January, 1999
Labor Party Press
Conversation with
Bob Brown
Bob Brown is the
Labor Party’s
organizer in the mid-Atlantic region.
I think the convention ended our "founding-ness." It established
us as a real political entity on the ground, with formidable tasks that lie ahead —
in particular, organizing. But I think there was a consolidation coming out the convention
that will allow us to accomplish some of those tasks.
This time we came to the convention with a broader base within the union
movement — and there were also something like 10 worker-supportive organizations
present. I think we have all the raw material in place now to approach this party-building
effort in a real organized way.
What we have to do to build the Labor Party is focus on those unions that
want to do the organizing. We know we need to duplicate the kind of train-the-trainers
session we did here in New Jersey earlier this year.
What we’re grappling with — all of us — is coming up with a
new organizing approach. Because there’s no toolchest we can go to and just pick up
what we need. The newness of it is very difficult. We’re trying to become political
organizers. And that’s an art. Many of the rank and file people who are coming into
the Labor Party are good at organizing around issues on the shop floor. Now we’re
trying to help people become political organizers — and it will take a few bites of
the apple for us to make this happen.
And we are going to get it! We are getting it already, just in little
pieces, bit by bit. We’ve got to try everything out, get experience, modify it —
and then help it catch on.
Here in New Jersey, we’re lucky, because there’s a New Jersey
state party with affiliates who sit down and meet and give direction. And that enables me,
as a full-time organizer, to be more effective. And there are some other people here too
who are really putting their shoulders to the wheel for the Labor Party.
The Just Healthcare campaign, I think, will be a good vehicle for us. For
one thing, it will help bind workers who are employed with those who are unemployed —
because we have similar interests when it comes to healthcare. Some people have no
insurance, others have it but it’s inadequate. It’s a binding issue that affects
such a broad spectrum of people.
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