I-82; Metro DC DSA to hold virtual GBM this Sunday, consider NPC nomination; Metro DC DSA sees massive turnout in delegate election
This is the weekly newsletter of the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America (MDC DSA), which is
produced by local members of the chapter's Publications Working Group. The Weekly Update publishes every
Friday at 9am. Want to fight fascism from the heart of empire? Join DSA and fight to build socialism!
Paid for by Metro DC DSA (mdcdsa.org). Not authorized by any candidate or committee.
UP FRONT
Tipped workers wage pitched struggle in the Wilson Building against I82 freeze and proposed repeal
For the second time in seven years, the forces of capital have stalled the will of the voters in raising the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers in the District. Despite being passed with 73.9% in 2022, the DC City Council voted on Tuesday to steal the hard-earned raises of tipped workers in a gift for the restaurant lobby. The freeze on tipped-wage increase will remain in effect for two months, stalling the tipped minimum wage at $10/hr. Mayor Bowser's proposed repeal of I82 is still in the budget being debated and considered by the DC Council.
On Tuesday, tipped workers stormed the Wilson Building to stop the Council's "Emergency" legislation, raised by professional pushover Councilmember McDuffie (at-large), to temporarily freeze implementation of I82. The workers were joined by Metro DC DSA, Unite Here! Locals 25 and 23, the Restaurant Opportunities Center DC, Jobs with Justice and other progressive allies. Despite their advocacy, only Councilmembers Lewis-George (Ward 4), Frumin (Ward 3), Parker (Ward 5) and Nadeau (Ward 1) stood with workers, who were chanting against the legislation in the chamber.
One more no-vote on the "emergency" legislation would have squashed the effort. CM White (at-large) shocked progressives and workers for switching sides last minute to vote in support of the emergency legislation: a betrayal of his very public campaigning for I82 during his Mayoral run back in 2022. CMs Henderson (at-large) and Allen (Ward 6) also let down workers and betrayed their progressive bona-fides, although both Henderson and Allen publicly clarified that they do not support a repeal of I82. Although CM White has stated he is opposed to repeal, workers and the Councilmembers' supporters have lost faith in his credibility.
The following day, workers returned to the Wilson Building to storm a committee hearing on Bowser's budget. The restaurant lobby held their own rally, marshalled by managers, owners and corporate lobbyists. Drabbed in dull, gray garments, these blackshirts were clearly outnumbered by local tipped workers mobilized by ROC-DC, Metro DC DSA and Unite Here. For six hours, this alliance of barbacks, bartenders, bussers, runners and servers engaged in impassioned public testimony to end I82's freeze and to pull the repeal of I82 out of the DC budget; in contrast, the blackshirts begged and pleaded to reduce worker's pay. Watch the full hearing here.
Metro DC DSA's steering committee published a statement on Thursday afternoon: “[The chapter] outraged and deeply disappointed by the DC Council’s decision to pause the implementation of Initiative 82, the Tip Credit Elimination Act. […] DSA will not forget this vote — and neither will the workers who were denied the raise they were promised on July 1st. Our chapter is continuing to organize to get I-82 back on path and to fight any attempts at a repeal..."
Next steps in the fight:
Workers are continuing bi-weekly outreach to the DC Council building to steel a majority on opposition to repeal and freeze. Tipped workers, or those interested in joining these incursions are urged to contact ROC-DC, the Fair Price Fair Wage Coalition, or Metro DC DSA's labor working (respond to this email, or message [email protected] to get in touch).
Metro DC DSA is holding a tipped workers rights training on Monday, June 23, run by experienced labor lawyers and organizers, so that service sector employees can stay informed about their rights in the workplace and can fight back against wage theft. RSVP here.
Continue to read future weekly updates for coverage of this fight - updates on the battle will be posted here weekly.
If you are a service worker, work for a Council office, or have any information on either the restaurant lobby or maneuvers of the bill, you can email tips to [email protected] — anonymity will be respected.
Metro DC DSA to hold virtual GBM this Sunday, to consider DSA NPC nomination and discuss electoral endorsements
Metro DC DSA’s next General Body Meeting will be held virtually on Sunday, June 8 from 2 – 4:30pm. Please RSVP for details. Among the meeting’s agenda items will be the proposed nomination of comrade Carl Roberts — chapter chair in 2024 and on Steering in 2022 and 2023 — to serve on DSA’s National Political Committee. In order to run, prospective candidates must be nominated by the chapter. Per section I.D.1.2.4 of the 2025 Convention rules, “Nomination should not be seen as an endorsement of a candidate or their politics, but as an affirmation that the member is active in the work of DSA and is constructive and comradely towards their fellow members.”
