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Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium / University of Washington

IWW Yearbook 1907

This is a chronological database of campaigns, strikes, and other IWW events as recorded in the pages of the Industrial Union Bulletin, the weekly IWW newspaper. It was researched and compiled by Arianne Hermida.

Highlights

Goldfield, Nevada, now a ghost town, but in 1907 a booming mining metropolis of nearly 20,000 residents and the largest city in the state, was ground zero for the IWW in 1907. A joint organizing campaign with the Western Federation of Miners had begun in 1906 and by early 1907 the results were impressive. Hundreds of cooks, waiters, bartenders, teamsters, clerks, and construction laborers had joined the IWW alongside the 1,500 unionized miners. Picket lines and strikes had won the 8 hour day and substantial pay raises for both miners and town workers. Indeed the IWW-WFM combine all but controlled the little city through the spring and summer of 1907. The financial panic of October 1907 and ensuing depression undermined the workers' position. When mine owners and other employers cracked down, the unions struck and the violence provided the excuse to call for federal troops. President Roosevelt sent three Army companies and later dispatched an investigating committee. By early 1908, the unions were crumbling.

1907 wtinessed the reorganization of IWW media. The Industrial Worker had been the first official voice of the IWW, but after the faction fight that split the organization at the 1906 convention, the IW ceased publication. Two years later it would reappear and remains today the official newspaper of the IWW, but in 1907 and 1908 the Industrial Union Bulletin served as the IWW's English-language publication (See full list of IWW newspapers). The Bulletin appeared weekly in four-page issues, edited by Wm. E. Trautmann, General Secretary of the IWW, from the union's headquarters in Chicago.

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The articles referenced in the database can be found in the online copies of Industrial Union Bulletin digitized by Marty Goodman of the Riazanov Library Project at marxists.org. Dates are either the reported date of the incident or the date the article appeared in the newspaper. 

