DSA 2001 Convention Convention Directs Focus on Low-Wage Economy

Delegates to DSA’s Convention overwhelmingly approved a focus on the problems facing participants in America’s low-wage economy. Holly Sklar in describing the loss of purchasing power represented by the minimum wage at the Saturday afternoon plenary and Eliseo Medina, Executive Vice-President of the SEIU, in his speech at the Convention dinner Saturday night outlined these problems.

In practical terms that means focusing on minimum wage and living wage legislation, fighting for changes in the welfare reform law when it is reauthorized next year, working against further erosion of social security and Medicare and supporting union organizing campaigns and labor law reform. And of course working to prevent the kind of tax giveaways enacted earlier this year in the guise of economic stimulus.

The convention also called for continuing involvement in the globalization struggles and support for a peace movement. An over riding concern of the convention was increasing the capacity of the organization do to effective work and refreshing it infrastructure. The priorities called for organizing a series of regional meetings in 2002 and set developing an effective labor commission and political education program as important goals.

To increase the resources available to do this work the Convention called on members to strive (voluntarily) towards a goal of giving $50 a month to support DSA activity. A proposal to begin sharing such gifts with locals and commissions will be presented to the NPC as part of the 2002 budget. In a spirited session, demonstrating the unity of the convention, more than twenty delegates signed up for the plan as more than $18,000 was pledged to DSA.


National Priorities Resolution

Introduction

We meet in Philadelphia at a time of national crisis. The great economic expansion of the last decade, an expansion that primarily benefited the well off, is over. The economic recession will increase already morally unacceptable levels of inequality by worsening the conditions of low-wage workers and threatening the living standards of the middle class.

Americans have been subject to terrorist attacks and are deeply concerned about the security of their families and loved ones. A war on terrorism has been launched with the promise of effective action to curtail international terrorism. An aerial campaign against the Taliban has been initiated and ground troops have been introduced in Afghanistan. The administration has promised a long campaign with many theaters of operation.

We must acknowledge that our capacity to respond to this crisis is limited by the organizational constraints within which we operate. All our actions must be taken with the aim of ending the marginal position of the left in American political life and to restoring a socialist presence within mainstream politics.

Acknowledging the circumstances we face is the first step towards changing them. This process began at our last convention and was continued at the Future Search Retreat held this summer that fairly stated an organization consensus on building DSA and its capacity. The crisis that began with the September 11th attacks changes the political ground, but not our goals. What all DSAers agree upon is that military action that leaves in place an international economy that promotes poverty and inequality through out the world cannot prevent the growth of extremist groups.

Our Priorities

For most of history our main focus has been on domestic politics and the inequalities endemic in our society. That shall remain our main focus.

We shall concentrate most of our resources on issues and campaigns related to injustices faced by low-wage workers in America. We shall support campaigns to raise the minimum wage and to legislate a "living wage." We shall continue our support of union organizing efforts and support measures in the upcoming legislative fight around renewing "welfare reform" that will aid the poor and not punish them. We will continue our work to defend Medicare and Social Security. And we will engage in visible, public activity aimed at educating the American public about the systematic inequalities of our economy. This campaign will be begin with a conference highlighting the 40th Anniversary of the publication of The Other America and the plight of the working poor poignantly depicted in Barbara Ehrenreich's, Nickeled and Dimed. But this campaign will be much more than a Washington event. We will take our message to local communities in events and activist campaigns organized over the next two years. Recognizing our organizational limitations, we will focus our resources, in the near term on enhancing our capacity for political education and analysis through forums, speaker tours, retreats, think-tanks and publications, passing out literature, talking to young people on campuses, and talking to people in other public situations.

The forces opposed to the manner in which the Bush Administration has carried out "the war on terrorism" are weak, confined to the campuses and existing left organizations, and isolated from even the mainstream left in the trade unions, communities of color, and the progressive wing of Congress. DSA hopes to build a peace movement that stands for justice for the victims of September 11th and recognizes the importance of combating terrorism of all stripes, including that supported by or organized by our government's own covert operations. The peace movement, as the ineffectiveness of the administration's military tactics become apparent, can begin to operate within mainstream American politics.