Also on the agenda is the initial reading of electoral endorsement resolutions for the 2025 general elections, where chapter members have their first opportunity to ask questions about the candidates and races. In the weeks following the GBM there will be a Q&A event for each campaign seeking endorsement, and at the July 13th GBM the chapter will debate the endorsement resolutions before going to a final vote. As of time of writing, the chapter has received endorsement questionnaires from Frankie Santos Fritz for Greenbelt City Council and Omodamola Williams for Gaithersburg City Council
Metro DC DSA sees massive turnout in delegate election
The Democratic Socialists of America’s National Convention is being held in Chicago from August 8 – 10. Metro DC DSA, allotted 46 delegate positions and five alternates based on our chapter size, held our election for delegates this past week. The vote saw participation unparalleled in recent memory, with over 400 dues-paying members casting ballots. The results, announced Wednesday night, are as follows:
Restaurant workers call for boycott of six DC restaurants amid union fight
For months, Metro DC DSA has stood side by side with allies at UNITE HERE 25 who have been tirelessly organizing workplaces owned by the STARR and Knightsbridge restaurant groups. Hundreds of DC restaurant workers have endured a torrent of relentless union busting at some of the most lucrative restaurants by greedy bosses. Yesterday, workers announced a call for DC customers to boycott these restaurants, asking the public not to eat, meet, or drink at these locations.The boycott is set to apply to STARR’s Osteria Mozza, The Occidental & Le Diplomate, and Knightsbridge’s Rasika, Modena & Bombay Club. This boycott is supported by dozens of national progressive lawmakers.
Metro DC DSA will also continue participating in informational pickets every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until these restaurant tycoons agree to a fair union contract. RSVP here for our upcoming pickets to support frontline restaurant workers.
City of Rockville updating landlord-tenant code, tenants continue pressure for rent stabilization — hearing planned for June 16, outreach canvass launching June 7
After more than a year of pressure from tenants to pass rent stabilization, the city of Rockville is working to update its landlord-tenant code. While the city is not officially considering rent stabilization in this update, the Montgomery County branch of Metro DC DSA still encourages Rockville tenants and residents to complete the city’s survey and emphasize the need for housing affordability as well as anything else that tenants might need. On June 16, the Rockville City Council and mayor will discuss the updates to the landlord-tenant code, and tenants will join the hearing to tell the council that they need rent stabilization. RSVP for the hearing here.
Rockville Renters United continues to distribute rent stabilization yard signs across the city. Join the Montgomery County Branch for a canvass to give out yard signs on June 7 at noon, starting from the Twinbrook Metro. RSVP for the canvass here. Throughout the weekend, Rockville Renters United will be flyering in Rockville apartment complexes — if you are interested in distributing flyers at your building or around Rockville, sign up here.
Dykes Against Fascism — TONIGHT at 6pm
Join the Bodily Autonomy Working Group for an informal contingent at this year’s DC Dyke March. Join DC (and international) Dykes at Farragut Square, starting at 6pm. Find more information here, including our Signal group.
Sign-up for Internationalism Working Group’s second teach-in session about global empire — June 8
Metro DC DSA’s Internationalism Working Group is holding the second session of the six-week Beyond the Bombs: Anti-Imperialist Summer School teach-in series on Sunday, June 8, with a session titled “Sanctions, Trade, and Dollar Imperialism.” This session will run from 4 – 6pm, in-person at the Festival Center (1640 Columbia Road NW) and hybrid on Zoom.
This session will explore how the global trade system has been structurally designed to exploit the Global South and keep it trapped in a permanent state of dependency and underdevelopment. We will also explore how the US dollar upholds the United States’ dominant position within this system, and how this enables the United States to impose sanctions as a devastating tool of imperialism. Learn more about the IWG’s second session and RSVP here.
Let's Talk About Sex (and Socialism) on June 13
Join your comrades from Metro DC DSA’s Socialist Feminist Section for a chance to practice new avenues of connection with yourself and others to fuel your spirit and uplift your socialist practice. On Friday, June 13, meet for Bryant St Market’s happy hour and grab food and drinks while engaging in an activity designed to foster energized and authentic connection beyond our professional and political selves. This will be followed by a history of sexual politics in leftist movements, concluding with an optional trip to The Crucible for Dungeon 101, an opportunity to learn about BDSM in a dungeon environment (designed for newcomers and beginners). RSVP here.
Pack, Party, Pride — volunteer training and wheatpasting opportunities available ahead of June 14 event
Ready for Pride Month? Join DSA comrades on Saturday, June 14th, from 7 – 10pm for Pack, Party, Pride! Celebrate pride by helping pack 2,000 reproductive and sexual health care kits at our pride-themed care kit event. All proceeds go towards paying for the costs of these care kits, and earns a raffle ticket from one of our vendors. Buy a ticket here.
The Bodily Autonomy Working Group has opportunities for comrades to help publicize and facilitate Party, Pack, Pride this coming Wednesday and Sunday, respectively. For those interested in helping on the day of the event, two volunteer sessions will cover logistics, what volunteers do, and how you can get involved. Everyone is welcome. RSVP for our last session on Wednesday, June 11th at 7pm. For those interested in helping spread the word, the Bodily Autonomy Working Group will host our last wheatpasting session on Sunday, June 8th at 1pm, meeting in Dupont Circle.
