Union Perspectives

In 1911 Soapbox Militants, the “Wobblies,” engaged in free speech campaigning against corruption. In 2011 Occupy Wall Street (OWS) and by extension Occupy Redding engages in free speech campaigning against corruption. Both were nonhierarchical, egalitarian, consensus-driven process. The purest kind of democracy exercised in free speech. Both organizations envisioned a better world for all, not just a few. They are one hundred years apart, but here is how close they are in their thinking and planning. On their freedom march 112 men, called Wobblies of the International Workers of the World, started in Seattle, WA., were determined to participate in the Fresno Free Speech Campaign on Feb. 13, 1911. Towns could prevent free speech and the right to peaceably asemble during this time. The Wobblies were standing together to claim these basic human rights. They organized themselves, had a secretary of treasure, a committee to find out the times they could hop trains, a cook with assis...