Like the title says, we as the Working Class should formally create a Labor Party here in the U.S. The most glaring argument against this is that it would split the vote, and many people don't think we can afford to do that. But I don't think we can afford NOT TO, and here are my reasons why.
No taxation without representation. This is the very concept and justification that our Founding Fathers used to revolt against a government that no longer served their best interests. Look at the elected officials we have today, and really ask yourself, “When was the last time you actually felt represented in your government at any level, local, state, or federal?” From what I've seen, both parties have proven themselves corrupt and ineffectual in their administration of this country. The Republicans are blatantly anti-Working Class, and the Democrats only ever talk about “taxing the billionaires.”
While I wholeheartedly agree that yes, the corporations and billionaires should absolutely be paying their fair share, how does raising taxes on them translate into real purchasing power for me as a Working Class citizen? Raising taxes = the government paying ITSELF more money, not you. Unfortunately, that 15% tax they just passed on corporations will likely end up being passed on to us as consumers. So it's only going to end up siphoning more of your hard-earned money into the hands of corporations and the government, but not you as a worker.
Enter the Labor Party.
It will run on a platform of wholesale labor reform, in a Hail Mary attempt to combat the gross wealth disparity and lack of protections for the Working Class here in the U.S. It will pass laws that legislatively guarantee, at a federal level, broader rights and protections for every working person in the U.S. It's frustrating and shameful (At what we have accepted for ourselves here) to see posts on here about how much better the Working Class has it in LITERALLY EVERY OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRY ON THE PLANET.
- A law (With teeth) that mandates every employee/contractor be paid a direct percentage of the earnings (Including wages, bonuses, travel compensation, stocks/options, vacation, etc.) of the highest paid owner and/or executive of a company. The exec. is FREE (Gotta make the Repubs. happy) to pay themselves as much as they want, but for every dollar they pay themselves, they have to pay $0.70 to the janitor. This is the only real way to fight back against the wealth disparity. And we've seen at every instance that when a company has full license to exploit there labor force, they will. This is why we have the NLRA and the Fair Labor Standards Act. This is we we have the ADA. So yes, we need this codified into Law with real repercussions for breaking it.
- A law that mandates a guaranteed 4 weeks vacation time for EVERY WORKING PERSON. This is the norm in many European countries, and we deserve the same.
- A law that mandates a guaranteed parental leave for both men and women. It shouldn't even need to be said, much less codified into Law, but you deserve to spend time with your newborn.
- A law that guarantees sick days without having to go on a whole FMLA leave. If you don't feel well, even if it's as simple as not getting enough sleep or having the mental energy to deal with it today, then you should be able to stay home without your job being at risk.
- A law that guarantees either a paid day off, or double time pay for every federally-recognised holiday.
- A law that guarantees a Cost of Living Adjustment tied to the Consumer Price Index, while also allowing for you to gain a performance-based increase.
- Universal Healthcare. It shouldn't have ever been tied to employment to begin with. I can't stand seeing people, especially the elderly, being forced to work just to keep their healthcare. It's truly disgraceful.
- A law that guarantees overtime pay for working over 32 hours per week. We deserve work-life balance, and the 4-day workweek is gaining traction in the modern world. And no, I don't think 4 10's is a fair compromise, I'm talking straight-up more pay for less work.
- Abolish tipping culture. If you as a business need to rely on your patrons to subsidise your worker's earnings, then you can't afford to be a business. I still think people should be allowed to accept tips, especially when they go above and beyond, but I think their employer also needs to adhere to the minimum wage law outlined in point 1.
I'm sure there's other things that could be added, but this is really just the bare minimum that we should accept for ourselves as the Working Class going forward. Some might say I go too far, but again, we've seen at EVERY instance that when a company CAN take advantage, they WILL take advantage. So yes, we really do need to force the issue. I can possibly see some small concessions being made towards small businesses and start-ups, because it's not my intention to stifle all enterprise. But once you start earning enough revenue, then yes, this should be legally applicable.
So yes, it would almost certainly split the vote and lose its first several elections, at least on the national level. But over time, it would gain traction and start pulling in more votes, across a wider demographic than either Democrat or Republican. And both of these parties have a vested interest in keeping you scared of splitting the vote, because of HOW BAD THE OTHER GUYS ARE, of course. “Guys, if we don't win this one, I don't think there's any coming back.” We've all heard this trope before, on both sides of the spectrum. Don't buy it, they just want to get re-elected so they can BOTH keep grifting you. Together. Because politicians point fingers in Public and shake hands in Private.
Obviously, this isn't perfect, but it's somewhere to start. It's something to build off of. So please, criticise it and help to shine a light through the cracks. It's how we learn, grow, and build. So let's build something together.