| Labor Party | |
|---|---|
| Chairperson | Mark Dudzic |
| Senate leader | None |
| House leader | None |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C |
| Ideology | Social democracy; Progressivism |
| Political position | Fiscal: Center-left Social: Center-left |
| International affiliation | None |
| Official colors | Blue and Red |
| Website | |
| http://www.thelaborparty.org/ | |
| Politics of the United
States Political parties Elections |
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The Labor Party is (or was) an American social democratic political party advocating workers' interests. Membership was at one point around 5,000.
The party was formed in 1996 by the United Mine Workers, International Longshore and Warehouse Union, American Federation of Government Employees, California Nurses Association and hundreds of other local labor unions. This organization allied itself with the Green Party of Wyoming in 1998 to field its first candidates for local and federal offices. It had not run candidates since 2006 (and never any outside of Wyoming), and the future of the party remains uncertain, particularly after the death of Tony Mazzocchi, the founding national organizer. All of the founding unions continued to actively support Democratic Party candidates.
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 quotes Leonard Riley, President of the 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."[1] Although South Carolina law permitted electoral fusion, the Labor Party pledged not to endorse candidates of any other party.
Party officials acknowledged that the choice of South Carolina may seem unusual. The state has 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. [1] 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. [2] 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. [3] In July 2007 Ballot Access News reported that the SCLP was attempting to recruit candidates.[4]
The party website, www.thelaborparty.org, has not been updated since 2006, and it is believed the party may be defunct.
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