Industrial Workers of the World

Definition

The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), also known as the 'Wobblies', was a radical labor union that sought to organize unskilled workers and advocate for revolutionary industrial unionism in the early 20th century United States.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The IWW was founded in 1905 in Chicago by a diverse group of labor activists, socialists, and anarchists who sought to overthrow capitalism and establish worker control of the economy.
2. The IWW rejected the craft unionism of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in favor of industrial unionism, which aimed to organize all workers in a given industry into a single union.
3. The IWW was known for its use of direct action tactics such as strikes, boycotts, and 'sabotage' to pressure employers and achieve their revolutionary goals.
4. The IWW was heavily involved in organizing unskilled and immigrant workers, including miners, lumber workers, and textile workers, who were often excluded from traditional craft unions.
5. The IWW faced fierce opposition from employers, the government, and mainstream labor unions, leading to widespread arrests, deportations, and violent suppression of the organization.

Review Questions

• Explain how the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) differed from traditional labor unions in their approach to organizing workers.
  • The IWW rejected the craft unionism of the American Federation of Labor (AFL), which organized workers based on their specific trade or skill. Instead, the IWW advocated for industrial unionism, which sought to unite all workers in a given industry, regardless of their specific job or skill level, into a single, revolutionary union. This approach was intended to empower unskilled and immigrant workers who were often excluded from traditional craft unions, and to facilitate collective action and the overthrow of the capitalist system.
• Describe the tactics and goals of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in the context of the Progressive Era and the United States' preparation for World War I.
  • During the Progressive Era, the IWW used confrontational tactics such as strikes, boycotts, and 'sabotage' to pressure employers and achieve their revolutionary goals of overthrowing capitalism and establishing worker control of the economy. As the United States prepared for World War I, the IWW's radical, anti-war stance and disruption of industrial production led to increased government crackdown and suppression of the organization, which was seen as a threat to the war effort and the established social and economic order.
• Analyze the role of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in the difficult aftermath of World War I and the challenges faced by the labor movement during the demobilization period.
  • In the aftermath of World War I, the IWW continued to face intense opposition and repression from the government, employers, and mainstream labor unions. The organization's revolutionary goals and tactics were seen as a destabilizing force during the turbulent period of demobilization and economic uncertainty. The IWW's efforts to organize unskilled and immigrant workers, as well as its advocacy for worker control of industry, were viewed as a threat to the established social and economic order. This led to further arrests, deportations, and the eventual decline of the IWW as a significant force in the American labor movement.

Related terms

Industrial Unionism:

An approach to labor organizing that seeks to unite all workers in a particular industry, regardless of skill level or specific job, into one industrial union to collectively bargain and take action.

Syndicalism: A revolutionary socialist movement that seeks to abolish the capitalist order by having workers seize control of the means of production through general strikes and other direct action.

Sabotage: The deliberate disruption or destruction of an employer's property or production as a form of protest or leverage in labor disputes, as advocated by the IWW.