Hit the Ground Running — Your National Political Committee newsletter
Enjoy your August National Political Committee (NPC) newsletter! Our NPC is an elected 18-person body (including two YDSA members who share a vote) which functions as the board of directors of DSA. This is the first newsletter from our new NPC, which was elected three weeks ago at our National Convention.
And to make sure you get our newsletters in your inbox, sign up here! Each one features action alerts, upcoming events, political education, and more.
- From the National Political Committee — Hitting the Ground Running
- Tuesday 8/29 — Teamster Strike Ready Debrief and UAW Town Hall
- DSA Programming for Socialism 2023 Conference — Registration Ends Sunday 8/27
- Give Your 1% for the 99%. Sign Up for the Solidarity Dues Call-A-Thon Thursday 9/7 and Sunday 9/10!
- Join our Wednesday 8/30 Abolition Working Group General Meeting
- RSVP for Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee Foundational Training Series Beginning Saturday 9/9
- Wednesday 9/6 — Register for September Socialist Night School Training!
- Wednesday 9/20 — Join our Mutual Aid Working Group All-Member Meeting
From the National Political Committee — Hitting the Ground Running
Greetings from your new NPC! It’s been just over two weeks since our 2023 National Convention, where 1,000 delegates from over 150 DSA chapters from across 46 states came together in Chicago to discuss, debate, and vote on proposals to guide our collective work for the next two years. We are deeply impressed by our members’ commitment to robust internal democracy, and in awe of our growing political sophistication as the largest socialist organization in the United States in many decades.
And we are ready to hit the ground running! As the NPC, we are charged with strategically carrying out the resolutions that passed at convention, in coordination with chapters, national bodies, and tens of thousands of members. That’s a big task — but we are immediately inspired by our members’ hard work bearing fruit.
Earlier this month, our Ohio chapters took a strong stand against Ohio Issue 1, which would have made all future ballot initiative work in the state impossible — and defeated it! That preserves critical room to protect the right to have an abortion in Ohio, to raise the floor for Ohio workers by making sure everyone can be guaranteed a fair minimum wage, and other crucial future ballot measures that can make a material difference for millions of Ohioans. The next step is November’s ballot, when a measure protecting abortion could end the heartbeat ban.
And just this week, UPS Teamsters have shown us the way in their historic contract campaign, voting to ratify their contract after showing their bosses and the country that they were ready to strike. This contract includes significant wage increases, the elimination of two-tier wages for package car drivers, the installation of air conditioning in new vehicles, and the creation of thousands of new full-time warehouse jobs. Together, these terms represent a transfer of over $30 billion in surplus value away from corporate owners and directly to 350,000 workers. After two decades of concessionary contracts, UPS Teamsters have begun the process of transforming their workplace, their union, and the labor movement. They are energized around these wins and are ready to continue the fight into the coming period.
As DSA, we are energized with them. Our Strike Ready campaign to support UPS Teamsters engaged over 100 chapters. It was our largest national campaign since Bernie 2020. Thousands of comrades signed petitions, attended rallies, walked practice pickets, and demonstrated to strike-ready workers that socialism means solidarity. We are proud of our comrades for this incredible effort, and we look forward to building on the relationships formed with the Teamsters rank-and-file across the country.
Inside the Teamsters’ contract campaign and inside our Strike Ready campaign, we see the unmistakable spark of a new fire in the labor movement; a revival of a movement that knows its own fighting strength. This momentum will not stop. We will carry it through the fight at the Big Three auto companies and into the struggles to come. Read our full statement in solidarity with UPS Teamsters here.
In the weeks and months ahead, we are excited to get moving on plans to enact what our delegates voted on at convention. You can find a full results list of resolutions, Constitution and bylaws changes, NPC recommendations, and committee reports here.
In the meantime, you can check out these videos from our convention panelists and keynote speakers — including New York state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani and Chicago Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor!
We have so much great work ahead of us, and we are so honored to be in the struggle with you.
In solidarity,
Your National Political Committee
Tuesday 8/29 — Teamster Strike Ready Debrief and UAW Town Hall
Want to better understand the outcome of the UPS Teamsters contract vote? Join the DSA National Labor Commission for a UPS Teamster debrief and UAW Strike Ready Town Hall on Tuesday, 8/29 at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT! Hear directly from workers about their views on the contract vote, and then from our comrades at the Big 3 autoworkers about what we can expect from Strike Ready this fall. RSVP today!
DSA Programming for Socialism 2023 Conference — Registration Ends Sunday 8/27
DSA is proud to endorse Socialism 2023 in Chicago this Labor Day weekend! This four-day conference features dozens of panels, lectures, and workshops organized by Haymarket Books and left groups from all over the country. You can find the full schedule here, including DSA programming.
We need visionary politics, collective strategy, and compassionate communities now more than ever. In a moment of political uncertainty, Socialism 2023 will be a vital gathering space for today’s left. Join thousands of organizers, activists, abolitionists, and socialists to learn from each other and from history, assess ongoing struggles, and build community. The registration deadline is Sunday 8/27.
Give Your 1% for the 99%. Sign Up for the Solidarity Dues Call-A-Thon Thursday 9/7 and Sunday 9/10!
Since the National Convention, hundreds of DSA members have signed up to give their 1% for the 99% to ensure we have the collective democratic power to win real change. If you haven’t made the switch to Solidarity Dues yet, sign up today!
Already signed up and ready to ask your comrades to do the same? Join the Solidarity Dues Call-A-Thon! Contributing 1% of your income for the greater collective good is common in working class organizations like unions, and we need to build the same kind of power in DSA. Our Solidarity Dues Call-A-Thon kicks off Thursday 9/7 and Sunday 9/10, and will include a short training on making the ask. Sign up for a session today and let’s do this!
Join our Wednesday 8/30 Abolition Working Group General Meeting
The Abolition Working Group is hosting a General Meeting for members in good standing on Wednesday 8/30 at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT. In recognition of Black August, we’ve invited author and historian Dan Berger to join us and talk about the importance of Black prison organizing. We’ll also introduce our newest steering committee members and formally roll out our Abolition Toolkit. Hope to see you there!
RSVP for Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee Foundational Training Series Beginning Saturday 9/9
Trying to organize your workplace? Want to support others organizing their workplaces?
This September, on Saturdays, join the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee’s Foundational Training to learn how to organize workers. This invaluable four-part series introduces workers and organizers to workplace organizing basics.
In four 90-minute deep-dives, we’ll unpack labor organizing in a non-union workplace. You’ll hear from experienced organizers and other workers organizing their own workplaces, learn how workers can unite to address workplace issues, and find out how to begin the unionizing process. Participants will practice connecting with coworkers to engage in collective decision-making around common concerns, and how to prepare themselves and their coworkers to take collective action. Finally, you will learn how to lay the groundwork for unionization.
Wednesday 9/6 — Register for September Socialist Night School Training!
Looking to host a Socialist Night School (SNS) in your chapter? This training will cover everything you need to get an SNS program up and running! Join us Wednesday 9/6 at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT. We’ll cover some best practices for facilitation and lesson planning, and will conduct a “mock” Socialist Night School session on the topic of “What is Socialism?”. We look forward to seeing you there! And please feel free to reach out to [email protected] with any questions.
Wednesday 9/20 — Join our Mutual Aid Working Group All-Member Meeting
Sign up for the National Mutual Aid Working Group’s bi-monthly All-Member Meeting on Wednesday 9/20 at 8:30pm ET/7:30pm CT/6:30pm MT/5:30pm PT. Join us and talk shop with mutual aid-loving comrades, get updated on our working group projects, and learn how you can get involved!