This is a chronological database of campaigns, strikes, and IWW related events as recorded in the pages of New Solidarity, the weekly IWW newspaper.
Seattle's general strike in February broke the long string of persecution news that had dominated IWW attention for more than a year. The six-day strike raised IWW hopes and signalled the start of a post-war wave of strikes and militance. The IWW participated in but did not claim to lead the general strike. In February, Wobblies also helped with a massive silk workers strike in Paterson and a walkout by orange pickers in southern California. A sprinkling of other victories followed. Restaurant workers in Chicago won a short strike, and miners in several states launched other actions.
There was news too that some IWW locals were recovering, adding members again after the difficult war years. In Iowa, while the IWW's Agricultural Workers Organization signed up members, the Sioux City mayor warmly welcomed the AWO convention, defending their right to meet by reading the first amendment shortly before the start. The sheriff and a local committee, on the other hand, planned to petition for the mayor's recall and the ousting of the IWW. After being denied a hall, the AWO convened in the middle of a street electing delegates, organizing a committee, and ending with "Solidarity Forever."
But mostly the IWW remained on the defensive, headlines telling of new efforts by state and local authorities to root out and destroy the organization. The vast majority of news items in New Solidarity record arrests, trials, convictions, deportations, prison conditions, and rallies held to support of the hundreds of fellow workers who remained behind bars. After the Seattle General strike, police arrested scores of Wobblies in Washington state, while the Justice department deported several to Russia.
Mass arrests took place in several California cities, in Kansas, Illinois, Montana, Oklahoma, North and South Dakota, Idaho, Arizona, Wisconsin, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut. News from the courtrooms was no better. Wobblies arrested in the high profile 1918 roundups received long sentences. And New Solidarity reported on the harsh prison conditions at Leavanworth and other prisons.
Then things got worse. On November 11, Armistice Day, violence erupted in Centralia, Washington, when Wobblies fired into a raiding party of American legionaires, killing several. That night, a mob entered the town jail, seizing Wesley Everest, himself a war veteran, dragged him to a nearby bridge and lynched him. The news set off a new round of raids, arrests, and beatings.
Dates are either the reported date of the incident or the date the article appeared in the newspaper.
Date
Article title
City
State
Description
1/4/1919
Immigrant Worker Held for Months
Spokane
Washington
German IWW member arrested for "trying to make this world a fit place in which to live," and held for tenth months. He later died due to poor conditions of the jail.
1/11/1919
New Jewish Paper
Chicago
Illinois
The Jewish Press Committee announce they will bring back the Jewish IWW paper Industrial Unionism.
1/3/1919
Suppression of New Solidarity
Ottawa
Ontario
Canadian Secretary of State issues warrant prohibiting New Solidarity from using Canadian mail system.
1/12/1919
Trial of Wobblies Continues
Sacramento
California
Trial of the 47 Wobblies accused of unspecified charges continued.
1/12/1919
Mass Meeting about Russia
Seattle
Washington
Several labor organizations including the IWW held an open air meeting about "the Russian situation." Thousands attended and were greeted with a heavy police presence leading to the arrest of 13 and the injury of several others.
1/18/1919
Conditions at Leavenworth
Leavenworth
Kansas
Jailed IWW member in Leavenworth reports that he and fourteen other members were put in isolation and restricted to bread and water after they "got in bad with the powers that be" in the prison.
1/5/1919
Demonstration Against Imprisonment
Cleveland
Ohio
Cleveland labor organization holds protest for the immediate release of all class was prisoners with a speech by Eugene Debs.
1/18/1919
Omaha Smoker
Omaha
Nebraska
Omaha IWW locals hold a smoker to raise money for all class war prisoners.
1/25/1919
38 Members Convicted
Sacramento
California
38 IWW members convicted on charges related to a bombing and sentenced to one to ten years in Leavenworth. Three let out on bail and their trial postponed indefinitely. After the jury returned the verdict, the convicted responded by singing "Solidarity Forever."
1/25/1919
Nineteen Arrested
Chicago
Illinois
Eighteen Chicago IWW members arrested, finger printed, and released. One additional person arrested the next day and not released by the time of publication.
2/1/1919
Hall Raided
Springfield
Massachusetts
Springfield IWW hall raided and property stolen. The Department of Justice denied any involvement in the raid. The IWW local announced a $500 reward for the return of the stolen property.
1/26/1919
Textile Workers Plan Reduction of Hours
Lawrence
Massachusetts
Textile workers hold a mass meeting and voted to work only eight hours a day, six days a week. They planned on working eight hours then walking out without accepting a decrease in pay.
