Labor Party (United States, 1996): Difference between revisions

Labor Party
Labor Party
Founded	1996; 28 years ago
Dissolved	2007; 17 years ago
Succeeded by	South Carolina Workers Party
Ideology	Social democracy; Progressivism; Trade unionism; Democratic socialism; Left-wing populism;
Political position	Center-left to left-wing
Website
	thelaborparty.org
	Politics of United States; Political parties; Elections;

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The Labor Party (LP) was a social democratic political party in the United States of America. LP formed at a national convention of unions and labor activists in 1996.

The LP collapsed after its founder, Tony Mazzocchi, died in 2002. The party became defunct in 2007, except for the branch in South Carolina, which became the South Carolina Workers Party.

History

Origins

In 1989, members of Socialist Alternative in AFSCME created the Campaign for a Labor Party (CLP). CLP meetings persuaded Mazzochi that enough support existed in unions for a labor party, and he created Labor Party Advocates in 1990.^[1]

The Labor Party was officially formed in 1996 by the Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers International Union, United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America, United Mine Workers, International Longshore and Warehouse Union, American Federation of Government Employees, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes, California Nurses Association, Farm Labor Organizing Committee and hundreds of other local labor unions.^{[citation needed]} Delegates to the founding convention adopted a 16-point program called "A Call for Economic Justice."

Fissures

From the beginning a dispute over the Party's running of candidates arose with many of the official unions totally opposed to running candidates that might cause the defeat of their normal Democratic allies. Smaller locals and left union activists on the other had pushed for a clean break with the Democratic Party. This issue was debated internally for years until 1999 when the Party's leadership agreed to some endorsements of Labor Party members running.^{[citation needed]}

Demise

After the 2000 elections, even symbolic support dripped away. In 2002, founding national organizer Tony Mazzocchi died. Mark Dudzic confirmed that the national party had suspended operations in 2007.^[2]

South Carolina

Despite national decline, the South Carolina chapter remained active.^[3] It has run several third-party candidates, in contrast to the national Labor Party.

In 2023, members of the SC branch called a convention, ended their affiliation with the (defunct) Labor Party, and renamed to the South Carolina Workers Party.^[4]

Election results

In 2001 the Labor Party endorsed labor-sponsored independent candidates in San Francisco and Ohio local elections.^{[citation needed]}

National conventions

Name	Date	Place	Program	Report
1st Convention	June 6-9, 1996	Cleveland, Ohio	"Call for Economic Justice"
2nd Convention	July 25-28, 2002	Washington, DC		Convention Highlights

References

^ "From The Archives Of The Socialist Alternative Press-Articles on the US Labor Party (1997-2002)". July 28, 2019.
^ "Labor Party Time? Not yet"
^ "Certified Political Parties of South Carolina | SCVotes".
^ Kenmore, Abraham (March 25, 2024). "Candidates kept off SC ballots in '22 start new 3rd party, file to run for Legislature". The Florida Phoenix. Retrieved June 5, 2024.

External links

Official site

[1] "From The Archives Of The Socialist Alternative Press-Articles on the US Labor Party (1997-2002)". July 28, 2019.

[2] "Labor Party Time? Not yet"

[3] "Certified Political Parties of South Carolina | SCVotes".

