Workers Alliance of America

The Workers Alliance of America (WAA) was a political group formed in March 1935 in the United States. It brought together different efforts to help unemployed workers, uniting them under one name. The group was started by the Socialist Party of America and later included the Unemployed Councils of the USA, a large group linked to the Communist Party USA, as well as other organizations.

The WAA was first led by a man named David Lasser, but over time it was mostly guided by the Communist Party USA, which had more members and better organization. At first, it acted like a trade union for workers employed by the Works Progress Administration, but later it worked more like a pressure group, trying to get more money for the WPA from Congress.

As World War II began and fewer people were unemployed, interest in the WAA dropped, and the group disbanded in 1941.

Organizational history

In the early 1930s, different political groups in the United States, such as the Communist Party USA and the Socialist Party of America, often disagreed with each other. However, after the Nazi Party rose to power in Germany, these groups began working together to oppose unfair treatment.

The Workers Alliance of America (WAA) started in March 1935 as a project of the Socialist Party of America. An early meeting was led by Socialist David Lasser. Over time, the group grew to include other organizations, like the Unemployed Councils of the USA, which was linked to the Communist Party.

The WAA aimed to help unemployed workers and pushed for better job conditions. They wanted a shorter workweek without lower pay and better unemployment benefits. The group worked with labor leaders and tried to support workers in government jobs.

By 1936, the WAA had merged with other groups, though it was later mainly influenced by the Communist Party. The organization’s activities slowed as World War II approached, and it ended in 1941. Today, its records are kept at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Conventions