IWW Strike Timeline, 1905-1920
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IWW strike timeline, 1905-1920 A timeline of strikes led supported by the revolutionary Industrial Workers of the World union in the United States 1905-1920. Readers should note that descriptions have been taken from contemporary newspapers and have not been independently verified. Information in the date column refers to the date of publication of the source newspaper where the start date of the action is not known. Title Date City State Description Source Striking Tinners Striking tinners Perryburg and Slaters Join 5/18/1905 Youngstown Ohio and slaters join Journal 05-18- IWW the IWW. 1905 Cigar makers' union ends their Montana Cigar Makers 11/15/1905 Cleveland Ohio strike after News 11-15- End Strike winning all 1905 demands. IWW members The San IWW Scab on scab on actors on 5/8/1906 New York New York Francisco Call Actors Strike strike for securing 05-08-1906 a closed shop. Paul F. Brissenden, Strike in response The I.W.W.: A Paper Makers 8/1/1906 New Haven Connecticut to discharge of Study of Strike IWW members. American Syndicalism, 368 Mine Owners Mine owners shut The Salt Lake Shut Down 9/13/1906 Goldfield Nevada down the miners Herald 09-13- Mines until the Western 1906 of Federation of Miners withdraw support for the IWW. Wire and iron workers in the Wire and Iron IWW notify their The Labor Workers 9/16/1906 Spokane Washington employer they World 09-16- Threaten Strike will walk out if 1906 not granted the nine hour day. AFL broke a Industrial strike of IWW Reno Strike Union Bulletin 10/1/1906 Reno Nevada cooks who Broken 03-30-1907 demanded the 10 03-30-1907 hour day. Cooks and waiters The Evening Cooks and strike for the 10 10/16/1906 Reno Nevada Statesman 10- Waiters Strike hour day and 16-1906 union recognition. The IWW Local 77, which represented a variety of town workers, and WFM Local 220 of organized miners, merged to form the WFM- IWW 220 and Melvyn struck for better Dubofsky, We wages and shorter Goldfield Strike 12/1/1906 Goldfield Nevada Shall Be All: hours. Despite the A History of official split of the IWW, 121 these groups in early 1907, they continued to function collectively and gain eight hour days for among all local businesses by March. Three thousand Melvyn IWW members Dubofsky, We Sit-down Strike 12/1/1906 Schenectady New York stopped work at a Shall Be All: in Schenectady General Electric A History of plant by the IWW, 126; remaining seated Michael in the building. Hargis, "95 This action was Years of taken in response Revolutionary to the firing of Industrial three IWW Unionism," members and the Anarcho company's refusal Syndicalist to rehire them. Review, #27 This is the first and #28 record of a sit- down strike of the 20th Century. Paul F. Brissenden, Strike in response The I.W.W.: A Silk Workers West New 12/1/1906 Connecticut to discharge of Study of Strike Brighton IWW members. American Syndicalism, 368 Two thousand General Electric General Electic Company Company The Sun 12- 12/11/1906 Schenectady New York employees go on Employees 11-1906 strike in protest of Strike the firing of union members. The population is The Nevada Miners halved as striking Minneapolis 12/24/1906 Goldfield Nevada on Strike miners leave town Journal 12-24- en masse. 1906 The 2500 striking Striking Wobblies return The San Wobblies Return 1/1/1907 Schenectady New York to work without Francisco Call to Work winning their 01-01-1907 demands. IWW strike organizers reject The Salt Lake Miners Refuse the mine 1/2/1907 Goldfield Nevada Herald 01-02- Offer operators' 1907 proposal to end the strike. Paul F. Brissenden, The strike was for The I.W.W.: A Lumbermen official 2/1/1907 Somers Montana Study of Strike recognition of the American IWW. Syndicalism, 368 Two thousand lumber workers went on strike under the leadership of Fred Heslewood and Joseph Ettor following ignored requests for Melvyn improved wages Dubofsky, We and hours. The Shall Be All: strike closed most A History of of the mills in the IWW, 129- Portland Lumber Portland, however 131; Paul F. and Saw Mill 3/1/1907 Portland Oregon mill owners, the Brissenden, Strike AFL, and other The I.W.W.: A local unions Study of cooperated to American employ non union Syndicalism, workers and 368 reopen the mills. While the strike was lost, organizers emphasized the improved working conditions that resulted regardless. IWW members held a strike against textile mills in Industrial Skowhegan and Textile Workers' Union Bulletin 3/2/1907 Skowhegan Maine surrounding Strike 03-02-1907 towns for wage 03-02-1907 increases and the right to "live rather than