1/22/1919
Hall Raid, Arrests, and Property Seizure
Spokane
Washington
Defense Office of the IWW raided by police, who seized all property related to defense. Five arrested in the raid, and later released on bonds.
2/8/1919
IWW Delegate Jailed
Wichita
Kansas
Delegate of Oil Workers' Industrial Union No. 450 arrested for vagrancy. He spent a week in jail awaiting trial facing horrendous conditions with vermin, steel bunks with no mattresses, and no protection from the cold. The charges were dropped upon trial, but he was ordered to leave town and surrender all IWW supplies.
2/8/1919
Worker Deported
Seattle
Washington
Several IWW members in Seattle face deportation back to Russia.
2/8/1919
IWW Recruiter Arrested
Chicago
Illinois
Chicago Recruiting Union member Jennie La Zar arrested and questioned by the police who attempted to persuade her against attending IWW meetings.
1/20/1919
Miner Killed
Butte
Montana
IWW-aligned miner killed in on the job by falling rocks.
2/8/1919
New Swedish Paper
Chicago
Illinois
General Executive Board begins issuing a new Swedish IWW paper Nya Världe or The New World.
2/15/1919
Deportation Fails to Stop General Strike
Seattle
Washington
Several reports about the Seattle General Strike that began on February 6 in support of shipyard workers
2/15/1919
Prisoners Brutally Beaten by Guards
New York
New York
54 people, most of them previously active in the IWW, were beaten on their way to Ellis Island for deportation.
2/15/1919
Orange Pickers Strike
Los Angeles
California
Over 1500 orange pickers walked out on strike in hopes of winning the eight hour day and 50 cents per hour. The IWW did not begin the strike, but organized the strikers after it was called.
2/15/1919
General Strike in Seattle, WA
Seattle
Washington
Prominent Wobbly author Walker C. Smith arrested during the Seattle General Strike for distributing a pamphlet about Russia.
2/15/1919
Silk Weavers Strike
Paterson
New Jersey
Over 25,000 silk weavers went out on a strike jointly backed by the AFL and the IWW for the 44 hour week. Several shops had granted the demands by the time of publication.
3/1/1919
None
Bartlesville
Oklahoma
Several IWW members arrested on unknown charges. All released except one who then faced possible deportation.
3/1/1919
Rockford Meeting Demands Release of Prisoners
Rockford
Illinois
Rockford IWW holds meeting that attracted 250 people for the release of political prisoners and in protest of American intervention in Russia.
3/8/1919
Krieger Dismissed but Not Released
Tulsa
Oklahoma
In the case of Charles Krieger, an IWW member charged with obstructing the draft and destroying property belonging to the head of the Carter Oil Company, the presiding judge sustained the defense's motion to quash. The judge ordered Krieger be released of a new bill of information was not filed in 24 hours.
3/8/1919
Eighteen Months
Chicago
Illinois
IWW member Petro Nigra sentenced to 18 months at Leavenworth.
2/27/1919
None
San Francisco
California
IWW hall raided leading to the arrest of nine, seven of which were released on bail shortly thereafter and two held for deportation.
3/15/1919
Thirty-One Indicted as a Result of General Strike Seattle
Seattle
Washington
Thirty-one IWW members arrested due to their involvement in the Seattle General Strike, including Harvey O' Connor and Walker Smith.
3/15/1919
Sixteen Arrested in Kansas City Raid
Kansas City
Missouri
Sixteen members arrested during a raid on the IWW hall. Twelve received either a $500 fine or 90 days in jail.
3/22/1919
Wichita cases Postponed Another Five Months
Wichita
Kansas
The trials of 32 IWW members jailed on unspecified charges postponed an additional five months by the presiding judge who, the IWW claimed, "Allowed] two months to talk it over, then [took] three months to smoke."
3/12/1919
Kansas City Raided
Kansas City
Missouri
Judge Kennedy, who was responsible for the recent conviction of IWW members, asks police department to contact landlords and ask them to not rent out their property to the IWW.
3/22/1919
None
Kansas City
Missouri
During another raid on their hall, fourteen Wobblies arrested, convicted of vagrancy, and sentenced to 11 months and 29 days in jail.
3/22/1919
Western Miners Gaining Ground
Superior
Wisconsin
Metal Mine Workers' Industrial Union No. 800 reported gaining 400 new members in the month of February alone.
3/29/1919
Still at It
Bridgeport
Connecticut
Police raided the IWW hall, seized property, and arrested ten members.
3/16/1919
Education of Workers Is Sedition
Newark
New Jersey
Two IWW members arrested on charges of insurrection and sedition after distributing pamphlets on labor.
