The Radical Legacy of the Wobblies: Unstable Advocates for Labor Rights

Wobblies were members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), a radical labor union founded in 1905. The IWW was known for its militant, anti-capitalist stance and its advocacy of industrial unionism, which aimed to organize all workers in a particular industry into one big union. The Wobblies were also known for their use of direct action, such as strikes and boycotts, to achieve their goals.
The term "Wobble" was coined by the IWW's opponents, who used it to deride the union's members as unstable and radical. However, the Wobblies embraced the term and proudly called themselves Wobblies. Today, the term is still used to refer to members of the IWW or to anyone who advocates for radical labor rights and social justice.