New York – With growing excitement, involvement, and independence, the labor movement could have its biggest impact on national elections in 2008 than it has had since the 1930s, said Communist Party Labor Commission Chair Scott Marshall in a teleconference with activists last week.
Marshall stressed that the greater independence of labor in this cycle has been developing over the last few years. "The labor movement has been moving consistently in the direction of greater political involvement and greater political independence over the last five or six election cycles, really since the change in leadership in 1995," Marshall noted.
That new found independence and activism includes a new relationship with the Democratic Party, Marshall emphasized. "It's not just more of the same," he said.
"Unions have taken over independently. Much of the electoral work of labor unions is being done out of union halls, quite independent of the Democratic Party, although very much in cooperation with the Democratic Party," he said. "But it's not a question anymore, and it hasn't been for a long time, of just giving money to candidates and putting their stamp of approval on candidates."
"It has been a very activist, hands-on involvement by the labor movement, in their own name and increasingly with their own structures," Marshall stated. "I don't think there has been this kind of development since the 1930s."
The new found independence and the upsurge of voters against the Bush administration have given labor an important role in driving the agenda of the Democratic Party and the voter upsurge that surrounds it, said Marshall.
"Labor's agenda is driving the overall agenda and having a huge influence on the Democratic Party and on the candidates," Marshal maintained.
On the issues, labor has a broad agenda, but is specifically looking to win at least two important national goals as a result of this election: universal health care and passage of the employee free choice act, he noted.
In addition to these, Marshall continued, labor rights in general, the bad economy, and increasingly linking the war to the bad economy, trade and manufacturing, and immigration reform are integral parts of labor's program.
Marshall also highlighted some key activities the labor movement is involved with: mobilizing hundreds of thousands of labor activists in labor walks and the John McCain Revealed Campaign. He asserted that election work is rebuilding the unity of the labor movement itself, hinting that it is only a matter of time before the Change to Win federation re-merges with the AFL-CIO. But most importantly, Marshall concluded, labor is playing a decisive role in forging the unity of the ground and electoral forces that will be needed to defeat John McCain and the Republicans on November 4th.
You can follow the activities of the labor commission by checking out its blog at laborupfront.blogspot.com.
