Industrial Workers of the World facts for kids
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| Industrial Workers of the World | |
| Founded | June 27, 1905 |
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| Country | International |
| Office location | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
The Industrial Workers of the World, or IWW, is a world-wide radical labor union. Members of the IWW are often called "Wobblies".
History
The IWW was started in 1905 in Chicago, Illinois, USA at a big meeting of many unions. For its first few decades, the IWW had many thousands of members who led many of the most important fights against bosses. The United States government and other unions often worked together to enforce more conservative labor relations. Partly because this happened membership dropped and there were few members for many years after. Today the IWW has grown back to a few thousand workers and has members in most continents of the world.
Ideas
The IWW pushed many unique ideas when it started. It disliked the American Federation of Labor's way of splitting workers by what kind of work they did even if they worked on the same job. Instead, it believed that all workers should organize together in "one big union" in their industry and as workers altogether. The IWW also focused less on winning contracts and more on giving workers more power against bosses on any job they work at.
The IWW believes that workers themselves should have control over their work, as opposed to bosses. In that regard, they are anti-capitalist. The preamble of the IWW's constitution begins, "The working class and the employing class have nothing in common."
Images for kids
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Big Bill Haywood and office workers in the IWW General Office, Chicago, summer 1917.
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The first IWW charter in Canada, Vancouver Industrial Mixed Union no.322, May 5, 1906.
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A Wobbly membership card, or "red card"
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1914 IWW demonstration in New York City
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Joseph J. Ettor, who had been arrested in 1912, giving a speech to barbers on strike
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A newspaper editorial cartoon from 1917, critical of the IWW's antiwar stance during World War I
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Cover of The Evolution of Industrial Democracy by Abner E. Woodruff, initialed by illustrator Ralph Hosea Chaplin, published by IWW. Notably stamped as evidence used in a trial.
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An injury to one is an injury to all.
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Memorial service
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Three IWW General Secretary-Treasurers: Mark Kaufman, Jeff Ditz, and Fred Chase, at a funeral for a friend.
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IWW flags at a 2007 rally in Seattle.
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IWW in Washington D.C.
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Australian anti-conscription poster, 1916
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IWW members picket in Sydney, June 1981
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Logo of the Toronto Harm Reduction Workers Union.
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Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent: The "Little Red Songbook"
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