We will participate, with others, in broad educational campaigns and protests consistent with our values on the issues of terrorism and the response to it.

No discussion of inequality in our domestic economy or the widespread poverty in the developing world can avoid the globalization debate. DSA will continue to actively participate in social movements to democratize control of the global economy. Our ties to transnational movements of opposition to corporate globalization and to socialist parties and left trade union confederations central to such struggles provides DSA with the ability to make a unique contribution to these campaigns.

We will continue our opposition to those trade and investment agreements that structure the global economy in the interests of global corporations, especially those that restrict or deny international human, environmental, and labor rights

An anti-racist and feminist politics and analysis will be integral to all of DSA's educational and activist work outlined in the priorities above. A truly democratic socialist politics must combat the social structures of racism, sexism, class domination, and homophobia that construct institutional oppression. It must demand social and economic justice for all, now.

In pursuit of justice, multi-racial and anti-racism politics shall become a priority in our work. Agendas in the organization should consistently include the issues of communities of color. This calls for an immediate re-orientation of our practice toward multi-racial coalition building. We will consistently look for opportunities to work with activists in communities of color.

Building Capacity

We cannot change America without increasing our capacity to reach out to Americans. We are understaffed and under financed. Changing this reality requires us to increase the level of our personal giving, increase our membership, design our political work in ways which are attractive to outside funding sources, and develop funding streams which can be used to support local and commission work as well as build our national capacity. Toward that end this Convention endorses:

• Re-directing the bulk of income from new memberships attained thru local activity to Locals and Commissions

• Setting $50 month as a national standard of "sustaining members," the revenue from which is to be shared between the national office and Locals and Commissions.

•Charging a Local Development Committee of both NPC and non-NPC members with devising by the May-June 2002 NPC meeting, a plan for building and rebuilding locals.

•Providing locals regularly with current membership lists, literature and materials.

•As feasible, providing locals with news of DSA speakers in their area, use of bulk mail permit, and administrative support.

•Charging an At-Large Development Committee of both NPC and non-NPC members with devising, by the May-June 2002 NPC meeting, a plan for recruiting and involving at-large members.

The most glaring symbol of our organizational weakness has been our continuing inability to get our publication to our members in a timely way. While the NPC has significantly increased the quality of the publication, the absence of regular quarterly production has gone on for several years under several different staffing configurations. Thus,

• This convention directs the staff and incoming NPC to make a timely, quarterly Democratic Left among its highest organizational priorities. The DL Committee will, at its first meeting set production deadlines and timelines for the process for the next two years. The National Director shall appoint a staff person to ensure adherence to this schedule.

Modern Communication requires an effective web site. Important steps have been taken in the last two years, but the organization must improve its ability to develop and post appropriate political and organizational materials, relevant to the political work we are doing on a regular basis. Thus,

• The NPC shall develop and implement a plan to update the web site on at least a biweekly basis by the time of our next convention.

Refreshing our infrastructure

The key to building capacity is to expand and develop our leadership and activist infrastructure. The Future Search Retreat was a good beginning. There are limits to what can be accomplished in national meetings. Thus,

• In 2002 DSA shall hold three regional retreats that shall function as our national activist conference. East Coast, Midwest and West Coasts retreats will be organized focusing on developing common political work, political education, and skills building.

• A national meeting of DSA labor activists may be organized in conjunction with one of these retreats should a new labor commission deem that advisable. These meetings will be supported and assisted by the national organization.

Continuing support for Young Democratic Socialists, DSA's Youth Section, is also an important element in building our capacity.

Conclusion

By our next convention if we carry out these priorities skillfully; do not allow ourselves to be divided or deterred; and if we successfully increase the resources available to support our work, our organization will be larger and more effective and be able to support a larger staff better able to carry out its political, activist, and organizational agenda.

DSA Home Page dsa@dsausa.org

Webmaster: Andrew Hammer