🐱 Do furries need to unionize?

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A furry fan drew an inflated skunk embroidered with the emblem for the Industrial Workers of the World union squishing a hamster in a top hat with the caption of “squash the boss”. Such a piece is not anything too unusual. The oddity that caught the eye of the Daily Dot was that the union itself posted the piece to their Facebook page.
Soon thereafter, the IWW's Twitter account joined in. Though, for some reason, they quietly back out later, as the original Tweet referenced in the Daily Dot article appears to be deleted. (Its text remains in the article despite this – a feature of the standard embedding code for other sites. Tweeters, be wary of this.)


But has furry reached a point where we need to squash the boss and organize? Or are unions barking up the wrong tree? The answer, like the fandom, may be complex.
The furry fandom work environment
Outside of the fandom, supporting a union or not is certainly up to the workers if they feel that they need to support organizations whose goal is to prevent over exploitation of employees. Within the fandom it is hard to argue how a union, as currently designed, could help. Those creating content are typically self-employed. There are exceptions to this rule, as a handful of people have started to come together to make businesses, such as Bad Dragon, Corgi Events, or ArtworkTee. Insert FurCast noting that their sponsor Twin Tails Creations wasn't listed.
Anyway, my point is, in most cases the bosses of the furry businesses, for better or for worse, are individual clients. Those who work in such a position can point out the blessing and the curse it is to work in such a way. The blessing is that you can choose to take on clients when you are ready and that some can be a delight to work with. Of course, time waits for no business, so that will force you to take on new clients if it’s your only source of income. Especially burdensome is that you may get an impatient or monstrous client that will make you want to scream to the Twitterspace.
In these kinds of work environments, a union as they are currently designed may not be at its strongest element to assist. Most unions typically are best for forming a coalition to counteract the networking that large corporations can use against their employees to exploit their labor. In furry, this is usually not the case. Sure you can have a crappy boss, but those crappy bosses are not the same person for more than a few months at a time. Instead it can be multiple nightmare clients that can appear sporadically during your career.
The best way these unpleasant individuals are avoided at the current moment is via an organization called “Artists Beware”, which is a social network dedicated to sharing stories of nightmare clients so that artists are aware of problematic bosses before they take on their jobs. In a way this is a union of artists who work together to help other artists ensure they are not taking on problematic clients. [It also works the other way, for problematic artists.]
Unions and Fandom
Organizations are not one size fits all. While some unions try hard to represent as many worker types as possible, it can become unwieldy to represent people in industries that they do not fully comprehend. And furry, sometimes by design, can be a bit perplexing.
When unions try to expand into these unexplored territories, which they might be tempted to do to get more dues, they run the risk of becoming over extended and losing the edge they need to work in the sphere that they are familiar with. While the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) showed interest in representing furry workers because of that one piece of fan art, the fandom’s work is hardly industrial. So, it may not be in IWW’s best interest to follow through and try and take on furry members. The exception being if a furry happens to work in the industry of industry as their main source of income.
If any union may be a better fit for the furry entrepreneur, it would be an organization such as the Freelancers Union. Of course, before joining any organization, particularly ones you are going to be paying a membership for, you should do your research on your needs. Which is my way of saying thattheir insurance isn't the best reviewed product out there. It should also be noted that the Freelancer’s Union, just like the individuals they represent, don’t really fall under the traditional orthodoxy that unions usually do. Because their clients usually don’t all work for the same corporations, their utility of collective bargaining doesn’t exist as it does with traditional unions.
For furry - guilds maybe more effective than unions
Even in the furry fandom itself, there are many spheres and it would be difficult to create a one size fits all organization for the needs of artists, musicians, podcasters, crafters, performers, writers, and all the various other talents.
If furries are to organize in any meaningful way, it may be best to grow our community first by making more guilds rather than unions at this time. Like the aforementioned Artists Beware organization, however broader in that sense. For instance, Artists Beware could be a service provided by an artist’s guild. The guild would provide services to the furry artist to improve their craft as well as provide guides on running freelance artist businesses. Things such as working in the spaces of dealer’s dens, artist alleys, how to improve one’s communication between clients and themselves, and other such items.
Writers in the fandom already have such a guild which provides free services and information useful to authors in the fandom called the Furry Writers Guild. One service they provide is having a list of anthologies and places looking to publish work (both paying and non-paying). Any writer can join the forum for free, but to become a member proper the individual in question must have proven their ability to get published.
I myself became a member in 2015 after having two of my short stories published in anthologies. While I have not made much use of the services since then, it was through those services that I was able to give myself a goal and know where to submit my stories to. It is good to know they are there for those that desire to make use of them.
Artists and crafters, likewise, would be well served to have such an organizations to assist those in need. For example, as non-furries look toward us to make animal costumes, a Fursuit Crafters Guild can be used as a bulletin board for those who make fursuits or puppets to find clients outside the fandom. By presenting an organization such as this, it may move potential consumers in our directions instead of toward sites such as DH-Gate.
More than just for the creators
Going back to the Writers Guild, a situation does highlight the limits of creator based guilds as far as community growth goes. The Cóyotl Awards are a specialized award where Writers Guild members can vote on their favorite books of the year. This, however, assumes that those who write in the furry fandom read the works produced by the fandom as well, and would have the expertise to be able to judge the works against one another.
While one may assume that those who write furry content also read them as a hobby, that may not be the case. This can limit the ability for those who love to read and not write to feel involved as well. It is important to remember that while the fandom is creative, we do need to support those that consume the works we create as well. Especially if they are engaged consumers.
This is not to say the Writers Guild doesn’t understand this. They have a section dedicated to resources for readers. The question is how many readers are missing out on this because they saw the organization name and didn’t think they would find anything useful for them there?
The best way to drop this invisible wall would be to make a more official Furry Readers Guild or some similarly named organization. This would help inspire readers to engage with one another. Specialized membership of this guild could be obtained by writing a critical review of furry books that are published by a qualified site such as Flayrah, Dogpatch Press, or Furry Book Review. In this way it will make it so that the organization gives encouragement to engaged membership rather than just people who like to read but are more passive about their interest. However, those who desire to be more passive would still benefit by having a group of more engaged curators to recommend stories. Furry Book Review is probably the closest site to this that we have now.
Most importantly, the discussions in these consumer-sided guilds can lead to a more active Ursa Major Awards. At this point specialization through guild communities could lead to a much more engaged fandom, and thus bring more interest in those circles coming together to engage with the community’s annual award. A Reader’s Guild can more readily suggest good stories. A Furry Gamer’s Guild could choose the best anthro games of the year to promote.
Only once all the pieces of the fandom get better at helping others get the most out of their corner of the community - and help everyone enjoy the content the ever-growing Internet contains - will we be ready to build the bonds needed to even consider forming other effective styles of unions.
Currently we may be spread too thin and in many different places to form an effective labor union that would be of impact, given the variety of labor laws in different places in the world. Guilds, however, can encourage people to find their calling anywhere.
When it comes to unions - be an engaged client
Outside the fandom, if you want to try and support a labor union, it is advised that you do research on those you want to support. The best of them can help protect workers and ensure that their voices are heard. They can be a representative without the need for a lawyer. The worst of them can be in it for the dues and barely engage with the worker beside taking a portion of their paycheck. Lowering wages with their subscription that merely have Groupon-like “benefits”. Oh, 20% off vitamins at a union store? Must be my lucky day!

