Teamsters reach agreement with UPS that eliminates two-tier wage system, increases pay for all members — rank-and-file to vote on tentative agreement
On Tuesday, the Teamsters announced that they have reached “the most historic tentative agreement for workers in the history of UPS, protecting and rewarding more than 340,000 UPS Teamsters nationwide.” The five-year agreement includes wage increases for full- and part-time UPS Teamsters, new safety and health protections, the end of their two-tier wage system and more. A list of highlights and more information can be found here.
Representatives from the 176 UPS Teamster locals will meet to review and decide whether or not to recommend the contract on Monday, July 31, and all 340,000+ UPS Teamsters will receive a list of improvements in the contract. Locals will then hold member meetings to discuss the contract; voting runs from August 3 – 22, after which the contract’s ratification or rejection will be announced. Ratification is not a given — it will be up to the workers to decide if the deal works for them. Metro DC DSA will follow the lead of UPS workers and remain strike ready until a contract is approved. Keep an eye out for further communications from the chapter’s Labor working group.
Montgomery County rent stabilization signed into law — celebration picnic on Wednesday, August 2
On Monday, July 24, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich signed rent stabilization legislation into law, surrounded by county council members who voted for it and tenants and advocates whose tireless organizing forced the council to take action. This historic legislation limits rent increases across Montgomery County to 3% + the Consumer Price Index and caps rent increases to 6% annually. The HOME Act coalition, which includes the Montgomery County branch of Metro DC DSA, will hold a celebratory picnic this coming Wednesday, August 2 at 6pm at Takoma Piney Branch Local Park (2 Darwin Ave, Takoma Park). The park is about a 15 minute walk away from the Takoma Metro Station. RSVP here.
If you can’t make the picnic but want to celebrate this victory with comrades, don’t worry — the Montgomery County Branch will also be hosting a picnic on August 13 at Wheaton Forest Local Park. RSVP here.
Apply for chapter-wide Organizer Training — Applications Close Soon
Applications for the Summer 2023 Organizer Training are still open, and chapter members are invited to apply before the end of the month. The training will form a cohort of up to 20 people — both new and rising organizers, along with experienced organizers looking to improve or renew their organizing skills — and will use hands-on methods learned from chapter trainers that teach the principles of being an organizer. Modules will include Why We Organize, How to Hold Relational Organizing Conversations, Principles of Successful Campaigns, How to Plan a Campaign and more. Trainings will be held at a mutually convenient time weekly (either Sunday or Tuesday nights) for five weeks, and the group will get together in-person to get to know each other and talk organizing. Learn more and apply here
BRIEFS
July 2023 GBM Opavote Ballot Results
Below are the results for the July GBM ballot, which closed at 12am on July 28. The ballot contained the question: “Should the chapter adopt the Accessibility at GBMs Resolution?” There were 198 voters on this question.
YES: 175
NO: 19
ABSTAIN: 4
General resolutions require a majority vote. With more than 50% of votes in favor, the GBM Accessibility Resolution PASSES
Political Engagement Committee to hold meeting on 2024 questionnaire on August 8 — input from chapter members requested
At the next meeting of Metro DC DSA’s Political Engagement Committee, the committee will hold a deeper discussion on endorsement guidance for 2024. This meeting — to take place on August 8 — will help inform development of the local’s endorsement questionnairefor use this fall. Ideally, updates will be complete and brought to the general body for a vote at the August General Body Meeting. All chapter members are invited to participate in this meeting, especially those who have priorities or issues that they want to be considered as part of DSA’s endorsement process. More information will be published in the next Weekly Update, and interested members are invited to ask questions in the #2023-pec channel in Slack or to message PEC Chair Carl R directly.
NoVA Branch hosting Sunday Party at Quincy Park — July 30 from 11am – 6pm
On Sunday, July 30 from 11am – 6pm, we will be playing games, eating food and vibing with other comrades at Quincy Park (1021 N Quincy St, Arlington, VA 22201). Bring your hacky sacks, water soakers and other fun outdoor games. The branch will also be hosting a fundraiser and food drive — attendees are invited to bring what they can. RSVP here.
“Organizing the Unorganized” training — August 6
There has been an increase in new union organizing in Northern Virginia recently, but more needs to be done. All union members and friends of labor are welcome to attend an “Organizing the Unorganized” training with Chris Townsend, retired organizing director of the Amalgamated Transit Union, on August 6 from 5 – 7pm. Please spread the word and bring a friend or coworker — there will be pizza! For more information, contact Chris Townsend, 703-341-9446, [email protected]. RSVP here
Mobilizing with Starbucks Workers United National Day of Action — August 7
Starbucks customers and allies are mobilizing on August 7 to demand that Starbucks respects workers’ rights and quits union busting. Rallies will be held in stores across the DMV, and reinforcements are needed to send a mass public message to Starbucks. If you’re interested in attending one of these rallies with DSA, please fill out this survey ASAP.
Chapter fundraising to send delegates to convention — every Wednesday and Sunday
Our chapter is raising funds to help send delegates to DSA’s national convention! You can help by phonebanking the chapter — there are shifts on Sundays and Wednesdays, and you can call on other days, too. Call your comrades for the cause! And feel free to donate whatever you can here. No worker should be excluded due to lack of funds. Remember: Socialist cash beats capitalist trash, and the more we practice basic organizing like fundraising, the better positioned we are to do it in the future.