[4] Kenmore, Abraham (March 25, 2024). "Candidates kept off SC ballots in '22 start new 3rd party, file to run for Legislature". The Florida Phoenix. Retrieved June 5, 2024.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{about|the now defunct Labor Party formed in the United States in 1996|other Labor parties|Labor Party (disambiguation)|a list of workers parties|Workers' Party (disambiguation)}}
+{{Short description|Democratic socialist political party in the United States}}
+{{about|now defunct Labor Party formed in the United States in 1996|other Labor parties|Labor Party (disambiguation)|a list of workers parties|Workers' Party (disambiguation)}}
 {{Infobox political party
-| name             = South Carolina Workers Party (formerly Labor Party 1996)
+| name             = Labor Party
-| logo             = Scworkersparty.png
+| logo             = Labour Party USA Logo.png
-| colorcode        = #292973
+| colorcode        = #19194A
-| National Organizer =
 | foundation       = {{start date and age|1996}}
+| dissolved        = {{end date and age|2007}}
-| footnotes = suspended 2007<br>reformed as SC Workers Party 2023
+| successor        = [[South Carolina Workers Party]]
 | ideology         = {{ubl|[[Social democracy]]|[[Progressivism]]|[[Trade unionism]]|[[Democratic socialism]]|[[Left-wing populism]]}}
+| position         = [[Center-left politics|Center-left]] to [[Left-wing politics|left-wing]]
-| successor        = SC Workers Party
+| website          = {{URL|thelaborparty.org}}
-| position         = <!-- Per longstanding consensus: no American political party should have their position on the ideological spectrum listed-->
-| colors           = [[Indigo]], [[red]], [[white]]
-| website          = {{url|scworkersparty.org}}
 | country          = United States
 }}
+The '''Labor Party''' (LP) was a [[Social democracy|social democratic]] [[Political parties in the United States|political party in the United States of America]]. LP formed at a national convention of unions and labor activists in 1996.
+The LP collapsed after its founder, [[Tony Mazzocchi]], died in 2002. The party became defunct in 2007, except for the branch in [[South Carolina]], which became the [[South Carolina Workers Party]].
+== History ==
-The Labor Party was formed in 1996 by the [[Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers International Union]], [[United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America]], [[United Mine Workers]], [[International Longshore and Warehouse Union]], [[American Federation of Government Employees]], [[California Nurses Association]], and hundreds of other local [[labor union]]s. From the beginning a dispute over the Party's running of candidates arose with many of the official unions totally opposed to running candidates that might cause the defeat of their normal [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] allies. Smaller locals and left union activists on the other had pushed for a clean break with the Democratic Party. This issue was debated internally for years until 1999 when the Party's leadership agreed to some endorsements of Labor Party members running. In 2001 the Labor Party endorsed labor sponsored independent candidates in San Francisco and Ohio local elections. After the 2000 elections even symbolic support dripped away. The future of the party remains uncertain, particularly after the 2002 death of [[Tony Mazzocchi]], the founding national organizer. In 2023 the SC branch broke away from the national labor party and renamed itself the South Carolina Workers Party.  All of the founding unions continued to actively support Democratic Party candidates.
+=== Origins ===
-In December 2005, the South Carolina Labor Party announced that it would seek ballot status in [[South Carolina]] and run a candidate in the 2006 legislative elections.  ''Labor Party News'' quoted Leonard Riley, President of the [[Charleston, South Carolina|Charleston]] [[International Longshoremen's Association]] Local 1422 as saying, "Given the results of the past few elections, I think the workers of South Carolina would jump at the opportunity to consider a Labor Party which would guarantee an uncompromising voice for working people on their issues."[http://www.thelaborparty.org/n_1205.pdf] Although South Carolina law permitted [[electoral fusion]], the Labor Party pledged not to endorse candidates of any other party.
