Myth #5 - The IWW believes in destruction of property

This myth is a result of the IWW's historical advocacy of economic direct action, sometimes called "sabotage". Even the word "sabotage" has mythological origins. Contrary to widely held opinion--which sometimes finds its way to big budget Hollywood Films, such as Star Trek VI, the Undiscovered Country--sabotage did not originate from workers throwing their wooden sabots (shoes) into machines to stop them. In fact, the word has a much less romantic origin. The wooden sabots sometimes worn by the working class in the early industrial age made their walking inefficient.

Early in the IWW's history, the union discussed sabotage freely, and various members of the organization (notably Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and Walker C. Smith) advocated it and wrote detailed pamphlets on sabotage as a tactic.

For more on the IWW's association with "Sabotage" readers are encouraged to view this page.

Sabotage is a form of organized inefficiency by workers, designed to negatively impact the employer. But the one thing sabotage isn't, is destruction of the machinery of production, or the product itself. The IWW believes that the machinery of production and the product of workers' labor belongs to the workers themselves, and destruction of the same would be like burning one's own house down! Throughout its history, the employing class had tried to paint the IWW as arsonists and nihilists, but the reality is that such attempts are hostile lies spread by the employing class to stir up reactionary hysteria or fabricate a legal case against the union.

The IWW (and all other unions) have historically used organized inefficiency as a form of direct action at the point of production to gain improved working conditions from the employers. The employing class seeks to give the working class as little as they can get away with. When workers withdraw their efficiency, there is little the employing class can do about it, so they spread lies about "sabotage" and spread lies about workers "destroying property".

Employers still do this even now (they make similar claims about mainstream business unions). Many workers are turned off by the notion of property destruction (it's especially true in America where "private property" is worshipped with religious fervor). Workers should not worry, because the IWW does not advocate property destruction (we just don't worship "private property" like a religious icon!)

The IWW believes that the working class should own and operate the means of production, and we cannot do that if we destroy it!

Next page: Myth #6 - The currently existing IWW is not the same organization as the historically famous IWW.