Look not just upon an institution's words and cartoon propaganda, but look to their actions as well. Otherwise the organization that you thought would help ensure more security from exploitation will actually become a source of a duality of oppression with your employer and union taking you from both sides. And given the furry fandom’s nature, you know that kind of spit-roast is going to get drawn.
 
The thing about furries is this: if they were just open about it being a fetish, and took it in stride, and kept it to themselves, there wouldn't be any problems about it. If some guy has a thing for feet or whatever, but keeps it to himself, then I wouldn't care if he had 30tb of feet pictures on his computer. But the moment he shows up to my workplace in a giant foot costume, I'm kicking him in the balls and throwing him out a window.
 
The thing about furries is this: if they were just open about it being a fetish, and took it in stride, and kept it to themselves, there wouldn't be any problems about it. If some guy has a thing for feet or whatever, but keeps it to himself, then I wouldn't care if he had 30tb of feet pictures on his computer. But the moment he shows up to my workplace in a giant foot costume, I'm kicking him in the balls...

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Regarding the main point, I think its a great idea for furries to unionise

Will be far easier for the boogaloo bois to track them all down when they have a paper trail to work from...
 
Exactly how do you unionize when your a sole proprietor? Like most furry artists I know?

Perhaps what they are actually thinking of is a cartel or maffia.

"Join up with Equitable Anthro Animals United and pay up or we will send Shadowyiff and the pack to break your drawling paw and knee caps."

Why pay dues? Why, to fund the hard work of the organization of course. Never mind the need to insure equitable distribution of income. It's not fair that you are racking in 1k for a YCH when you can't even draw hand paws right. Other furs disserve that money too! Also, while we are at it....here's the list of what you can and can't make. Capiche?
 
I don’t like how hamster is portray in that picture and I feel very attacked right now
Same, what those poor creatures did do him that he felt compelled to draw them being tortured by animals several hundreds their size?
 