+In 1989, members of [[Socialist Alternative (United States)|Socialist Alternative]] in [[AFSCME]] created the Campaign for a Labor Party (CLP). CLP meetings persuaded Mazzochi that enough support existed in unions for a labor party, and he created Labor Party Advocates in 1990.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://markinbookreview.blogspot.com/2012/07/from-archives-of-socialist-alternative.html |title=From The Archives Of The Socialist Alternative Press-Articles on the US Labor Party (1997-2002) |date=July 28, 2019}}</ref>
+The Labor Party was officially formed in 1996 by the [[Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers International Union]], [[United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America]], [[United Mine Workers]], [[International Longshore and Warehouse Union]], [[American Federation of Government Employees]], [[Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes]], [[California Nurses Association]], [[Farm Labor Organizing Committee]] and hundreds of other local [[labor union]]s.{{cn|date=August 2024}} Delegates to the founding convention adopted a 16-point program called "A Call for Economic Justice."
-Party officials acknowledged that the choice of South Carolina may have seemed unusual due to the fact that the state had the second lowest concentration of union workers in the United States. However, party officials said that the relatively high unemployment rate, the decline in the textile industry, and the indifference of the state Democratic and Republican parties to the interests of working people, African-Americans and women created a political space for the Labor Party.<ref name=":1">[http://www.thelaborparty.org/a_orange.html Labor Party<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060906183657/http://www.thelaborparty.org/a_orange.html |date=2006-09-06 }}</ref> The party submitted 16,500 signatures on July 11, 2006. If 10,000 of the signatures were valid, the party would be qualified for the 2007 and 2008 elections.<ref name=":2">http://www.ballot-access.org/2006/080106.html#16 ''Labor Party launches petition drive to gain ballot access'', South Carolina Times and Democrat, Orangeburg, S.C.</ref> This effort was apparently unrelated to the concurrent attempt of the [[Working Families Party]] to gain ballot access in South Carolina, a state that allows [[electoral fusion]].<ref name=":3">[http://www.ballot-access.org/2006/07/21/south-carolina-working-families-party-will-sue-to-get-on-2006-ballot/ Ballot Access News » Blog Archive » South Carolina Working Families Party Will Sue to Get on 2006 Ballot<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In July 2007 ''[[Ballot Access News]]'' reported that the SCLP was attempting to recruit candidates.<ref>[http://www.ballot-access.org/2007/07/31/south-carolina-labor-party-recruiting-candidates/ "South Carolina Labor Party Recruiting Candidates"]</ref>
+=== Fissures ===
-The party suspended active operations in 2007 but a group said to be affiliated with the party nominated one candidate for the [[South Carolina State House]] for 2010. The candidate, Brett Bursey, received 442 votes, or 3.06%.<ref>http://www.scvotes.org/files/2010%20Convention%20Party%20Candidates.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref>
+From the beginning a dispute over the Party's running of candidates arose with many of the official unions totally opposed to running candidates that might cause the defeat of their normal [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] allies. Smaller locals and left union activists on the other had pushed for a clean break with the Democratic Party. This issue was debated internally for years until 1999 when the Party's leadership agreed to some endorsements of Labor Party members running.{{cn|date=August 2024}}
+=== Demise ===
-In December 2012, [[Mark Dudzic]] wrote an article in which he confirmed that the party had suspended operations in 2007. While some have taken this to mean that he said that the time was currently not right for the Labor Party to exist, others have seen this as a start of a discussion about the future of the Labor Party.<ref>[http://www.thelaborparty.org/d_lp_time.htm "Labor Party Time? Not yet"]</ref>
+After the 2000 elections, even symbolic support dripped away. In 2002, founding national organizer [[Tony Mazzocchi]] died. [[Mark Dudzic]] confirmed that the national party had suspended operations in 2007.<ref>[http://www.thelaborparty.org/d_lp_time.htm "Labor Party Time? Not yet"]</ref>
+=== South Carolina ===
-In the [[2020 South Carolina House of Representatives election]], Labor Party candidate Willie Legette ran for District 95. Legette won 12.1% of the vote, coming in second place to incumbent Democrat [[Jerry Govan Jr.]]'s 86.6% of the vote.