4/19/1919
Undaunted in San Francisco
San Francisco
California
Police arrested local secretary and two other IWW members. One sentenced to three months in jail, but won an appeal. They all refused an attorney stating, "[W]e are more able to defend the principles of the One Big Union than any bourgeois lawyer."
4/26/1919
Organization Being Investigated
Phoenix
Arizona
Maricopa County Sheriff raided the IWW headquarters and seized literature, records, and supplies. The sheriff claimed he found evidence of over $100000 being collected by the IWW local in the last year.
4/26/1919
Matters of Interest to the General Membership
Fargo
North Dakota
IWW member sentenced to three years in Leavenworth for two counts of sedition.
4/26/1919
Solidarity Denied to the I.W.W.
Leavenworth
Kansas
Leavenworth prison denied inmates' access to New Solidarity.
5/3/1919
Convention Held in Sioux City Is Great Success
Sioux City
Iowa
Sioux City mayor warmly welcomes the AWO convention, defending their right to meet by reading the first amendment shortly before the start. The sheriff and a local committee, on the other hand, planned to petition for the mayor's recall and the ousting of the IWW. After being denied a hall, the AWO convened in the middle of a street electing delegates, organizing a committee, and ending with "Solidarity Forever."
5/3/1919
Bisbee Deportees Ask Aid on Bonds
Bisbee
Arizona
The miners who were subject to deportation by the mining companies during a strike two years prior refused the settlement offered to them as it was not the full amount they demanded.
5/3/1919
Turned Loose
Ellis Island
New York
Four foreign-born IWW members released after being held for over a year.
5/1/1919
May Day Celebration Crushed by Tanks from Germany
Cleveland
Ohio
May Day celebration organized by the Socialist Party and the IWW was met with a heavy police presence leading to two deaths, many injuries, and over 130 people convicted of rioting.
5/10/1919
Omaha Mayor Scared of Demonstration
Omaha
Nebraska
Mayor requested the Swedish Auditorium rented by the IWW for their May Day demonstration cancel the meeting. The auditorium complied with the order from the mayor, who added, "I will prevent… any public meetings being held by the I.W.W."
5/10/1919
Held in Detention
Ft. Douglas
Utah
Over 100 foreign-born IWW members were held for being "alien enemies."
5/10/1919
Bonds for Leavenworth Men
Leavenworth
Kansas
Five IWW members (Joe Gordon, Charles Rothfisher, Vincent St. John, Frank Westerlund, and Petro Nigra) released on bond while they await the decision to be granted an appeal.
5/10/1919
Justice Outraged by I.W.W. Indictment
New York
New York
Former assistant attorney general of the Philippines and captain of military intelligence of the US Army released a statement claiming the conviction of Vincent St. John and others in Chicago was unjust.
5/10/1919
None
Everett
Washington
Former Everett defendant Adolph Ersson arrested in LA for his connection to the IWW.
5/17/1919
Greatest Convention in History of I.W.W.
Chicago
Illinois
The IWW held their annual convention with an address by the editor of New Solidarity and committees pertaining to the IWW constitution, strike policies, etc. They reported 1600 new members in the previous six months.
4/25/1919
Masters' Gold Is Used Against the I.W.W. by Alien Enemy
Salt Lake City
Utah
Metal Mine Workers' Industrial Union No. 800 convened and expelled a member thought to be responsible for reporting others to the police.
5/17/1919
Men Are Punished for Asking for Food
Kuna
Idaho
Twelve jailed IWW members went on strike against the prison farm for more food and improved condition.
5/24/1919
Democracy, Thou Art a Jewel in Seattle
Seattle
Washington
Police raided the IWW hall and seized all literature, including New Solidarity.
5/24/1919
Discharged as I.W.W.
Schenectady
New York
Nine year veteran of General Electric fired for his affiliation with the IWW.
5/31/1919
James Bruce on Trial for Strike Activity
Seattle
Washington
The trial of James Bruce, charged with crimes related to the recent strike, began with the prosecution asserting the IWW is a radical organization for the violent overthrow of the US government. George Vanderveer represented Bruce.
5/31/1919
Federal Agent Arrests James A. Billings
Los Angeles
California
Prominent IWW member James Billings arrested for his activity in Spokane, Seattle, and Portland.
6/7/1919
Seattle Witnesses Favor Defense in Testimony
Seattle
Washington
The prosecution in the trial of James Bruce ended after what was reported to be a weak case.
6/7/1919
Pay Us a Visit
Hitchinson
Kansas
Ten Wobblies still in jail ten months after their arrests in Wichita.
6/7/1919
None
Bay Area
California
Eight Wobblies arrested for criminal syndicalism.
