Join the Southern Workers Assembly
Who are we?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. The SWA believes that engaging and uniting rank and file and un-unionized workers in the US South around democratic principles of social justice unions is critical to building a politically conscious and transformative US workers movement.
The Southern Workers Assembly is a voluntary organization fighting for social justice. SWA believes Workers are the only social force that can challenge the capitalist class, force changes and redirect society towards social justice.
The Work of SWA
Purpose of the Southern Workers Assembly: Organize rank-and-file workers to achieve a level of worker power through building organization in all kinds of work places, uniting them in assemblies and exercising sufficient power through collectively bargaining contracts with employers, workplace mobilizations, labor and community solidarity and independent political action.
Goals of the Southern Workers Assembly: Our goal is to have statewide workers assemblies able to impact corporate boards and state legislatures, all levels of local government, and congressional districts.
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.
What is a Workers Assembly?
- A Workers Assembly is a voluntary organization of rank and file workers. They come from multiple industries, multiple union locals and community groups.
- Workers Assemblies are organized to establish a basic social movement framework to organize the working class. They create a framework for uniting working class and connecting the many struggles against oppression, exploitation, for liberation and sustainability of the planet.
Why are Southern Workers Organizing?
Why Organize a Workers Movement?
- We live in a capitalist country.
- Capitalism is built on workers’ labor.
- People are organized into two big classes: those who work and those who own companies.
- Workers produce more wealth than what workers are paid in wages. Capitalists pocket the difference as profit.
- We are the workers.
A strong labor movement could challenge the power of global corporations. A strong workers movement can be an independent political force in government fighting for working class demands:
- Health insurance for everyone
- Living Wages
- Pensions for Retired Workers
- A social contract insuring income for the unemployed, seniors and the disabled
- A social contract against systemic racism and all forms of discrimination.
Why organize in the South?
- The US South plays a special role in shaping systemic racism and anti-labor policies.
- The South has the highest concentration of anti-labor laws.
- The South is a region with low wages, low union density, a history of racist segregation and strong conservative racist politics.
- The South attracts major corporations seeking to escape organized labor
Join
The Southern Workers Assembly organizes to fight for better working conditions, a living wage, and all around resect in order to build a society that empowers workers to benefit all and protect the earth.
Everyone is needed in this struggle.
Learn more about the Southern Workers Assembly membership and membership structure here.