BRATTLEBORO — On Sunday, May 1, the multimedia arts venue Epsilon Spires will join independent theaters across the country in screening The Wobblies, a 1978 documentary about the Industrial Workers of the World, which has recently been restored by the Museum of Modern Art and re-released in digital 4K.
Since the late 19th century, the first day of May has been marked by demonstrations supporting workers' rights, and it is now recognized as a federal holiday in many countries around the world.
Epsilon Spires is participating in the simultaneous May Day screenings of The Wobblies in solidarity with the causes promoted by the Industrial Workers of the World, including anti-discrimination practices and conditions that honor the dignity of all workers.
“We never imagined that the themes of labor exploitation, anti-immigrant legislation, and racial and gender discrimination would resonate as strongly today,” say the co-directors of the film, Stewart Bird and Deborah Schaffer, in a joint statement about the release of the digitally remastered version of The Wobblies.
Founded in Chicago in 1905, the Industrial Workers of the World distinguished itself from other unions by encouraging any worker to join, regardless of trade, gender, or race. The IWW aimed to empower the working class to join together in a revolutionary effort to overthrow the employing class, in order to “take possession of the means of production, abolish the wage system, and live in harmony with the Earth,” according to the IWW Constitution.
The radical politics of the IWW have led to feuds with other unions and intense government crackdowns due to its association with socialist and anarchist labor movements. And although the IWW still exists today, with over 9,000 members in the United States alone, this number is a small fraction of the approximately 150,000 workers who were part of the union at its peak in the 1910s and 20s.
The Wobblies began production in 1977, when workers who had been a part of the IWW during its heyday were still alive.
“Our goal was to rescue and record an almost completely neglected chapter of American history as told by its elderly survivors,” say Bird and Schaffer. Instead of relying entirely on archival footage, the directors of The Wobblies were able to feature interviews with the men and women who fought for workers' rights during a pivotal time in history, inspiring modern-day audiences to consider what still needs to be done to promote solidarity and equality in our world today.
This free event begins at 8 p.m. Refreshments during the event will be provided through a donation from the Brattleboro Food Co-op. For more information, visit epsilonspires.org.