Left Labor Project

The Left Labor Project was formed in early 2009 by socialist trade unionists and labor movement activists in NYC, who are either unaffiliated individuals or members of organizations that held non-sectarian positions in the all-important 2008 elections electing Barack Obama.

In addition to Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism , the socialist organizations that form the LLP are Communist Party USA, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and Democratic Socialists of America.

Other organizations, such as Organization for a Free Society, and the Colombian Trade Union Solidarity are also member organizations.

LLP is the U.S. organizational representative on the Social Movements arm of the Bolivarian organization of ALBA, and works to strengthen other .international relationships as well.

Leadership

At the September 16th 2011 meeting of the Left Labor Project, a leadership body was elected which includes Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism leaders, Pat Fry as Recording Secretary and Anne Mitchell as CCDS organizational representative. Among others elected were LLP Coordinator Larry Moskowitz who is national organizer for the Working Families Party, Jim Perlstein, an officer of the Professional Staff Union which represents faculty of the City University of New York, Muata Green, an EMT worker and member of AFSCME District Council 37, Rhadames Rivera, Vice President of SEIU Local 1199, and Fitzroy Searles of LLP Youth who was an organizer of the One Nation rally in 2010 in Washington DC.

Labor Day rallies

Over the last two years, a key organizational undertaking of LLP has been working to establish May Day rallies as official trade union-sponsored events in NYC. Originally developed out of LLP discussions, the idea was taken up by an organizing committee that officially represented many trade unions, immigrant rights organizations and community groups. The organizing committee had official LLP representation as well.

It is this same approach that shapes LLP’s latest undertaking – an educational campaign, “Labor Rights are Human Rights.” After several educational discussions led by international labor rights lawyers, LLP developed an informational flyer, a model resolution and pledge card that were distributed widely at the September 10th Labor Day parade. Organized by an LLP Youth brigade, some 4,000 flyers got out and 80 LLP campaign cards signed.

October 2011 forum

The October 2011 LLP forum featured Transit Workers Union Local 100 president, John Samuelson, who will discuss the complaint his union local has before the International Labor Organization against the U.S. government, because of New York State’s law prohibiting strikes in the public sector, named the Taylor Law.

TWU Local 100’s former president, Roger Toussaint, was imprisoned for a week in 2005 during his local’s strike in defiance of the law. As a result the union was fined millions and stripped of its right to collect members’ dues through payroll deduction.