American Party of Labor

The American Party of Labor traces its origin to the activities of the former leader of the Communist Party USA, William Z. Foster, the American communist Jack Shulman, and the British Marxist–Leninist Bill Bland. Members of the American Party of Labor had previously been active in Alliance Marxist–Leninist and International Struggle Marxist–Leninist, two organizations founded by Shulman and Bland.[9] The party sees itself as continuing the work of Foster, Shulman, and Bland.

The APL maintains friendly relations with many foreign communist parties in the International Conference of Marxist–Leninist Parties and Organizations.[10][11] In November 2018, the XXIV Plenary of the International Conference of Marxist–Leninist Parties and Organizations granted the APL Observer status in that organization.[12]

The APL's main lines of activity include:

• Maintaining Community solidarity projects such as Red Aid,[13] through which the party provides workers in need with food, clothing, sanitary masks[14] and other forms of social assistance.[15][7]
• Organizing and participating in protests, such as the 2013 protest against the "Golden Dawn" in Chicago,[16][17] the protest against Donald Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention,[18] the 2016 solidarity protest of the Sioux Native Americans who are affected by the Dakota Access Pipeline,[19] as well as joining the 2019 protest outside then-presidential candidate Cory Booker's fundraising event, in which John Lisowski of the APL reportedly: "Detailed the war criminal background of Elliott Abrams who over saw the U.S. support for death squads in Central American in the 80s and was convicted for criminal contempt of U.S. Congress and is now coordinating the U.S. operations against Venezuela."[20]
• Taking part in emergency community events like the Conference to Refound the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression in Chicago, Illinois, which took place in November 2019[21]
• Supporting Anti-war coalitions such as the "Hands Off Venezuela - N.J." coalition, which calls for an end to the risk of U.S. intervention in Venezuela,[22] signing the 2016 "U.S. Hands Off Syria Coalition" unity statement,[23] and supporting the 2019 "March on wall street".[24]
• Attending and publicizing events such as the 2014 Chicago forum meeting on the United States' role in Ukraine labeled "fascists attempt disruption",[17] the XXI, XXII, and XXIII International Seminars on the Problems of the Revolution in Latin America in Quito, Ecuador, which were hosted by the Marxist–Leninist Communist Party of Ecuador in 2018 and 2019.[25][26][27]
• Supporting worker strikes directly and in articles such as those published by Trade Union organizer and APL member Bobby Gallagher endorsing worker actions including the Michigan Kellogs's strike and Unionization attempts made by workers at 3 Starbucks stores in Buffalo, NY.[28] In a later article from 2022, he condemned the decision by the Youngstown State University to conduct budget cuts, accusing them of causing the loss of 9 full-time faculty and 26 programs, he also cited a statement by Susan Clutter, president of YSUOEA, the union representing the faculty, that implied several faculty members were dismissed due to their key positions in contract negotiations, as well as strikes in 2020. He also endorsed the December 1, 2021 Students and staff protests that followed the decision.[29][30]
• Participating in labor coalitions like the IWW's "Radical coalition" and taking part in activities like the coalition's 2015 protest, where the APL participated in a protest which included the Chicago Socialist Party, Pilsen Food Not Bombs, Feminist Uprising Resisting Inequality and exploitation, Chicago Torture Justice Memorial, Black Lives Matter Chicago, Moratorium on Deportations, Semillas Autonomas and the Gay Liberation Network.[31]

The current party newspaper, The Red Phoenix, publishes articles concerning contemporary political-economic issues[32][33] alongside theoretical and historical topics.[34][35][36] Sometimes, The Red Phoenix exchanges articles with other fraternal organizations, translating their articles to English and publishing them[37] and having its articles translated and published by them as well.[38]

The Red Phoenix allows workers across the country and across political tendency (including non-party members) to send in article submissions, to report on contemporary issues of the working class.[39]

From 2010-2012, the American Party of Labor published the Revolutionary Spirit,[40] a Marxist-Leninist theoretical journal, which contained writings of Marxist classics, translations of contemporary Marxist-Leninist theory, and original essays.

The main points of the American Party of Labor's political platform are:[41]

• Vaughn, Victor. "Category Archives: American Party of Labor" series, Espresso Stalinist
• Foster, William Z. History of the Communist Party of the United States. International Publishers, New York. January 1, 1952.
• Revolutionary Spirit. Theoretical Journal of the American Party of Labor.

• The Red Phoenix, official party newspaper