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Labor creates all wealth — Your September Dispatch

September 7, 2023

Enjoy your September Dispatch! This month, you can help DSA grow our movement, stop Cop City in the South, hear from Sean Orr about our Teamsters Strike Ready work, 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 — Labor Creates All Wealth

Socialists know the source of working class power: our work runs the world, from factories to our families. That’s why we’re standing with UAW workers, why we stood with the Teamsters, and why we fought for the PRO Act. Stronger unions mean the working class can truly take on the owning class and demand control in our workplaces and true freedom — over our time, our bodies, and our planet.

And we build power by exercising power. After hundreds of strikes in the last year, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a major new rule right before Labor Day, so that if workers have majority support for a union and bosses try to union-bust, the NLRB can force the company to negotiate. Socialists know the value of winning elections in the formal political system, but we know we have to flex our class power in the economy as well.

There’s no power like stopping business! 😎 

Maria Svart
DSA National Director

Join Our Solidarity Dues Call-a-Thon! Shifts Available Sunday 9/10, Thursday 9/21, and Sunday 9/24

Join the Solidarity Dues Call-A-Thon! Since Convention, hundreds of DSA members have made the commitment to give their 1% for the 99% by signing up for Solidarity Income Based Dues. Now we need to keep the momentum up! We’re still a long way from being able to fund the ambitious plans we came out of Convention with, and as a member-funded, working class organization, we must fund our own work. That’s why DSA’s Growth and Development Committee is hosting a Solidarity Dues Call-A-Thon this fall. Sign up to join a phonebank:

You’ll get a brief training on how to make the ask and will spend the rest of the time reaching out to comrades to ask them to make the switch to Solidarity Dues. Sign up today and let’s do this!

Stop Cop City — Volunteer for Phonebanks Wednesday 9/13 and Wednesday 9/20

Join comrades in Atlanta DSA in their nationally-endorsed Stop Cop City campaign at two upcoming phonebanks: Wednesday 9/13 at 6pm ET/5pm CT/4pm MT/3pm PT and Wednesday 9/20 at 6pm ET/5pm CT/4pm MT/3pm PT. Let Atlanta voters know they can stand in solidarity with Atlanta’s working class and STOP this racist, environmentally destructive development.

Wednesday 9/20 — RSVP for GDC Chapter Survey Report Call

Since 2020, the national Growth and Development Committee (GDC) has run an annual chapter survey to better understand how chapters organize and operate. This year, we expanded questions to better understand, in chapters’ own words, their internal and external organizing successes, challenges, and needs. On this call, the GDC survey team will share the major results of the report, as well as next steps for the GDC and for members. This call is open to all DSA members in good standing.

The call is on Wednesday 9/20 at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT. The deadline to RSVP is 9/20 at 3pm ET/2pm CT/1pm MT/12pm PT.

What We’re Reading — Sean Orr on Teamsters Strike Ready Campaign

What does Strike Ready mean for DSA? Check out our new Democratic Left article from Sean Orr, a package car driver at UPS, an elected steward with Teamsters Local 705, and a co-chair of DSA’s Strike Ready campaign. As we gear up for the second round of the Strike Ready campaign and get ready to support UAW autoworkers, this makes for some great reading!

International Committee Call Saturday 9/9 — Hands Off Niger! Opposing US/French Imperialism in West Africa

Join the International Committee for a political education webinar to understand recent developments across West Africa, including the levying of sanctions and the ongoing threat of military action against Niger. The webinar will be held Saturday 9/9 at 2pm ET/1pm CT/12pm MT/11am PT.

Sign Up for Our Housing Justice Committee Quarterly Meeting Monday 9/11!

Join us at the Housing Justice Committee (HJC) quarterly meeting! We’ll discuss:

  • Recapping the 2023 Convention and the housing consensus resolution
  • Upcoming HJC Steering Committee elections
  • Four principles of social housing
  • Upcoming events

The meeting will be Monday 9/11 at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT. We hope to see you there!

Wednesday 9/20 — Mutual Aid Working Group September All-Member Meeting

The National Mutual Aid Working Group’s bi-monthly All-Member Meeting is 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!

COVID-19 and Long COVID Information from the Disability Working Group

We are now about four weeks out from the DSA National Convention, which was a very positive experience and moved the organization forward. While the convention did take laudable steps to prevent COVID-19 transmission, including a mask mandate on the floor, a vaccination mandate, and a 72-hour pre-testing mandate, nonetheless there was an outbreak. From community reports collected by the DSA Disability Working Group, some of which were second hand or aggregate numbers, we are aware of up to 27 positive test results (a few may be double counted). If you were a delegate, please fill out the staff data collection form if you have not already. Long COVID is a significant risk with each COVID infection for everyone. Click here to read more information about COVID-19 and Long COVID from the Disability Working Group.

DSA Members — Get a Free Subscription to In These Times Magazine!

In honor of Labor Day, left magazine In These Times is offering a free subscription to DSA members! Click here to sign up. And enjoy your reading!

Democratic Left — Apply to Volunteer for Our National Magazine

Would you like to volunteer for our all-member magazine, Democratic Left? Find out more and apply here today!

Democratic Left is DSA’s volunteer-led nationwide print-and-online publication. We’re eager to improve the quality of the publication and increase its online frequency and reach. To accomplish that, we need skilled DSA member volunteers. Right now, we’re particularly looking for writers, especially book reviewers and cultural commentators. If that’s you, apply today or pass this on to a friend!