"My friends, it is solidarity of labor we want. We do not want
to find fault with each other, but to solidify our forces and say to
each other: We must be together; our masters are joined together and
we must do the same thing." Mary Harris “Mother” Jones
Hello Friend,
Mother Jones reminds us why the
Green Party is celebrating Labor Day - a holiday whose beginnings in
the 1880s were established to honor the working class. She fought for
the rights of workers until she tired out completely at the age of
100. She was an organizer for the United Mine Workers, helped found
the Social Democratic Party in 1898, was a lecturer for the Socialist
Party of America, and aided in the formation of the Industrial Workers
of the World.
The first Labor Day parade occurred
on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, when 20,000 workers marched up Broadway
in New York with banners that demanded a shorter work day with time
for family and rest. The parade was the reaction of disillusioned
workers upset with the 12-14 hour workdays in dangerous factories and
underground mines. The next year, on September 5, 1883, the Central
Labor Union celebrated the second Labor Day holiday. After 30 states
had recognized the day as a holiday, it became a federal holiday in
1894.
But our work expands far beyond
honoring this day. Elected Greens and Party activists are working
throughout this country (and the world) to create a successful
economic system that offers meaningful work with dignity, while paying
a living wage.
Many local and state Green Parties
have joined the Universal Living Wage Campaign, Fight for Fifteen,
Coalition for Immokalee Workers, and other campaigns that promote
wages that reflect local housing costs and don’t push working families
into poverty and homelessness. Furthermore, many elected Greens have
passed living wage ordinances in their communities.
The Green Party platform stands for
economic democracy and public ownership of essential services. We
believe that worker and community empowerment is the path to
production that is based on humane practices for people and
planet.
You
can help us continue the fight for living wages and active unions with
your donation of $18.82 in honor of the first Labor Day or $25, $50,
or more today. We’ll put
your money to good use by helping to elect candidates who support our
platform.
We don’t take any corporate donations! The two major political parties continue to
degrade the quality of life for working families as they rush to
return favors to their corporate donors. As a result, Americans
continue to see losses to health coverage, pension plans, jobs (to
outsourcing) and a continuous attack on unions. Worker safety, food
safety and environmental degradation continue to erode under the
current political leadership.
Please support the Green Party’s
efforts to build a strong, viable political party that will counter
the degradation to our economic viability and sustainability. While
most of the country’s energy is focused on mid-term elections, war,
and terrorism, legislators quickly pass or eliminate legislation in
constant pandering to corporate executives. How has this helped the
99%? Well, it hasn’t helped
the working class but it has helped the CEO’s and the 1% who are
getting paid more and more.
Because we don’t accept corporate or PAC donations, we need
your help. Your donation of any amount helps
us to maintain our staff,
organize activists and volunteers to fight for a living wage and
unionization, and to promote candidates that believe in our
platform.
Together, we can keep liberty
alive. We can do this by keeping the dream of a Green world alive. We
hope that you will support the Green Party in three ways.
Register Green… Vote Green … Give Green...
Wishing you a peaceful and
honorable Labor Day,
David Doonan Green Party Shop
Steward IWW Industrial Union #560
PS - Mother Jones sustained her
activism for most of her 100-year life. You can help us do the same
with your monthly donation.
It’s easy to sign-up to give $10, $25
or even more every month.
Green Party of the United
States http://www.gp.org/
|