Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are you a Labor union?

A: No, we are not a Labor union or a Labor federation; we are an association of working people providing solidarity and support for union and non-union workers alike.

Q: Are you a political party?

A: No, The Louisville Workers Brigade is not a political party, nor are we affiliated with a political party. It is our view that the duopoly of the two-party political system in the United States represents the interests of the owning class and that neither major political party represents the interests of working people. Though politicians on "both sides of the aisle" appeal to working people, often pandering to urban or rural workers, the historical record demonstrates that our current political and economic systems are designed to benefit the wealthy owning class.

Q: Are you attempting to form an organization separate from the already established Labor unions and federations?

A: No, we believe the best course of action for working people is to work with every tool at their disposal; this can include already established unions and federations, but can also incorporate the use of independent unions and new Labor institutions. The Louisville Workers Brigade does recognize the issues present within many Labor unions today, with Labor "leadership" often collaborating with ownership instead of engaging in a rigorous class struggle approach that has served working people well throughout history and across the globe. These failures of what many might call the "Labor Aristocracy" or bureaucracy take the form of false notions such as "When the company does well, the workers do well." The Louisville Workers Brigade unequivocally understands that the interests of the bosses and the interests of working people are in direct opposition and contradiction to one another. Nevertheless, it is important that working people unite and, if already members of established unions, that they work with their fellow rank-and-files for a more militant posture and struggle to make this approach universal within their Labor organization.

Q: How do you define "the Working Class"?

A: In our present economic system, we recognize two classes: the owning class (sometimes referred to as the employing class or the capitalist class or simply "the bosses") and the working class. The working class constitutes those who sell their labor to the owning class in exchange for a wage, salary, commission, or other compensation. The owning class constitutes those who purchase the labor of workers and who enrich themselves off of the workers; this class also includes parasitic institutions like landlordship and major finance. Because this system relies on the existence of a mass of unemployed persons and profits off of the prison and jail industries, along with the broken and increasingly unaffordable educational institutions within our country, we also classify those currently unemployed, prisoners, and students as "Working Class."

***This page is still under construction and further questions & answers will be added over time***