U.S. Labor Against Racism and War (USLAW) was a left-of-center labor activist organization originally formed in opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 as US Labor Against the War. The group organized anti-war, anti-capitalist, and international solidarity campaigns, often targeting U.S. military and foreign policy and promoting left-of-center foreign governments and causes. USLAW operated as a small independent organization until 2021 and then was a fiscally sponsored project of the Alliance for Global Justice (AfGJ), a far-left nonprofit with a history of supporting socialist and Marxist-aligned movements in Latin America and beyond. USLAW appeared to have disbanded by 2023. ^{1 2 3}

Background and History

U.S. Labor Against Racism and War was launched on January 11, 2003, following a national conference in Chicago that was comprised of approximately 100 union leaders, anti-war organizers, and left-wing activists. The group was formed in direct response to the George W. Bush administration’s military build-up toward the Iraq War, and its stated mission was to organize within the U.S. labor movement against the war effort. At launch, the group declared its opposition to what it characterized as “preemptive war,” aligning with broader global left-wing opposition to American foreign policy. ¹

The conference that founded the organization considered two anti-war proposals. One, introduced by Gene Bruskin, secretary-treasurer of the Food and Allied Services Trades, was described by far-left organization Socialist Alternative as somewhat moderate because it “focused on opposing a unilateral war and on using the UN as the main way to blunt the war drive.” The resolution that was adopted was introduced by Michael Letwin of New York City Labor Against the War and was based on a resolution passed by Teamsters Local 705 in Chicago and employed further left language that stated “Bush’s drive for war serves as a cover and distraction for the sinking economy, corporate corruption, and layoffs.”¹

The group was critical of national union leadership and mostly engaged with left-of-center and far-left local unions, stating that “Anti-war committees should be built in every union local, and they should link up with organizations of students, immigrants, unemployed and community groups. Activists should move resolutions based on the one passed by USLAW.” ¹

Activity

U.S. Labor Against Racism and War promoted a broad agenda that included opposition to NATO, criticism of Israel’s policies toward Palestinians, and support for left-wing and socialist governments abroad. The organization has routinely portrayed American military actions as tools of imperialism and capitalism, and it has called for massive divestment from the U.S. military-industrial complex. Its activism frequently overlaps with radical anti-capitalist rhetoric and organizing. Archived pages from the organization’s former website show that USLAW sought to organize “a labor movement that is pro-worker, anti-racist, and anti-imperialist.” ^{4 5}

Among the last social media posts for the organization, shared in 2023, include posting an Anti-Israel “U.S. Solidarity Against Apartheid toolkit” that the group shared weeks after Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023 and a statement from the New York City Democratic Socialists of America promoting anti-Israel protests. ⁶

USLAW materials have characterized the U.S. as a force of global oppression and military domination. The group stated that “Labor Against Racism and War (formerly U.S. Labor Against the War) represents labor organizations who seek to build our labor movement toward international solidarity across borders, peaceful solutions to international disputes, public education on international issues, and the domestic impact and consequences of racism and militarism. The United States government has engaged in decades-long wars against the interests of the working class, while many poor and working people go without adequate healthcare, clean water, strong public schools, stable retirements, and good jobs in the richest country in the world.” ⁷

USLAW appeared to have dissolved in late 2023 after being under the fiscal sponsorship of the Alliance for Global Justice, a controversial nonprofit known for supporting Marxist-aligned political movements across Latin America, including groups in Venezuela and Nicaragua. The Alliance for Global Justice is known for backing radical causes such as abolishing ICE, defunding the police, and promoting revolutionary socialism. Its list of fiscally sponsored projects includes a variety of radical organizations, and USLAW appeared on its fiscal sponsorship roster as recently as 2023. ^{3 8}

1. “U.S. Labor Against the War Formed.” Socialist Alternative. Accessed June 24, 2025. https://www.socialistalternative.org/no-to-bushs-war-on-iraq/us-labor-against-the-war-formed/
2. “Who We Are.” U.S. Labor Against the War (Archived). Archived January 10, 2020. Accessed June 24, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20200110191422/https://uslaboragainstwar.org/who-we-are-2/
3. “Fiscally Sponsored Projects.” Alliance for Global Justice, September 6, 2023. Accessed June 1, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20230906184056/https://afgj.org/fsp/fiscally-sponsored-projects.
4. “Mission Statement.” U.S. Labor Against the War (Archived). Archived February 21, 2020. Accessed June 24, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20200221024300/https://uslaboragainstwar.org/mission-statement/
5. “Blog.” U.S. Labor Against the War (Archived). Archived February 11, 2020. Accessed June 24, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20200211202658/https://uslaboragainstwar.org/blog/
6. U.S. Labor Against the War Twitter/X Account. Accessed June 24, 2025. https://x.com/laborfightsback
7. “Support USLAW with a Donation.” Action Network. Accessed June 24, 2025. https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/support-uslaw-with-a-donation
8. “Venezuela-ALBA Weekly: Venezuela’s Communal Movement Today 11.24.2017.” Alliance for Global Justice. November 24, 2017. Accessed June 24, 2025. https://afgj.org/venezuela-alba-weekly-venezuelas-communal-movement-today-11-24-2017.