When Bill Haywood used a board to gavel to order the first convention of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), he announced, "this is the Continental Congress of the working class. We are here to confederate the workers of this country into a working class movement that shall have for its purpose the emancipation of the working class..."^[1] William Dudley Big Bill Haywood (February 4, 1869–May 18, 1928) was a prominent figure in American radical unionism as a leader in the Western Federation of Miners (WFM) and later as a founding member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). ... The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or the Wobblies) is an international union currently headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. At its peak in 1923 the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. ... The term working class is used to denote a social class. ...

Preparation of 1905 convention

The first step towards the founding of the Industrial Workers of the World was already taken in the fall of 1904 in an informal conference of six leaders in the socialist and labor movement: William Trautmann, George Estes, W. L. Hall, Isaac Cowen, Clarence Smith, and Thomas J. Hagerty. Others, including Eugene V. Debs and Charles O. Sherman, cooperated with them without being present at this meeting. These men shared the conviction that the existing American labor unions were unable to achieve real benefits for the workers. Some, such as the American Federation of Labor, were conservative and "aristocratic". Others, including the American Labor Union, the Western Federation of Miners and the Socialist Trade and Labor Alliance, were ineffective in negotiating with employers for other reasons, such as a lack of solidarity and cooperation.^[2] The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or the Wobblies) is an international union currently headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. At its peak in 1923 the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. ... William E. Trautmann was founding General-Secretary of the US Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and one of six people who initially laid plans for the organization in 1904. ... Clarence Smith, better known as Pinetop Smith or Pine Top Smith (11 June 1904 - 15 March 1929) was an influential boogie_woogie style jazz pianist. ... Thomas J. Hagerty The Reverend Fr. ... Eugene Victor Debs (November 5, 1855 – October 20, 1926) was an American labor and political leader, one of the founders of the International Labor Union, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), and five-time Socialist Party of America candidate for President of the United States. ... The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. ... Labor aristocracy (or aristocracy of labor) has two meanings: as a term with Marxist theoretical underpinnings, and as a specific type of trade unionism. ... When the Western Labor Union, a labor federation formed by the Western Federation of Miners decided to overtly challenge the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1902, it changed its name to the American Labor Union (ALU). ... Western Federation of Miners famous flyer entitled Is Colorado in America? The Western Federation of Miners (WFM) was a radical labor union that gained a reputation for militancy in the mine fields of the western United States. ... The Socialist Trade and Labor Alliance - often abbreviated STLA or ST&LA - was a revolutionary socialist labor union in the United States closely linked to the Socialist Labor Party (SLP), which existed from 1895 until becoming a part of the Industrial Workers of the World at its founding in 1905. ...

Those at the informal conference decided to arrange a larger meeting to be held on January 2, 1905 in Chicago, to which about 30 people were invited. This secret conference - known as the January conference - was visited by 23 individuals, formally representing 9 organizations. The conference wrote a manifesto, which indicted the shape of the American labor movement, especially the craft form of organization, proposed plans for a new form of labor organization, and called for a convention to organize such a new labor union. Such a convention was to be held again in Chicago on June 27. The manifesto was signed by all who were present at the January conference and sent to all unions in America as well as the industrial unions in Europe.^[3] January 2 is the second day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... Nickname: Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in Chicagoland and Illinois Coordinates: Country United States State Illinois County Cook & DuPage Incorporated March 4, 1837 Government  - Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area  - City  234. ... Look up manifesto in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 187 days remaining. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ...

1905 convention

The 1905 convention of the IWW was attended by 203 radical trade unionists representing 43 organizations, which covered a wide range of occupations. 70 delegates from 23 organizations were authorized to install their organizations in the industrial union which was to be founded at the convention. 72 additional delegates from the other 20 organizations were only present to take notes on the proceedings and report back. The other 61 delegates did not represent any organization. Only the delegates, who were empowered to install an organization in the I.W.W. were given votings rights proportional to the number of members of their organization - the other delegates had only one vote each.^[4] 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... Industrial unionism is a labor union organizing method through which all workers in the same industry are organized into the same union — regardless of skill or trade — thus giving workers in one industry, or in all industries, more leverage in bargaining and in strike situations. ...

Of the labor unions represented at the convention, sixteen were at the time affiliated with the A.F.L. These were, however, mostly local unions with little strength in numbers. Only five of the organizations affiliated with the A.F.L. were represented by delegates with intructions to install them in the proposed labor union. Hence, these unions played only a minor role at the meeting.^[5] The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. ...

The 23 labor unions, who sent a delegate with instructions to install them, had a total membership of 51,430. The total membership of the other 20 organizations was 91,500; this means that about one third of the membership represented at the convention held almost the whole voting power. Of the over 51,000 votes aggregated by those organizations prepared to install, 48,000 were distributed among five organizations: the Western Federation of Miners (27,000 members), American Labor Union (16,750 members), United Metal Workers (3,000 members), United Brotherhood of Railway Employees (2,087 members), and the Socialist Trade and Labor Alliance (1,450 members). Only a few organizations thus held almost all the power at the convention. The first two labor unions listed above outnumbered all others ten to one.^[6] Western Federation of Miners famous flyer entitled Is Colorado in America? The Western Federation of Miners (WFM) was a radical labor union that gained a reputation for militancy in the mine fields of the western United States. ... When the Western Labor Union, a labor federation formed by the Western Federation of Miners decided to overtly challenge the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1902, it changed its name to the American Labor Union (ALU). ... The Socialist Trade and Labor Alliance - often abbreviated STLA or ST&LA - was a revolutionary socialist labor union in the United States closely linked to the Socialist Labor Party (SLP), which existed from 1895 until becoming a part of the Industrial Workers of the World at its founding in 1905. ...

References

External links

http://www.marxists.org/history/usa/unions/iww/1905/convention/index.htm