our group, we urge you to fill out a membership application.  All applicants are voted on by the Collective before becoming members.  We have a zero tolerance policy towards violence and sexual harassment.  And FYI, as a group we do not take a position on elections or candidates, so that is not an arena that our group is involved with.

CONTACT US: If you have any questions, or would like to contact us, you can do so via email or snail mail.  Our email address is northwoods.socialists@gmail.com and our address is P.O. Box 1943, Superior WI 54880.