We are the Southern Workers Assembly. We seek to organize the unorganized working class across the South. We are the bedrock of our communities. We are a social movement, a voluntary organization fighting for social justice. Many of us are also members of unions, churches, and other local organizations.

The purpose of the Southern Workers Assembly is to organize rank-and-file workers to achieve a level of worker power through building organization in all kinds of workplaces, uniting them in assemblies, and exercising sufficient power through collectively bargaining contracts with employers, workplace mobilizations, labor and community solidarity, and independent political action.

The Southern Workers Assembly organizes to fight for better working conditions, a living wage, and all-round respect, in other workers a society that empowers workers to benefit all and protect the earth. Once organized, workers can defend
everyone.

Everyone is needed in this struggle. Working class women and gender non-conforming folk: you are all essential workers.

Younger people: you are fearless fighters who always make a difference. Older people: your experience is invaluable.

What we do

The Southern Workers Assembly (SWA) is a network of local unions, worker organizations, and organizing committees, committed to building rank-and-file democratic social movement unionism (unionism with a social justice agenda, defined by and accountable to the rank-and-file) as a foundation for organizing, uniting and transforming labor power throughout the South.

SWA Core Principles: Rank-and-file democracy; national and international labor solidarity; organizing the unorganized; fighting all forms of discrimination; building a Southern labor congress; and building labor’s power for independent political action.

SWA Core Demands: Repeal Taft-Hartley and Right-to-Work laws, and collective bargaining rights for all workers.