On one hand, if artists want too band together and set up n.v a network detailing the sex weirdoes, fine.

But I can't see this happening. But if it gains traction, I'll be happy to set one up.
 
Imagine you’re the owner of a company. You worked hard, invested everything you had, and took numerous loans to get to where you are. You run a progressive company which hires minorities, women, minority women, and minority women with penises. Shit’s looking good for you. But then one day a bunch of furries barge into your office. You don’t know who they are but you can smell them before you ever see them. They saw that you had dilation stations installed for your troon employees and they’re demanding free diapers so they can shit in their fur suits while they work. You tell them it’ll take time to work diapers into the budget. Not good enough. Before you know it, a bunch of degenerates are picketing outside your business, which you worked for, calling you a bigot because you didn’t fund their poop sacks.

Makes you nostalgic for the Pinkertons, doesn’t it?
 
"Squash the boss!"

"You're an independent artist. You are your own boss."

" ow~"
 
Yeah, a guild is a great fucking match for modern artists. You can only be a futa vore artist if your father was also one and anyone who wishes to become a journeyman of the noble art of cock inflation must journey the land as an apprentice for a year and a day.
 
The only IWW supporter I know is a troon who does less than an hour's work a day and gets $60,000/yr + bennies from an autocratic corporation.
 
The last thing you’d ever want is for furries to get together in a group.
 
The last time furries organized it was to kick the shit out of any of the furries that made sense, ie "maybe stop being fucking degenerates so the public won't think you're degenerates."
 
Before unionizing, furries need to take care of things like personal hygiene and the pedo/necro/zoo/scat shit.
Nobody will respect a union of filthy, smelly degenerates.
Maybe not, but it's not like it'll stop them from forcing people to appreciate the unfathomable stench of shit and body spray.
 
They need to be neutralised or vaporised, not unionised into a singularity of terrific fetishes.
 
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A furry fan drew an inflated skunk embroidered with the emblem for the Industrial Workers of the World union squishing a hamster in a top hat with the caption of “squash the boss”. Such a piece is not anything too unusual. The oddity that caught the eye of the Daily Dot was that the union itself posted the piece to their Facebook page.
And for those that would dread to see what the image is:
930.png
I found this by happenchance on Know Your Meme:

KYM Article said:
Chicago Union Furry Fetish Art
Part of a series on Furries. [View Related Entries]
Updated 25 days ago by andcallmeshirley.
Added 26 days ago by Sophie.
About
Chicago Union Furry Fetish Art refers to a Facebook post made by the Greater Chicago Industrial Workers of the World of Furry fanart featuring an over-sized skunk labeled with the Industrial Workers of the World logo squishing a rich hamster with the caption "squash the boss!" and "unite your workplace!" The post spread to Twitter in January 2020 with the assumption that the chapter was unaware of the art's furry affiliation.
Origin
On January 27th, 2020, Facebook[3] account Greater Chicago IWW posted the "Squash the Boss" image with the caption, "The best cure for a case of the Monday’s is One Big Union" (shown below). The post was taken from Facebook[2] user Brian Schildwachter and posted to the chapter facebook by Kelsey Tanabe Walker.

SQUASH THE BOSS! ELEEN 2019 OF THE WORKERS UNITE YOUR WORKPLACE! INDUSTRIAL WORLD Cartoon Poster

Spread
On January 28th, 2020, Twitter user @spacedrugs[4] reposted a screenshot of the Facebook post with the caption, "is someone going to tell them?" (shown below, left). The tweet gained over 1,300 likes and 270 retweets in a day. That day, The Daily Dot[1] wrote that "Jay, who commissioned the art and requested to use a pseudonym for this article, said it was a response to far-right politics they’ve observed in the furry fandom." The official Twitter[6] account for Industrial Workers of the World shared the Daily Dot article "Labor Union Unknowingly Posted Furry Fetish Art to Facebook" with the caption, "'unknowingly' 😉" (shown below, right). The tweet gained over 680 likes in a day. On January 29th, the Daily Dot article was posted to r/stupidpol[5] by Redditor shitpost953. In a direct message correspondence with Know Your Meme, Kelsey Tanabe Walker, the person responsible for the Greater Chicago IWW post revealed that although the organization had no "official affiliation with the furry community," furries are welcomed into the union as if they were "any other worker":
As the IWW is also known as the One Big Union, and we believe that when workers come together as a unit, they can overpower their bosses, we originally took the meaning of the image to be in reference to this principle. While we have no official affiliation with the furry community, we appreciate that furry workers hold these same values of worker power, and welcome them in our union the same as any other worker.
 
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