MDC DSA Political Engagement Committee to hold online Electoral Accountability Forum — Tuesday, July 1 at 7pm (tentative)
Following Shayla Adams-Stafford's win earlier this year in Prince George's County, the socialist electoral project continues on; future electoral planning and a return to accountability for socialist electeds remains a crucial need. This project is being coordinated by the chapter’s Political Engagement Committee, a five-member body appointed by the Metro DC DSA Steering committee.
The PEC will be holding a conversation on the chapter’s strategy around accountability for endorsed elected officials at their upcoming bi-weekly meeting on July 1; all chapter members are invited to attend (invite forthcoming) and to join #electoral in Slack for updates. This event will be a great opportunity to learn about — and comment on — a set of important chapter decisions, and will help to guide our electoral approach over the rest of this year. Whether you are a DSA member, new, old or returning, input and engagement on this process is strongly encouraged.
INFO ACCESS
Want to fight fascism from the heart of the empire? Join DSA and fight to build socialism! Our next New Member Orientation is an in-person session on Wednesday, June 4, 7 – 8pm. Learn about the Metro DC chapter — branches, working groups, campaigns, current activities, and enduring values — right here.
Want to stay current? Weekly Updates, like the one you are reading, are scheduled and emailed on Fridays; current and past Updates are here. Not subscribed? DSA member or not, sign up to get the Update, the go-to source for the DMV left. The MDC Dispatch is the chapter’s new video news series, published on the first and third Sunday of each month. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and submit your Update or Dispatch suggestions or DMV scandal tips to our tip line. The Washington Socialist, published since the 1970s, offers in-depth analytical/opinion articles on a quarterly schedule; the Spring 2025 quarterly issue now leads the queue. Check out our indexed and searchable archive to see what we write — and what you can write. Anyone, MDC DSA member or not, interested in contributing to the Washington Socialist can email submissions or questions to [email protected].
Members — want to stay updated in our workspace? MDC DSA members are encouraged to join our all-member Slack for real-time info on working group and campaign events, convo, and inspiration. Email [email protected] with your most recent DSA dues receipt to get Slack access.
Teach-in & Social Hour for Jews and friends of Palestine on Sunday, June 8 | Alexandria for Palestine
Are you interested in learning more about Jewish solidarity with Palestine but you don't know where to start? Maybe you haven't found community yet? Bring your curiosity and good will to learn about and discuss antisemitism, Zionism, and Palestinian solidarity on Sunday, June 8 from 1 – 3:30pm in Alexandria. RSVP for details.
Federal Workers on the Frontlines on June 10 | Federal Unionists Network
The Federal Unionists Network is hosting its first DC-area town hall on June 10 from 5:30 – 7:30pm at the John Wesley AME Zion Church. It will feature leading rank-and-file union members from public sector unions, DC government agencies in support of affected workers, and more. Build deeper relationships among federal union locals and unorganized federal workers across agencies, as well as create a network of support among those in the public sector. RSVP here.
DC Joy Day on June 14 | Free DC
On Saturday, June 14, from 12 – 5pm at Anacostia Park, Free DC, and Harriet's Wildest Dreams are hosting DC Joy Day, a community celebration with music, performances, kids activities, and more. Bring a cooler, invite your friends, and make it clear that DC communities are about connection and joy, not fear or weapons of war. Learn more on Instagram here.
ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVES
ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVES are articles and opinion pieces of interest to DMV leftists but not, generally, appearing
in local media. They should have links without paywalls. Readers are invited to submit candidates at our tip
line.
George Floyd was murdered five years ago and, in the protests against racism and police violence that subsequently engaged millions, he became a symbol. The person behind the symbol, however, should not be forgotten, nor should the world of redlining, unemployment, denied opportunity in which he grew up. Sarah Lahm, in the Progressive reminds us of the life Floyd lived in "George Floyd's Journey from Houston to Minneapolis Tells an Important Story."
Although not fully appreciated, the struggle for abolition and the struggle for workers rights are connected; both essential for democratic rights and social justice. Richard Trumka, when president of the AFL-CIO, began to make that connection in a public way, Calvin John Riley, in hisIn These TImesarticle "Abolition Puts Reentry Out of Business," speaks to on-going work by unionists in support of defund, ongoing efforts by those locked up to fight for dignity and respect.
Abolition was the underlying theme of Ketu Olawadu's "Octogenarian Tour." The former death row inmate, along with elders Caroline Brewer, Dr. Karen Wilson-Ama'Echefu, and Abassi Johnson, spoke, sang, declaimed and read at an event focused on abolition held at Creative Suitland. DSA's Abolition Working Group and Prince George's DSA helped organize the event and DSA members Elizabeth Tang and Imara Crooms were part of the program. Read more about it in Rasheeda Campbell's "Art, Activism and Connection," in Intersection Magazine.
This is the weekly newsletter of the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America (MDC DSA), which is produced by
local members of the chapter's Publications working group. The Weekly Update publishes every Friday at
9am.
Paid for by Metro DC DSA (mdcdsa.org). Not authorized by any candidate or committee.
Thinking about it, but want to get this email Update every Friday? SIGN UP
HERE
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 vast and free horizon. - Virgilia D'Andrea
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