Labor Party (United States, 1996)

This article is about now defunct Labor Party formed in the United States in 1996. For other Labor parties, see Labor Party (disambiguation). For a list of workers parties, see Workers' Party (disambiguation).

Labor Party
Founded	1996 (1996)
Dissolved	2007 (2007)
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

The Labor Party (LP) was a social democratic political party in the United States. 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.

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. 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.

In 2001 the Labor Party endorsed labor sponsored independent candidates in San Francisco and Ohio local elections.

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.

South Carolina

Despite national decline, the South Carolina chapter remained active. 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.

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

See also

• American Left
• History of the socialist movement in the United States
• Democratic Socialists of America
• South Carolina Workers Party

External links

• Official site