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October 
Green Party Endorses Global Sumud
Flotilla
On September 6, the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) Steering
Committee proudly endorsed the Global Sumud (Resilience) Flotilla,
which is attempting to break the illegal siege of Gaza. This
endorsement was requested by Bryarr Misner, a Green Party organizer
from Allegheny County. The flotilla consists of more than 50 vessels
with more than 1,000 participants from 44 counties.
Misner said he requested the Green Party endorsement because “the
Global Sumud Flotilla is more than a symbolic voyage; it is a
collective act of conscience that brings the cries for justice in Gaza
and across Palestine to the forefront of international awareness. For
over two million people trapped under siege in Gaza, the blockade by
Israel has created conditions of famine and despair which defy human
dignity. The flotilla seeks not only to deliver humanitarian relief
but also to break this inhumane siege and to expose the complicity of
governments and institutions which enable the genocide of
Palestinians. As Greens, we affirm that silence in the face of
genocide is not an option. It is our moral duty to stand with those
resisting oppression, and to support the movements that challenge the
systems of violence and apartheid that deny Palestinians their rights
under international law.”
* * *
GPPA Steering Committee Member Colleen Schmotzer
(Allegheny County) explained why the Green Party has endorsed the
Global Sumud Flotilla, “Our Four Pillars -- grassroots democracy,
ecological wisdom, social justice, and nonviolence -- demand that we
take this stand. The Global Sumud Flotilla embodies these values by
organizing democratically across borders, confronting injustice with
courage and without violence, and affirming the inherent worth and
dignity of all people.”
“Peace cannot be achieved without justice,” continued Schmotzer,
“and justice cannot exist without freedom. The Global Sumud Flotilla
is an act of solidarity which brings us closer to realizing these
truths. The Green Party calls upon elected officials, civil society
organizations, and all people of conscience to support this mission.
We urge an end to the blockade of Gaza, accountability for war crimes,
and a future where peace is rooted in justice and freedom for all.”
STORY
HERE
PA Green News
Edited by Chris
Robinson
Green Party Celebrates Victory of Magee-Womens
Hospital Nurses
On September 6, the Green Party of
Pennsylvania (GPPA) Steering Committee proudly stood in celebration
with the workers of UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in their historic vote
to unionize. Nearly 1,000 healthcare professionals -- nurses,
technicians, service staff, and support workers -- voted to join SEIU
Healthcare PA. They are the backbone of one of Pennsylvania’s most
critical healthcare institutions.
Bryarr Misner, an organizer with the
Green Party of Allegheny County, said, “Their courage to organize,
especially in the face of intense corporate pressure, sends a clear
message: healthcare workers will no longer be silenced or sidelined in
the fight for dignity, fairness, and respect. Magee-Womens is the
first hospital within the UPMC system to successfully unionize through
a new election, marking a watershed moment for healthcare workers
across Pennsylvania. Their victory builds on the strength of existing
unions, such as those at UPMC Washington (formerly Washington Health
System), where workers secured meaningful wage gains after
affiliation. Together, these struggles demonstrate that collective
organizing is not only possible at UPMC but powerful enough to win
real change.”
* * *
GPPA Steering Committee Member Colleen
Schmotzer (Allegheny) said, “The Green Party’s Ten Key Values --
including social justice and equal opportunity, grassroots democracy,
feminism and gender equity, and community-based economics -- speak
directly to this struggle. The effort to unionize Magee-Womens is an
act of democracy in the workplace, ensuring that those who provide
care also have a voice in shaping it. It is a pursuit of justice:
demanding safe conditions, fair pay, and respect for all workers,
regardless of position. It reflects a feminist commitment to
empowering a largely female workforce, and a community-based vision of
economics where healthcare decisions are made for people, not for
profit.”
“The Green Party of Pennsylvania calls on
UPMC executives to respect and recognize this union without
obstruction,” continued Schmotzer, “and we call on our communities and
elected officials to support these workers in their struggle.
