by X389468 It’s no secret that the IWW has seen better days. At one time, our membership was in the hundreds of thousands and we appeared to be on the verge of becoming the voice of “unskilled” labor. Vicious government repression over several years put an end to that, and instead we were forced to […]
This poem was written by Ralph Chaplain and published in the Industrial Pioneer in 1923. As a side note, the term used at the time for an escaping prisoner is “wildcat”. ❖❖❖ A man has fled…! We clutch the bars and wait;The corridors are empty, tense, and still;A silver mist has dimmed the distant hill;The guards […]
The following is an excerpt from a letter written by Mortimer Downing in the year 1923 and was published in the Industrial Pioneer, an IWW monthly paper. “How ‘Wobbly’ Originated” “Up in Vancouver, in 1911, we had a number of Chinese members, and one restaurant keeper would trust any member for meals. He could not pronounce […]
As of November 28, 1918, the Sacramento local of the IWW is for the most part languishing in jail. However, in typical IWW fashion their spirits remain unbroken and they continue to be problems for the law and for everyone within earshot. The Sacramento IWW in particular decided to employ a technique called “building a […]
The following are all summaries of articles that appeared in the Sacramento Bee: October 24, 1913 – A verbal fight breaks out between a socialist speaker and some “IWW elements” that apparently needed the presence of two police officers. It’s probably for the best that the panicked citizens of Sacramento lived before Twitter existed. July […]
If you have ever questioned capitalism, you have most likely at some point been asked, “Well, if you want more money, why don’t you just work harder?” This can make us stop short if we don’t have an answer already prepared. Americans tend to be violently allergic to the slightest indication of laziness, whether that […]
Satire is today a popular artWith many practitioners thereofDisplaying a wide array of talentsAnd showing many societal flawsBut as is with all things so widespreadIt has rather gone to some folks’ heads ❖❖❖ It is easy to find and chooseSome helpless target for casual abuseBringing low the mighty and strongCan be dangerous if done for […]
A hundred years ago, a different Sacramento IWW local languished in the cells of the Sacramento County Jail awaiting federal trial for conspiracy against the United States. They were the victims of the First Red Scare (1919-1920), a seldom discussed event in US history that provided the precedent for the Red Scare of the 1950’s. […]
Members of the Sacramento IWW write this letter with solemn condolences to the family and friends of Stephon “Zoe” Clark. On March 18th, Sacramento Police Department officers Terrance Mercadal and Jared Robinet shot ten bullets each, killing the 22-year-old father of two. He was the seventeenth person killed by Sacramento-area police in the last […]
Join us every month for a chance to discuss work problems with others organizing on the job, and share experiences fighting for justice at work. 3rd Tuesdays, 7pm at Espresso Metro
Sacramento IWW 