Help us win a mural recognizing multiracial labor organizing | Bulletin

Our Racial Justice Committee has submitted an application to Mural Arts for a riverfront mural to commemorate Ben Fletcher, the history, and the legacy of interracial labor organizing in Philadelphia.

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Ben Fletcher was an African-American leader of Local 8, part of the Marine Transport Worker Industrial Union, the most powerful interracial and multiethnic union of the World War I era. Our Racial Justice Committee has submitted an application to Mural Arts for a riverfront mural to commemorate Ben Fletcher, the history, and the legacy of interracial labor organizing in Philadelphia. Tell your City Councilmember to support this application today! 

On the calendar
Unless otherwise specified, all events are held via Zoom. 

Housing Committee Open Meeting, tonight at 8pm
Join us for our final meeting of 2021 to discuss our ongoing projects, such as Stomp Out Slumlords tenant organizing and the city-wide legislative campaign for rent control. 🏘️

Socialism 101, December 17 at 7pm
The last Socialism 101 session of the semester will cover socialism in relation to colonialism, imperialism, and nationalism. Find reading materials on the event page.

Defund the Police Campaign Meeting, December 19 at noon
Attendees are encouraged to share personal accounts of police interaction at this special weekend campaign meeting.

School Funding: A Socialist Analysis & Discussion, December 19 at 3pm
A discussion with the Education Justice Committee on the fundamentals of public school funding from a socialist perspective. Facilitated by committee member and education policy professor Dave Backer.

Communications Committee Meeting, December 20 at 7pm
Discuss our internal and external communications, including social media, website, and bulletins. 

Cuba Solidarity Campaign Pre-Launch Meeting, December 21 at 7pm
Join us as we ground ourselves in what solidarity with Cuba means, learn about existing work in this area, and plan first steps for our campaign. ¡Hasta la victoria siempre! 🇨🇺

View the full calendar

Updates from the branches

BuxMont DSA

Coffee and Canvass Training, December 18 at noon, Levittown Starbucks
Grab a hot beverage and enjoy canvassing training with Bucks Tenant Solidarity for Renter’s Rights. ☕

Towamencin Sewer Anti-Privatization Strategy, December 28 at 7pm
Discuss expanding on work by coalition partners with NOPE to stop Aqua PA from buying sewer plants in the area. 

View all events

General Meeting Digest

As part of our December 4th General Meeting, we took three votes asynchronously using the voting platform OpaVote. The results are as follows: 

1. Bylaws Amendment 2021.12.01: Changing Quorum for General and Special Meetings
Note: This is a bylaws amendment, so it needed 2/3 vote to pass. 
Vote passed, bylaws amendment adopted

  • Votes Cast: 317
  • Votes that count towards calculation (excludes abstention votes): 307
  • Votes need to pass: 205
  • Yes Votes: 242
  • No Votes: 65
  • Abstain Votes: 10

2. Ratify all decisions made at General Meetings where 20% quorum was not met, including the December 4th General Meeting and all General Meetings before it.
Vote passed, ratification adopted

  • Votes Cast: 317
  • Votes that count towards calculation (excludes abstention votes): 300
  • Votes need to pass: 150
  • Yes Votes: 277
  • No Votes: 23
  • Abstain Votes: 17

3. Logo Contest
Using San Francisco RCV, we voted to adopt this logo. A finalized version is coming soon.  

You can find the OpaVote outputs here. If you have any questions, feel free to email [email protected]. Thank you for voting! 🗳️

This week in unions

LABOR BRANCH - UPCOMING EVENTS

  • Organizing works! It was just announced that Rep. John Garamendi (CA-3) has signed onto the 2021 M4A bill after being the target of a pressure campaign by labor and progressive groups. In collaboration with NNU our Medicare For All subcommittee has recently ramped up our own pressure campaign using the same tactics as CA organizers. ✊
    • HAPPENING SATURDAY: Medicare For All Virtual Text Bank Party with National Nurses United and the Labor Medicare For All Subcommittee. Please join us! RSVP: Saturday, December 18 from 11am-1pm

LABOR NEWS: 

  • BCTGM Kellogg's workers across the country are STILL on strike – and Kellogg’s has moved to permanently replace them. It’s getting colder, and as the holiday season approaches they need our support now more than ever. 
    • Even the President thinks Kellogg's shouldn't permanently replace striking workers.
    • If you were at the Troublemakers School this weekend, you heard from a striking worker in Lancaster who asked for us to continue standing in solidarity with them on the picket line. If you have time over your holiday break, please make the trip to Lancaster. 
    • Thanks to the Troublemakers School, we were able to raise thousands of dollars for the striking workers in Lancaster, but we know we can give more! Please donate to make sure BCTGM members have food on their tables and presents under their trees. 🎄
  • Read an interesting interview with the National Labor Relations Board’s general counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo, about her vision for the NLRB.
    • On the other hand, read about how bosses are using the courts to break strikes.
  • Have some time off for the holidays? Thank the labor movement!

To get involved: If you’re interested in supporting workers who want to organize, organizing your workplace, supporting workers and unions taking collective action, or in building relationships with rank and file union members and leaders, email [email protected]. 

On the bulletin

  • Donate to the Philly DSA PAC! This is how we fund our electoral campaigns. Contribute here. 🤑
  • Our membership voted to make fighting for Medicare for All a priority at our 2021 Local Convention. If you’re interested in working on strategic campaign planning related to Medicare for All and healthcare justice in the age of COVID-19, please fill out this interest form.
  • The Housing Committee is still collecting survey responses to help identify landlord and property management companies that DSA members have in common. Please fill it out to aid future tenant organizing. 🏡
  • Join us on Slack: If you’re a Philly DSA member and you’d like to join our Slack workspace, please fill out this form.
  • Harassment and Grievance Process: Read about the process to file a grievance here.

What we’re reading

With COVID cases on the rise due to the spread of the Omicron variant, Philly is enacting policy to enforce vaccine requirements in public spaces and businesses. Billy Penn has the details on when the policy will take effect, what and who is covered and exempted, and how it will be enforced. 

Increasing inequality is preventing home ownership and facilitating a constant state of transition disrupting communities. This article in The Philadelphia Inquirer unpacks the Black/white homeownership gap, and the role of realtors and bankers in perpetuating it.

Currently, unionized workers in Battle Creek, MI are striking against Kellogg and its attempts at union-busting and reinforcing tiered hierarchies. Read in Labor Notes how our comrades are refusing to break the line in this fight for better pay and recognition.

In solidarity,

Philly DSA

http://www.phillydsa.org/

“If socialism, international, revolutionary socialism, does not stand staunchly, unflinchingly, and uncompromisingly for the working class and for the exploited and oppressed masses of all lands, then it stands for none and its claim is a false pretense and its profession a delusion and a snare.” - Eugene Victor Debs

Join Philly DSA

Isn’t it time to do something? Get involved with the Local.