Book Review: The Billionaires Have Two Parties: We Need a Party of Our Own

When I saw the title of this book, I wanted to scream YES, YES, YES as loudly as possible, a thousand times Yes! I have so many reasons of my own for supporting creation of a labor party, most arising from the daily, wretched performance of our two-party billionaire representatives and their assault on education, health care, the environment, and worker safety and health regulations.

I have lived most of my voting age life agonizing over the lack of any alternative to  a bipartisan agenda that carries out imperialist wars, tolerates poverty, hunger,  homelessness, and racism as normal. The two parties casually toy with nuclear war-funding  and black out any realistic discussion of the existential threat of climate change.

My fervor for change found me wanting to write a review before I had even read the book. That would have been a grave error and an egregious disservice to the author Les Leopold who  has dedicated decades of his life to the formation of a labor party, having written several books as well as serving as Cofounder and Executive Director of the Labor Institute.

In less than one hundred fifty pages the author  examines extensive  issue-polling in crucial states like Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to learn what working people want, regardless of party affiliation.

Here is what they want:  job security,  reliable and affordable health care, better pay,better infrastructure, a shorter work week, a safe environment, increased vacation time, and responsive institutions.

They support increasing taxes on the wealthy, an end to price gouging, a cap on drug prices, elimination of taxes on Social Security benefits, federally funded job guarantees (rated fifth of twenty-five issues), and prohibition of corporate compulsory layoffs. The book reveals a striking truth: working people across the political spectrum are far more economically progressive than either party leadership acknowledges.

The author touches on the history of some past third-party efforts (such as the Farmer-Labor Party) their strengths and weaknesses and he demonstrates the futility of trying to reform the Democratic Party and the hopelessness of fusion efforts like the Working Families Party (WFP), whose goal is to “remake” the Democrats. He points to polling that shows Democratic Party candidates saddled with voter negatives,  as well as the well-earned rejection of the party “brand.”

Leopold, now a labor educator,  was involved in the 1990s effort led by Tony Mazzocchi to form a Labor Party and draws on the lessons of that experience to provide us with some much needed direction. He encourages efforts to field candidates in red districts on a strong economic platform, predicting the Democrats would be the “third party” entry when the votes were all counted.

He endorses the use of ballot initiatives where able and highlights the importance  of petitioning as a tool vital to teaching, organizing, mobilizing, and change. The book  explores the need for organized labor to play a central role in the effort while not ignoring  the obstacle of seeking the support of unions deeply and historically tied  to the Democratic Party and the constraints of US labor law which enables  corporations to avoid  signing a contract with 32% of bargaining units four years  after a successful representation election. Despite that, he is encouraged by 68% of America that  now supports unions up from 49% in 2009 and the 77% of those 35 and younger that support  unions.

Leopold proposes an Independent Workers Political Association which would  encourage workers and their allies to join for a modest fee. Leopold  declares, “I believe that  once a workers party is launched (no easy feat) working people will come running.”

–Bob Bonner is former president of AFGE Local 2028 in Pittsburgh, PA where he represented US Veterans Administration workers.