The Wobblies:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Workers_of_the_World
Chicago
Minnesota
Washington State — Note the Everett ‘massacre’ and general strike. Dockworkers again.
I used to know someone whose parents were familiar with the goings on of the Wobblies. Decades later, no one talked about details of anything. Many secrets were buried with the people of that generation. Even here, I carefully reword certain phrases, and all I know is that I had a 30 second exchange with that person about cursory generalizations, at the same time that I read up on the ghastly tale of Frances Farmer.
This is from 2008:
Twelve members of Operating Engineers Local 17, including high-ranking officials, were arrested April 8 by federal officers on charges of extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion and conspiracy to commit racketeering.
Mark Kirsch, Local 17, is among those accused of engaging in attacks on non-union workers and their families over a 10-year period by committing acts of bodily harm, destruction of property and workplace sabotage in order to force employers to hire workers chosen by the union.
Todays indictment is a critical first step toward releasing local industry and contractors from the stranglehold of corrupt union leaders who are charged with extortion, workplace sabotage and other labor racketeering crimes, said Gordon S. Heddell, U.S. Department of Labor inspector general.
Just one example. Google (or Bing as I do) “union members indicted).