Healthcare is a human right, and protecting those who deliver it is
inseparable from protecting the patients they serve. The workers of
Magee-Womens Hospital are building power not only for themselves but
for a fairer, stronger healthcare system for us all. The Green Party
is proud to celebrate with them.” STORY HERE
PA Green Party State Committee Meets in
Harrisburg
On September 13, the GPPA State Committee
met in Harrisburg. Forty elected delegates from ten counties
participated, half of them via Zoom. GPPA Rules (think “bylaws”) call
for the State Committee to “strive to obtain consensus on all
decisions.” Five motions which did not have consensus were called to a
vote, but none of them received greater than 27 percent affirmative.
The delegates also considered the results of a Comprehensive Planning
Survey.
Campaign Updates
Edited by Chris
Robinson
Three candidates have been nominated by the Green Part to
run for local office this year. Other Green Party candidates who plan
to run in 2026 are welcome to contact GREEN STAR at [email protected]
.
November 4, 2025, General
Election
Michael Bagdes-Canning for Re-Election to Mayor of
Cherry Valley Borough
Butler
County
Michael told GREEN STAR,
“The campaign season is almost over, election day will soon be upon
us. It’s time to start ramping up for the 2026 campaign season. As
someone who has run for office continuously since 1989, I know some of
the pitfalls of waiting too long to start rolling out your campaign.
Running in a small borough like Cherry Valley leaves wiggle room, but
if you are seeking higher office, I suggest you start your campaign
now.
“When I ran for County Commissioner in
2015, I didn’t decide to run until June. I had to sprint to get enough
petition signatures and pull together a campaign team. That energy
could have been spent on our ground game – knocking on doors. One
thing we learned from that campaign was that knocking on doors
translated into votes, but I ran out of time.
“When I ran for State
Representative in 2016, I decided early, had a team in place, but I
didn’t spend enough time raising the money to get my message out. I
was drowned out by my opponents – who had the resources to print
materials and run ads.
“When I ran for State Representative in
2020, I decided early, had a crack team, and outraised my opponent. We
had inspiring ads, and we were able to generate some buzz.
Unfortunately, we waited too long to start spending. We ended up
getting 19.5% of the vote – a respectable showing for an ecosocialist
in a heavily Republican district. The takeaway: I needed better
long-term planning.
“We are in a time of inflection. Huge numbers
of eligible voters are disillusioned. In the last Presidential
election, more of those people chose not to vote than chose to vote
for either candidate from the duopoly, and a surprisingly large number
of the ones who did vote for Trump or Harris, held their
noses.
“People are ripe for change. The key will be reaching those
voters. We need Greens in office – please start planning
now.”
Tony Dastra for Mayor of
Lancaster City
Lancaster
County
Tony told GREEN STAR, “I am running in
two elections because there are no other candidates running for City
Council except me and the Democrats. After being deeply disappointed
by a Democratic Primary debate, it started to become an idea. Being
the mayor is ideal, but I will still need to work to have a council
that aligns with public over private interests.
“The issues I speak on are the same in
both campaigns, but the larger issue at play is having elected
officials who are inept or do not use their power. Our councilors
could take their own action, but they do not take action unless the
Mayor voices support. They voice their individual support for votes,
but then do next to nothing despite having a majority of members who
support ideas. My double race is, more than anything, a commentary on
Lancaster being a one-party city and the desperate need for change in
our local communities over blind, uninformed, and fear-driven party
unity.
“It’s not the Democratic Party, it is the
Democrat Party. There is nothing Democratic about it as far as it goes
in Lancaster City. They use the same plays as the people and
institutions they demonize to diminish and discombobulate Public
power. Health Care Companies Deny, Depose, and Delay; Lancaster City
government Confuses, Contorts, and Controls the Public.”
You may follow Tony Dastra’s campaign here,
Website - https://www.tonydastraformayor.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/dastraforlancaster
Alexander Noyle for Election
to Auditor of East Norriton
Township
Montgomery
County
Alex told GREEN STAR, “Our message is simple: the parties in power
should not be their own watchdogs. Residents across the political
spectrum agree with us that independent oversight of local taxes is
common sense. To win, we need to staff all eight polling places so
voters encounter our campaign as they arrive to vote. Other than
door-to-door canvassing, this is our most effective tactic. Where
we’ve had a volunteer on site, we’ve reached up to 40% in those
districts. If we can pull that off consistently, we can win this
election. If you are near the area, or able to travel, please sign up
to volunteer on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025 at https://alex4auditor.com/
If you can’t volunteer, we are asking for donations, which we can
accept via our website or by check to “Norriton for Noyle.” Thank you
for your support. Let’s win this election, and make East Norriton a
Greener, fairer, more transparent place.”
