Labor Party (United States, 1996)
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Labor Party
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| Chairperson | Mark Dudzic |
| Senate leader | None |
| House leader | None |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
| Ideology |
Social democracy, Progressivism |
| Political position | Centre-left |
| International affiliation | None |
| Colors | Blue and Red |
| Website | |
| http://www.thelaborparty.org/ | |
The Labor Party was an American social democratic political party advocating workers' interests. Membership at one point reached about 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. 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. After the 2000 elections even symbolic support dripped away. The future of the party remains uncertain, particularly after the 2002 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 quoted 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.
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