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DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA
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March 2, 2007 |
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| News From DSA A Report from DSA's National Office |
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500 Attend Justice Beyond Borders
An overwhelmingly youthful crowd of 500--more than double the anticipated audience--jammed into the Bayard Rustin Educational Complex in New York City February 16-18, to participate in the Young Democratic Socialists' (YDS) annual winter conference. The gathering was organized primarily by the new New York City YDS and Stuyvesant High School chapters. The theme for this conference, Justice Beyond Borders, was reflected in the opening photography exhibit featuring photos of immigrant workers by Daniel Mendez, as well as in the workshops and the closing plenary.
Young activists from 15 states, including Arkansas, California, Michigan, and Texas representing at least 30 college campuses and several high schools were fired up by Noam Chomsky and DSA Honorary Chair, Barbara Ehrenreich. DSA Vice Chair Jose LaLuz and Youth Organizer David Duhalde provided a rousing conference closing.
A range of plenary sessions and workshops introduced young activists to democratic socialist analysis and values as well as important issues such as immigration, Iraq, racism, labor organizing and economic insecurity.
In addition to educating hundreds of young people, the conference provides YDS, DSA's youth section, with an opportunity to significantly increase the number of campuses it is organizing.
Employee Free Choice Act Passes House of Representatives
The House of Representatives passed the Employee Free Choice Act by a vote of 241-to-185. Thirteen Republicans joined 228 Democrats to approve the legislation. This bill is an important priority for DSA because it allows workers to form unions as soon as a majority of the work force declares that it wants to be represented by a union. This is an important expansion of workers democratic rights and prevents employers such as Wal-Mart from using their power to intimidate workers and prevent the formation of unions.
The legislative battle now moves to the Senate, where the bill is expected to face a filibuster, making the campaign more difficult to win. DSA is committed to supporting this measure and especially to promoting grassroots education about the legislation's importance. The Chamber of Commerce and other business lobbyists are painting the bill as anti-democratic special-interest legislation that reduces workers rights, when all it does is protect their right to actually be represented by a union. Our campaign will emphasize why workers need unions as well as the importance of the new procedures the bill puts into place.
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| Paid for by Democratic Socialists of America PAC, 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 505, NY, NY 10038; not approved by any candidate or candidate's committee. |
