Voting Station

Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

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Organization

The Resume

Why they might be annoying:

    It bolstered anarchists.
    No one is really sure where the 'Wobbly' nickname originated.
    They frequently clashed with local unions they couldn't control, in addition to its competitors United Mine Workers and the AFL.
    Their posters usually showed a shirtless guy (presumably a worker) randomly raising his arm in the air.
    They meddled in the Bill Haywood murder trial in 1907, which got them labeled subversive.
    Its tactics often led to arrests and sensational publicity.
    Eugene Debs withdrew his support as the group grew more radical.

Why they might not be annoying:

    At its peak, it had an estimated had an estimated 150,000 members.
    They were regularly targeted and harassed by law enforcement.
    They were the only labor union to publicly oppose American entry into World War I.
    IWW leader Joe Hill - who was falsely accused of murder in 1914 and later executed - became a martyr for the cause (November 19, 1915).
    They were known for being extremely effective and tended to focus on short-term goals.
    It was an anomaly among trade unions of the period in that it was inclusive of all ethnicities and races.
    Their membership waned drastically after Congress cracked down on it in the Post-WWII Red Scare.
    It experienced a brief comeback in the Civil Rights movements of the 1960s.
    They had a prolific songbook of protest songs, many of which were later covered by Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie.
    Contrary to what some AP American History students might think, it is not defunct and still operating as of 2020.

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 10 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 9 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 100 Votes: 42.00% Annoying