We are the working people of the United States. We are the employed and the unemployed, the native-born and the immigrant. We are the keepers of the American Dream of equality, opportunity, and fairness. We do the work of building and sustaining the nation, but we do not enjoy our fair share of the wealth we create. We make the country run, but we have little say in running the country.
We believe in a country that affirms the dignity of work, the value of community, and the importance of working people and their families to the prosperity of the nation.
We believe in a country where a job is a constitutional right, everyone must be paid a living wage, and no one can be fired unjustly.
We believe in a country where the night to organize a union, to speak freely and to be treated fairly at work is the law of the land and protected by the courts.
We believe in a country where the needs of our families do not have to be neglected because of the demands of our jobs.
We believe in a country where the opinions of others are tolerated, bigotry and discrimination are rejected, and everyone enjoys equal opportunity and the equal protection of the laws without prejudice.
We believe in a country that honors and respects the rights of workers all other lands as well as our own.
We believe in a country where the hungry are fed, the sick are treated, the homeless are housed, and those who want to learn are educated.
We believe in a country where taxes are fair.
We believe in a country governed by the people and for the people.
Name
The name of the party shall be the Labor Party
Membership
1. Individual membership shall be open to any one who agrees to abide by the Constitution of the Labor Party.
2. Organizational membership shall be open to International Unions, locals, districts, lodges or any other designation rendered by an International Union; state federation and central labor bodies; and other organizations deemed worker-supportive by the National Council of the Labor Party. Such unions and organizations shall, by an official act, accept and abide by the Constitution and principles of the Labor Party.
The definition of a union shall include any group that carries on collective bargaining, workplace representational activity or concerted activity.
The National Council
Purpose
1. The National Council shall be the governing body of the Labor Party between Conventions. it shall have full authority to issue policy statements in the name of the Labor Party, consonant with the decisions of the Conventions of the Labor Party; to initiate policy statements consonant with the philosophy of the Labor Party in matters not yet considered by the Convention; and to establish standing and ad hoc committees of the Labor Party.
2. At all meetings of the National Council, no less than one third of its members shall constitute a quorum.
3. Should the position of a member of the National Council become vacant for any reason whatsoever, the organization represented by that individual shall provide a replacement.
4. The membership of the National Council shall reflect the diversity of our respective memberships, and shall be consistent with the principles set forth in the preamble. If, when all requirements set forth in this Article have been met, and the preceding principle is not attained, the National Council shall request new members from affiliated unions and organizations; any such additions shall not increase the number of votes on the National Council as set forth in Article III, Section 14.
5. The National Council must meet at least once a year.
Representation
6. Each affiliating International Union or its equivalent as defined in Article II, Section 2 of this Constitution shall be entitled to and shall designate a minimum of one person to serve on the National Council provided that at least one percent of its membership has joined the Labor Party.
7. Each affiliating State AFL-CIO Federation shall be entitled to and shall designate a minimum of one person to serve on the National Council, provided that at least 20 percent of its affiliates are members in good standing of the Labor Party.
8. Each affiliating central labor body, and any other equivalent structure, such as district councils, joint councils, etc. shall be entitled to elect a minimum of one person to serve on the National Council, provided that 20 percent of its affiliates are members in good standing of the Labor Party.
9. An affiliating local union with over 2,500 members shall be entitled to designate a minimum of one person to serve on the National Council, provided that at least 500 its members or one percent of its membership, whichever is larger, are members in good standing of the Labor Party.
10. Each state or multi-state party organization shall be entitled to elect a minimum of one person to serve on the National Council, provided that it has a minimum of 1000 Labor Party Members in good standing.
11. Each county party organization shall be entitled to elect a minimum of one person to serve on the National Council, provided that it has at least 1000 Labor Party members in good standing.
12. Worker supportive organizations, as defined in Article II, Section 2, that are national in scope or for particular reasons are regional in scope shall be entitled to elect a minimum of one person to serve on the National Council provided it has at least 500 members or one percent of its members, whichever is larger, who are members in good standing of the Labor Party.
13. No individual may represent on the National Council more than one organization as described in this Article.
14. Each affiliating organization, as described in Sections 6 through 12, will be entitled to (1) one vote.
Executive Board
1. The National Council shall establish an Executive Board which shall have authority to conduct and administer the affairs and business of the Labor Party between meetings of the National Council, and to issue statements in the name of the Labor Party, subject to report and approval by the National Council.
2. The National Council shall establish the number of Executive Board members.
3. The National Council shall establish and elect officers, define their term of office, duties and procedures for removal, if any. The chief officer shall interpret the Constitution. Any such interpretation may be overruled by a majority vote of all members voting at any meeting of the National Council, the Executive Board or the Convention.
4. Upon prior approval of the National Council, the Executive Board shall have the authority to incur credit and loan obligations as required for the proper conduct of Labor Party affairs. Such undertakings shall be executed by the chief officer and chief financial officer.
5. The Executive Board shall appoint a National Organizer who shall direct the Labor Party's activity on a day-to-day basis. The National Organizer will act in consonance with the policies and philosophies of the Labor Party as adopted by the Convention.
