Discussions for revitalizing the labor movement include a frequent call for build ing labor-community coalitions as well as reactivating a more activist brand of electoral politics. This paper illustrates how unions have used aggressive political action to establish lasting coalitions with the community. Our examples draw from the work of the fledgling New Party, Connecticut's Legislative and Electoral Ac tion Program, and the mushrooming living wage movement. Through these new forms of political action unions have begun to redefine their agenda, build bridges to the community, mobilize their membership, and lay the foundation of a broad- based movement for economic democracy.
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