International Socialist Organization

International Socialist Organization
source
Name	International Socialist Organization
Type	Trotskyist organization
Founded	1977
Dissolved	2019
Predecessor	Socialist Workers Party (United States)
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois
Ideology	Trotskyism, democratic socialism, revolutionary socialism
International	Fourth International tendencies
Country	United States

International Socialist Organization was a Trotskyist political organization active in the United States from 1977 to 2019, engaged in labor, antiwar, feminist, antiracist, and queer struggles. Its members participated in campaigns and coalitions alongside groups such as Service Employees International Union, Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter, Anti-War Coalition, and Democratic Socialists of America, while drawing theoretical influence from figures like Leon Trotsky, V.I. Lenin, Rosa Luxemburg, and Tony Cliff. The organization produced periodicals, intervened in electoral campaigns including those of Jeremy Corbyn-era allies and progressive municipal candidates, and maintained ties with international currents connected to the Fourth International and various socialist groups in Britain, France, and Latin America.

History

The ISO emerged from a split in the Socialist Workers Party (United States) milieu in the 1970s, inheriting activists from campus movements at institutions such as the University of Chicago, University of California, Berkeley, and Columbia University; it formally organized in 1977 as part of a wave of regroupings after the decline of the New Communist Movement and shifts following the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal. Through the 1980s and 1990s the ISO built support in labor struggles like the PATCO strike aftermath, solidarity with the Polish Solidarity movement, opposition to the Gulf War, and campaigns around AIDS activism linked to ACT UP. In the 2000s and 2010s ISO cadres were visible in antiwar demonstrations against the Iraq War, immigrant rights marches associated with the Great American Boycott (2006), and the 2011 Occupy Wall Street movement, which intersected with activists from MoveOn.org, United Students Against Sweatshops, and various local unions. The organization experienced membership growth and institutional consolidation before a crisis in 2019 that led to internal disciplinary disputes and a mass resignations precipitated by controversies involving leadership and allegations paralleling internal debates seen in groups like Socialist Alternative and sections of the Fourth International.

Ideology and Program

ISO's theoretical orientation was rooted in Trotskyism and influenced by the transitional program tradition associated with the Fourth International tendency, drawing on classic works by Leon Trotsky, V.I. Lenin, and analytic debates involving Rosa Luxemburg and Antonio Gramsci. Its programmatic priorities included revolutionary socialism, rank-and-file unionism in organizations such as the AFL–CIO affiliates, anti-imperialism opposing interventions by states like the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan, and solidarity with international movements including those in Venezuela, Bolivia, and South Africa during the ending apartheid era. The ISO advocated for democratic centralist practices adapted to U.S. conditions, programmatic entryism in mass movements, and a Marxist analysis of racial capitalism that referenced struggles led by figures associated with Black Panther Party histories and feminist currents linked to activists from NOW and Combahee River Collective-aligned debates.

Organization and Structure

The ISO organized via local branches in metropolitan areas such as Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., with coordinating national conventions and elected national secretariats. Internal life featured study groups on texts by Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Leon Trotsky, and contemporary theorists, cadres who worked in unions including the Teamsters, United Auto Workers, and public-sector locals, and campus organizers at institutions like Harvard University and University of Michigan. Its internal structures resembled other revolutionary organizations such as the Socialist Workers Party (United States) and Socialist Alternative, balancing democratic debate with discipline inspired by the Fourth International experience; disciplinary mechanisms and national staff roles became focal points in later disputes that mirrored schisms within groups like Militant tendency in the United Kingdom.

Activities and Campaigns

ISO members engaged in labor organizing campaigns with unions such as the Service Employees International Union, participated in immigrant-rights mobilizations connected to the Great American Boycott (2006), and were prominent in antiwar actions opposing the Iraq War and War in Afghanistan (2001–2021). The organization helped found and participate in coalitions like United for Peace and Justice, anti-racist initiatives allied with Black Lives Matter, women's rights demonstrations connected to Women's March (2017), and student campaigns at campuses including University of California campuses and the City University of New York. International solidarity work included support for movements in Palestine and campaigns against austerity tied to protests in Greece and Spain during the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis.

Publications and Media

The ISO published a monthly magazine titled Socialist Worker (U.S. edition) and produced pamphlets, flyers, and digital content engaging debates around texts by Karl Marx, V.I. Lenin, and contemporary activists; contributors included academics and public intellectuals who also wrote in outlets like Jacobin (magazine), The Nation, and Monthly Review. Local branches maintained newsletters and online platforms that reported on actions in cities such as Chicago and New York City, and ISO members participated in podcasts, radio programs affiliated with community stations like WBAI and student papers such as The Daily Californian and The Columbia Spectator.

Controversies and Splits

The ISO experienced internal controversies over allegations of mishandled sexual misconduct complaints, debates about organizational transparency, and disagreements over political strategy reminiscent of historic splits in groups like Socialist Workers Party (United States) and Militant tendency. These disputes culminated in resignations by a large portion of membership in 2019, criticisms from organizations including Democratic Socialists of America and independent socialist journals, and discussions in academic forums about democratic practices within left organizations referencing the history of the Fourth International and debates involving Trotskyist tendencies. The aftermath saw former members joining or forming other formations such as local socialist projects, independent journals, and participation in coalitions with groups like Sunrise Movement and Local 10 union campaigns.

Category:Defunct socialist organizations in the United States