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The IWW

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The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) was a radical labor union. Formed in 1905, the IWW (nicknamed the Wobblies) did not accept capitalism. The union wanted to abolish the wage system and create a society where workers would own and control their factories. In order to overthrow capitalism, the IWW sought to organize all workers into one big militant union. Organizationally, the IWW tried to organize all workers in an industry, regardless of their skill or occupation. The union also organized 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 union’s 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.
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