The Working Families Party (WFP) is a left-wing-progressive minor political party in the US state of New York, which has now expanded efforts into a number of other states, including the creation of the Connecticut Working Families Party and organizing projects in a number of other states. Image File history File links logo of the Working Families Party File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The examples and perspective in this article do not represent a worldwide view. ... Progressivism is a political philosophy whose adherents promote policies that they believe would reform a countrys government, economy, or society. ... Political parties in the United States lists political parties in the United States. ... A political party is a political organization that subscribes to a certain ideology and seeks to attain political power within a government. ... The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America, the States, or (archaically) Columbia—is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ... State nickname: The Empire State Official languages English Capital Albany Largest city New York City Governor George Pataki (R) Senators Charles Schumer (D) Hillary Clinton (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 27th 141,205 km² 13. ...

New York's Working Families Party was first organized in 1998 by a coalition of labor unions, ACORN and other community organizations, members of the now-inactive national New Party, and a variety of public interest groups. The party blends a culture of political organizing with unionism, 1960s idealism, and realistic tactical pragmatism. The party has advocated issues ranging from procedural reforms related to the judiciary to economic issues like raising the minimum wage. 1998 (MCMXCVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... A union (labor union in American English; trade union, sometimes trades union, in British English; either labour union or trade union in Canadian English) is a legal entity consisting of employees or workers having a common interest, such as all the assembly workers for one employer, or all the workers... Acorns of Sessile Oak The acorn is the fruit of oaks (genus Quercus, in the family Fagaceae). ... Community organizing is a process by which people are brought together to act in common self-interest. ... Several organizations in the United States have styled themselves the New Party. ... Unionism is a movement based on the ideal of syndicalism and support for the trade union movement, but which exists within the framework of a open capitalist society as an independent participatory private entity. ... The 1960s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... The minimum wage is the minimum rate a worker can legally be paid (usually per hour) as opposed to wages that are determined by the forces of supply and demand in a free market. ...

In the 2002 election for governor of New York, the party cross-endorsed the Democratic Party candidate, Carl McCall. Because he received more than 50,000 votes on the WFP line, the party gained an automatic ballot line for the succeeding four years. In the same election, the Liberal Party, running Democratic primary loser Andrew Cuomo, and the Green Party, running its own candidate, failed to reach that threshold and lost the ballot lines they had previously won. This left the WFP as the only left-progressive minor party with a ballot line. One slogan of the Working Families Party is "The minor party with major possibilities." 2002 (MMII) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A governor is also a device that regulates the speed of a machine. ... Electoral fusion is an arrangement where two or more political parties support a common candidate, pooling the votes for all those parties. ... The Democratic Party, which is also known as the National Socialist Party, is the longest-standing political party in the world (unless one considers the British Conservative Party to be an extension of the much older Tories). ... H. Carl McCall (born 1935) is a former Comptroller of New York State and was the Democratic candidate in the 2002 election for state governor. ... A ballot is a device used to record choices made by voters. ... The Liberal Party of New York is a minor political party active only in New York State. ... Andrew Mark Cuomo (born December 6, 1957 in New York City) was the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton between 1997 and 2001. ... In United States politics, the Green Party has been active as a third party since the 1980s. ...

As of 2005, the executive director of the WFP is Dan Cantor. Mr. Cantor and Bob Master, the party's co-chairman and a leader of the Communications Workers of America, are old friends. At 12 years old they were studying for their Bar Mitzvahs at the same Reform synagogue on Long Island. The WFP also has a powerful alliance with Dennis Rivera and Local 1199/SEIU (Service Employees International Union). The intensely activist union is known to contribute more than $100,000 a year of the party's $1.4 million annual budget. 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Communications Workers of America (CWA) is the largest communications and media labor union in the United States (the union also has locals in Canada), representing over 700,000 workers in both the private and public sectors. ... When a Jewish child reaches the age of maturity (12 years and one day for girls, 13 years and one day for boys) that child becomes responsible for him/herself under Jewish law; at this point a boy is said to become Bar Mitzvah (בר מצווה, son of the commandment... Reform Judaism (also known as Progressive Judaism while in the U.K. Reform Judaism and Liberal Judaism together make up Progressive Judaism) is a branch of Judaism characterized by: The belief that an individuals personal autonomy overrides traditional Jewish law and custom. ... The four counties of Long Island. ... Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is the fastest growing labor union in the United States, representing 1. ...

Electoral strategy

Like other minor parties in the state, the WFP benefits from New York's liberal electoral fusion laws that allow cross-endorsement of a single candidate by multiple parties. This allows sympathetic voters to support a minor party without 'wasting' a vote. Usually, the WFP endorses the Democratic Party candidate, but it has occasionally endorsed Republican Party candidates in Westchester, Nassau, and Erie counties, often as a strategy for spurring bi-partisan action on its policy priorities. The party's sometime-position at the balance of electoral power and the threat of Republican endorsement has allowed it to influence the politics of local Democratic candidates and the state Democratic party. The support of the WFP can even be important in Democratic primaries. Electoral fusion is an arrangement where two or more political parties support a common candidate, pooling the votes for all those parties. ... The Democratic Party, which is also known as the National Socialist Party, is the longest-standing political party in the world (unless one considers the British Conservative Party to be an extension of the much older Tories). ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party), is one of the two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Democratic Party. ... Westchester County is a suburban county with about 940,000 residents located in the U.S. state of New York. ... Nassau County is the name of two counties in the United States of America: Nassau County, Florida Nassau County, New York This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Erie County is the name of several counties in the United States: Erie County, New York Erie County, Ohio Erie County, Pennsylvania This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

