On Aug 20, 2019, at 10:18 AM, Amillie Coster <[email protected]> wrote:

Dear Comrades,

A belated email with our meeting minutes from our Thursday monthly meeting on Aug. 15, at J. Allens Grille in Pittsfield.

Dan Raftery, Co-Chair presided over the meeting.

John Prusinski, Co-Chair, shared a short Means TV piece, covering highlights of the 2019 National DSA Convention. Prusinski recommends Means TV and District Sentinel  for news relating to DSA progress.

Raftery shared his highlights after attending the National DSA Convention as our Berkshires DSA delegate.

He ran through some of the resolutions, which we covered (many) in the previous month's meeting. Here's a good DSA reports highlighting the Convention.

Highlights include: 

Resolution 82 on electoral policy

Resolution 15 - if Sanders loses Primary, DSA won't endorse another Democratic candidate

Resolution 33 - Investing in political literacy

Res. 84

Res. 34- Green New Deal - a national staff member will be delegated with creating subcommittees.

Res. 9 - ANTIFA National Working Group formed- combatting white supremacy

Res. 73- Open Border, endorsing abolishment of ICE

Const. 31- nationally elected regional voting committee

Res 3 - Labor strategy- National Labor organizer - will create content

Res. 55- small chapter growth promotion, doubles due shares for first 50 members

Raftery was pleased with not only our small fundraiser but also Boston DSA's funding supporting Raftery representing us in Atlanta, earlier this month.

Prusinski joined strikers at the Kennametal Inc. in Greenfield, MA, where metal workers have been on strike following a large corporation buying Kennametal and cutting back raises, union healthcare, etc. . More here

Paul Mark was present at the strike.

Raftery still wants a Hosuing Working Group

Raftery will be missing  a couple of monthly meetings this fall so that he can participate in a 10-week program that Pittsfield City Council offers to make municipal operation transparent to it's citizens: Citizen's Academy. Raftery will share his notes with us. This is a great opportunity to help us better understand how we can getting into and finesse the local government system.

Amillie still wants to organize a Racial/Immigration Justice Working Group. Has notified NAACP and Multicultural BRIDGE. Standby for meeting date/location.

There's an Adams City Council meeting coming up on the topic of a new affordable housing initiative in the city. I believe it

s tomorrow, Aug 21. Local residents are speaking out against affordable housing (some xenophobia may be at play). This meeting is open to all who can attend to advocate for affordable housing for Adams Community and Berkshire Cty at large.

We discussed either creating more Socializing with Socialist events in the county farther up towards North Adams and Williamstown and down in Great Barrington, etc. as a way to bring access to our chapter to more people. Please contact [email protected] or use Slack to suggest venues and/or host a Socializing with Socialist event.

Comrade Judy Eddy of The Ecosocialist Working Group (led by Prusinkski) in Berkshires DSA has formed a Berkshires Chapter of Extinction Rebellion and presented ER's objective nationally and locally. Many events happened this past weekend that Berkshires DSA promoted locally. Participation in the Global Climate Strike on Sept. 20 is something that ER is preparing for (training, literacy, organizing etc.) Please consider getting involved and joining the strike.

ER and the Ecosocialist Working Group are working on collaborating across municipal governments/towns to design a bottom-up Green New Deal,

Pittsfield City Council debates are at BCC next Monday, Aug 26.

Race Task Force meeting Sept 1 @ 12:30pm

Rank Choice voting meeting is today at the Unitarian Church in Pittsfield

September is Opioid Awareness Month-- this is topical in the area -- stigma is dividing the public -- how do we mitigate?

Harley of Berkshires for Bernie calls for delegates to attend the Sept. 14 Democratic Convention in Springfield, MA to push progressive initiatives and standout for Bernie for at least a coupe of hours in the morning.

DSA voted to not only align with and promote ER Berkshire Chapter initiatives, but also Berkshires for Bernie events. Sun. Aug 25 is the next Berkshires for Bernie meeting.

In Berkshire Bank Community Room. 

Use #myBerniestory hashtag 

Oh- and we want a political revolution. 

There'e the minutes. More like seconds! See you all soon out there! Please spread word about all that you can and reach out on slack or by emailing [email protected] with any questions.

Currently, our Executive Committee is scheduling a meeting with Alex Morse (Holyoke's mayor who intends to run against Rep. Richard Neal) to hear more about Morse's priorities and to share our own objectives. 

If there is anything you want shared on Berkshires DSA social media, contact [email protected] or [email protected].

Solidarity!!

Amillie Coster

Communications Coordinator

Berkshires DSA