Music recommendations needed — tell the Washington Socialist your favorite class-conscious, left-wing ballads and anthems
The Washington Socialist needs suggestions for its left-wing Labor Day playlist. Contemporary or old-school; weird punk; utopian jazz; class-conscious new-wave; labor ballads; antifascist folk; or any other tune that gets your blood pumping to the left. Bonus points for DMV area-sounds. Submissions will be reviewed and arranged into a wider list and made available in the Labor Day issue. Submit a link or upload your digital audio copy directly at the link here.
INFO ACCESS
Publications Schedule: Updates will be published weekly on Fridays throughout the summer — this is the final July Update; August Updates will arrive on the 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th. The Publications WG has adopted a summer schedule for the Washington Socialist. The Bastille Day issue is available here and features articles by chapter members on the upcoming convention, congressional Republicans’ assault on District autonomy, and more. The Friday, September 1 Update brings our Labor Day issue. The article deadline for the Labor Day Washington Socialist is Saturday, August 26; send submissions to [email protected].
Sign the Bottle Bill Petition to Keep Ward 8 and All of DC Clean | Ward 8 Woods, et al
Ward 8 Woods, a member of the Recycling, Redemption and Refund Coalition for DC, is fed up with illegal dumping in their community and wants to see DC take action. Pollution and illegal dumping are environmental justice issues, which disproportionately affect residents in lower income neighborhoods — especially Wards 5, 7, and 8. Deposit-return laws — also known as “bottle bills” — work! They cut litter and trash dumping. Customers are charged a small deposit (the most successful programs charge 10-15 cents) when they purchase a bottle or can and get their money back when they return the container. Click here to sign the petition.
730 Day | 730DC
On Sunday July 30 from 4 – 7pm, DC’s best daily newsletter will be holding a party for its writers, editors and readers at metrobar (640 Rhode Island Ave NE), just off the Rhode Island metro stop. Admission is free and the event will also feature giveaways for attendees. 730DC is an independent media collective focused on documenting culture and politics in the DMV. You can sign up for the 730 daily dispatch through 730DC’s website, and check out the collective’ deep bench of articles and writing on Medium.
Express Out Loud | Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs
The Mayor’s Office of Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing is teaming up with the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs to celebrate Disability Pride Month with an open-mic event at Sycamore and Oak (1110 Oak Drive SE) on Saturday, July 29 at 1pm. All community members are welcome to celebrate with storytelling, poetry, and other artistic performances. More info and free RSVP here. Want to perform? Email [email protected] for sign-up opportunities.
The Ultimate Playdate | Far Southeast Family Strengthening (FARSE) Collaborative
Free food, waterslides, games, music, and fun — and again, waterslides! — at this free FARSE Collaborative family event on Wednesday, August 2 from 12 – 3pm. Event address is 4301 9th Street SE. For more information visit FSFSC.ORG or call 202.889.1425
Back to School Tomato Jam | Common Good City Farm
Join Common Good City Farm (300 V St NW) for their annual Back to School Tomato Jam on Thursday, August 3 from 6 – 8pm. Free food, kids activities, and music are on offer while you enjoy the beautiful farm space. Common Good will also be raising funds and accepting donations for back-to-school supplies. You can make a donation and/or drop off school supplies to their donation box daily between 11am – 6:30pm. Donations being sought include: backpacks, crayons, spiral notebooks, pencils, pencil pouches and calculators. This year’s event is organized by The Green Getters Youth Internship Program.
ESSENTIAL TRAFFIC
“A few days ago it seemed a foregone conclusion that a coalition of rightwing parties were going to win Spain’s snap elections. A huge majority was not a guarantee, but most of the polls were in their favor. Election night, however, told a different story.” Spain’s snap election proved to be, overall, a loss for the right – but was it a win for the left? More from The Guardian.
In 730DC – the local case for reparations. Legislation is moving through the Council which would create a reparations fund for Black District residents administered by the local government. Who would reparations help, and what deep inequities would they address? A detailed argument built atop a detailed spatial and economic analysis.
Good listen: On Behind the News, Doug Henwood interviews author and academic Gabriel Hetland about “democracy on the ground” in Venezuela and Bolivia, aiming to uncover how effectively each country (under Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales, respectively) increased popular participation in socialist governance. The results may be surprising, and they pose important questions and potential roadmaps for stateside socialists.
There is boundless coverage of the news that the Teamsters reached a tentative agreement with UPS – In These Times offers a comprehensive look that includes the varying perspectives of multiple rank-and-file UPS Teamsters and leadership, as well as an in-depth recap of the contract fight (and how this round of negotiations differed from the last, more concessionary UPS contract from years ago).
For After the Storm, comrade Alec Lownes paints a post-capitalist society in their fiction piece, The Liar of Freehold.
The flame of thought, the magnificence of art, the wonder of discovery, and the audacity of invention all belong to revolutionary periods when humanity, tired of its chains, shatters them and stops inebriated to breathe the breeze of a vaster and freer horizon.
- Virgilia D'Andrea
Sent via ActionNetwork.org.
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