Industrial Workers of the World Archives

Discord in Concord: Erasing ‘The Rebel Girl’

Jun 2, 2023

New Hampshire is removing a historical marker honoring labor heroine Elizabeth Gurley Flynn. As erasure of labor’s story, it fits a pattern.

Doormakers decide it’s time for a union

Oct 7, 2022

The Millworkers United organizing campaign at Pacific Architectural Wood Products was set in motion over after-work beers.

Union reaches agreement with Burgerville

Nov 17, 2021

Roughly 100 workers at 5 Portland-area Burgerville locations are about to be the first fast food workers in America to have a union contract.

Union sours on Scottie’s Pizza

Jul 1, 2020

COVID forced the union pizzeria to close. Now laid-off union workers fault owner Scottie Rivera for reopening with a skeleton crew.

Oregon’s logger union fighters come alive in a novelistic rejoinder to Ken Kesey’s scab heroes

Mar 4, 2020

The novel’s heroes are a Finnish immigrant family in Astoria in the early 20th century, exploited as fishers and loggers, who become involved with the IWW.

Union-made pizza? In Portland, Wobblies serve a fair slice

Oct 30, 2019

At Scottie’s Pizza in Southeast Portland, workers joined IWW. And Scottie was just fine with that.

Fast food workers announce union at Little Big Burger chain

Mar 19, 2019

A group of Little Big Burger employees — accompanied by over 100 picket-sign-wielding supporters — presented a letter to a Northwest Portland restaurant manager seeking union recognition.

Union Organizing

Gladstone Burgerville becomes the second store to vote in union

May 14, 2018

The vote was 17 to 5 to unionize with the Burgerville Workers Union, which is affiliated with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).

Burgerville workers wage one-store Labor Day strike for holiday pay

Sep 5, 2017

It’s the latest action by the Burgerville Workers Union, which has been campaigning for affordable health benefits and a $5 an hour raise.

Workers Rights

Burgerville pays $10,000 to settle wage and hour violations

Jul 6, 2017

Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries found that the company willfully failed to give workers meal and rest breaks as required by law.