The I.W.W. Prior to America's Entry into World War I

Michael R. Johnson makes telling point in his article, I.W.W. and Wilsonian Democracy, (Science ir Society, Summer, 1964), about the role of the federal government in destroying the I.W.W. when it threatened huge wartime profits of big farmers and businessmen. But in his haste to get to this part of the story, he makes number of errors about the I.W.W. prior to America's entrance into World War I. 1. He treats the I.W.W. as an organization before the First World War which was primarily interested in replacing democratic capitalism with and building a revolutionary industrial union which would force the bourgeoisie to surrender. But the I.W.W. was first and foremost an organization which sought to organize unskilled and semiskilled workers into industrial unions for higher wages, shorter hours and better working conditions. To be sure, it coupled these struggles with its goal of Industrial Socialism, but it did not view the achievement of this goal as unrelated to the battle for immediate demands. Rarely in major struggles was the issue of syndicalism raised, and most of these great battles revolved about immediate issues. 2. Mr. Johnson writes that Until 1915, however, Wobblies enjoyed little success. If he means success in achieving syndicalism, he is correct. But if he means success in the sense of gaining victories, he is incorrect. The victory of the steel workers, under I.W.W. leadership, at McKee Rocks in 1909 was one of the great successes of workers in the iron and steel industry up to that time. The victory of the textile workers, under I.W.W. leadership, in the Lawrence strike of 1912 not only was unprecedented, but it stimulated organization among unskilled workers all over New England. To be sure, the I.W.W. could not retain its success and lost its membership as quickly as it gained it. But this does not mean that it did not achieve victories

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