Writing for A. Philip Randolph’s ‘The Messenger’ long-time wobbly activist and Philadelphia longshore workers’ leader Ben Fletcher explains the history of Marine Transport Workers’ Union Local 8 of the I.W.W. and why they have chosen to leave the Industrial Workers of the World after a decade as one of that organizations’ most successful Locals.

‘The Philadelphia Longshoremen Become an Independent Union’ by Ben Fletcher from The Messenger. Vol. 5 No. 6. June, 1923.

During the month of May, 1913, the Longshoremen of Philadelphia went on strike and re-entered the Labor Movement after an absence of 15 years. A few days after their strike began against those intolerable conditions and low wages always imposed upon the unorganized workers, representatives of both the Marine Transport Workers’ Union of the I.W.W. and the International Longshoremen’s Union of the A.F.L. got before them and presented their various arguments favoring the Philadelphia Longshoremen’s affiliation. At a mass meeting they made their choice, deciding to organize into the I.W.W. and by May 20th had become an integral part of that organization.

After nine years’ identification with the I.W.W. they have been forced to sever their connections with that organization in order to prevent the annihilation of their local autonomy by that unreasonable and in efficient Centralism that has grown upon the I.W.W. since 1916. Since that year innumerable assaults have been made by both the Central Administration of the Marine Transport Workers and the Central Administration of the I.W.W. upon their right to determine the local administration of their Union’s affairs. Unacquainted in a practical way with the problems arising from a job-controlling organization, numbering 3,000 members; “Foot Loose Wobblies” from the I.W.W. Western jurisdiction, by abusing The I.W.W. Universal Transfer System, sought to (and sometimes succeeded) acquire a determining voice and vote on any question relating to Local Job or Financial matters.

Repeatedly the I.W.W. General Administration has attempted to force the Philadelphia Marine Transport Workers’ Union to remit to the Marine Transport Workers’ Central office, weekly, all net income balances above $100 and to confine all expenditures to those “permitted.” Needless to state the organization consistently refused to do so. Last Fall the “Foot Loose Wobblies” succeeded in stampeding the Union into an insane attempt to wrest from the U. S. Shipping Board and Private Steamship and Stevedoring Interests the 44-hour week single handed. Immediately upon the collapse of the strike a representative of the I.W.W.’s General Administration appeared before a regular business meeting of the Philadelphia Longshoremen and delivered the following ultimatum: “You must strictly comply with the Constitution of the Central Office, or by the authority vested in the General Executive Board your charter will be annulled and your funds seized.”

Pursuant to a motion under new business, steps were taken immediately to safeguard all property and funds of the Union. Last month (April) the organization of the Longshoremen in Philadelphia became a duly chartered Independent Union, known as the Philadelphia Longshoremen’s Union. As heretofore it will embrace in One Union any and all workers engaged in the Marine Transport Industry.

The history of the Philadelphia Longshoremen’s connection with the I.W.W. is one of unswerving loyalty to its fundamental principles. Some have died while hundreds of others have been jailed as its standard bearers in order to vindicate its cause. At no time during this connection was it necessary to appeal for outside aid to meet the expense incurred in defending its jailed militants. Into the coffers of the I.W.W. the Philadelphia Longshoremen dumped $50,000 in per capita tax alone during their affiliation, organization assessments, relief, defense and miscellaneous contributions in proportion.

Notwithstanding, the I.W.W. was not able in that period of time with that amount of finance at their disposal to organize one supporting job control port. The Philadelphia Longshoremen are of the opinion that they and they alone can rebuild their organization, just as it was they and they alone who did the trick in the past. They are confident that the organizing of the waterfront workers strictly upon the basis of and in conformity with their class interests will eventually overcome all the slander, baseless charges and race baiting now being propagated with avidity by those who were once loudest in their praise and boast of our power and righteousness.

The Messenger was founded and published in New York City by A. Phillip Randolph and Chandler Owen in 1917 after they both joined the Socialist Party of America. The Messenger opposed World War I, conscription and supported the Bolshevik Revolution, though it remained loyal to the Socialist Party when the left split in 1919. It sought to promote a labor-orientated Black leadership, “New Crowd Negroes,” as explicitly opposed to the positions of both WEB DuBois and Booker T Washington at the time. Both Owen and Randolph were arrested under the Espionage Act in an attempt to disrupt The Messenger. Eventually, The Messenger became less political and more trade union focused. After the departure of and Owen, the focus again shifted to arts and culture. The Messenger ceased publishing in 1928. Its early issues contain invaluable articles on the early Black left.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/messenger/v5n06-jun-1923-Messenger-riaz-cov.pdf