National Program
of the Red Labor Caucus of the DSA
As Adopted September 4th, 2022
American workers, farmers, and even small business owners have suffered for the past several decades while the corporate and financial elites have obscenely grown ever richer. The growing distaste for politicians and the two big capitalist political parties on the part of tens of millions of American workers reflects an awareness that their interests are always overlooked, and that the “democratic process" is little more than a political swindle.
Sadly, however, many American workers have looked towards so-called “anti-establishment" Republican Party politicians who claim to be “draining the swamp," and others swallow lies by Democratic Party politicians about bringing “change and progress" in Washington D.C. The crisis of capitalism, which has brought with it a rising tide of hatred and violence in this country, has made it clear that the American elite, or better put, ruling class, dominates the American political system and both major political parties, which are mere lackeys dedicated to advancing this elite's own interests, usually at the expense of the average worker whom they pretend to represent.
It is clear that the interests of the working class and ruling class of any capitalist country are both economically, and therefore politically, opposed to one another. In this inevitable struggle, we firmly side with the working class. Therefore, we believe that four things are necessary to combat the elite in this country:
First, we believe that American workers of all backgrounds and identities must work to create their own independent political party to fight for their interests as workers, while also championing the interests of all those victimized by capitalism. This of course means that any group—especially the DSA—wishing to take up this task must break from the Democratic Party or any other political instrument of the ruling class.
Second, we believe that the democratic rights of all working people, as well as all other layers of the persecuted and overlooked, must be vigorously safeguarded against the corruption and invasiveness of the American ruling class and its political agents.
Third, we believe that American workers must take control of their own futures, and those of their children, by creating a new working-class form of government.
Fourth, we believe that in order for the working class to firmly hold political power in its hands, it must expropriate the major sectors of the economy to divest the big capitalists of their control on society. All major systems of transport, communication, energy, manufacturing, etc. must be turned into the property of the American working class as a whole, and be democratically controlled and operated for the purpose of enriching the lives of the American people. We consider it necessary to call for the development of the productive forces in this country—productive forces that have been obstructed and held back by private property and the logic of maximizing profit—so that the people of this country may be provided for and their lives made secure from want and worry about obtaining the basics for a decent life.
It is necessary to wrest control away from the ruling class and place power directly in the hands of the American workers organized in their own government. The working class itself in complete control of government and economy is the first and most important step towards a socialist transformation of society. We believe that the struggle for socialism is not specific to, or contained within, the United States, and that the workers in every country of the world must cooperate in pursuit of a common struggle so that the free and democratic rule of the working class can be secured in every corner of the globe.
If the political rule of working people is not secured around the world, the global capitalist elites, with their monopoly on trade, arms, and information, will attempt to surround and strangle any attempt by working people who are isolated in a single country. Therefore, the struggle for workers in every nation and in every part of the world to secure democracy, liberty, working-class power, and socialism must transcend all national borders.
We see that the working class and the ruling class have interests that are opposed to one another. Therefore we believe that American working people need their own independent political organization.
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All parties and organizations which base themselves on the workers and small farmers, and claim to speak in their name, to break politically from all existing capitalist parties and to regroup according to common program to enter upon the road of struggle for the independent political action of the working class through the formation of an independent socialist labor party on a national, state and local scale.
Committed to bringing working people from all across the nation under the same democratically decided-upon leadership and program.
Committed to raising itself to be the vanguard of the working class; the force which leads and directs the political activity of the workers' movement, as well as the force which serves to raise the class consciousness of the working people.
To recognize that the special oppression of black Americans was, and is, woven into the foundation of American capitalism. American Capitalism could not, and cannot, exist without this oppression of black Americans. The weaving of this oppression into the foundation of American capitalism serves to divide the working class along socially constructed and arbitrary lines. We intrinsically tie this understanding into the foundation of this political program.
To recognize the historical oppression and subjugation of the indigenous peoples of America, and recognize their right to determine their own future separate from the domination of capital.
The defense of marginalized communities, including people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and especially transgender and non-binary individuals, as well as any other marginalized community from the repression of their full democratic and human rights.
The championing of the equality of domestic labor in the household, and healthy relationship dynamics in a democratic and egalitarian family, however its social contract may be composed.