6/7/1919
Will Be Investigated for Woblie Ideas
Milwaukee
Wisconsin
Two members arrested and held of federal investigation after a raid on their hall in which police seized one copy of "The I.W.W. Trial" and one copy of the "Tenth Convention Report" because "[t]he dicks were likely broke or too cheap to buy the books themselves."
6/14/1919
Arrests in Oakland
Oakland
California
Police issued 39 warrants for the arrests of IWW members on charges of criminal syndicalism.
6/21/1919
Prosecution Tampered with Seattle Jury Efforts Futile
Seattle
Washington
George Vanderveer, lawyer representing accused anarchist James Bruce, charges that court bailiff tampered with jury urging them to vote for conviction,
6/21/1919
Rather Expensive Fun
Bisbee
Arizona
The Bisbee miners deported during a strike compensated by the mining company with the following amounts: 1200 for married men with children, 1000 for married men without children, and 500 for single men.
6/21/1919
Criminal Syndicalism Laws in California Persecute I.W.W.
San Francisco
California
To date, 13 Bay Area IWWs have been arrested on charges of criminal syndicalism.
6/28/1919
Spokane Raids
Spokane
Washington
Police raid room in the Bristol Hotel, seize IWW literature and ballots, and arrest two members on charges of criminal syndicalism.
6/28/1919
Some Men Released
Leavenworth
Kansas
Ten IWWs convicted in the Chicago trials released after serving their full term.
6/28/1919
Raid in New York
New York
New York
Hall raided and literature and supplies seized by the State Investigation Committee.
6/28/1919
Joe Kennedy Deported
Butte
Montana
Joe Kennedy of the IWW deported.
7/5/1919
Toledo Hall Is Raided by Federal Officers
Toledo
Ohio
Federal officers raided the IWW hall in search of materials for printing "books and pamphlets for circulation in the spread of treason, disloyalty, and mutiny."
7/12/1919
None
Stockton
California
Police raided the IWW hall, seized records and literature, and arrested 19 members.
7/12/1919
None
Chicago
Illinois
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the IWW must pay $4300 for printing records, Clerk's fees, and other expenses for United States of America vs. William Haywood, et al. or the request for appeal would be denied.
7/12/1919
Police Chief Sneers at Injunction Issued by Superior Court
Seattle
Washington
Shipbuilders' Industrial Union No. 325 won an injunction against the chief of police, who was then required to remove the locks from their hall and keep his police off the property.
7/19/1919
Deporters Arraigned in Bisbee, Arizona
Bisbee
Arizona
Sixty-four people to face trial for engineering the 1917 Bisbee deportation of almost 1200 miners .
7/19/1919
None
Oakland
California
Six more IWW members arrested on charges of criminal syndicalism.
7/4/1919
Mooney Strike Protest Was Nation Wide
Chicago
Illinois
Several industries including metal and coal miners went on strike all over the country to protest the imprisonment of Tom Mooney. New Solidarity reported this strike was the largest in Chicago history.
7/4/1919
Grand Rally at Spokane for One Big Union
Spokane
Washington
IWW Independence Day picnic in Spokane draws 1600 people, most of whom wore red carnations and IWW buttons. Police were present, but did not intervene in the peaceful celebration. At lunch, the deputies even purchased food from the IWW.
7/9/1919
None
Miami
Arizona
Secretary of Metal Mine Workers' Industrial Union No. 800 sentenced to 90 days in jail on a vagrancy charge.
7/21/1919
Kidnapers [sic] Released
Virginia
Minnesota
The city attorney and eight mining company gunmen allegedly responsible for the kidnapping and beating of an IWW member released upon trial.
7/21/1919
Police Riot in Seattle
Seattle
Washington
A demonstration demanding the withdrawal of troops from Russia was met with police-instigated violence. Afterward, the Central Labor Council insisted the police killed a demonstrator then hustled his body away quickly to hide the evidence.
7/22/1919
Roy Sisters Deported
New York
New York
Two sisters in the IWW were deported reportedly because of their membership after being held in Ellis Island for several months.
7/8/1919
One More Victim Passes
Seattle
Washington
One of the 27 IWW members charged with "attempting to overthrow the government" in relation to the Seattle General Strike died of illness likely caused by the unsanitary conditions of the King County jail.
8/2/1919
Conditions Workers Meet Frequently
Casselton
North Dakota
IWW members sleeping in box car were approached by bulls, who searched the whole train and beat several riders. Some workers ran and were shot at by the bulls, one of whom received a bullet in the hand. The rest were carted to town, searched, threatened with violence, and told to never return.
8/2/1919
Harvester Murdered
Hutchinson
Kansas
IWW harvester shot and killed by brakemen. The brakemen claimed self-defense, but witnesses asserted the worker was holding his bindle in one hand and the freight car's ladder in the other, leaving him unable to make any threatening actions.
