The preservation of the right to organize. Unions have historically been the agent of change in improving American working conditions, and will continue to be for some time to come. However, corporations continue to find loopholes to keep workers from unionizing and bargaining collectively for better working conditions. The right to organize is essential to the American democratic system.

 Full employment. Unemployment causes severe economic problems. Anyone who wants to work should be able to work, without having potential jobs shipped overseas by multinational corporations seeking ever lower wages and poorer worker protections. Full employment means jobs for all and more funds for social security and basic government programs.

 Health care coverage for all workers. As it stands, there are millions of uninsured American workers. The system as is does not do enough to protect the health and well-being of the average American, and employers are not always obligated to pay their share of the burden. We support full coverage for all Americans.

 A living wage for all workers. The minimum wage is an important protection that workers had to fight and die for. However, it does not go far enough. Minimum wage workers still fall well below the poverty line, and working-class families have trouble affording a roof over their heads and food for their children. These things are particularly expensive in New York City, which is one of the most expensive places in the world. We have supported most credible efforts to raise the minimum wage in the country. We also support the somewhat more generous living wage for workers whose employees have contracts with the state and the city.

 Full disclosure. Part of the problem with investigating human rights abuses by corporations is that they are under no obligation to allow outside investigation. Companies that contract with the government and have factories overseas should be required to allow investigation of those factories, so that we may know exactly what goes on inside. These investigations should be made public.

 So called "free trade" agreements without labor protections. Programs like NAFTA and GATT allow free commerce across borders without any protections for the American workforce. As a result, working conditions on both sides of the border are worsened, as American unemployment raises and American companies found factories with shabby working conditions across the border. We oppose "free trade" agreements without environmental and labor protections.

 Permanent normal trade relations with China. President Clinton passed a law guaranteeing PNTR (permanent normal trade relations) with China. China has been guilty of numerous human rights violations, and the only leverage America has had with them is our annual MFN (most favored nation) status review. We support a return to the annual review system, which allowed us to pressure China to work to improve their human rights.