6. The Executive Board shall establish departments to carry out the work of the Labor Party and shall appoint the necessary staff who shall be responsible to the National Organizer. The Executive Board shall establish an annual operating budget for the purposes of day to day operations, including but not limited to establishing salaries, benefits, etc. for the National Organizer and staff, subject to prior approval of the National Council.
7. Members of the National Council and the Executive Board shall receive no salary from the Labor Party.
Structure
1. The Labor Party shall be national in scope and can include national, state, county, city, district, precinct, parish, ward and/or any other equivalent structures.
2. The National Council shall have the power to issue or revoke party charters, subject to appeal to the Grievance and Appeals Committee of the Convention as established in Article VIII, Section 3.
3. The purpose of the state party organization and its subordinate bodies is to:
(a) organize members, and promote the activities and policies of the Labor Party in its appropriate jurisdictions;
(b) elect delegates to Labor Party convocations.
4. Each state party organization shall establish its own by-laws, which shall establish the number of officers and their duties. By-laws adopted by state party organizations shall be consistent with this Constitution and be submitted to the National Council for approval.
5. The state party organization shall issue or revoke charters to subordinate bodies/chapters as defined in Section I of this Article. Charters issued or revoked by state party organizations are subject to review by the National Council. The National Council retains the right to abrogate the issuance of such charters if such issuance violates any section or intent of this Constitution, subject to appeal to the Grievance and Appeals Committee of the Convention as established in Article VIII, Section 3.
6. Each subordinate body of a state party organization shall follow the same procedures as stated in Section 4 of this Article.
Finances
1. Dues, application fees and other charges set forth in this Article shall be submitted directly to the national office on a timely basis as established by the Executive Board.
2. Dues for individual membership shall be $20.00 per year. Dues for unemployed members, retirees and members earning less than $10.00 per hour shall be $10.00 per year. Striking and locked out workers shall pay no dues.
3. Affiliation fees for International Unions as defined in Article II shall be $10,000 per year.
4. Affiliation fees for state labor federations shall be $1,000 per year.
5. Affiliation fees for central labor bodies shall be $500 per year.
6. Affiliation fees for unions, locals, districts, councils, lodges and other equivalents shall be as follows:
100 members and under: $50 per year
101 to 500 members: $100 per year
501 to 2500 members: $250 per year
2501 to 5000 members: $500 per year
5001 and above members: $1000 per year.
7. Each state and chapter party organization may establish a dues structure for its membership separate from the dues structure set forth in this Article.
8. The Executive Board shall institute audits of state party organizations and their subordinate bodies whenever it deems appropriate. State party organizations and their subordinate bodies shall keep appropriate financial records in accordance with standard accounting practices. The national Labor Party shall be subject to an annual certified audit and shall keep appropriate financial records.
9. The chief officer, chief financial officer and any employees responsible for financial transactions shall be bonded.
10. The annual certified audit of the national Labor Party shall be made available to any member who makes a written request, at the expense of the member making the request. A one page summary of the annual certified audit shall be published annually in the official publication of the national Labor Party.
11. The Executive Board shall have the authority to reduce or waive an affiliation fee on the grounds of hardship/emergency.
Convention
1. The Labor Party shall meet in Convention at least once every other calendar year, at a place as determined by the National Council.
2. The National Council may call a special Convention if and when it deems necessary.
3. The Convention shall be the supreme governing body of the Labor Party and shall have final authority in all matters of national policy, program and Constitution.
4. The National Council shall give at least 150-day notice of the date and place of a regular Convention to each union organization and individual eligible to attend the Convention. Notice to individuals may be satisfied by publication of the Convention Call in the official publication of the Labor Party. In the case of a special Convention the National Council shall give at least 30 days notice of the date and place of the Convention.
5. Resolutions for submission to a regular Convention must be submitted to the chief officer, no less than 60 days prior to the Convention date.
(a) Resolutions may be submitted by any affiliated organization or member of the Labor Party.
(b) The National Council of the Labor Party or the Resolution Committee of the Convention may, with the consent of the Convention, present emergency resolutions to the Convention.
6. Constitutional amendments must be submitted to the chief officer no less than 60 days prior to a regular Convention. Constitutional amendments may be submitted by any affiliated organization of the Labor Party. In order to amend the Constitution a two-thirds vote of the Delegates seated at the Convention is required.
7. The Executive Board shall adopt the appropriate forms for the submission of resolutions and constitutional amendments and distribute them with the call to the Convention. The Resolutions form shall also be published with the Convention Call in the official publication of the Labor Party.
Representation at the Convention
1. Each delegate to a Convention shall be an individual member in good standing of the Labor Party.
2. All members of the National Council shall be delegates to the Convention. The National Council shall apportion the delegate strength to the Convention, and adopt the rules for delegate credentials.
3. A Rules Committee, Constitution, Credentials, Grievance and Appeals, Organizing and Resolution Committees shall be appointed by the Executive Board prior to a Convention. Rules developed by the Rules Committee shall be submitted to the Convention for their adoption as the first order of business. Robert's Rules of Order shall apply to all matters not covered by the adopted rules.