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
The German syndicalist movement, with a practically stationary
membership of about 15,000, is a pigmy compared to the giant
and rapidly growing socialist unions with their 2,300,000
members. The English I. W. W. is ridiculously small and weak;
the German syndicalist organization, the English I. W. W. and
the American I. W. W., using the same dual organization tactics
in the three greatest capitalist countries, are all afflicted
with a common stagnation and lack of influence in the labor
movement. On the other hand, in those countries where the
syndicalists use the despised "boring from within" tactics,
their revolutionary movements are vigorous and powerful.
France offers the most conspicuous example. There the C. G. T.
militants, inspired by the tactics of the anarchists who years
ago, discontented at their lack of success as an independent
movement, literally made a raid on the labor movement, captured
it and revolutionized it, and in so doing developed the new
working-class theory of syndicalism, have for one of their
cardinal principles to introduce [_sic_] competition in the
labor movement by creating dual organizations. By propagating
their doctrines in the old unions and forcing them to become
revolutionary, they have made their labor movement the most
feared one in the world. In Spain and Italy, where the rebels
are more and more copying French tactics, the syndicalist
movements are growing rapidly in power and influence. But it
is in England where we have the most striking example of the
comparative effectiveness of the two varieties of tactics. For
several years the English I. W. W. with its dual-organization
theory carried on a practically barren agitation. About a
year ago, Tom Mann, Guy Bowman and a few other revolutionists,
using the French "boring from within" tactics, commenced in the
face of a strong I. W. W. opposition to work on the old trades
unions, which Debs had called impossible. Some of the fruits of
their labors were seen in the recent series of great strikes in
England. The great influence of these syndicalists in causing
and giving the revolutionary character to these strikes which
sent chills along the spine of international capitalism, is
acknowledged by innumerable capitalist and revolutionary
journals alike.
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