Volunteers for Election Day may email [email protected]
or send him a message on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alex4Auditor
National Green
News
Edited by David Ochmanowicz
Jr.
Democrats Lose Millions—but the Green Party Is
Growing
A New York Post analysis reveals a
startling trend: between 2020 and 2024, over 2 million voters left the
Democratic Party, while about 2.4 million joined the GOP across 30
tracked states. This reversal has cut the Democrats’ registration
advantage from around 11% to just above 6%. This shakeup stretches
even into traditionally blue states like California and New York,
signaling a systemic challenge to Democratic stability. This voter
realignment isn’t just a two-party story – third-party alternatives,
especially the Green Party, are quietly growing. While still small in
scale, recent data shows the Green Party holds nearly 250,000
registered voters nationally, showing it’s the second-largest third
party by registration.
STORY HERE
GREEN
PAGES
Recordings from 2025 GPUS Annual National
Meeting
LISTEN HERE
Global Green
News
Edited by Hal
Brown
DR Congo: Violence Targeting
Environmental Defenders
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the
Alert for the Environment and Human Rights (Acedh) reports 16
documented cases of violations of the rights of environmental
defenders or farmers engaged in land rights defense. All of these
incidents reportedly occurred in the first half of this year. The
report identifies the different areas most affected by violations of
the rights of environmental defenders: heavily agricultural areas and
areas where national parks are concentrated, for example, as well as
mining areas. STORY
HERE
Romanian Green Party Calls for Declaration of
Climate Emergency
The Romanian Green Party (Partidul Verde)
demands that the Romanian Parliament and government take consistent
and urgent measures to prevent and mitigate the effects of extreme
weather events...Scientists have been warning for decades that climate
change is irreversible in the short term and that its effects can no
longer be completely avoided even if all the countries in the world
kept their promises...The climate crisis is no longer a future danger.
It is here, now. It affects everything that matters: life, health,
food, water, housing, our safety. It is time for the Parliament, the
Government, ministries, city halls and all social actors to act.
STORY
HERE
Serbian Green Party Wants Answers for
Pančevo Ecological Disaster
The Serbian Green Party, Zeleno-Levi
Front (ZLF), is challenging the country's authorities...On April 21,
2025, during the loading of oil from the Pančevo Refinery into a barge
owned by the Naftahem company, approximately 82,000 liters of oil
spilled into the protective barrier around the barge, and there is a
suspicion that some of it ended up in the Danube...The Green-Left
Front reminds that citizens have the right to know the truth about
environmental accidents, their consequences and those responsible.
“Our duty is to insist on transparency, responsibility and prevention
through institutions. The ZLF will not give up the fight for
environmental protection – neither in the parliament benches nor in
the field together with citizens,” the statement said.
STORY
HERE
GPPA Meeting Dates for 2025
All State Committee Meetings will begin at
noon
Sunday, November
9
GPPA Communications
Team
Issue Credits
Editors: Hal Brown, Patrick O. McNally, David Ochmanowicz,
Jr. and Chris Robinson
Contributors: Michael Bagdes-Canning, Tony Dastra, Bryarr
Misner, Alex Noyle, Chris Robinson and Colleen Schmotzer
Layout: Hal Brown, Sherri Miller, and David Ochmanowicz
Jr.
Graphic Arts: Kevin Richardson
Everything we do is based on our Four
Pillars and
Ten
Key Values. If you
find that you share these ideals, come and join the
movement.
Join us and help bring about a future where people
and planet are valued over profits. We have a new, tiered membership
structure that allows you to determine your level of commitment and
support. And if you want to get more directly involved, consider
joining
an action team Work with other committed progressives and activists in
activities such as planning events, developing media content, or
helping with campaigns.
The GREEN STAR is an official publication of the
Green Party of Pennsylvania Communications Team * 2025.
Green Party of Pennsylvania
https://www.gpofpa.org/
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