LABOUR DAY: STATEMENT OF THE WORKERS' SOLIDARITY ALLIANCE USA:
"LET'S MAKE EVERY DAY LABOR DAY !"
Monday, September 3, 2007 Americans celebrate the Labor Day holiday. Let's Make Every Day Labor Day!...No, we don't mean let's take every day off from work(although it sounds like a nice idea). Nor do we mean that we should have massive traffic jams of returning summer vacationers every day either. But Labor Day is supposed to mean something more than a day off at the end of summer vacation. Labor day, we are told, is a day to recognize the contributions of working men and women here in America. The fact that almost every other country in the world celebrates labor on May 1 has to do with those who, over 100 years ago, worked to split the American labor movement away from the rest of the world labor movement.
But wait a second !. No matter what day we celebrate, didn't working people create all the wealth of this country ? Don't we keep the offices, schools,factories and other workplaces running ? And for that we get one lousy day per year ?
We are also told that Labor Day is a day for the labor movement to show its strength, to flex its political muscle. While too often this means cozying up to politicians(who go ahead and continue to screw us the next day). Still, we couldn't object to any show of strength by workers. But why not show our power every day of the year ?
To make the power of working people in society an everyday matter we need a labor movement not tied down by high-speed bureaucrats or political hacks but free to set its own course based on the needs of all its members. We need a movement without divisions by trade or craft but based on unity of interests. We need a movement that has banished racism, sexism, homophobia and all forms of discrimination and is based on freedom and equality for all. We need a movement that is based on full democracy, not top down bossism. we need a movement which is militant and uncompromising in terms of our needs and interests, not willing to settle for crumbs.
The kind of movement we are taking about can only be rebuilt from the bottom up, starting in our various workplaces and communities. it should not only seek all the goals we have stated above, but should function like the type of society that we want to build. To succeed it needs the participation of all those left out of the ranks of power, profit and privilege, not only the workers of today but those who were and those who will one day be working people.
We call this type of movement 'anarchist unionism'. Even if you don't agree with everything we say if you at least agree that the current state of the labor movement is not to your liking, or even if you just want to discuss the situation further, get in touch.
Workers' Solidarity Alliance
NJ-NY Area Group
339 Lafayette Street- Room 202
New York, NY 10012
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