8/2/1919
None
Fort Dodge
Kansas
Nineteen year old IWW harvester killed by a moving freight after a gang robbed him and others and pushed him under the train.
8/2/1919
Harvesters Arrested
Aberdeen
South Dakota
Fifteen harvesters arrested on charges of riding a freight train. Some released, but several held because of their red cards.
8/2/1919
More Syndicalism Laws. Lawmakers Rampant
Springfield
Illinois
Illinois Legislature passed a law broadening the range of what was considered criminal syndicalism to include: Publishing, selling, or distributing any written media advocating government overthrow, membership in or aid to a radical organization, attending any meeting in which crime and violence for any political end is encouraged, renting a space to any body for the overthrow of the government or occupying any such space, and bearing any banner or emblem "intending to symbolize a purpose to overthrow by force or violence or by physical injury...the representative form of government now secured...by the Constitution of the United States."
8/2/1919
Haywood and Miller Released
Leavenworth
Kansas
Bill Haywood and Francis Miller released pending appeal on bonds of $15000 and $10000 respectively.
8/9/1919
Twenty-Seven Men Out
Leavenworth
Kansas
Ralph Chaplin and 26 others were released on bond pending appeal. One of those men was rearrested for conspiracy to kill public officials.
8/9/1919
Faggi Being Deported
??
??
The Department of Labor issued a warrant for the deportation of Angelo Faggi, editor of Il Nuovo Proletario. He was allowed to leave the county voluntary instead of being deported as a criminal.
8/9/1919
California Cases
Stockton
California
Five IWW arrested of charges of criminal syndicalism, all but one released on bond.
8/9/1919
California Cases
Eureka
California
Two IWW members arrested on charges of criminal syndicalism.
8/9/1919
California Cases
Santa Barbara
California
One IWW member arrested on charges of criminal syndicalism.
8/9/1919
Arrested in Aberdeen
Aberdeen
South Dakota
Thirteen IWW members arrested for attempting to ride a freight train.
8/9/1919
Raise Granted
Miami
Arizona
Miners voted to demand a raise from the mining company at an IWW meeting. The raise was promptly granted.
8/9/1919
Fellow Workers Arrested
Holdredge
Nebraska
Two IWW members arrested after being caught by a bull on railroad property.
8/9/1919
Coal Miners Arrested
Adena
Ohio
IWW member and UMW chairman arrested after suggesting industrial unionism at a meeting. Officers in the UMW called him a Bolshevik and allegedly led to his arrest.
8/16/1919
A Bright New Stunt Never Tried Before
Superior
Wisconsin
Two IWW members arrested on charges of unlawful organization after accepting money from two new members.
8/16/1919
Criminal Syndicalism Breaks out in Ohio
Unspecified
Ohio
Three members arrested and held for federal investigation on charges of criminal syndicalism, the first in the state of Ohio.
8/4/1919
Criminal Syndicalism Law Constitutional Higher Court Says in California
Sacramento
California
The California Supreme Court ruled the criminal syndicalism law that had jailed so many IWW members was constitutional.
8/16/1919
Chicago Celebrates the Picnic
Chicago
Illinois
Over 4000 people attend a memorial picnic for Wobbly martyr Frank Little.
8/16/1919
Denton Convicted
Wichita
Kansas
IWW member sentenced to six months in jail and a $500 fine under the new state vagrancy law. He was the first person convicted after its passing.
8/23/1919
Kidnapped in Colorado
Walsenburg
Colorado
Metal Mine Workers Industrial Union No. 800 organizer arrested and three delegates kidnapped by company gunmen.
8/23/1919
Dismissed, Re-Arrested
Stockton
California
Nineteen criminal syndicalism cases dismissed, but eight rearrested on bench warrants.
8/23/1919
Restaurant Workers in Chicago Lunch Rooms Strike for Decent Time and Wage Condition
Chicago
Illinois
Restaurant workers strike for the eight hour day, six day week, time and a half for overtime, union recognition, and increased wages.
9/6/1919
Ten Fellow Workers on Ellis Island Yet
New York
New York
Ten IWW members on Ellis Island awaiting deportation.
9/6/1919
Criminal Syndicalism to Be Squelched in Michigan by Laws
Lansing
Michigan
New criminal syndicalism banning the advocating of crime, sabotage, violence, or other terrorist methods to obtain political reform went into effect.
9/13/1919
Arizona Miners Appeal to American Workers for Immediate Aid to Win a Strike
Oatman
Arizona
Miners went on strike for increased wages, the six hour day, safer conditions requiring more men per machine, and the abolishment of the contract and bonus systems.
