We recognize that the capitalist system depends on the exploitation and oppression of the working class; we are an anti-capitalist organization. We understand that society must progress beyond capitalism to a socialist economy where all resources are owned and managed democratically by the working class. We believe our task is to foster class consciousness, forged in common struggle across divisions among the working class, in common opposition to the accumulated wealth and power of the capitalist ruling class.

We Support Labor Unions

We stand in solidarity with all workers who band together in trade unions and will always fight for the rights and demands of organized labor. We believe that every worker has a right to a union and will support organizing drives in every workplace without exception. We oppose and call for the repeal of anti-labor union laws such as the Taft-Hartley Act and so-called “right to work” laws. Furthermore, we support the passage of new labor laws that strengthen unions and empower workers such as the Workplace Democracy Act, the PRO Act, and “just cause” job protections. 

We believe that government officials should bargain fairly with the representatives of public sector unions and condemn the bipartisan failure to do so at all levels of elected office. The reliance of organized labor on a relationship with the Democratic Party has produced diminishing returns, and we believe that a socialist labor movement with renewed militancy is necessary to win working class demands. We believe that rank-and-file workers must gain democratic control of their unions and build militancy among ordinary workers on shop floors. 

Working Class Ownership

We also understand that capitalism’s concentration of resource ownership in the hands of the few is unacceptable. We believe that our economy should be owned and controlled by the working class. Our chapter believes that utilities such as electricity, water, gas, and internet should be municipally-owned and will campaign to bring companies such as LG&E into public ownership. We also believe that critical services such as healthcare and transportation should be nationalized and democratically provided to all. 

We oppose the concentrated power of Wall Street and believe finance should be placed into democratic control through the adoption of postal banking and publicly-owned banks. We support the formation of worker-owned cooperatives with state assistance, and envision an economy where every firm is eventually transferred to worker-ownership and control. Democracy is a value which should exist in the workplace, and the tyranny of a capitalist owner must be regarded as a limitation on freedom and liberty just as political tyrants are also rejected in a democratic society.

Immediate Economic Reforms

We will also fight for economic reforms in the immediate term that will improve the standard of living for working class families. We believe that minimum wage should be raised to no less than $18/hour immediately, and should continue to increase as the cost of living rises. We support a federal jobs guarantee and the exploration of basic income measures during the recovery from the COVID-19 economic crisis. We support raising taxes on the rich to pay for universal programs which help the working class, and using progressive taxation as a means to redistribute wealth to the working class. 

We support the construction of low-cost public housing that follows a social housing model; the working class deserves high quality community residences and governments should prioritize them over the construction of unaffordable private developments. We also believe that families should have the economic freedom to have children if they choose, and must be supported with paid parental leave, free universal child care, Pre-K, and school lunch, and be provided with continued economic support.