The election of party candidates (even in unions) to be pursued by all possible means to promote this program at a local, state, and national level. Even where there is no prospect of achieving their election, the party must commit to putting up its own candidates where it can to preserve independence, to gauge its own strength, and to bring its revolutionary position and party standpoint to public attention.
The creation of united fronts (which do not compromise class independence) among workers' organizations and allies to combat political threats to working people.
The encouragement of mass organizations of the working class to create workers' defense groups based on local unions and communities to protect the integrity of strikes, labor activities, and events, to train workers in tactics and first-aid, and to protect these communities.
We push for uncompromising commitments to a bill of rights, economic rights, workers' rights, and the privacy and security of working people today.
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A strict and uncompromising defense of the rights to freedom of speech, press, assembly, religion, the right to bear arms, privacy, freedom from any cruel or unusual punishment, and the guaranteed right to life, meaning, the immediate right of all people and families to:
- Free and universal healthcare.
- Safe, affordable, and quality childcare for working families.
- Tuition-free higher education at public universities.
- Decent and affordable housing for working families.
- A stable and well-paying job or adequate social support for those unable to work.
- A nine month paid parental leave for parents, so that family life may be accessible to working people.
- Five weeks of paid vacation time and separate sick time protected from retaliation.
The abolition of all laws and legislation working against the interests of working people, such as Right to Work, the Taft-Hartley Act, the Patriot Act of 2001, etc., as well as a popular referendum to challenge firearm regulations.
The enactment of strict term limits in the Senate, House of Representatives, Supreme Court, and all other elected government positions.
The immediate cancellation of all mortgage debt, medical debt, educational debt, and the end of all forced foreclosures.
The legal minimum wage to be annually determined in each state according to the local price of food, cost of living, and inflation, by a Workers' Statistical Commission of a Statewide Labor Council.
- For such a statewide council to determine the legal set weekly working hours for full-time employment.
- For the abolition of subminimum and seasonal wages.
The creation of workplace committees elected by all the fellow workers to counterweight the will of the bosses and their administration
The establishment of honest and effective Labor Inspection and Safety Commissions elected by workers themselves.
The end of all discriminatory payment practices, and a strict call for “equal pay for equal work" regardless of sex, gender, immigration status, race, etc.
The equalization of opportunities for all workers through equal access to education, training and all other aspects of the economy.
- The abolition of all regressive and indirect taxes which burden working people.
- The books/records of all companies to be open and transparent to all of their employees.
- The inclusion of farm workers, street vendors, day laborers, and domestic workers under the National Labor Relations Board's legal protections.
- The implementation of measures to strengthen America's immigration support system, making immigration accessible to all seeking refuge or asylum.
- An expedited path to citizenship of all US resident workers to be immediately pursued.
Equal rights for all who live here, regardless of national origin, immigration status, race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender.
- A stern refusal to be divided by racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, religious hatred, or any other form of bigotry.
- The end of all deportations, all detentions, and all violations of due process for immigrants.
- The removal of all limits on an American's right to vote.
The end of inhumane and anti-worker practices within prisons, and the replacement of our current punitive justice system with a restorative, democratic justice system.
- The abolition of all private prisons and the end of unpaid, underpaid, and forced prison labor, as well as prison contract labor.
- The decriminalization of all drugs on a national level, and the immediate pardon of all those sentenced due to drug-related offenses.
- The immediate end to solitary confinement, indeterminate sentencing, and capital punishment.
- The immediate release and pardon of all victims of anti-labor and racist repression being held by the United States government.
The National Labor Relations Board to not recognize law enforcement “unions," and for the AFL-CIO to not accept law enforcement “unions" and/or associations, as they are not workers.
The termination of all sanctions levied by the United States against foreign countries, as such sanctions only harm the average workers of these nations and not corrupt governments.
The diversion of American tax dollars from enormous military spending to investment in the development of countries victimized by imperialism, and rebuilding here at home.
We demand an unwavering commitment to working class power, and a new, working-class form of government.
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The establishment of community organizations meant to carry forth the goals and aims of this program on a local level.
