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Tom Monto

One Big Union from IWW to NDP

1919 the One Big Union was founded in Calgary.


The Bulletin asserted "The OBU is simply IWWism by any other name."


This could be well be true.


The IWW had been banned as a seditious organization by the Canadian government in 1917.


But it was relatively simple to set up new group with different name to pursue the same goal of class struggle and defence of workers, farmers and ordinary families.


In fact the "One Big Union" was the motto of the IWW - the Industrial Workers of the World.


The One Big Union encountered opposition from the international craft unions, the business community, governments and of course the private media. The overlap between its leaders and the activist in the general strikes of that year hardened attitudes. It soon lost most of its drive but as late as the 1950s it was the union of Winnipeg Transit workers.


In 1956 it merged into the Canadian Labour Congress.

Five years later the CLC joined with the CCF political party to form the NDP.


So it could be said that the One Big Union never died - it just changed its name.


The IWW, after becoming legal again years after the end of WWI, still exists - under its own name. Occasionally local IWWs launch unionization drives in Whyte Avenue nightclubs, among the so-called precariat - proletariat with precarious work arrangements.


Thanks for reading.

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