LABOR PARTY ADVOCATES.

In June, hundreds of union members will converge on Cleveland for a founding convention of the Labor Party. Four international unions — the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, the United Electrical Workers and the International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Unions are backing the effort, along with the many Central Labor Councils, regional and local union bodies. Yesterday, we spoke with Steve Rosenthal, political Director of the AFL-CIO about the labor movement’s strategy in the 1996 election, today we look at a different approach — a long-term strategy to build a strong labor voice in policy debates through a new political party. Tony Mazzocchi, national organizer of Labor Party Advocates. With Pacifica national affairs correspondent Larry Bensky.