There are several exciting opportunities to get involved with our chapter's work coming up!
First, the National DSA Ecosocialists Working Group is holding a (Virtual) Green New Deal Strategy Summit on Sept. 12th - 13th. We have been asked to send one delegate from our chapter. We will elect that delegate at the August General Meeting on 8/22. If you are interested in attending the summit, please email [email protected] to nominate yourself. Or nominate someone else! The Local Council has also voted to reimburse our delegate for any costs associated with attending, i.e. missed work or childcare.
Third, at Convention, we also voted to prioritize Organizing Towards Abolition. We are now seeking proposals about how we should structure and approach this work. All members are welcome to develop and submit proposals for consideration by the membership, but we especially encourage members who have been directly impacted by the carceral system or who have direct experience organizing towards abolition to reach out - even if you don't have the bandwidth to write a proposal or develop a campaign, let us connect you with DSA organizers who would appreciate your expertise! There are lots of organizations that have been doing this work for a long time, and we are excited to learn from them! (On that note, Check out Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition's monthly meeting tonight.) We will debate and vote on proposals at the August 22nd General Meeting, so please submit any and all ideas to [email protected] by August 21st. If you're interested in submitting a proposal but not sure how to get started, check out this guide!
What's next? Put the August General Meeting, which will be on August 22nd at 2 PM, in your calendar today! General Meetings are held on the fourth Saturday of each month. These are the largest meetings of the General Membership (that's you!) each month, and this is where the entire chapter membership makes collective decisions on how to move forward. If you can only make one meeting a month, a General Meeting is the place to start! If you have an idea for a project or a campaign that you'd like to see the chapter take on, email [email protected] to submit it.
Solidarity,
Local Council
New Orleans DSA
P.S. New to DSA? Check out our chapter's new member resources here. You can always email [email protected] with questions about how to get involved or about the work our chapter is doing.
New Orleans DSA Upcoming Events
Parents + Teachers: Fight for a Safe Return to School. Parents + Teachers in our chapter and beyond are meeting to discuss the challenges faced by the school re-openings, especially in Jefferson Parish. Are you a parent, or a teacher, or a student, or someone who works in schools? Join this call and get involved in fighting back against unsafe conditions in schools! Register for the call here. Monday, August 10th @ 7 PM.
Ecosocialism + Data Mapping: Death Alley Solidarity Work. We are working on using environmental databases to collect important data about air pollution and disease in Death Alley to assist the Coalition Against Death Alley in their fight against environmental racism. Everyone is welcome to join and get involved in this work! Register for the call here. Tuesday, August 11th @ 6:00 PM.
Worker Power Louisiana Meeting. Join our chapter's Labor Committee to discuss transformative justice, fighting for working class power, and organizing your workplace. Register for the meeting here. (Password 945179). Tuesday, August 11th @ 6:30 PM.
Direct Service Committee: Mutual Aid + Neighborhood Organizing. Every other Wednesday, our Direct Service Committee will be meeting to discuss ongoing mutual aid and neighborhood organizing projects, including our Brake Light Clinics. Everyone is welcome to join! Register for the meeting here. Wednesday, August 12th @ 6:30 PM.
Municipal Action Committee. The Municipal Action Committee will be meeting to work on our next voter guide and work around the city budget. We'd love your help or suggestions for other local projects. Register for the call here. Thursday, August 13th @ 7 PM.
DSA: How We're Fighting! Not sure where to plug in to our organizing? New to DSA? This is our weekly check-in call. We'll get brief updates about campaigns and projects. We'll hear from our coalition partners on what they're working on, and have open discussion about different issues. Register here!Saturday, August 15th @ 2 PM.
Political Education Planning Call. Whether you're new to DSA or have been around for years, one thing's for sure: the learning never stops! Join us to help develop a political education program for the chapter so we can better apply lessons from history and theory to our contemporary lives and organizing work (and vice-versa!). Register for this recurring call here. Sunday, August 16th @ 11 AM.
National DSA Upcoming Events
Workers Organize and Win: Mike Davis, Bianca Cunningham, Rosalyn Pelles, and essential workers! The COVID-19 crisis has not gone anywhere. As states “reopen” and more workers are forced back into risk for corporate profit, workers across the country are joining together to fight and win better protections, higher pay, paid time off and basic dignity. The anti-racist uprisings have made it more clear than ever that it is the multiracial working class that will lead the way during this public health, economic, and political crisis.
Join the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC) as we: hear from Bianca Cunningham, Mike Davis, and Rosalyn Pelles on how we can take the fight for #BlackLivesMatter into the workplace, learn from essential workers about organizing efforts and victories, including winning a $2 pay increase, back pay and paid time off for 250+ Taco Bell workers in Michigan, hear from public service employees from UE how they are fighting for better pay and protections during COVID-19, find out more about EWOC, the exciting partnership between UE and DSA, and how you can support essential workers’ organizing efforts during COVID-19. Register here. Monday, August 10th @ 7 PM CST.
Labor Film Screening: Union Time. The DSA Labor Commission is proud to sponsor this Zoom screening of the film Union Time, which documents the history of the successful 16-year process of organizing the Smithfield pork processing plant in Tar Heel, North Carolina. This plant, with 5,000 workers, is one of the largest food processing facilities in the world, and their victory is one of the largest private sector union victories in a generation. The film deals with some of the major issues of 2020: police repression, Black Lives Matter, immigration, and corporate anti-unionism. The film will be introduced by Smithfield campaign director Gene Bruskin. After the 70-minute film showing, Bruskin will answer questions and discuss the movie. Bruskin is a labor organizer with over 40 years experience who also co-founded US Labor Against the War. Register here. Thursday, August 13th @ 7:30 PM CST.
Housing Justice Commission: Eviction Defense Strategy Call. Unless drastic action is taken by all levels of government, we can expect a tidal wave of evictions throughout the coronavirus “recovery,” with more loss of housing than the 2008-2009 recession. Now more than ever, DSA members and tenants across the country must organize to fight back and defend tenants from displacement. Join the DSA Housing Justice Commission for a strategy conversation with organizers who are building eviction defense networks, connecting tenants with legal support, and using direct action to bolster our demand to #CancelRent and keep people in their homes. Register here.Thursday, August 13th @ 7:30 PM CST.
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Our chapter has implemented the national DSA Harassment Policy. To get in touch with our Harassment and Grievance Officers, you can email [email protected] to ask them questions and inform them of any inappropriate behavior.
