Introduction
The New Worker, our central organ, plays a pivotal role in our struggle to unite and empower the working class. It serves as the voice of the CWPUSA’s ideological center, shaping and advancing our revolutionary ideals. To fulfill this role, the New Worker must establish a strong connection between the Central Committee and our Party Base Organizations, bridging the gap between national-level ideology and local-level work. However, due to our organization’s nascent status, the New Worker resembles more of a blog than a party paper. To address this, we must actively integrate the New Worker into the activities of the PBO. Below, we outline a comprehensive plan to achieve this integration.
Functions of the New Worker
Education
The New Worker‘s primary function is to educate party members and the broader working class on our ideology and how it relates to current events. It provides a platform for in-depth analysis and understanding of our revolutionary principles.
Agitation
The New Worker should also serve as a tool for agitation, inspiring action and involvement within the working class. It should motivate members and supporters to participate in this mission.
Guidance and Direction
Our party relies on the New Worker to provide clear guidance and direction. It should help members understand how our ideology applies to their daily work and tasks, offering practical advice and strategies.
Centralizing Party Thought
The New Worker consolidates and centralizes the party’s ideological thought, serving as a repository for our collective knowledge and a platform for shaping our future direction.
General Tasks of the PBO
Reading
To ensure effective integration, all PBO members must commit to regularly reading New Worker articles. This act of discipline and dedication is vital for staying updated on our ideological materials.
Discussion
Discussion of New Worker articles within PBO meetings is essential. Members should share their thoughts on the relevance of the materials to local work and opportunities to disseminate them to our contacts. Not all articles will require extensive discussion, but those written by committee members should receive special attention.
Writing
Members should consider how their experiences and work can contribute to the New Worker‘s goals. They should ask themselves:
- How can existing New Worker material support my current tasks?
- How can my work contribute to the New Worker‘s content?
Strategic Aims To Integrate the New Worker Into Our Activity
Cultivating Correspondents
A key strategic aim is to build our party out of the PBOs. To that end, each PBO should designate at least one contact as a workplace correspondent to ensure that the New Worker is distributed and discussed within the workplace. Contacts in workplaces or mass organizations without a PBO presence should receive copies of the New Worker from the nearest established PBO.
Expanding Distribution
PBOs must also distribute copies of the New Worker to the membership. The member responsible for agitprop should prepare materials on New Worker content each week, discussing its relevance, identifying opportunities for use in agitation and propaganda, proposing potential pieces based on PBO studies, and assessing the New Worker‘s presence in practical work. This practice will serve as a model for PBOs.
Developing Practical Skills
The New Worker‘s central role in our committee’s work—the production of agitprop, educational materials, and more—will facilitate the development of practical skills among members. For example, members will improve their writing skills by producing communist agitprop, meaning it’s essential to encourage members to pursue opportunities to write and edit pieces for the New Worker. Further, engaging in one-on-one conversations for articles based on interactions with correspondents or supporters will enhance members’ interpersonal and organizing skills.
Specialization
Recognizing that not all members can perform all tasks equally, we emphasize specialization. The member tasked with agitprop should take the lead in implementing the plan to integrate the New Worker into PBO. They should proactively identify opportunities in our campaigns and work that align with the New Worker‘s mission.
Conclusion
Integrating the New Worker into PBO activities is a strategic imperative. By carrying out the plan detailed above, we can elevate the New Worker from a blog to a party paper. As we move forward, each member’s commitment and active participation will be vital in realizing this vision and advancing the cause of the working class.