Date Article title Place State Description
3/2/1907 News of the Movement from Far and Near Paterson New Jersey Paterson IWW local expels member for failing to surrender the local books and other IWW property.
3/2/1907 News of the Movement from Far and Near San Diego California San Diego local expels member for embezzlement.
3/2/1907 Slaves of Skowhegan Skowhegan Maine Maine IWW members strike textile mills in Skowhegan and surrounding towns for wage increases and the right to "live rather than merely exist."
3/16/1907 Portland Mill Men Strike Portland Oregon Portland IWW organizes strike of over 250 mill and wool workers for a wage increase.
3/16/1907 John Kortan Expelled Saginaw Michigan Michigan IWW member expelled by unanimous vote for refusing to repay a loan to the union.
3/23/1907 New Local Unions Chicago Illinois Six new locals organized in the previous week, bringing total to 70 IWW locals.
3/23/1907 Canadian Workers' Protest Unspecified  Unspecified (Canada) Canadian lumber workers, longshoremen, and the members of a mixed local  release statement in solidarity with the wrongfully imprisoned workers in Boise.
3/19/1907 The Strike at Portland Portland Oregon Portland strike of mill workers remains unbroken. Additionally, 143 sewer workers strike for a 9 hour day. 
3/23/1907 Paterson Silk Workers Paterson New Jersey Nine Paterson IWW members were fired from Auger & Simons' dye house without cause. The IWW threatens to strike if the members are not immediately rehired. In response, the police jailed the IWW organizers, who then declared strike.
3/23/1907 Beller Strike Report New York New York Eight to ten New York members arrested during a strike against a cloak makers. None convicted.
3/23/1907 The Idaho Outrage Boise Idaho Prosecution elects to  hold separate trials in murder case against IWW members Moyer, Haywood, and Pettibone.  
10/1/1906 Gompers' Scabs at Tonopah Reno Nevada Nevada AFL breaks strike of IWW cooks who demanded the 8 hour day.
3/30/1907 Hartford Workers Protest Hartford Connecticut Hartford IWW members pledge support for those wrongfully imprisoned in Boise
3/30/1907 Tacoma Smeltermen Organize Tacoma Washington Tacoma smeltermen strike for a wage increase of 50 cents per day.
3/30/1907 The Defense Overruled Boise Idaho Judge in Haywood, Pettibone, and Moyer trial denies defense's petition for a change of venue.
3/30/1907 Gamblers Not Eligible Chicago Illinois General Secretary W. F. Trautmann rules that gamblers may not join the IWW.
3/30/1907 An Embezzler Bounced Kansas City Missouri Kansas City local  votes to expel financial secretary due to embezzlement.
4/6/1907 Victory at Paterson Paterson New Jersey Several Paterson dye shops grant their workers a one dollar wage increase after pressure from the IWW.
4/6/1907 "Stand Pat" at Portland Portland Oregon Portland lumber mills remain inoperative as the IWW continued their strike.
4/6/1907 Illinois Miners Welcome Us Spring Valley Illinois Illinois meeting held to celebrate the miners' victory in the fight for the eight hour day organized by the IWW.
4/6/1907 Review of the Facts in the Situation at Goldfield Goldfield Nevada Western Federation of Miners delegate M.R. Preston in Goldfield, NV jailed after allegedly shooting an anti-union restaurant owner in self-defense. An assassin "Diamondfield Jack" supposedly was sent to the jail to lynch Preston, but the guard placed there by the IWW thwarted his plan.
4/1/1907 West Baden Illinois General Secretary Trautman addresses a meeting of over 700 miners in West Baden, Illinois.
4/6/1907 Review of the Facts of the Situation at Goldfield Goldfield Nevada Several thousand IWW and WFM members have been engaged in a months long struggle with Mining companies and local businesses in the booming gold mining capital of Nevada.
4/6/1907 Aberdeen Washington IWW strike wins a wage increase of 25 cents per day for all sawmill workers in Aberdeen.
4/13/1907 Splendid Progress at Paterson Paterson New Jersey Workers of the New Jersey Silk Company strike and win wage increase.
4/13/1907 Splendid Progress at Paterson Paterson New Jersey Workers in the Kramer Hat Company (Paterson)  intending to make it an IWW-only shop went on strike after one man refused to join. After one day of striking, the man joined the IWW.
4/13/1907 Denver Protests Denver Colorado The IWW, Socialist Party,  A.F.L. Bricklayers' Union, and Socialist Labor Party jointly hold  meeting to raise funds for the defense of Moyer, Haywood, and Pettibone.
4/20/1907 Portland Strike Off Portland Oregon IWW calls off the strike on Portland mills without winning their demands.
4/20/1907 Five Thousand Protest Detroit Michigan Over 5000 workers from 32 different organizations hold meeting to protest of the treatment of Haywood, Moyers, and Pettibone who were being held in jail.
4/27/1907 Skowhegan Victory Complete Skowhegan Maine Maine strike prompted by the unwarranted firing of 42 IWW members ended with strikers winning all 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."
5/18/1907 The Strike at Tacoma Tacoma Washington IWW requests all smelter workerrs avoid Tacoma as all workers in the smelting company there were on strike.
5/25/1907 From the Goldfield Jail Goldfield Nevada Vincent St. John and two others jailed in Goldfield on charges on conspiracy to murder. Despite his incarceration, St. John was elected a delegate for the IWW.
6/1/1907 St. John in Court Goldfield Nevada Vincent St. John, Preston, and Smith requested separate trials  in Goldfield  conspiracy to murder case.
