Independence, Unity, Socialism!
Toward a Government of Workers!
Toward a Red Republic!
We are a Marxist faction of the DSA which advocates for the firm and permanent break from the capitalist Democratic Party and all other capitalist parties.
Red Labor believes that the DSA is an extremely important organization because of its young membership, but that the DSA can only help create a notable workers' party in the United States which can run its own candidates and build working-class support around a revolutionary program by splitting from the Democratic Party and adopting a genuine socialist program.
Our position is not simply create a tiny party to compete against other socialist parties. We instead want unity after political independence (as our motto says), and for the DSA to actively take part in regrouping the existing left to create one notable party that is built strictly according to a revolutionary program.
Take a look at our proposed program! We are not just talking about regroupment in some distant future. We are talking about regroupment right now! We have worked hard to put together a program that we are calling for all caucuses within the DSA to look over. If a caucus finds itself in agreement, we aim to merge our forces under a common program and create a stronger, more notable DSA caucus which can keep pushing a revolutionary program.
We call ourselves Red Labor because that is what we are. We are Marxist workers from all industries. We are construction, factory, and service workers. We are union members and organizers. We are Red Labor. Our emblem is a red bow, which is the symbol of labor, and how workers, soldiers, and sailors visually showed their support for the October Revolution. Maybe Red Labor will merge with others to create a more notable Marxist faction, and a new name can be used then—but we hope we can keep our emblem!
We believe we need to make our positions crystal clear. We have boiled our positions down to eight points that every individual who looks to join is expected to stand behind. Are we ultra-leftists or left communists that oppose participation in elections? NO. Do we want to try and regroup the left into a notable independent political party that can lead the class struggle? YES.
1. Working-class Solidarity: The working class in this country is extremely diverse and that fact must be understood. Bigotry and prejudice must be combated at all times so working people are united against their common enemy. Our common class position can and should unite us, but the struggle of sections of the working class for civil rights, security, and liberty must be supported by all working people in the name of unity and solidarity always.
2. A Working-class Form of Government: We believe that the working class and capitalist class have interests that are fundamentally counterpoised to one another. We know that the working class is not sufficiently organized in this country and can not compete with the well-organized capitalist Democratic Party inside of such a party. Therefore, a fully class independent workers' party is needed to lead the working class in the struggle for the abolition of capitalism through the establishment of a government by American working people—a Socialist Workers' Republic in the United States.
3. A Fighting Party: We believe we should work to regroup the existing left to build a party of militant, class conscious workers, bound by discipline and organized on the basis of democracy and efficient centralism, with full power in the hands of the Central Committee between conventions. While democracy should always be preserved and party members should always have the right to internally challenge the decisions of the Central Committee, we also believe the Central Committee of the party should have control over all political activities of public officials of the party and coordinate and direct the work of party members in the trade unions.
4. Real Membership: A member is someone who accepts the program, supports the group financially if able, and personally joins and continuously participates in the organization. A serious political organization expects all members to actively participate in the processes and activities that occur within the organization; those who do not participate, will not remain members.
5. Political Action: To participate in all political activities, including electoral campaigns, to utilize them to carry our message to American workers through an independent party. The elected representatives of a workers' party will unmask this fraudulent and corrupt democracy and help mobilize working people for the struggle against their common enemy.
6. Internationalism: Our struggle in the United States is also a struggle for anti-imperialism abroad. We understand that socialism cannot be constructed upon national foundations, and we reject the idea that socialism can be built in a single country alone. We understand that working masses of the world have everything in common with each other and nothing in common with the elites in their own countries. While we oppose bureaucratic and undemocratic practices of any government, we support governments (especially if they are struggling towards socialism) in their defensive measures in response to imperialist aggression. We show our solidarity with working people everywhere in their struggle against imperialism by our participation in the fight against the same enemy here at home.
7. Labor Unions: To develop labor organizations into organs of militant struggle against capitalism, expose the reactionary labor bureaucrats, and bring working people to militant unionism.
8. The Importance of Press: Today no one can deny the importance of an online presence. Our message must be clear, straightforward, and made available to the great majority of people. The organization's official press shall be owned by the group, and all its activities shall be under the control of the Central Committee.