In unusual cases, the WFP has put forward its own candidates. In the chaotic situation following the assassination of New York City councilman James E. Davis by political rival Othniel Askew, the slain coucilman's brother Geoffrey Davis was chosen to succeed him in the Democratic primary. As it became clear that Geoffrey Davis lacked his late brother's political experience, fellow Democrat Letitia James decided to challenge him in the general election on the WFP ticket and won Brooklyn's 35th City Council district as the first third-party candidate elected there in 30 years. In 2003, the WFP had candidates in over 500 races throughout New York State, the majority of them cross-endorsed. The city is at the center of international finance, politics, entertainment, and culture, and is one of the worlds major global cities (along with London, Tokyo and Paris) with a virtually unrivaled collection of museums, galleries, performance venues, media outlets, international corporations, and stock exchanges. ... James E. Davis (April 3, 1962 - July 23, 2003) was a New York City policeman, corrections officer and councilman. ... Geoffrey A. Davis is an American politician, the brother of the late N.Y.C. Council member James E. Davis and Democratic and Independence candidate for the 35th District to succeed his brother. ... New York City Council Member Letitia James. ... A map highlighting Brooklyn and the rest of New York City. ... 2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

As of November 1, 2005, the Working Families Party had 30,391 enrolled members [1], who are eligible to vote in party primaries, 0.26% of registered voters statewide.

Platform

The WFP was launched with the agenda of well-paying jobs, affordable housing, accessible health care, better public schools and more investment in public services.

On December 6, 2004, the WFP saw the enactment of one of its highest legislative priorities, an increase in the New York State minimum wage, which it had supported since its inception. On that day, both the State Assembly and the State Senate joined to override Governor George E. Pataki’s veto of an original bill passed in July, 2004. On January 1, 2005, the state's minimum wage raised to $6.00 an hour from $5.15, before two additional annual steps that will reach $7.15 an hour. Katrina vanden Heuvel at The Nation points out that "For a full-time worker, that's an increase from $10,700 per year to $14,900." According to the Drum Major Institute, it is estimated that 500,000 New Yorkers directly benefited from the wage increase. December 6 is the 340th day (341st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The minimum wage is the minimum rate a worker can legally be paid (usually per hour) as opposed to wages that are determined by the forces of supply and demand in a free market. ... The New York Legislature is the U.S. state of New Yorks legislative branch, seated at the states capital, Albany. ... The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. ... George Elmer Pataki (born June 24, 1945) is the current governor of the U.S. state of New York (since 1995). ... July is the seventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Katrina vanden Heuvel (born 1960) is the editor and, as of November 7th, 2005, publisher of the left-leaning magazine The Nation, known for its liberal political leanings regarding both foreign and domestic matters. ... The Nation is the name of several newspapers, periodicals or magazines in different countries, including: The Nation, an Irish Nationalist newspaper founded by Thomas Davis and Charles Gavan Duffy in the 1840s. ... The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy is a non-partisan, non-profit policy institute founded during the civil rights movement. ...

Another major platform of the WFP is to defeat the "Rockefeller drug laws" in New York State, remnant from when Nelson Rockefeller was Governor. On election day, November 2, 2004, the WFP contributed largely to the victory of David Soares to Albany County District Attorney. Soares' platform was based on reforming the draconian drug policy, while generally taking a less punitive approach to criminal justice. On December 8, 2004, the most significant reform package of the Rockefeller Drug Laws in 30 years was passed by the State legislature and later was signed by Governor Pataki. While failing to advocate for more judicial discretion, drug treatment over incarceration, and retroactive sentencing reform (meaning the ability to apply these changes to those who have already been sentenced), the long overdue reforms are applauded by most as a good first step. The reforms do effectively reduce minimum sentences for drug charges, and allow for those convicted of such charges to enter medical treatment centers more easily. The WFP looks forward to continuing to make progress on this issue in the future. The Rockefeller drug laws is the colloquial term used to denote the statutes dealing with the sale and possession of narcotic drugs in the New York State Penal Law. ... Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979), an American politician, was Governor of New York and the 41st Vice President of the United States of America from December 19, 1974 to January 20, 1977. ... November 2 is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 59 days remaining. ... Motto: Nickname: Location in Albany County, New York Founded Incorporated 1614 1686  County Albany County Borough {{{borough}}} Parrish {{{parrish}}} Mayor Gerald D. Jennings Area  - Total  - Water 56. ... A district attorney is the title of an American public official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminals. ... The War on Drugs is an initiative undertaken in the United States to carry out an all-out offensive (as President Nixon described it) against the non-medical use of certain prohibited drugs. ... December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Sources

• Newfield, J., "Working Families Party Takes Place at the Table", The New York Sun, 11 Nov, 2003.

The modern New York Sun is a daily newspaper published at New York City which debuted April 16, 2002. ...

External link

• WFP website
• Connecticut Working Families Party website