9/13/1919
None
Hammond
Indiana
Hungarian IWW arrested and held in jail.
9/13/1919
Criminal Syndicalism Acts
Portland
Oregon
Member of the general organization committee of Lumber Workers' Industrial Union No. 500 arrested the day he arrived in Portland and sentenced to six months in jail for violating the criminal syndicalism law in that state.
9/20/1919
Strike Is Called Off
Oatman
Arizona
Miners' strike called off after winning a 50 cent wage increase.
9/20/1919
Fellow Worker Murdered
Carrington
North Dakota
IWW member from Chicago found dead underneath the train depot platform with two bullet wounds.
9/20/1919
Criminal Syndicalism
Flint
Michigan
Two IWW members arrested for violating the state's criminal syndicalism law.
9/10/1919
Russian Workers Arrested
Chicago
Illinois
Russian IWW hall raided and eight members arrested without warrant and held without charge.
9/20/1919
Emma Goldman to Be Released
Jefferson City
Missouri
Emma Goldman to be released after serving an extra thirty days on top of her two year sentence because she could not pay the ten thousand dollar fine that accompanied her prison sentence.
9/27/1919
Ranch Democracy Running Rampant in Imperial Valley
Calipatria
California
Ranchers appeared at an IWW propaganda meeting of 100 people and demanded the meeting end. Law enforcement later arrived on the scene and placed the IWW delegate, Peter Lynch, under arrest and brought him to jail at the urging of the ranchers. The marshal warned Lynch that the ranchers would mob the jail. At midnight, the ranchers showed up at jail with the keys, kidnapped Lynch, and drove him to the desert where they beat and robbed him of clothing, shoes, money, jewelry, dues books, and $100 worth of dues stamps.
10/4/1919
Criminal Syndicalism in California
California
Thirty-five IWW members arrested on charges of criminal syndicalism and two on charges of vagrancy.
9/28/1919
Strikers Arrested
Chicago
Illinois
Two IWW members arrested by federal agents while collecting defense funds.
10/11/1919
Charles Krieger Placed on Trial; Defense Asks a Change of Venue on Account of Local Prejudice
Tulsa
Oklahoma
Charles Krieger, IWW member charged with destroying the property of the head of Standard Oil, began his trial in Tulsa, where his lawyer requested a change of venue in order to have a just trial.
10/11/1919
Criminal Syndicalism, Scabby Los Angeles, and Persecution
Los Angeles
California
Seventeen prominent IWW members arrested, some of whom from their homes, on charges of criminal syndicalism. The began to police block the entrance to the IWW hall rendering it unusable.
10/11/1919
Special Telegram
Scotts Bluff
Nebraska
Fifteen members of the AWO 400 arrested on charges of criminal syndicalism
10/11/1919
None
Sacramento
California
Two more IWW members arrested on charges of criminal syndicalism.
10/11/1919
News of the General Defense
Oakland
California
Eleven IWW members to face trial on charges of criminal syndicalism.
10/11/1919
Indiana Suppression
Ft. Wayne
Indiana
In the first exercise of the new criminal syndicalism law in Indiana, an IWW member arrested shortly after arriving from Chicago.
10/11/1919
Allowed in Canada
Ottawa
Ontario
Post Master General of Canada informed the IWW the ban on New Solidarity had been lifted.
10/18/1919
Change of Venue Denied Krieger Forced to Go on Trial in Tulsa
Tulsa
Oklahoma
The Krieger Defense's Request for a change of venue to ensure a fair trial was denied.
10/18/1919
Cronin Arrested
Scotts Bluff
Nebraska
James Cronin, IWW member sent to Scotts Bluff to investigate the fifteen syndicalism-related arrests, was arrested on the same charges shortly after his arrival.
10/18/1919
St. Louis Hog-Wild
St. Louis
Missouri
Twelve IWW members arrested by federal agents for possession of literature showing the number of lynchings in the United States and encouraging black workers to join the I.W.W.
10/7/1919
Capitalist Civilization
Haines
Oregon
Nine IWW members arrested, jailed, then released two days later when they were beat and run out of town.
10/18/1919
New Hall Opened
Chicago
Illinois
Metal and Machinery Workers' Industrial Union No. 300 opened a new hall.
9/13/1919
"Intent to Distribute"
Newark
New Jersey
Two members arrested for intending to distribute seditious literature. They were released on bond after two weeks in jail and their cases dismissed a few weeks later.
10/25/1919
Laughable Injunctions Issued Officials Fail to Bring Ore from the Mines
Tonopah
Nevada
An injunction was issued banning declaring, "That an unlawful organization known as the I.W.W. be restrained from further publishing dodgers of writings declaring Tonopah a scab camp and that said scab camp is on strike," as a response to their attempt to organize strikers in the Metal Trades Union.
