bummery
nounEtymology From bum + -ery and the idea that they were a collective of bums?
1
Historical The faction of the Industrial Workers of the World in the 20th century which favored direct action.
- When De Leon broke with the I. W. W. in 1908 there were again members of the Party who declaimed against his abandoning the I. W. W. - members who had no sympathy with the bummery element.1924, Proceedings of the National Convention of the Socialist Labor Party, page 36:
- But the hour belonged to the bummery. Proclaiming a millennial vision of “One Big Union,” the hobo insurgents won the day, ousting the home-guard and dedicating the IWW to direct economic action exclusively.2010, Todd DePastino, Citizen Hobo: How a Century of Homelessness Shaped America, page 95: