Solidarity

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Solidarity
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International Workers of the World

• 1905 IWW Convention the New Continental
  Congress
• Industrial Union
• Thought change would come through a general
  strike hoping the workers would take over
• Marxist organization

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IWW in the Northwest

• IWW in the Northwest wanted to organize all
  industry into one large union including timber,
  shipping
• They wanted the workers to own the companies
• Rejected the electoral system

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Key Wobblies

• Big Bill Haywood Helped organize strikes for
  for workers of all races
• Eugene Debs Leader of the labor movement in
  America ran for president in 1908
• Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Feminist concerned with
  equal pay for workers, helped organize strikes
• Joe Hill martyr of the Wobblies, Dont
  mornorganize.
• Marie Equi Portland doctor who performed
  abortions regardless of class, helped organize
  humanitarian efforts, fought for workers rights
• All of these individuals went to jail at least
  once for their cause

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Free Speech Action in Portland

• Standing on soap boxes in downtown Portland (6th
  and Washington) IWW speakers would shout their
  messages of workers rights and the need to
  organize to the people passing by
• The newly elected, upon being sworn in ordered
  all public speaking to end except religious
  meetings
• IWW members challenged this by continuing to
  speak on street corners in Portland
• On one occasion in 1913 the police arrested every
  man who stepped on the soap box and began to
  speak until the jail was filled with shouting,
  singing IWW members
• Once all of the men had been arrested, the women
  started in and were arrested as well
• This marked the beginning of violent conflict
  between the IWW in Portland and Portland police

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Portland 1913 6th Street downtown between Alder
Washington the IWW free speech fight
6th and Alder today
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Wobblies fight for free speech in Portland, 1913
Tom Burns, IWW organizer, the "Mayor of Burnside"