Vol. 79/No. 41      November 16, 2015

The Socialist Workers Party urges workers, farmers and youth to join fast-food and other lower-paid workers across the U.S. Tuesday, Nov. 10, to demand $15 an hour, regular full-time schedules and a union.

This is the road to the renewal of the labor movement. It reinforces social struggles like the fight against police brutality, from which, in turn, it draws strength.

The struggle is expanding in numbers and geographical reach. Fast-food, airport, home care, hotel, agricultural, Walmart and many other workers are joining the fight. Bosses’ efforts to weaken the movement by firing activists are backfiring, fueling new protests and more confidence.

Wages and working conditions have taken a beating as the depression wears on and the capitalists try to solve their crisis on the backs of workers. Today 42 percent of workers earn less than $15 an hour, including millions forced into contract, temporary and part-time work, and growing numbers on second and third tiers in auto and other basic industries. The figure is higher for workers who are Black, Latino or female.

The Fight for $15 is winning concessions. Capitalist rulers in a growing number of cities have had to raise the minimum wage to $15, although in most cases strung out over several years and excluding whole categories of workers. The response of many workers is, “We need it now!”

Most important, the effort is awakening millions of workers to their worth, their dignity and their capacity to organize and win. The gains and elan of the lowest-paid workers is inspiring the entire working class.

The argument that higher wages mean higher prices is false. Karl Marx showed 150 years ago that workers produce all the wealth, and commodity prices are determined by the quantity of labor necessary for their production. The capitalists always try to drive down the cost of labor “to sink the average standard of wages,” he wrote. Workers and bosses are in constant conflict over which will rise, wages or profits. Marx applauded fights to raise wages, and urged workers to go further and abolish the wages system.

Our labor unions have shrunk in size and power over decades, as class-collaborationist officials have refused to mobilize the ranks, chained improving our conditions to helping the boss make profits and tied us to bourgeois politicians — mainly Democrats — telling us we can’t do anything without their help.

Today the cutting edge of the labor movement is the Fight for $15 and a union. It advances the fight to organize the unorganized and rebuild the unions, the essential defensive organizations of our class, as well as for a labor party based on the unions. It points the way for the transformation of millions of working-class fighters into revolutionaries capable of wresting power from the dictatorship of capital.

All out Nov. 10!
 
 
Related articles:
‘We need $15 an hour, full-time work, a union’
Nationwide protests set for Nov. 10
Seattle forum: Workers discuss $15, union organizing battles
On the Picket Line
New Chrysler contract maintains lower-paid tiers
Stakes high for all workers in Lac-Mégantic frame-up
During class combat rebellious workers become revolutionists
 
 
 
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