February 4

On this day in labor history, the year was 1869 and we celebrate the birthday of one of the most formidable figures in U.S. labor. “Big Bill Haywood” was one of the founders of the Industrial Workers of the World or IWW in 1905.  He was also active in the Socialist Party. Haywood entered the mines at only nine years of age.  He became the secretary-treasurer of the Western Federation of Miners in 1900.