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(1981) “Rebel wedding” by Susan Fabrick
An article by Susan Fabrick about Frank & Jenny (Jenni) Cedervall and Detroit during the 1930s. Originally appeared in the Industrial Worker (September 1981). During the pit of the Depression, the IWW led auto strikes in Detroit at Briggs and Murray Body that helped lay the groundwork for the CIO victories later in the decade.… Continue reading
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(2014) Review: “Lines of work” shares workers’ experiences, invites us to share ours
A review by Peter Moore of Lines of Work: Stories of Jobs and Resistance. Originally appeared in the Industrial Worker (June 2014) Nappalos, Scott Nikolas, ed. Lines of Work: Stories of Jobs and Resistance. Edmonton: Black Cat Press, 2013. Paperback, 236 pages, $19.95. “Lines of Work” aims to have workers tell their own stories, and… Continue reading
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(1935) Marxian Economics curriculum from Work People’s College
The ‘Marxian Economics’ course of the IWW’s Work People’s College in 1935 Duluth, Minnesota. Work People’s College,Box 39, Morgan Park, 1935-6Duluth, Minn. MARXIAN ECONOMICS The purpose of these notes is to compress the substance of the three volumes of Capital by Karl Marx, along with the major commentaries and conclusions of those who have followed… Continue reading
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(1921) “The Chilean I. W. W. Under the “White Terror” of Chilean Bourgeoisie”
An article from the Chilean IWW describing the massive government and vigilante repression the radical workers movement was facing. Originally appeared in the One Big Union Monthly (January 1921). The following translation of a letter received from a member of the Chilean I.W.W. is one of several communications received by us from authentic and reliable… Continue reading
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(1971) Obituary: John Neufeld
An obituary written by Charles Velsek of John Neufeld, an IWW member of almost 50 years. Originally appeared in the Industrial Worker (June 1971). John Neufeld, a member of the IWW, passed away in Chicago in April after ailing for several years. He was born in Canada and reared as a Mennonite. During his youth… Continue reading
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(1976) “Digging into IWW history: South Africa” by John Philips
A brief history of the South African Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) by John Philips. Originally appeared in the Industrial Worker (October 1976) “Sifuna Zonke ! they cried. – “We want the works!”. In that society most infamous for its racism and most implacable in its hatred of “reds”, the IWW once tried to… Continue reading
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(1996) “Black bus workers fight ‘plantation’ conditions” by Lorenzo Kom’boa Ervin
An article by Lorenzo Kom’boa Ervin about discrimination in the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority. Originally appeared in the Industrial Worker #1589 (March 1996) Ralph Williams is a city bus driver for the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) in Chattanooga, Tenn. He has worked for the bus company for almost ten years, and in… Continue reading
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(2005) “AFL-CIO splits: business unionism in crisis” by Jon Bekken
An article by Jon Bekken about the 2005 split in the AFL-CIO that eventually became the Change to Win (CtW) Federation. Originally appeared in the Industrial Worker (September 2005). The AFL-CIO suffered a devastating split as it celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding July 25-28, with three unions representing nearly a third of its… Continue reading
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(2013) “Re-remembering the Mexican IWW” by J Pierce
An article by J Pierce on the history of the Mexican IWW. Originally appeared in the Industrial Worker (November 2013). The history we tell ourselves about the Mexican IWW is quite brief. Two events are most often repeated that carry the IWW banner: the Insurrectos that invaded Baja, Calif., and proclaimed the Tijuana Commune in… Continue reading
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(2014) “A Reader’s Response To “Nonviolent Direct Action And The Early IWW” by Lowell May (x333295)
An article by Lowell May claiming that the early IWW’s views on violence weren’t as straightforward as ‘for’ or ‘against’. Originally appeared in the Industrial Worker (March 2014). If Stephen Thornton’s article on nonviolence in the early IWW (“Nonviolent Direct Action And The Early IWW,” December 2013 Industrial Worker, page 11) was meant as an… Continue reading
About
Wobbly History is an unofficial blog focused on reposting or transcribing original writing by members of the Industrial Workers of the World from 1905-2015.
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