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For a mass party of labor with class-independent and socialist policies!

Labor Day was born out of the struggle for workers’ rights. Over 100 years ago, workers shouted slogans such as "Labor creates all wealth," and "Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, eight hours for recreation!" Yet things have not gotten any better – in fact in many ways they are worse. Most of the gains of past struggles have been whittled away by big business and the political parties they back. We now work an average of 47 hours a week – that’s eight weeks longer each year than the average Western European! Wages have gone down in real terms - while the profits of big business are skyrocketing. Temporary, "casual", and "flexible" jobs are the fastest growing area of employment – while union jobs are slashed. These "McJobs" offer few benefits, no job security, and wages so low that many people must work two or three jobs just to pay the bills. At the height of the biggest boom in US history, we have record layoffs and unemployment is kept artificially low by the imprisonment of nearly 2 million people (compared to 300,000 just 20 years ago!). America is ranked 57^th in spending on education as portion of GDP. Not to mention that in America, the world’s richest country, there are 44 million without healthcare.

Workers and youth need to strengthen and democratize the trade unions and get rid of leaders who do not fight for our interests. We need to create new unions where they do not yet exist - especially in sectors that exploit temporary and immigrant laborers. But more than that, we need to organize politically. The Republicans and Democrats are mirror images of each other and can offer nothing to the working class and youth except more layoffs, a disintegrating social safety net, a rotting educational system, racism and artificial division between workers of different races, ethnicities, religions, and gender. The supposedly worker-friendly Democrats have done more damage to workers’ rights and conditions here and internationally than even Reagan and Bush. It is time we organized into a party that defends our class interests against the attacks of the bosses. The rich have two parties – we need one of our own!

You can also distribute this flyer on Labor Day!