---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best thing, and the most important…"
description: "\"“The best thing, and the most important thing the labor movement cannot do without, and must have and fight to keep, is solidarity.”\" — Charles Brandt"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/charles-brandt-2101_labor_the-best-thing-and-the-most-important-th_2487466.jpg"
---

#  The best thing, and the most important thing the labor…

![“The best thing, and the most important thing the labor movement cannot do without, and must have and fight to keep, is solidarity.” quote by Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/charles-brandt-2101_labor_the-best-thing-and-the-most-important-th_2487466.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/charles-brandt-2101_labor_the-best-thing-and-the-most-important-th_2487466.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/charles-brandt-2101_labor_the-best-thing-and-the-most-important-th_2487466.jpg)

> ““The best thing, and the most important thing the labor movement cannot do without, and must have and fight to keep, is solidarity.””

[Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Solidarity is essential for labor movements to succeed.

**In simple terms:** Workers must unite to protect rights.

Key Takeaway

Build and protect solidarity.

Themes

labor solidarity rights

Mood

determined optimistic

Type

political motivational

When to use this quote

- workplace
- political activism
- negotiations
- campaigns

Key Concepts

collective action unionism

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you foster solidarity in your team?
- What threatens collective unity?

A Different Perspective

Solidarity can be hard to maintain under pressure.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fight Solidarity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fight-solidarity-928948/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Labor movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor-movement/) [Solidarity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solidarity/) [Thing Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-labor-928949/)

## Related quotes

> [“We don’t think you fight fire with fire best ; we think you fight fire with water best. We’re going to fight racism not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-hampton/we-don-t-think-you-fight-fire-with-fire-best-we-think-you-fight-fire/)

[Fred Hampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-hampton/)

> [Were going to fight racism not with racism, but were going to fight with solidarity. We say were not going to fight capitalism with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-hampton/were-going-to-fight-racism-not-with-racism-but-were-going-to-fight/)

[Fred Hampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-hampton/)

> [We're going to fight racism not with racism, but we're going to fight with solidarity. We say we're not going to fight capitalism with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-hampton/we-re-going-to-fight-racism-not-with-racism-but-we-re-going-to-fight/)

[Fred Hampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-hampton/)

> [I believe that labor is a blessing. It never was and never will be a curse. It is a blessed thing to labor for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/i-believe-that-labor-is-a-blessing-it-never-was-and-never-will-be-a/)

[Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/)

> [In less than a century we experienced great movement. The youth movement! The labor movement! The civil rights movement! The peace movement! The solidarity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/in-less-than-a-century-we-experienced-great-movement-the-youth/)

[Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/)

> [It's the only - one thing I've learned in the labor movement is solidarity. We can only overcome the challenges if we stand together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-walsh/it-s-the-only-one-thing-i-ve-learned-in-the-labor-movement-is/)

[Marty Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-walsh/)

> [“The next year, Kroger refused to negotiate a new contract, and Hoffa’s victory was short-lived. But on the strength of his stand with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/the-next-year-kroger-refused-to-negotiate-a-new-contract-and-hoffa-s/)

[Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/)

> [History is a great teacher. Now everyone knows that the labor movement did not diminish the strength of the nation but enlarged it. By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/history-is-a-great-teacher-now-everyone-knows-that-the-labor-movement/)

[Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/)

> [Trump's principal policies make clear what's going to happen. This gives an opportunity. Right now it's going to take hard work, but it's possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/trump-s-principal-policies-make-clear-what-s-going-to-happen-this/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [I would say the issue for the labor movement in the United States is not structural... there is no correlation between the success of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stern/i-would-say-the-issue-for-the-labor-movement-in-the-united-states-is/)

[Andy Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stern/)

> [Legislators who are of even average intelligence stand out among their colleagues. . . . A cultured college president has become as much a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bergen-evans/legislators-who-are-of-even-average-intelligence-stand-out-among/)

[Bergen Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bergen-evans/)

