Commemorating the Life and Work of Eugene V. Debs

The Vermont AFL-CIO passed the following resolution honoring the 100 Anniversary of the death of labor leader Eugene Debs.  

Commemorating the Life and Work of Eugene V. Debs

on the 100th Anniversary of his Death.

Whereas, October 2026 is the 100th anniversary of the death of Eugene V. Debs, and

Whereas, Eugene Debs was one of the great pioneer leaders of the U.S. Labor movement including leading the formation of the industrial union the American Railway Union (ARU), led early successful strikes against the economically powerful and politically connected railroad barons, and helped found the IWW (known as the Wobblies), and 

Whereas, based on experience in the working-class struggle, most notably in the historic ARU-led Pullman strike of 1894 that was crushed by the Federal courts and U.S. Army, Eugene Debs concluded that the working class needed to combine economic struggle with independent politics to win power, ran as a third-party Socialist Party presidential candidate in 1912 garnering 6% of the national vote on a program of union rights, women suffrage, abolishment of child labor  and sharing of the wealth created by labor, and

Whereas, Debs courageously opposed WWI when the ruling classes of various countries sent workers to slaughter other workers over competing capitalist interests and control over world resources, markets, and labor, and

Whereas, for this just stance, Debs was prosecuted under the Espionage Act by the Woodrow Wilson administration, accused of representing “foreign” interests, and sentenced to 10 years in prison, and

Whereas, running for president from prison in 1920, Debs received 1 million working class votes, and

Whereas, Debs always stood with the workers, known for his approach, “When I rise it will be with the ranks, not from the ranks, and

Whereas, in 1962, funded primarily by unions, his residence in Terre Haute, IN was purchased and turned into a Museum highlighting the life and work of Eugene Debs, and

Whereas, preserving and sharing Labor’s rich history to help guide us in the current struggles is up to the union movement, and

Whereas, the life and work of Eugene Debs, with his passionate and steadfast leadership of militant industrial unionism, opposing unjust imperialist war and building independent working-class politics, is as relevant today as during his lifetime, there be it 

Resolved, that the Vermont State Labor Council AFL-CIO goes on record commemorating the life and work of Eugene V. Debs on the 100th Anniversary of his death, and be it further

Resolved, to help inspire and guide new generations of labor activists, share with our members the historic role of Eugene Debs, the Debs Foundation website (debsfoundation.org) and consider donating to the Deb’s Building Fund to carry out needed repairs on the House/museum.