28th Amendment/Right to a decent job

Charles Brown CharlesB at CNCL.ci.detroit.mi.us
Mon Dec 14 08:58:58 PST 1998


Doug Henwood wrote:

Carl Remick wrote:


>Re Charles': Draft XXVIII Amendment for
>a right to a decent job.
>
>I find this proposal very impressive. Has any attempt been made to stir
>grass-roots support for this measure? Does anyone on this list have a
>serious philosophical objection to this amendment?

Has anyone mentioned the fact that a similar amendment is one of the Labor Party's major organizing principles?

Doug _________

Charles: Yes, I posted an article by Adolph Reed on the Labor Party campaign a while ago. The draft I posted is the same basic principle,but it is the result of my working on the legal

problems for a number of years even before the LP existed. Of course, the LP's endorsement of the basic concept of a CONSTITUTIONAL AMDMENT tickled me pink. That is the aspect I had been trying to "get over" for year. People talk about a right to a job, but most don't realize that the legally sophisticated way in which that must be done is through constitutional amendment.

I arrived at this conclusion in concrete struggle during the plantclosings of the 1980's. We wanted a moratorium by Congressional Action. But I realized that that would be trumped by the Fifth Amendment Takings Clause.


>>> rc&am <rcollins at netlink.com.au> 12/14 10:10 AM >>>
jeffrey,

just caught up with this thread. small question: isn't section three a version of labour conscription? ____ Charles: Angela, please elaborate. I am not sure what you mean. The general principle is from each according to ability, from each according to work.

bigger question: is work the solution? _______

Charles: Is work "THE" solution ? No. Is work for all a step in the larger process of the solution ? Yes. The general priniciple is from each according to ability to each according to WORK.

__________ Justin asks
>>> <JKSCHW at aol.com> 12/10 10:29 PM >>>
In a message dated 98-12-10 12:42:01 EST, you write:

<< Re Charles': Draft XXVIII Amendment for

a right to a decent job.

I find this proposal very impressive. Has any attempt been made to stir

grass-roots support for this measure? Does anyone on this list have a

serious philosophical objection to this amendment?

>>

There was an attempt to do this in the Labor Party, which died a quiet death. Fact is, amending the Constitution is really really hard and note likely to be successful. --jks

_______

Charles: No, this is still number one in the Labor Party's program see Labor Party website and program:

http://www.labornet.org/lpa/index.html

_________

Charles Brown



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