merely exist." Striking IWW members ask IWW Ask waiters and store Bisbee Daily Workers to 3/10/1907 Goldfield Nevada clerks to refuse Review 03-10- Refuse Service service to any 1907 to Non-Members person not in their union. Bird Cage Bird cage The Sun 03- 3/13/1907 New York New York Workers Strike workers' local 13-1907 IWW union call a strike against a factory and talk of a national bird cage workers' union. Outside IWW members visit lumber mill and St. John's Lumber Mill convince the 3/15/1907 St. John Oregon Review 03-15- Strike workers to strike 1907 for a wage increase of $0.25 per day. All business close and to remain closed until the town's miners New York Goldfield Under 3/16/1907 Goldfield Nevada leave the IWW. Tribune 03- Armed Guard Hundreds of 16-1907 armed guards keep watch of the streets. IWW organized a Industrial strike of over 250 Mill and Wool Union Bulletin 3/16/1907 Portland Oregon mill and wool workers' Strike 03-16-1907 workers for a 03-16-1907 wage increase. Local stores reopen as WFM Miners Leave The San miners declare IWW and Stores 3/18/1907 Goldfield Nevada Francisco Call themselves Reopen 03-18-1907 separate from the IWW. Mine owners and business men IWW Members The Salt Lake issue a statement Asked to Leave 3/19/1907 Goldfield Nevada Herald 03-19- demanding all District 1907 IWW members to leave the district. The strike of mill workers remained Industrial unbroken. Union Bulletin Various Strikes 3/19/1907 Portland Oregon Additionally, 143 03-23-1907 sewer workers 03-23-1907 went on strike for the 9 hours day. Tacoma 3/30/1907 Tacoma Washington Smeltermen went Industrial Smeltermen on strike for a Union Bulletin Organize and wage increase of 03-30-1907 Strike 50 cents per day. 03-30-1907 AFL broke a Industrial strike of waiters Tonopah Strike Union Bulletin 3/30/1907 Tonopah Nevada and cooks who Broken 03-30-1907 demanded the 03-30-1907 eight hour day. An IWW strike Industrial won a wage Wage Increase Union Bulletin 4/6/1907 Aberdeen Washington increase of 25 for Mill Workers 04-06-1907 cents per day for 04-06-1907 all mill workers. Several dye shops granted their Industrial workers a one Victory at Union Bulletin 4/6/1907 Paterson New Jersey dollar wage Paterson 04-06-1907 increase after 04-06-1907 pressure from the IWW. Portland lumber Industrial mills remained Portland Mill Union Bulletin 4/6/1907 Portland Oregon inoperative as the Strike Continued 04-06-1907 IWW continued 04-06-1907 their strike. Workers of the Industrial New Jersey Silk Silk Workers' Union Bulletin 4/13/1907 Paterson New Jersey Company went on Strike 04-13-1907 strike and won a 04-13-1907 wage increase. Workers in the Kramer Hat Company intending to make it an IWW-only Industrial A Strike for shop went on Union Bulletin 4/13/1907 Paterson New Jersey IWW Control strike after one 04-13-1907 man refused to 04-13-1907 join. After one day of striking, the man joined the IWW. IWW called off Industrial the strike on Portland Strike Union Bulletin 4/20/1907 Portland Oregon Portland mills Off 04-20-1907 without winning 04-20-1907 their demands. Victorious Strike 4/27/1907 Skowhegan Maine The strike Industrial of Mill Workers prompted by the Union Bulletin unwarranted 04-27-1907 firing of 42 IWW 04-27-1907 members ended with the striking party winning all their demands including "reinstatement of all who were discharged... abolition of the [illegible] system…a day's pay for all poor work instead of piece work, [and] a shop committee elected by the local to meet the company every two weeks to settle all grievances tat may arise." Paul F. Brissenden, The I.W.W.: A Study of American Syndicalism, 368; Michael Lumbermen Strike for higher Hargis, "95 5/1/1907 Missoula Montana Strike wages. Years of Revolutionary Industrial Unionism," Anarcho Syndicalist Review, #27 and #28 IWW requested all smelters avoid Industrial Tacoma Tacoma as all Union Bulletin Smeltermen's 5/18/1907 Tacoma Washington workers in the 05-18-1907 Strike smelting company 05-18-1907 there were on strike. Rhode Island 7/20/1907 Mapleville Rhode Island Striking mill Industrial Mill Strikers workers joined Union Bulletin Organized the IWW with 80 07-20-1907 members. 07-20-1907 After seven weeks of striking, IWW Industrial Locomotive locomotive Union Bulletin Workers' 7/20/1907 Paterson New Jersey workers win their 07-20-1907 Victorious Strike (unspecified) 07-20-1907 demands. Twelve hundred IWW member in the metal and machinery industry went on strike, shutting Industrial Metal and own three plants Union Bulletin Machinery 7/27/1907 Bridgeport Connecticut run by the 07-27-1907 Workers' Strike American Tube & 07-27-1907 Stamping Co.