About 40 people showed up yesterday to listen to one of Alden Library’s own faculty members conclude this quarter’s Culture Series Showcase theme on the history of labor unions and their relation to today’s current events.
Reference librarian Tim Smith spoke about the Industrial Workers of the World, also known as Wobblies, and highlighted major moments and people involved in the labor union’s 106-year history, relating it to the modern Occupy Wall Street demonstrations.
“Today’s Occupy Wall Street coverage has the same spirit that was going on years ago,” Smith said.
The IWW also recently announced its support of the Occupy movements showing their presence is still around today, he added.
“I planned this several months ago before Occupy Wall Street existed, and it was a nice coincidence that it’s another way the Wobblies are still relevant,” Smith said.
Smith was part of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees when he worked as a library clerk 38 years ago in Philadelphia, but he had no interest in the topic of labor unions until he heard of singer Utah Phillips 30 years ago. Phillips was an IWW activist who described the struggles of labor unions and the power of direct action in his music, Smith said.
Besides Phillips, Smith highlighted Joe Hill, a Swedish immigrant who was one of the most famous activists after joining the IWW in 1910 and wrote many now-famous activist songs, including “The Preacher and the Slave,” which was sung by Phillips.
Hill’s song became popular after he was killed in 1915 for being accused of the murder of a shop owner in Salt Lake City, said Smith, who played various music and videos during the presentation.
It is not entirely known where the name Wobblies originated, Smith said.
Smith’s lecture was part of the University Libraries Diversity Committee’s Culture Showcase Series, which was created in 2008 with the intent of covering relevant topics that are normally ignored, said Eileen Theodore-Shusta, the committee's chairwoman.
“We tell the speakers what the general theme is and leave it up to them on how they want to pursue,” she said.
Winter Quarter’s series will be focused on the culture of sustainability in Athens and will consist of one large panel discussion, she said.
Theodore-Shusta was especially pleased with the event's crowd, which ranged from young children to retired faculty.
“I’m always surprised and pleased at how it goes and think this event went very well,” she said.
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