10/8/1919
Organization Growing
Portland
Oregon
Police raided IWW hall, brought two members in for questioning, and burned their literature. After the incident, their landlord gave them notice to vacate.
10/25/1919
Jewish Song Book
Chicago
Illinois
New Jewish song book published by Brooklyn Wobblies began circulation.
7/7/1919
A New Kind of Appeal Men Win a Struggle Then Want Others to Follow Suit
New York
New York
Bakery Workers' Industrial Union No. 46 won their demand for the abolition of night work, the 45 hour work, and increased wages and encourage other bakers to demand the same.
11/1/1919
L.W.I.U. Convention
St. Regis
Montana
Lumber Workers' Industrial Union held a convention despite opposition.
10/26/1919
Grand Defense Meeting Held in Chicago
Chicago
Illinois
Over 500 attend a meeting for the benefit of the General Defense Committee with speeches by Bill Haywood and others.
11/1/1919
Akron Active
Akron
Ohio
Workers Defense League of Akron held a well-attended dance with speeches in several different languages.
11/1/1919
The New Order
Chicago
Illinois
IWW issued Polish pamphlet "The New Order" which explained class war, technology's effect on the working class, and the views of the IWW.
10/16/1919
None
Sault St. Marie
Michigan
Two arrested for their membership status.
11/1/1919
He Likes 'Em Now
Ruby
Washington
Local sheriff claimed formed membership to the 4Ls but supposedly, "found them so fake he quit them. He said, 'We are all Wobblies now!"
11/1/1919
Joint Debate at West Side Auditorium
Chicago
Illinois
Isaac Ferguson and Harold Varney held a debate with the prompt: "RESOLVED. That the Communist Party offers a more complete program for social emancipation than does the I.W.W."
11/4/1919
None
Des Moines
Iowa
IWW hall "smashed… and an attempt made to burn it."
11/8/1919
No. 8 Gaining Strength Doubles Its Number Within Two Months
Various
Various
Marine Transport Workers No. 8 report doubling membership in two months.
11/8/1919
Heresy Hunters Locate Seven Progressives All Are Expelled for Being Wobs
Detroit
Michigan
The International Association Machinists Lodge No. 82 expelled seven prominent members, including its president, vice president, and secretary for being sympathetic to the IWW.
11/8/1919
Sentenced for Mutiny
Balboa
Panama Canal Zone
IWW member James Hayes sentenced to two years in prison in the Canal Zone for mutiny.
11/8/1919
Salt Lake City District of M.M.I.U. No. 800 Progressing with 295 New Members in Past Month
Salt Lake City
Utah
Metal Mine Workers' No. 800 reported a membership increase of 295 in the previous month.
11/22/1919
Business Men Start Murder, State Officials Back Them
Centralia
Washington
Details Centralia incident claiming that business interests had plotted the Armistice Day attack on the IWW hall and emphasizing the brutal lynching of wobbly Wesley Everest
11/22/1919
Holyoke Strike
Holyoke
Massachusetts
IWW called a strike against the American Writing Paper Co., one of a string of nine strikes in the Massachusetts mill industry in recent times.
11/22/1919
Special Telegram
Pueblo
Colorado
Two IWW members arrested, their offices raided, and all possessions seized.
10/28/1919
Chaplin Meetings Good
Bay Area
California
Two meetings featuring addresses by Ralph Chaplin on the conditions of Leavenworth attracted many and raised over $400 for the Bail and Bond Committee.
11/22/1919
Raid on I.W.W. Puts Paterson in Fashion
Paterson
New Jersey
Police raided IWW hall, confiscate literature, and demand the organization take down the poster in the window depicted a jailed member.
11/22/1919
Special Telegram
Seattle
Washington
Police raided IWW hall and arrested several members.
11/22/1919
Silk Weavers Campaign for Weekly Paydays and No Piece Work
Paterson
New Jersey
Textile Workers' Industrial Union No. 1000 called for the abolition of piece work and paydays every week.
11/25/1919
Official Depravity in New York
New York
New York
A band of vigilantes consisting of those in the American Legion and the bomb squad division of the New York Police Department raided five IWW halls, smashing and burning furniture, and beating several member so severely they were hospitalized. Two workers arrested for carrying concealed pen knives. In court, the judge compared the pen knives in question with his own then dismissed the case. The IWW suspected the NYPD organized the raids.
11/25/1919
Wonders Will Never Cease! A Raid Without Arrests!
