IWW Involvement
Fletcher was a prominent member of the IWW's Philadelphia branch of longshoremen, called the Local 8. In May 1913 thousands of longshoremen struck for better wages and union recognition; their new union—the IWW. Following the strike, Fletcher led Local 8 and was celebrated in the Wobbly press, the IWW newspaper. Local 8 in general and Fletcher in particular seemed to prove one of the anti-capitalists' central tenets: race was used to divide workers who shared a more important identity, that of class, but unions could overcome that challenge. While this notion still is debated hotly, it is undeniable that thousands of African American longshoremen belonged on an equal terms to an organization that proved that interracialism was not only possible but essential to true working class might. That Local 8 remained a powerful force despite employer and governmental hostility indicates as much.
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