Calling All Workers! Come to Everett on November 5th!

All IWWs and friends are requested to make the trip to Everett, Washington at 1:30 PM on Saturday, November 5th to commemorate the massacre of our members at that time and date in 1916.  “Completing the Voyage” honors the 12 murdered and 27 injured Wobblies aboard the steamer Verona shot down by the sheriff and his drunken goons at 2 PM.  Three hundred Fellow Workers were attempting to return to the city in northwest Washinton State to carry on with their free speech fight.

As important as the centennial memorial is, the real goal is to let workers in the Everett area know that IWW is here.  Whatcom-Skagit Branch is planning two public “Introduction to the IWW” presentations in Everett later in November; the town is ripe for reestablishing the IWW.  We are hoping for cooperation and assistance from Vancouver, Seattle, Olympia, and Portland GMBs.

The rally point is the west end of Hewitt Avenue, only 200 yards from the site of the murders.  IWWs will lay wreaths and have a short ceremony, then walk seven blocks to “Speakers Corner” at the corner of Hewitt and Wetmore, where only days before the massacre IWWS were thrown in jail for asserting their right to free speech.  We will soapbox about the modern IWW on the busy downtow street corner, and sing, too.  The commemoration will end with a caravan 25 miles south to Seattle’s Mount Pleasent Cemetery where we will visit the gravesite of 3 of the 1916 victims, Fellow Workers Felix Baran, James Looney, and Hugo Gerlot.

PLEASE COME!  Everett will receive a lot of publicity from IWW prior to our event, and there may be a lot of local media attention.  We need every Wob who can to come to Everett.  For more information, contact the Whatcom-Skagit IWW branch: iwwbellingham@gmail.com.  Traveling wobs are urged to make wreaths or large bouquets, or ask our branch to make one in your name.  GMBs should bring their banners and IWW flags.