+Despite national decline, the [[South Carolina]] chapter remained active.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.scvotes.gov/certified-political-parties-south-carolina | title=Certified Political Parties of South Carolina &#124; SCVotes}}</ref> It has run several third-party candidates, in contrast to the national Labor Party.
+In 2023, members of the SC branch called a convention, ended their affiliation with the (defunct) Labor Party, and renamed to the [[South Carolina Workers Party]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kenmore |first=Abraham |date=March 25, 2024 |title=Candidates kept off SC ballots in '22 start new 3rd party, file to run for Legislature |url=https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/03/25/candidates-kept-off-sc-ballots-in-22-start-new-3rd-party-file-to-run-for-legislature/ |access-date=June 5, 2024 |work=The Florida Phoenix}}</ref>
-In 2022 the [[South Carolina Democratic Party|SCDP]] filed a suit against the SC Labor Party to get Governor candidate [[Gary Votour]] off the ballot. DNC lawyers alleged they had missed the deadline to file for candidacy despite the SCDP primary having taken place after the March 30 deadline.<ref>{{Cite web |last=sadcox@postandcourier.com |first=Seanna Adcox |date=2022-08-18 |title=SC judge rules Labor Party candidates can't be on November ballots |url=https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/sc-judge-rules-labor-party-candidates-cant-be-on-november-ballots/article_edecbbf4-1d63-11ed-99c5-6368746b1ef9.html |access-date=2023-05-16 |website=Post and Courier |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=2022 Primary Archives |url=http://scdp.org/tag/2022-primary/ |access-date=2023-05-16 |website=South Carolina Democratic Party |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=cnadmin |date=2022-03-09 |title=Partisan Candidate Filing Period Opens March 16 |url=http://scvotes.gov/partisan-candidate-filing-period-opens-march-16/ |access-date=2023-05-16 |website=SC Votes - South Carolina Election Commission |language=en-US}}</ref>
+== Election results ==
-This suit caused a rupture between former Co-Chair Willie Legette, who supported the SCDP, and the rest of the party, which desired to break from the party and run their own candidates. In response, on March 26, 2023, the party officially changed its name to the South Carolina Workers Party, holding a convention, electing new officers, and breaking away from any national Labor Party affiliation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=scworkersparty |date=2023-05-06 |title=South Carolina Workers Party |url=https://scworkersparty.org/news/ |access-date=2023-05-16 |website=South Carolina Workers Party |language=en}}</ref>
+In 2001 the Labor Party endorsed labor-sponsored independent candidates in San Francisco and Ohio local elections.{{cn|date=August 2024}}
+== National conventions ==
-==Notable members==
+{| class="wikitable"
-* [[Adolph Reed]], academic and author
+|-
-* [[Theresa El-Amin]], civil rights activist
+! Name
-* [[Gary Olson (political scientist)|Gary Olson]], academic
+! Date
-* [https://keywiki.org/Donna_DeWitt Donna DeWitt], former President of SC AFL-CIO, current Co-Chair
+! Place
+! Program
+! Report
+|-
+| 1st Convention
+| June 6-9, 1996
+| [[Cleveland, Ohio]]
+| [https://thelaborparty.org/d_program.htm "Call for Economic Justice"]
+|
+|-
+| 2nd Convention
+| July 25-28, 2002
+| [[Washington, DC]]
+|
+| [https://web.archive.org/web/20041101072221/http://thelaborparty.org/c_highli.html Convention Highlights]
+|}
-==External links==
+== See also ==
+* [[American Left]]
-*[https://scworkersparty.org/ Official site]
+* [[History of the socialist movement in the United States]]
-*[https://carolinaworker.substack.com/ Online Publication]
+* [[Democratic Socialists of America]]
+* [[South Carolina Workers Party]]
-==References==
+== References ==
+{{reflist}}
+== External links ==
-<references/>
+*[https://thelaborparty.org/ Official site]
 {{United States political parties}}
@@ Line 54: / Line 80: @@
 [[Category:Political parties established in 1996]]
 [[Category:Labor Party (United States, 1996) politicians]]
+[[Category:Democratic socialist parties in the United States]]
 [[Category:Labor parties in the United States]]
+[[Category:Left-wing parties in the United States]]
+[[Category:Progressive parties in the United States]]
+[[Category:Social democratic parties in the United States]]
 [[Category:1996 establishments in the United States]]
 [[Category:Political parties disestablished in 2007]]