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
German Waiters 260
Ale and Porter Union 200
United Engineers 60
Marquette Workers 70
Carl Sahm Club 80
Piano Makers 520
Bohemian Butchers 150
Bartenders 90
Furriers 250
Silver Workers 40
Empire City Lodge 35
New York Cooks 55
German Coppersmiths 80
Macaroni Workers 65
Progressive Cigarette Makers 970
Bohemian Typographia 32
Swedish Machinists 98
Progressive Typographia 15
Pressmen and Feeders 18
Independent Bakers No. 33 60
Independent Bakers No. 25 45
Liberty Waiters 65
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3,258[69]
Far from being superior to the old [craft] organization(s),
[says Stone] it is very much inferior.... With an insignificant
membership, without controlling as much as a large factory,
not to speak of a trade, at war not only with the bosses,
... but with every trade union which does not come under its
mighty wing--it was unable to undertake any step of importance,
in order to improve the condition of its members. The only
strike of significance which it had, that at Slatersville
[Rhode Island] was a failure after it had cost the Party about
$1,500....[70]
The Alliance was scarcely more than a phantom organization on the eve
of the launching of the I. W. W. in 1905. The same may be said of all
the western unions which in that year merged in the I. W. W., except
the Western Federation of Miners. The S. L. P. and the S. T. and L.
A. "talk of capturing the convention to be held on June 27 [the 1st
I. W. W. convention].... That convention should be not a revival, but
the funeral, of the S. T. and L. A."[71] This expressed fairly well
the attitude of the Socialist party men. "Born in hatred, suckled
in dissension," as one socialist writer sees it, "the sole partisan
trade union that ever arose to deny the principles and policies of
international socialism came to destruction by its own venom, not
however, until it had implanted the poison of its spirit into the
Industrial Workers of the World."[72]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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