SolidarityNetwork.org

Section 1. General

ESSN Jobs with Justice shall remain independent of any political party, union, or union federation. Further, no member may use the resources of this organization for his or her political advancement. This clause is in no way meant to restrict members from following their beliefs, or to restrict the organization from supporting any person or organization in the interest of the Network but is to make clear that the Solidarity Network is not the tool or agent of any group or individual.

Section 2. Governmental Political Activity

The ESSN Jobs with Justice may engage in political actions related to laws, policy, and governance. These actions include:

• Lobbying elected officials to support or oppose legislation and public policy.
• Supporting or running initiative and referendum petition campaigns.
• Endorsing or opposing specific ballot measures.
• Participating in accountability campaigns, including supporting or initiating recalls of elected officials who act against the interests of working people.
• Educating voters about candidates and issues.
• Hosting impartial and objective public forums or debates. When doing so, ESSN must provide equal opportunities to all candidates or viewpoints to ensure neutrality.

ESSN does not endorse political candidates or parties under any circumstances. We may, however, provide factual, unbiased information to assist voters in making informed decisions.

Section 3: Relationship with Political Parties

ESSN Jobs with Justice is an independent, community-based network committed to building solidarity across a wide range of organizations and individuals. While political parties and their representatives may engage with the Network—such as through public forums, candidate education, or participation in community events—political parties themselves may not be members of the Network and may not hold seats on the Steering Committee.

This policy is intended to preserve the Network’s independence, maintain broad-based trust among diverse member organizations, and ensure that ESSN remains focused on grassroots organizing rather than partisan alignment. ESSN welcomes engagement from all individuals and groups who share our core values of Solidarity, Diversity, and Respect, provided such participation is not used to promote the interests or control of any political party.

Section 4. Internal Organizational Politics

ESSN Jobs with Justice respects the independence of other organizations which defend and advance the economic and political interests of working people, particularly unions.

The Network shall maintain a strict hands-off policy regarding the internal political affairs of its member organizations, including unions and grassroots groups. This means:

• We do not take sides in internal leadership disputes, elections, or organizational governance matters.
• We respect the autonomy and democratic processes of each member organization.

However, ESSN Jobs with Justice recognizes that many of the organizations and unions we engage with have staff and workers. This policy does not prevent The Network from standing in solidarity with workers when engaging with management to resolve labor disputes, engage in collective bargaining or to hold management accountable when they engage in behavior that harms their workers.

Section 5. Individual Political Expression

ESSN Jobs with Justice recognizes that Individual members and member organizations retain their right to speak out publicly as individuals in support of their personal political beliefs. Such individual expression is protected and encouraged as part of a democratic and pluralistic movement, provided it is made clear that such views do not represent an official position of ESSN Jobs with Justice and the Steering committee unless formally authorized.