Author: seattleiww

by FWs Gordon and Sean Our union, the Industrial Workers of the World, was founded during a time of economic upheaval, rapid industrialization, and migration — many of our class were forced into the streets, bereft of substance because the bosses needed a reserve army of labor. The IWW was established in response to these … Continue reading Mutual Aid to End Homelessness

by FWs Gordon and Sean We live in an unhealthy society. LGTBQ people are harassed for wanting to be free and abortions are illegal. People die every day for lack of basics: 3.5 million Americans are in danger of losing their homes, 340 thousand people died during the pandemic for lack of health care, and … Continue reading Freedom Along the Salish Sea

by FWs Gordon and Sean The purpose of the IWW is to carry on the struggle for the emancipation of the working class and to build through its industrial organization an administrative structure for the continuation of production after the abolition of capitalism. We’re carrying on the struggle for emancipation because we’re workers exploited by … Continue reading Worker Power

by FW Noah There has been much said, both in the annals of labor history as well as within the IWW, as to the relevance of the IWW in the labor history of years past. Indeed, we were one of the largest rank and file unions at the beginning of the 20th century, conducted some … Continue reading Why We Wobble

The following was excerpted by FW Kristin from a nearly illegible copy of the Industrial Worker from May Day, 1923. All mistakes are mine. At the May Day Celebration in People's Park, Renton Junction, Seattle, thousands of freezing, wet, and uncomfortable persons stood their ground and listened to a scathing indictment of capitalism by Elmer … Continue reading 1923: May Day is Celebrated by Striking Workers in the U.S.

Friends and Fellow Workers! The IWW is purchasing and installing a monument in Centralia, Washington to commemorate and honor the Wobblies who died or were imprisoned following the Centralia Tragedy of November 11, 1919. On that day, the IWW union hall was attacked for the second time by a mob of American Legion men acting … Continue reading A Monument for Centralia

Manuel “Tortuguita” TeranThey/It4/23/96 – 1/18/23 Manny was a close friend, comrade, and above all, a constant fighter for working people. I knew them in Tallahassee through the IWW, Food Not Bombs, and Live Oak Radical Ecology and I will never cease to be amazed by their tireless activism, their extreme empathy, and their ability to … Continue reading Remembering Tortuguita

By Cedar Bushue Union-busting tactics have been around in the United States since we’ve had corporations. Early union-busting tactics involved killing workers and having the military come in (for example, Battle of Blair Mountain) as well as many others, such as companies hiring Pinkertons. Our government has always favored the corporations, particularly in these early … Continue reading Union-Busting Practices and What We Can Do to Fight Them

By FW Gordon and FW Sean On the last Saturday of January a small crowd of workers gathered at the Silverdale public library to watch and discuss “The Wobblies,” the 1979 documentary about the early years of the IWW. After we read the preamble to the IWW constitution, FW Phil introduced the film to the … Continue reading Hold the Fort, for We Are Coming

By FW Noah In “From Bowling Alone to Posting Alone”, Anton Jäger re-analyzes the book Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam (published in 2000) from the perspective of today. Putnam described the decline of social institutions — ranging from unions and mass organizations down to local bowling clubs, sports leagues, and clubs such as the Elks … Continue reading Organizing Alone: Alienation, the Death of Community, and Unions