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Industrial Workers of the World | |
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| Founded | June 27, 1905 |
| Membership | 11,275 |
The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) is an international leftist union. At its peak in 1917, it had 150,000 members.[1] The IWW began as a socialist organization but later shifted to an anarcho-syndicalist position.
History
The IWW allowed Black workers to join at a time when they were still excluded from other unions, including the American Federation of Labor. During a lumber worker strike in 1911 and 1912, half of the strikers were Black. During the 1910s, the IWW carried out strikes of tens of thousands of workers.
In 1912, the Syndicalist League of North America, led by William Z. Foster, split from the IWW.[2]
The IWW opposed the First World War. In September 1917, IWW headquarters across the country were raided and 2,000 members were arrested.[3]
In 1920, the IWW General Executive Board endorsed the Third International.[4]
References
- ↑ Eric Thomas Chester (2014). The Wobblies in their Heyday. ISBN 9781440833021
- ↑ William Z. Foster (1952). History of the Communist Party of the United States: 'The Heyday of the Socialist Party (1905-1914)'.
- ↑ William Z. Foster (1952). History of the Communist Party of the United States: 'World War I: Social-Democratic Betrayal (1914-1918)'.
- ↑ William Z. Foster (1952). History of the Communist Party of the United States: 'The Formation of the Communist Party (1919-1921)'.