Myth #11 - The IWW, like all unions, is controlled by organized crime

First of all, it is a myth that organized crime, including the infamous MAFIA, controls all or even most North American labor unions. (It is true that the Teamsters, International Longshore Association (ILA), Hotel, Bar and Restaurant Workers Union (HERE), Seafarers International Union (SIU), and various Building Trades unions have had to deal with MAFIA corruption). Many AFL-CIO rank & filers have fought long and hard to purge any and all forms of corruption (MAFIA and otherwise) from their unions; it's an ongoing struggle.

But the IWW has never been controlled by the MAFIA or any form of organized crime. In fact, because the IWW is so strongly committed to rank & file democracy, criminal control of the IWW would not only be impossible, the crime syndicates would not want to attempt it, because the IWW's culture of openness and accountability would probably do them more harm than good if they tried to infiltrate the IWW in the first place!

Next page: Myth #12 - The IWW's ultimate goal is the establishment of a totalitarian society.