The creation of State Workers' Assemblies in every state to replace the current State Department of Labor, as well as the creation of a National Workers' Assembly to replace the current Department of Labor, National Labor Relations Board, and General Counsel, in order to begin forming organs of working-class power to oppose the capitalist state; for these assemblies to be made up entirely of elected delegates from workers' organizations, trade unions, labor councils, and whatever mass organizations of the working class that may exist or come to exist.
The National Workers' Assembly to concentrate all political power into its hands, and therefore into the hands of the working people. The state authority must be that of the National Workers' Assembly and each State Workers' Assembly, i.e., the working class itself organized politically on state and national levels.
A constituent assembly made up of democratically-elected representatives of mass workers' organizations, who were not members of the previous state bureaucracy or members of capitalist parties, from throughout the entire nation to draft a new constitution to replace our current constitution with one which serves and protects the interests of the working class and not the capitalist interests of the ruling class—a constitution which is not used as an instrument to maintain the rule of the minority over the majority, but is rather used as an instrument to facilitate the rule of the great majority over the minority, and set the guidelines for a workers' government made of, by, and for the working people.
- For this new constitution to be approved and ratified by the popular vote of the workers of the whole country.
- The working population to be the master of all laws through popular vote, as well as the right of recall of all elected delegates, with the ability for all citizens to challenge laws through popular referendum.
- All taxes to be determined and approved by popular vote of the working people, holding to the maxim of “no taxation without representation."
The creation of a replacement of the standing military with the armed workers themselves organized into a new National Workers' Guard, with the ability of soldiers to recall and elect their respective non-commissioned officers.
We demand an economy run by working people, that can provide for working people.
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Keeping in line with the legacy of the American working-class struggle for decent and respectable employment for all, there to be, after the creation and supremacy of the National Workers' Assembly, the creation of programs that operate on the basis of need and not profit in order to rebuild and revitalize American infrastructure, and prioritize the full employment of all people.
The pursuit towards the construction of a national high speed rail system and other forms of accessible public transportation to help connect the urban and rural areas.
The investment into the research and development of methods of production capable of reconciling modern, large-scale industry with environmental sustainability, as well as prioritizing the introduction of thoroughgoing measures to reverse the dangerous climate crisis, and provide the means to ensure a clean planet for all people to live on.
The work towards the automation of tasks which are extremely rigorous, dangerous, or tedious, while simultaneously providing training for new, better-paid fields, and drastically slashing the total number of labor hours required by all citizens.
The first and most essential step in establishing a workers' government to necessarily involve a broad program of expropriation and nationalization of all significant branches and sectors of the economy, excluding small owner-operated enterprises and small self-producing farmers. This expropriation is to be carried out without compensation to former owners. The only way to transfer real control of society into the hands of the working people is through establishing a system of socialized property managed by the National Workers' Assembly or each State Workers' Assembly, preparing the way and building the foundations for the socialist transformation of society. This program would include but would not be limited to, the expropriation and nationalization without compensation of:
- All major branches of industry, e.g., manufacturing, mining, oil and natural gas, construction, energy, etc.
- The food production industries and the assets and property of large companies in this field, including, but not limited to, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, General Mills, etc.
- All land owned and farmed by large agricultural corporations, e.g., Simplot, Bayer, Syngenta AG, and Cargill, which will be put under the control of farmers' councils and a Committee of Agriculture of the National Workers' Assembly.
- All large private utility companies.
- All private medical facilities, with the exception of single owner-operated practices.
- All the assets and property of rentier and property management businesses.
- All private banks and holders of credit, and their merger into a single publicly-owned bank which will provide cheap credit and stability for the worker, farmer, and small business owner.
- All public airwaves and major means of communication, and their being democratized and opened up, with the promotion of independent, public-access media organizations and community-led broadcasting efforts.
The implementation of statewide internet infrastructure, specific to every state, to guarantee the free flow of information to every citizen of a state, and for it to be under the control of each State Workers' Assembly, with democratically decided-upon privacy measures.
The employment of a National Planning Commission made up of the necessary technical experts to serve the National Workers' Assembly by advising on, and drafting, a common plan of production to meet the needs and demands of the working population and ensure harmony between production and distribution.