LCIP’s Supported issues

Introduction

LCIP’s main objective is to advance the effort to build a mass working-class party rooted in unions, youth, and communities of the oppressed. With this objective, we will build support and principled unity with liberation movements of Black people and other oppressed nationalities within U.S. borders in their community and electoral campaigns. The platforms of these independent candidates need to be discussed and approved by labor-community assemblies, and the candidates must be answerable to these formations and to the coalitions formed for this purpose.

The LCIP Continuations Committee is submitting the “Supported Issues” outlined below to the labor-community coalitions and assemblies as they develop so that these “Supported Issues” are not dictated from above but are developed from below. Unlike the two-party duopoly, we will promote the fullest democratic discussion of all the issues we propose and support at the local, state, and national levels so that the political platforms created at those levels are developed from the bottom up, rather than foisted upon us by a small ruling elite.

Our overarching aim in submitting these “Supported Issues” is to address and reverse capitalism’s onslaught against the social welfare of all people regarding the climate, healthcare, housing, education, resources, and foreign policy so as to reshape our world, where the destructive and singular drive for profit is replaced with the drive to satisfy the basic human needs of people while expanding the freedom of people to live fully.

These statements regarding political issues that LCIP supports or advocates are presented here only as a beginning of the discussion, and so that those who visit our website will have an idea of the political vision of the LCIP Continuations Committee.

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To Fight Back, We Need a Labor Party Based on the Unions and Rooted in the Communities of the Oppressed That Fights For:

  1. A Massive Jobs-Creation Program – End All U.S. Wars and Occupations!

Rebuild the decaying U.S. infrastructure, including roads, bridges, levees, schools, and hospitals. The trillions spent on the U.S. wars and occupations around the world — $2.3 trillion alone on the devastating 20-year U.S. war in Afghanistan — should be used to create a federal jobs-creation program with union-scale wages, benefits and pensions. The trillions should be spent on education, healthcare, and housing! Shut down all U.S. military bases overseas! Bring all U.S. troops home now! Open the door to the refugees from the U.S. wars!

2. $15 and a Union — with COLA!

All workers deserve a living wage that lifts families out of poverty and provides a decent life. All workers deserve the peace of mind that comes with a safe job environment free from toxins and dangerous working conditions.

3. Tax the Rich, Confiscate All Speculative Funds!

Repeal the Trump tax hold-up and giveaway to the 1%. Make the rich pay their fair share to fund socially necessary services and job-creation. Re-regulate Wall Street and confiscate all Wall Street speculative funds!

4. Promote Workers’ Right to Unionize, Stop and Reverse All Privatizations!

Stop and reverse all “Right to Work” (for less) laws. Stop the layoffs. “Taft Hartley” and “striker replacement” laws that hurt workers must be repealed. We need the Employee Free Choice Act, or the PRO Act, and full collective-bargaining rights for public employees. Stop and reverse all privatization and deregulation schemes of schools, the post office, transit and other public services; all are aimed at lowering wages and eliminating unions. Return them to public ownership.

5. Single Payer Healthcare (Medicare for All) Now!

For Single Payer healthcare now; take the insurance companies and their profits out of the healthcare equation. Hands Off Medicaid and Medicare. Strengthen and improve Social Security and Medicare!

6. Affordable Housing/No Foreclosures!

Gentrification is expanding everywhere; no working-class residents should be driven from their homes by banking/mortgage predators, real-estate speculators or by hard economic times!

7. Papers For All, Not One More Deportation!

Stop the ICE raids and deportations! Papers for all undocumented immigrants! All workers should have full rights to organize and join unions. Create a just asylum process. Current policies make virtual indentured servants of immigrants, serving to lower the wages of all workers. Stop funding ICE! Tear Down the “Wall of Shame.”

8. Promote International Labor Solidarity!

We support the working class across the globe and embrace the ILWU’s slogan “An Injury to One Is an Injury to All.” Rather than relate to nations and people through war and destruction, we will work to create systems of cooperation that will enhance and promote the right to organize labor unions and to oppose all forms of exploitation and oppression.

9. Support the Right to Self-Determination of Blacks and All Oppressed People!

Supporting the right to self-determination of Blacks and all oppressed people, including support for the creation of an independent Black working-class party, is a precondition for forging the working-class unity needed to build a mass-based independent working-class party and establish workers’ power.

10. End Police Violence; For Civilian Review Boards with “Teeth”!

We must put a stop to the epidemic of police violence and killings. Killer cops must be brought to justice. We need Community Control of the police. We need Civilian Review Boards with the power to hire and fire. Free Mumia and all political prisoners!

11. Support Immediate Release of All Political Prisoners

Support immediate release of all Political Prisoners, including veterans of the Black, Brown, Indigenous and anti-imperialist movements of the 1960’s, 1970’s and the more recent group of environmental justice, government/corporate whistleblowers and Black Lives Matter activists. Free Them All.

12. Free and Quality Education, Stop Charter Schools and Vouchers!

The cost of pre-school and higher education falls heaviest on working families, denying full opportunity to young workers. Free and quality education should be a basic human right from kindergarten through College. The “No Child Left Behind” Act (now Every Student Succeeds Act) stifles learning, does not prepare students for higher education, is aimed at privatizing schools, and funnels students to the military. It should be repealed. Stop all funding for Charter Schools; Stop Vouchers!

13. A National Energy/Mass Transit System!

Nationalize oil, gas and other energy companies to end the manipulation of energy markets and to combat global warming. We need mass transportation systems affordable to the people; retool Detroit to build high-speed trains!

14. Civil Rights and Privacy Protection! Ensure Voting Rights for All!

End workplace harassment and discrimination against union activists, the unorganized, immigrant and injured workers. Repeal the so-called “Patriot Acts” and other laws that destroy civil liberties. Protect free speech, press and assembly! Voting rights, especially for Blacks and Latinos/Latinas/Latinx, are under attack; protect the right to vote!

15. Defend Women’s Rights! End Sexual Harassment & Violence, End Anti-LGBTQ Bigotry!

Guarantee access to contraception and abortion for all women. Reverse all restrictions on abortion rights. Stop the attacks on Planned Parenthood. Stop all forms of discrimination in the workplace and all sexual harassment and violence against women on and off the job. End all anti-LGBTQ bigotry!

16. Repeal All Corporate “Free Trade” Agreements!

Trade treaties like NAFTA, CAFTA, and the USMCA (aka NAFTA 2.0), backed by the two parties of the bosses, are designed to depress wages and oppress workers in every country. They should be repealed and replaced with agreements that respect the rights of workers and their unions, along with enforceable and sustainable environmental protections.

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