The goal of the workers movement has always been freedom—something largely forgotten. The IWW never did forget. While it would be dogmatic to claim that liberation can only be achieved through the IWW, it is not dogmatic to state that our freedom could come about through many of its ideas. Yes, valuable reforms have been achieved through parliament. Yes, living standards and working conditions have improved through bargaining by the business unions. But neither of these stood up to, nor can at present defeat, the ferocious onslaught of neoliberal capitalism. Nor can either of these abolish wage slavery and lead to workers’ freedom—a democratic, worker-managed economy, the long-sought “cooperative commonwealth.”
In this, his latest book, Larry Gambone describes the struggles of the IWW throughout the twentieth century in British Columbia, the Canadian province where it enjoyed the most influence. The source base for his study includes IWW publications, local newspapers, and archival documents.
