What is the Southern Workers Assembly?

The Southern Working Class can and will organize itself into strong unions with full collective bargaining rights. Strong Southern unions will result in strong voting rights, human and civil rights, and greater prosperity for all workers. 60% of Black workers within the US live in the South. Therefore, Southern Workers Assembly centers leadership and the voices of Black workers.

The Workers’ Assembly is a strategy to educate, organize and mobilize a broad social workers’ movement in the fight for power. The groundwork must be prepared today for tomorrow’s victory. It is to that end that the Southern Workers Assembly dedicates itself: First, by helping the most militant worker/organizers form committees in major non-union workplaces. Second, by linking together such committees into action networks (Worker Assemblies by regions, sectors or corporate ownership) capable of leading public collective action in support of immediate wage and benefit gains. Third, by encouraging new and existing unions to fully engage in major non-union workplaces regardless of NLRB election prospects.

Forward to building the Southern Workers’ Movement!

Who we are

We are the Southern Workers Assembly. We seek to organize the unorganized working class across the South. We are the bedrock of our communities. We are a social movement, a voluntary organization fighting for social justice. Many of us are also members of unions, churches, and other local organizations.

The purpose of the Southern Workers Assembly is to organize rank-and-file workers to achieve a level of worker power through building organization in all kinds of workplaces, uniting them in assemblies, and exercising sufficient power through collectively bargaining contracts with employers, workplace mobilizations, labor and community solidarity, and independent political action.

The Southern Workers Assembly organizes to fight for better working conditions, a living wage, and all-round respect, in other workers a society that empowers workers to benefit all and protect the earth. Once organized, workers can defend
everyone.

Everyone is needed in this struggle. Working class women and gender non-conforming folk: you are all essential workers.

Younger people: you are fearless fighters who always make a difference. Older people: your experience is invaluable.

What we do

The Southern Workers Assembly (SWA) is a network of local unions, worker organizations, and organizing committees, committed to building rank-and-file democratic social movement unionism (unionism with a social justice agenda, defined by and accountable to the rank-and-file) as a foundation for organizing, uniting and transforming labor power throughout the South.

SWA Core Principles: Rank-and-file democracy; national and international labor solidarity; organizing the unorganized; fighting all forms of discrimination; building a Southern labor congress; and building labor’s power for independent political action.

SWA Core Demands: Repeal Taft-Hartley and Right-to-Work laws, and collective bargaining rights for all workers.

Organizational Affiliates

Coordinating Committee

The Coordinating Committee of the Southern Workers Assembly provides political and organizational leadership to our work across the region, and handles day to day operational functions.

The current members of the Coordinating Committee include:

• Abdul Alkalimat – SWA Education Committee
• Ajamu Dillahunt – Black Workers for Justice
• Angaza Laughinghouse – Raleigh Area Workers Assembly
• Ben Carroll – Organizing Coordinator
• Cheryl Brown – National Nurses United
• Dan Taylor – Richmond Workers Assembly
• Dante Strobino – Durham Workers Assembly
• Dominic Harris – UE Local 150, Charlotte Chapter President
• Durane Smalls – ILA Local 1422
• Ed Bruno – SWA Education Committe
• Jim Wrenn – SWA Treasurer
• Keith Bullard – Union of Southern Service Workers
• Leonard Riley – ILA Local 1422
• Libby Devlin – SWA Organizing Committee
• Mickey Davis – New Orleans Workers Assembly
• Sarah DeArmon – Western NC Workers Assembly
• Sekia Royall – UE Local 150, President