Minneapolis
Minnesota
Police raided IWW hall and confiscated literature including New Solidarity and the One Big Union Monthly
11/25/1919
Seattle
Seattle
Washington
Thirty-seven members arrested during a series of raids on IWW halls and meeting places.
11/25/1919
Seattle
Portland
Oregon
IWW hall closed after fifty-seven of their members were arrested during a series of raids
11/29/1919
Justifies I.W.W. in Centralia
Butte
Montana
American Legion officer said in an interview that the actions IWW members responsible for the deaths of Legionnaires during the Centralia tragedy were completely justified by self-defense.
11/29/1919
Vengeance of the Iron Heel in Washington
Spokane
Washington
One hundred twenty IWW members arrested, seventy-three of whom on the same night. Fifty-three convicted of criminal syndicalism.
11/29/1919
Final Day of Krieger Trial
Tulsa
Oklahoma
After 42 hours of deliberation, the jury fails to reach consensus with the final vote counting seven for conviction and five for acquittal.
12/6/1919
A New Law in Omaha
Omaha
Nebraska
The police judge ruled the carrying of a red card could be considered evidence of vagrancy, leading to the arrest and conviction of sixteen Wobblies despite their all having money and employment in the city.
11/30/1919
Defense Meeting in Detroit, Mich. A Big Success
Detroit
Michigan
Ten thousand attend meeting held for the raiding of defense funds, four thousand of whom had to be turned away due to the restricted capacity of the hall. Bill Haywood, the scheduled principal speaker, was asked not to appear on stage by the police commissioner who anticipated violence.
12/13/1919
Windows of St. Clark Hall Smashed
Chicago
Illinois
Front windows of IWW hall smashed by unknown assailants. The locals based their offered $100 for the identification of the guilty parties.
12/13/1919
Johansen Sentenced
Seattle
Washington
IWW member convicted of unknown charges, likely criminal syndicalism, and sentenced to thirty days in jail and a $100 fine.
12/13/1919
M'Hugo Convicted
Oakland
California
After deliberating for five minutes, jury convicted a Wobbly of criminal syndicalism.
12/13/1919
Denver Hall Closed and Arrests Made
Denver
Colorado
Six IWW members arrested during a raid and sentenced to 31 days in "the capitalistic institution of learning."
12/13/1919
One More Sacrifice
Kansas City
Kansas
IWW member died after being arrested during a raid and jailed for 13 months.
12/20/1919
Judge Forbids I.W.W. to Exist
Spokane
Washington
Superior Judge Webster signed a restraining order against "any person who advocates, teaches, or promulgates teachings and principles of the I.W.W."
12/20/1919
Change of Venue from Centralia
Centralia
Washington
The IWW members on trial for killing four American Legionnaires granted a change of to Grays Harbor.
12/20/1919
Students Must Pledge Hostility to I.W.W.
New York
New York
District Superintendent outlined a plan that would require all graduating high school senior to sign a pledge of loyalty to the United States that would include the promise, "I will actively oppose all revolutionary movements such as bolshevism, anarchism, I.W.W.'ism or any movement antagonist to the laws of the United States or tending to subvert the constitution of the United States."
12/20/1919
No Hope of Mercy for Mooney
Sacramento
California
California Governor William Stephens publicly released a letter to the secretary of the California State Federation of Labor stating he did not at all doubt the guilt of Tom Mooney, IWW member convicted on charges related to the preparedness day bombing.
12/20/1919
Labor Defense Officer Arrested in Frisco
San Francisco
California
Labor Defense League secretary Miss Whitney arrested on charges of criminal syndicalism.
12/20/1919
Henry Tonn Seized on Syndicalism Charge
Marion
Indiana
IWW member arrested while cashing his paycheck from Construction Workers' Industrial Union No. 573.
12/20/1919
Jack Diamond Convicted
Raton
New Mexico
IWW member convicted of inciting a revolution despite the alleged crime only having one witness.
12/27/1919
Acquitted on Charge of Syndicalism
Bellingham
Washington
After three hours of deliberation, jury acquitted three members accused of criminal syndicalism.
12/27/1919
Standard Oil Railroads Twenty-Six Union Workers to Leavenworth
Kansas City
Kansas
Twenty-six IWW members convicted for violating the espionage and Lever acts and sentenced to up to nine year in Leavenworth.
12/27/1919
Reporter Beaten
Kansas City
Missouri
Non-unionized reported beaten after writing about the trial of the 26 IWW sentenced to Leavenworth.
12/27/1919
C.W. Hall Raided
Chicago
Illinois
Police raided hall and arrested the fifty members present.
12/27/1919
None
Denver
Colorado
Forty IWW members arrested and sentenced to thirty to ninety days.