> [People think that we're engaged with identity politics. The truth is that we're doing what the labor movement has always done - organizing people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-garza/people-think-that-we-re-engaged-with-identity-politics-the-truth-is/)

[Alicia Garza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-garza/)

> [My parents had been involved in the labor movement; if we'd grown up in the city, we would have been red-diaper babies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/my-parents-had-been-involved-in-the-labor-movement-if-we-d-grown-up/)

[Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/)

> [With all of the talk about polling and demographics, I think too many people have lost touch with the human and moral crisis of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlene-holt-baker/with-all-of-the-talk-about-polling-and-demographics-i-think-too-many/)

[Arlene Holt Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlene-holt-baker/)

> [The labor movement must be destroyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-rove/the-labor-movement-must-be-destroyed/)

[Karl Rove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-rove/)

## More by Charles Brandt

> [“You fat fuck,” I said and jumped up and decked him. I broke his jaw, and they expelled me permanently on the spot. Naturally,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/you-fat-fuck-i-said-and-jumped-up-and-decked-him-i-broke-his-jaw-and/)

[Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/)

> [“Hoffa and Brennan formed a trucking company called Test Fleet. The “brains” and his partner put that company in their wives’ maiden names. Test…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/hoffa-and-brennan-formed-a-trucking-company-called-test-fleet-the/)

[Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/)

> [“People in those days didn’t display affection like they do today. I’m still learning how to be affectionate to my grandchildren. I don’t ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/people-in-those-days-didn-t-display-affection-like-they-do-today-i-m/)

[Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/)

> [“Whispers was one of these short Italian guys in his early thirties that you’d see all around South Philly, just trying to get by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/whispers-was-one-of-these-short-italian-guys-in-his-early-thirties/)

[Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/)

> [“And under the contract, management couldn’t fire a Teamster unless they had certain grounds. They had none. Stealing was grounds only if they could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/and-under-the-contract-management-couldn-t-fire-a-teamster-unless/)

[Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/)

> [“But back then we had to amuse ourselves, and fighting seemed to be all we had. Looking back, it was good for us. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/but-back-then-we-had-to-amuse-ourselves-and-fighting-seemed-to-be-all/)

[Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/)

> [“Mary liked to arrange picnics with the kids, and we’d take them to the Willow Grove Amusement Park. I wasn’t always running. When they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/mary-liked-to-arrange-picnics-with-the-kids-and-we-d-take-them-to-the/)

[Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/)

> [“And on the other side of the ledger, unions like the Teamsters often employed their own muscle, their own reigns of terror, including bombings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/and-on-the-other-side-of-the-ledger-unions-like-the-teamsters-often/)

[Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/)

> [“Only in the movies or comic books do people say they want you to go and hit somebody. All they ever say is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/only-in-the-movies-or-comic-books-do-people-say-they-want-you-to-go/)

[Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/)

> [“As I learned the ropes I learned that for many good and sound reasons the bosses and the captains sent a guy to whack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/as-i-learned-the-ropes-i-learned-that-for-many-good-and-sound-reasons/)

[Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/)

> [“Russell had taken me with him to Cuba just when Castro was starting to kick everybody out and confiscate their casinos and racetracks and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/russell-had-taken-me-with-him-to-cuba-just-when-castro-was-starting/)

[Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/)

> [“You didn’t know who to trust, but you kept taking cabbies aside and persuading them to sign a card. For some reason there were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/you-didn-t-know-who-to-trust-but-you-kept-taking-cabbies-aside-and/)

[Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/)

> [“Russ quit smoking on a bet with Jimmy Blue Eyes,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/russ-quit-smoking-on-a-bet-with-jimmy-blue-eyes/)

[Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/)

> [“they wanted the guy left right there on the sidewalk as a message to those who needed to know the guy did not get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/they-wanted-the-guy-left-right-there-on-the-sidewalk-as-a-message-to/)

[Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/)

> [“Carlos Marcello and the war orphans did cross my mind during the drive, and I sat the whole way facing the driver. He was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/carlos-marcello-and-the-war-orphans-did-cross-my-mind-during-the/)

[Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/)

[Explore all 185 Charles Brandt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/)

## More Labor quotes

> [Less than 8 percent of private sector workers belonged to a union in 2004, and, overall, only 12.5 percent of American workers carry a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-chavez/less-than-8-percent-of-private-sector-workers-belonged-to-a-union-in/)

[Linda Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-chavez/)

> [Maryland will always have the backs of working people and organized labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/maryland-will-always-have-the-backs-of-working-people-and-organized/)

[Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/)

> [In an economy increasingly dominated by network effects, peer-to-peer transactions, self-regulation, and contract labor, the old frameworks are woefully irrelevant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anand-giridharadas/in-an-economy-increasingly-dominated-by-network-effects-peer-to-peer/)

[Anand Giridharadas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anand-giridharadas/)

> [Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/everything-that-is-really-great-and-inspiring-is-created-by-the/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [For it is an absurdity to call a country civilized in which a decent and industrious man, laboriously mastering a trade which is valuble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/for-it-is-an-absurdity-to-call-a-country-civilized-in-which-a-decent/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [ \[In science any model depends on a pre-chosen taxonomy\] a set of classifications into which we divide the enormous complexity of the real world...… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/in-science-any-model-depends-on-a-pre-chosen-taxonomy-a-set-of/)

[Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/)

> [We know, Southern men declare that their slaves are better off than hired laborers amongst us. How little they know, whereof they speak! There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/we-know-southern-men-declare-that-their-slaves-are-better-off-than/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [What we need is political leadership which can give guidance to the development of global governance. We need business leadership which goes beyond shareholder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-somavia/what-we-need-is-political-leadership-which-can-give-guidance-to-the/)

[Juan Somavia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-somavia/)

> [No matter the style, the farther one goes the more obstacles increase, and the more distant appears the object it is desired to attain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-georges-noverre/no-matter-the-style-the-farther-one-goes-the-more-obstacles-increase/)

[Jean-Georges Noverre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-georges-noverre/)

> [Every step by which an individual substitutes concerted action for isolated action results in an immediate and recognizable improvement in his conditions. The advantages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/every-step-by-which-an-individual-substitutes-concerted-action-for/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [I am glad to see that a system of labor prevails under which laborers can strike when they want to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-am-glad-to-see-that-a-system-of-labor-prevails-under-which-laborers/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [With a full century of contrary proof in our possession and despite our demonstrated capacity for cooperative teamwork, some among us seem to accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/with-a-full-century-of-contrary-proof-in-our-possession-and-despite/)

[Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/)

> [He who believes in God is not careful for the morrow, but labors joyfully and with a great heart. "For He giveth His beloved,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/he-who-believes-in-god-is-not-careful-for-the-morrow-but-labors/)

[Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/)

> [Labor is the law of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abel-stevens/labor-is-the-law-of-happiness/)

[Abel Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abel-stevens/)

> [Genius is the power to labor better and more availably. Deserve thy genius: exalt it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/genius-is-the-power-to-labor-better-and-more-availably-deserve-thy/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

[Browse all 3,334 Labor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The best thing, and the most important thing the labor movement cannot do without, and must have and fight to keep, is solidarity.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Charles Brandt"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/the-best-thing-and-the-most-important-thing-the-labor-movement-cannot/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Labor"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/the-best-thing-and-the-most-important-thing-the-labor-movement-cannot/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/charles-brandt-2101_labor_the-best-thing-and-the-most-important-th_2487466.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/charles-brandt-2101_labor_the-best-thing-and-the-most-important-th_2487466.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/charles-brandt-2101_labor_the-best-thing-and-the-most-important-th_2487466.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The best thing, and the most important thing the labor movement cannot do without, and must have and fight…” — Charles Brandt",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Charles Brandt",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The best thing, and the most...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/the-best-thing-and-the-most-important-thing-the-labor-movement-cannot/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/the-best-thing-and-the-most-important-thing-the-labor-movement-cannot/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
