Under the Iron Heel: The Wobblies and the Capitalist War on Radical Workers

The IWW, a radical union founded in 1905, was destroyed in 1917 due to a campaign of legal repression and vigilantism. Under the Iron Heel is the first comprehensive account of this campaign, documenting the courage of those who faced this campaign and the origins of the unequal and conflicted nation we know today.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 360 pages
Publication date: 13 February 2024
Publisher: University of California Press

In 1917, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) experienced a rapid surge in membership and influence. However, within a decade, this radical union faced a catastrophic demise, becoming the victim of the most remarkable campaign of legal repression and vigilantism in American history. This campaign is explored in depth in Ahmed White's groundbreaking book, Under the Iron Heel.

Founded in 1905, the IWW aimed to provide a better world for the millions of workers suffering under industrial capitalism. Its growth, coinciding with World War I, the Russian Revolution, and driven by unwavering militancy, alarmed powerful capitalists and government officials, who perceived it as an existential threat that needed to be eradicated.

In Under the Iron Heel, Ahmed White meticulously documents the relentless legal persecution and extralegal, sometimes lethal violence that shattered the IWW. Through his research, he reveals the remarkable courage of those who faced this campaign, exposes the roots of the deeply unequal and conflicted nation we know today, and sheds light on disturbing truths about the law, political repression, and the limitations of free speech and association in class society.

The book provides a comprehensive account of the IWW's rise and fall, shedding light on the complex factors that led to its demise. It explores the role of government agencies, corporations, and vigilantes in suppressing the union's activities, and the devastating impact this had on the lives of its members and their families.

Under the Iron Heel is a powerful and thought-provoking work that challenges our understanding of labor history and the ongoing struggle for workers' rights. It serves as a reminder of the importance of solidarity, resistance, and the pursuit of a better world for all workers, regardless of their political beliefs or social status.

Weight: 490g
Dimension: 153 x 229 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520402287