The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) is a radical
labor union. Formed in 1905, the IWW (nicknamed the Wobblies) does not accept capitalism.
The union wants to abolish the wage system and create a society where workers would own
and control their factories. In order to overthrow capitalism, the IWW seeks to organize
all workers into one big militant union. Organizationally, the IWW tries to organize all
workers in an industry, regardless of their skill or occupation. The union also organises
workers of any race, ethnicity, or gender. In the first few years of its existence, the
IWW concentrated on organizing miners and lumber and agricultural workers in the West. But
by 1912, the unions attention had been captured by the difficulties experienced by
textile workers in the East. The IWW is perhaps most famous for organizing and leading the
massive textile strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts in 1912. [Link to the IWW]