6/3/1907 Prosecution's Opening Is a Studied Thriller to Affect the Jury Boise Idaho Haywood-Moyer trial begins with the judge overruling all objections to the prosecution allegedly recounting irrelevant labor disputes to win over the jury.
6/8/1907 Haywood Taken Ill Boise Idaho Haywood unable to attend court after an "acute attack of toxic poisoning." He and other union prisoners reportedly eat separately in jail.
7/13/1907 The Miners' Convention and What Was Done Chicago Illinois The Western Federation of Miners' hold 15th annual convention and formally instruct delegates that they "shall not support for office any man who may have held office in connection with either of the factions of the I.W.W."
7/20/1907 Slavery in Rhode Island Mapleville Rhode Island Striking mill workers in Rhode Island joined the IWW with 80 members.
7/20/1907 Fight Won Against Big Corporation Paterson New Jersey After seven weeks of striking, IWW locomotive workers win their demands.
7/27/1907 Big Strike at Bridgeport Bridgeport Connecticut Twelve hundred IWW members in the metal and machinery industry on strike, shutting own three plants run by the American Tube & Stamping Co. The topics of contention were low wages and the monthly night-to-day shift switch.
8/3/1907 Haywood Acquitted by Honest Jury Boise Idaho Jury acquits Bill Haywood of conspiracy to murder in relation to the killing of Fmr. Gov. Frank Steunenberg.
8/17/1907 Haywood Speaks in Chicago Chicago Illinois IWW stages mass meeting in Chicago with Haywood's first public address since his acquittal.
8/17/1907 Ratner Bros. Strike New York New York Strike of  New York white goods makers enters tenth week. Several had been arrested, but were released without conviction.
8/12/1907 Tacoma Strike Ended Tacoma Washington Strike of smeltermen called off without reaching its demands.
8/31/1907 Bridgeport Strike Ended Bridgeport Connecticut Strike of iron and steel workers in the American Tube and Stamping Co. ends as the company agrees to meet the demands.
8/24/1907 None Bridgeport Connecticut Bridgeport local expels member for scabbing on the metal workers striking against the American Tube and Stamping Co.
8/31/1907 Latest Nevada Outrage Tonopah Nevada Nevada sheriff and deputies made 51 arrests in IWW strike for the eight hour day. All those arrested had their charges dropped in court.
9/14/1907 The Ratner Strike Ended New York New York The 12 week long strike of white goods workers ends.
9/14/1907 Mapleville Strike Ended Mapleville Rhode Island Rhode Island weavers call off strike after winning their demands of no discrimination against strikers and unionized workers, safer working conditions, and higher wages.
10/5/1907 Afraid of an Idea in Alaska Nome Alaska The Nome Industrial Worker, a WFM-run weekly, halted publication after the union workers at the printing press refused to print a "scab" paper.
10/19/1907 Strike at Vancouver Vancouver B.C. IWW lumber handlers walked out on strike in Vancouver to protest an increase in hours and decrease in wage.
10/19/1907 Case Against St. John is Dismissed Goldfield Nevada Murder charges against Vincent St. John and 7 others dismissed.
10/8/1907 Tonopah Miners Out for Industrial Unionism Tonopah Nevada Tonopah Miners' Union No. 121 of the WFM votes to affiliate with the IWW and have all members pay the per capita tax to the IWW.
10/26/1907 New England Conference Providence Rhode Island Nineteen delegates from New England IWW locals convene to elect officers and offer support for striking workers across their region.
10/30/1907 Strike Declared Off Vancouver B.C. Striking lumber handlers' unanimously vote to return to work. It is unclear whether or not their demands were met.
11/5/1907 Vincent St. John Victim of Gunman Goldfield Nevada Vincent St. John and two others shot on the street by "Paddy" Mullany, who was arrested shortly thereafter. The reasons for the shooting were unknown, but expected to be related to St. John's involvement in the strike. 
11/16/1907 Silk Workers on Strike Lancaster Pennsylvania Four hundred IWW silk workers  strike for shorter work days and increased wages.
11/23/1907 The Girl with a Mission Duluth Minnesota Elizabeth Gurley Flynn speaks to hundreds in Duluth attacking AFL as organized scabbery and other labor issues.
11/30/1907 St. John's Condition Goldfield Nevada St. John remains in poor condition after being shot two weeks prior.
12/7/1907 Kalispell Lumberman Get Right Kalispell Montana Lumber workers in Montana vote to join the IWW, severing their unclear link to the WFM.
11/18/1907 Cloak Makers Strike ? ? Cloak makers strike.
12/7/1907 The Striking Silk Workers Lancaster Pennsylvania 15 year-old striking Wobbly silk worker dies after the company forced its former workers to stand outside in the cold rain to receive payment.
11/12/1907 The Facts in the Case Greenwater California WFM local in California issues a statement denouncing the WFM's stance against the IWW.
12/14/1907 Strikes Declared Off New York New York The 150 striking cloak makers returned to work
12/14/1907 Strikes Declared Off Lancaster Pennsylvania Silk workers called off their strike.
12/28/1907 The Soldiers Leave Goldfield Goldfield Nevada Troops that had been ordered to Goldfield removed by President Roosevelt.
12/28/1907 I.W.W. Employees Against Locked Out New York New York Silk workers who previously held a strike against their employer were locked out. Several strikers dismissed without cause.