Labor 131: Southern Timber Workers' Radical Union

On today’s edition of Labor 131, presented by the National Labor Office, Dr. Mac Marquis, labor historian with the Labor and Working Class History Association, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the Brotherhood of Timber Workers, a radical interracial union in the post-Reconstruction South. Marquis explored the union's formation, its struggle against powerful timber companies and its eventual affiliation with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).

The Brotherhood of Timber Workers emerged in 1910 from a legacy of labor strife in the Southern timber industry. Marquis explained how the organizers worked in secret, disguising themselves as preachers and salesmen to build support. He said the union faced fierce opposition from timber companies, who formed the Southern Lumber Operators Association to combat labor organizing through blacklists and armed guards.

Initially segregated, Marquis shared the union’s evolution to include African American, Mexican and Italian workers as full members, defying Jim Crow norms. This integration, he said, was driven by the leadership's desire to affiliate with the anti-segregationist IWW. Marquis explained that the union originally voted against desegregation and affiliation with the IWW during its first convention in 1911. However, he said that at the union's second convention in 1912, members voted not only to desegregate but also to admit women as full members.

The Brotherhood's struggle came to a crescendo during the 1912 Grabow incident. Marquis explained there was a violent clash between company gunmen and the BTW that led to deaths and mass arrests of union leaders. He explained that despite the setback, the union achieved a significant victory in Merryville, La., where they secured recognition by the employer and first contracts. However, financial strain and leadership losses ultimately contributed to the union's decline by 1916.

For a deeper dive into this fascinating chapter of labor history, listen to the full episode.