News

October Dispatch

October 5, 2023

Here’s your October Dispatch! This month, you can support striking workers, protect abortion rights, volunteer for labor organizing communications, and more. Read on to get involved.

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 Maria — Did You Notice?

75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers across multiple states walked out yesterday. This is the biggest healthcare strike in US history! Meanwhile, 25,000 UAW workers are out with an innovative strike strategy to make the Big Three auto manufacturers pay workers their fair share and ensure that union workers drive the transition to a green economy. Striking actors are making headway, southern California hotel workers continue to target dozens of hotels, and countless other workplaces are idle as people demand the fruits of their labor. The ruling class says workers are disrupting the economy, but we’re just disrupting record profits for the few.

One last thing: last week President Biden visited a UAW picket line and Trump visited a non-union parts factory. Wow! Besides noting the obvious contrast there, let’s celebrate the fact that they even felt the need to show up. We made them do it, and we can make them do more. You can start by signing up to attend or lead a community canvas at a Big Three dealership this Saturday, 10/7, or pledge to join workers at a picket line if a facility near you goes out. And read the rest of this Dispatch for many other opportunities to build working class power with DSA.

Maria Svart
DSA National Director

Protect Abortion in Ohio! Volunteer for Phonebanks Starting Wednesday 10/11

Join Cleveland DSA Wednesdays in October calling Ohio voters to ask them to vote YES on Issue 1 in November and engage with DSA in the work. Training is provided at the start of each session. All are welcome! The next phonebank is Wednesday 10/11 at 6:30pm ET/5:30pm CT/4:30pm MT/3:30pm PT.

Starting Thursday 10/12 — Join October Solidarity Dues Phonebanks

Join DSA’s Growth and Development Committee for the Solidarity Dues Call-A-Thon to talk to comrades and build a stronger DSA! Right now, we’re seeing what it means to be a national organization that can flex real power by showing up in solidarity with striking workers when it matters most. But being member funded means it’s up to us to raise the money we need to keep building power. That’s why hundreds of DSA members are making the commitment to sign up for Solidarity Dues by giving their 1% for the 99%.

Join the Solidarity Dues Call-A-Thon to ask more members to make the switch and keep the momentum up. October calls begin Thursday 10/12. A brief training will be held at the beginning of each phonebank, no experience required!

Apply for Green New Deal Steering Committee — Deadline Friday 10/13

The Green New Deal Campaign Commission is growing! Our Steering Committee will be expanding to 15 members. DSA members in good standing can apply to join. The deadline to apply is Friday 10/13. Help chapters Build for Power to win a Green New Deal from coast to coast!

Volunteer for the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee Media Team! Application Deadline Sunday 10/15

Help needed at EWOC!

Are you a journalist? Writer? Work in media? Work in PR? Have a background in digital comms? Or maybe you’re aspiring to learn these skills and willing to support other more experienced volunteers and get trained along the way?

We have a great opportunity for you to join your comrades at the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee in supporting workers who are publicly fighting their boss, whether they are gearing up for an election, rallying community support, or going out on strike! We offer workers media support through digital communications and social media, community outreach and earned media. And we offer trainings for press spokespeople, social media campaigns and story development.

We’re looking for press liaisons, digital media volunteers, writers, and publicity/outreach volunteers to join our rapid response team, as well as folks to help lead our media trainings. In today’s growing labor movement, this is a much needed area of work. So join us today. Sign up by Sunday 10/15!

RSVP for Afrosocialists and Socialists of Color Meeting Saturday 10/7

Saturday 10/7 at 3pm ET/2pm CT/1pm MT/12pm PT, join us for the quarterly General Meeting of the Afrosocialists and Socialists of Color for a political discussion on electoral politics and on the question of whether the Executive Committee of AfroSoC should send a statement of support to the NPC for a DSA national endorsement of a political candidate.

Monday 10/9 — Join Our Religion and Socialism Working Group Monthly Meeting

If you are a person of faith who wants to bring socialist thought to your faith community or your faith community to a socialist campaign, join us for our monthly meet-up and connect with other DSAers who are involved in the Religion and Socialism Working Group. The call will be Monday 10/9 at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT. Please email [email protected] to RSVP.

DSA Japan Delegation Report Back: Okinawa, ZENKO, and US Militarism Saturday 10/14

Join the DSA International Committee Saturday 10/14 at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT for a report back from the recent DSA delegation to Japan with ZENKO. On this call, you’ll hear about local organizing against US military bases from Okinawa guest speakers Jinshiro Motoyama, an organizer of the 2019 Henoko prefectural referendum, and Suzuyo Takazato, co-chair of Okinawa Women Act Against Military Violence and former Naha city councilmember.

Sunday 10/22— National Political Education Committee and DSA Fund Present DSA Archives Project Workshop

Are you…

  • A DSA chapter leader trying to organize digital records for better access and use?
  • A DSA member who wants to add a socialist archives project to your local political education curriculum?
  • Someone with a bunch of DSA swag in your closet, and no clue what to do with it?

The DSA Fund and the DSA National Political Education Committee invite you to join comrades nationwide for the DSA Archives Project Workshop! We will learn methods and discuss ideas on how we can preserve, organize and use our history to advance socialist politics and strengthen DSA. The call will be held Sunday 10/22 at 1pm ET/12pm CT/11am MT/10am PT. No experience necessary!

Not on our Dime! Join Palestinian Rights Phonebank Tuesday 10/24 and Town Hall Wednesday 11/1

Join the NYC-DSA Anti-War Working Group to phonebank for the Not On Our Dime! Act! The phonebank will be Tuesday 10/24 at 6pm ET/5pm CT/4pm MT/3pm PT.

We’ll be calling residents of South Brooklyn to let them know about the town hall that NYC-DSA Representatives Marcela Mitaynes and Zohran Mamdani are hosting in Brooklyn on Wednesday 11/1 at 6pm ET on this historic legislation to affirmatively support Palestinian rights and demand New York state stop subsidizing Israeli settlement expansion, and the first of its kind in the country. If you’re not based in New York City, this is the perfect opportunity to learn more and help build this groundbreaking campaign!

DSA Joins Progressive International

It’s official — DSA is now a member of Progressive International (PI)! In August, DSA national convention delegates voted overwhelmingly for the International Committee’s consensus resolution that “…DSA shall begin the process to become a member of the Progressive International, to strengthen its coordination and solidarity with left-wing parties, organizations, and movements around the world.”

Now DSA joins over 75 organizations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe to organize globally on campaigns like Make Amazon Pay and Liberation for Western Sahara — the last officially colonized country in Africa. In addition to publishing translated analysis, stories and perspectives of members, PI is building the legal, institutional, and grassroots ability to respond to attacks on democracy when they happen such as the technical coup being waged in Guatemala. If you want to see what we can build, join the DSA International Committee. For a global update from the Progressive International and its members across the world, you can sign up here to receive the weekly PI Briefing.

Welcome New Organizing Committees!

A warm welcome to our new Organizing Committees!

  • Albuquerque, New Mexico
  • Southeast Idaho