The I. W. W.: A Study of American SyndicalismBrissenden, Paul F. (Paul Frederick)
History
The I. W. W.: A Study of American Syndicalism
Brissenden, Paul F. (Paul Frederick)
Industrial Workers of the World; Syndicalism
It is probable also that there was during the same period a decline
in membership, as indicated by the figures furnished by the
Secretary-Treasurer.[405] But even during these lean years there was
some activity in the textile industry. From first to last, so far
as the eastern part of the United States is concerned, it has been
among the textile operatives that the I. W. W. has been most active
and most successful. In this industry the I. W. W. has a much larger
proportion of the total number of organized workers than it has in
any other. In the West, of course, the I. W. W. is most strongly
entrenched in the _unorganized_ extractive industries--lumber,
agriculture, and construction work.[406] In April, 1908, the General
Executive Board issued an official call (printed in English, French,
German and Italian) for that "First Convention of Textile Workers"
to be held May 1, 1908, in Paterson, N. J. In his document the claim
is made that "over 5,000 textile workers have already been organized
into the Industrial Workers of the World...."[407] During the eighteen
months' period following the financial crisis of 1907 the I. W. W.
almost entirely gave up its strike activities.[408] Furthermore, the
organization seemed to have secured no permanent foothold in those
communities where it had been particularly militant and aggressive
during the preceding year. Secretary Trautmann admitted this in his
report to the Fourth Convention. "There is nothing left in Bridgeport,"
he said, "nothing in Skowhegan, but in the Portland [Oregon] district
the name of the I. W. W. is cheered and gloried...."[409]
One of the leaders of the Detroit I. W. W. (now the Workers'
International Industrial Union) says that at this time "the whole
organization was in a state of unrest."[410] In reference to such a
distractingly unrestful organization as the I. W. W. has always been,
this comment is significant. He attributes this unrest to two causes,
internal dissension and the financial panic.
The membership, upon discovering that the officials were
acting in a manner that foreshadowed ... conflict within the
organization, withdrew in large numbers. The financial and
industrial panic which was then on had also a very bad effect
upon the newly founded local unions of the I. W. W., and many
of these lost members.[411]
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