South Carolina Labor Party Founding Meeting

Union members and activists officially created the South Carolina Labor Party on Saturday September 23, 2006 by adopting a constitution, bylaws and statement of principles. South Carolina AFL-CIO president Donna Dewitt and South Carolina State professor Willie Legette were elected co-chairs of the new state party.

Nineteen local unions, the state AFL-CIO and the Charleston and Columbia central labor councils endorsed the founding meeting. Activists central to the ballot access campaign joined union delegates in an all-day meeting to adopt a structure and an organizing strategy geared to participating strategially in the 2007 and 2008 elections. A post-meeting, public celebration of the founding featured remarks by National Organizer Mark Dudzic and UNITE-HERE Vice President Noel Beasley and was attended by members of the Interim National Council.

Why South Carolina? South Carolina offers unique opportunities as well as challenges to confront the issues facing working people (see "The Case for South Carolina").