Avatars of the world unite! Union Island launches in Second Life

Union Island organizer Uniglobalunion Oh and me on Union Island

Happy May Day, everyone!  Apropos, I got the news of the launch of Union Island in Second Life today (click here to teleport):

Union Island plans to use Second Life to create a community for
trade unionists, which will let activists from around the world meet
and work together on shared issues in the global economy. The project
also aims to use the virtual world to present union campaigns to a new
audience and enable a new generation of online activists to have more
input into union activities.

The island contains lots of great resources for unionists and people who want to learn more about labor unions. a protest museum, an amphitheater, and lots of freebies.  Come by at 8PM PST for a May Day dance party featuring DJ Beta Bates of Fracture.

Union Island is a joint project of the TUC, UNI Global Union and the
New Unionism Network.

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UPDATE 5/7/08: Johninnit Ni sends us a report on the launch event which you can find here.

Welcome to May Day 2008 in Second Life

May Day (Thursday 1 May) sees the launch of Union Island, an innovative new trade union project to build a home for unions and activists in the virtual world Second Life™.

Union Island is opening with a virtual May Day (International Workers’ Day), a day of training, networking and celebration to bring activists from the global union movement together in a way never before possible.

Please feel free to look around, and ask any questions you like. Events will be running throughout the day, and you’re welcome to any of them. Enjoy yourself, and please let us know what you think.

About the project:

Union Island plans to use Second Life to create a community for trade unionists, which will let activists from around the world meet and work together on shared issues in the global economy. The project also aims to use the virtual world to present union campaigns to a new audience and enable a new generation of online activists to have more input into union activities.

The project has a user group for updates, which also meets monthly to discuss new areas of work. You can join this by searching for "Union Island User Group" in the search tab in the Second Life viewer.

Union Island is a joint project of the TUC, UNI Global Union and the New Unionism Network, supported by unions from the UK, Germany and Italy. Union Island is designed and built by Matthaios Aquacade of Citrus Virtual.

Contacts:

Unionisland Republic
Johninnit Ni (TUC)
Uniglobalunion Oh (UNI)
Wotcher Tenk (NUN)

Website: www.slunionisland.org

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Events Schedule

Here is a list of the events that will be running throughout May Day on Union Island. Times are displayed in SLT (Second Life Time – also Pacific time), with GMT (UK time) in brackets.

03:00  (11:00 )
Mindestlohn – a minimum wage for Germany – Deutsch/English, with ver.di.  Exhibition Plaza

04:00  (12:00)
Building for beginners. In the Sandbox (behind Bar Union)

06:00   (14:00)
Guided tours of 5 Photographers exhibition with Labor Arts Inc. In the Gallery

07:00 (15:00)
Safety and organising surgery – support for reps organising at work, with TUC. Bar Union

07:30  (15:30)
Tour de l’Ile Syndicale en français – fêtons le 1er mai ensemble – virtuellement!  Avec UNI Global Union. Union Plaza

09:00  (17:00)
Using Drupal to Build Union Websites, with Prometheus Labor Communications. In the Theatre

10:00 (18:00)
May Day Past and Present – presentation with SLLU. In the Theatre

11:00  (19:00)
Bargaining to Organise Surgery – support for reps organising at work, with TUC. Bar Union

11:00  (19:00)
Introduzione a Second Life – Italiano, con RSU IBM Vimercate FIOM-CGIL. Union Plaza

12:00  (20:00)
May Day party, with DJ set from Beta Bates of Fracture. Main Arena

Also on Union Island to explore are:

UNI Global Union museum to the IBM SL protest of 2007

Monument building contest – win L$25,000

Freedom Will Come – view the ITF film documenting the case of jailed Iranian labour activist Mansour Osanloo

Freebie Store – find union island and other memorabilia to kit out your avatar

Bar Union – meet other unionists over a pint of virtual Workers’ Beer Company beer, or a game of pool or darts

Look out for other guests dropping by throughout the day as well. We look forward to meeting you.