It is with great pleasure that we are lucky enough to amplify the following statement from the Save Your NOLA Library Coalition:

"Thank you to the citizens of New Orleans for voting NO on Proposition #2! Now’s the time to get a better deal for BOTH NOPL and Early Childhood Education!

New Orleans voters saved our public library system Saturday by overwhelmingly rejecting Proposition #2. In coming together to vote NO on Proposition #2, voters made clear that maintaining a healthy and well-funding public library system is a community priority.

The proposed millage readjustment would have cut 40% of the New Orleans Public Library (NOPL) budget for the next 20 years, resulting in cuts in services, lost jobs, and branches closing. By voting prop #2 down, voters have ensured that our libraries will continue to offer the community a huge array of essential services, ranging from one-on-one computer help to health services, high school diploma programs to notary services. Voters preserved the NOPL’s ability to carry out its mission statement — “Transforming Lives, Enriching Neighborhoods, and Preserving History.”

The Save Your NOLA Library Coalition is proud to have led this fight. Our coalition composed of a diverse array of librarians, workers, parents, teachers, and concerned citizens, as well as groups including: AFSCME Council 17, Black to the Table, CompostNOW, Democratic Socialists of America New Orleans, Emergency Legal Responders, Erase the Board Coalition, Friends of the New Orleans Public Library, Greater New Orleans Archivists, Greater New Orleans AFL-CIO, IATSE Local 478, Imagine Water Works, Jewish Voice for Peace NOLA, Louisiana AFL-CIO, New Orleans Mutual Aid Society, NO Waste NOLA, National Organization of Minority Architects Louisiana, New Orleans City Workers Organizing Committee (NOCWOC), NOLA to Angola, Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition, Rethink, Solidarity Tulane, Southern Solidarity, Sunrise NOLA, TAL NOLA, United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 1846, United Federation of College Teachers, United Teachers of New Orleans, UniteHERE Local 23, and VAYLA New Orleans. We won because our networks run NOLA deep.

Now that Proposition #2 has failed, the library’s existing funding remains in place through 2021, giving us over a year to fight for a better millage for both our libraries and early childhood education. Here are the next steps:

Get a true library millage renewal on the ballot - one that fully funds the library.

Fight for robust dedicated funding for Early Childhood Education.

Resist austerity measures that impoverish our city, such as the ongoing furloughs of City Workers, the hiring freezes, and budget cuts across all City Departments.

Urge the City to collect corporate and industrial taxes that can equitably fund our city. 

Amplify the campaign of City Workers to protect robust public services and public sector jobs.

Advocate for a People’s Budget that prioritizes what voters want and brings further transparency and voter input into the budgetary process.

Fund our libraries. Fund education. Thank you for voting NO on Proposition #2."

As we take this moment to celebrate our collective victory and give thanks to everyone who helped make this happen, we remain focused with our eyes on the future. This Thursday, labor committee is hosting a “Red Square” labor discussion event! Join us on December 10th, to help us shape the next steps for labor organizing in our chapter!

WHO: Worker Power Louisiana (this labor committee!) + DSA New Orleans general membership!

WHAT: a discussion-based brainstorm event to talk about labor strategy in New Orleans, what our labor committee in DSA New Orleans can bring to the chapter, creating goals and possibilities for educational and solidarity work together! :brain::rose:

WHEN: Thursday, December 10th, 6:30-8:30pm on Zoom! Register at the LINK HERE.

This discussion will focus on the local labor movement, our role in it as workers & members of DSA, and DSA National’s stance on different labor strategies. What labor strategy/(ies) do we think our chapter should focus on? What should a labor committee bring to our larger picture organizing work? How can we empower members & non members alike to organize in their workplaces? What tools, education, training would be helpful? Our intention is to start fostering a space for rich discussion and we want to hear from everyone! Even if you’ve never been involved in the labor committee before, we want your ideas and perspectives, too!

These are some big questions and we’re not going to have all the answers at the end, we plan on creating a recurring discussion space to continue to explore these topics together. To help folks feel more prepared for this conversation, here’s a suggested read/watch list: https://bit.ly/RedSquareReads. 

Lastly, considering our resent boost in membership, we want to check in to make sure that our General Meeting time is accessible. If you have input, you can fill out this form.

Solidarity,

DSA New Orleans Local Council

P.S. New to DSA? Check out our chapter's new member resources here. You can also always email [email protected] with questions about how to get involved or about the work our chapter is doing. 

P.P.S. Not yet a member? The most important tool that the working class has is organization. We're strong when we fight together. We have to build a durable, mass political organization to wield the kind of power we need to win real change in our society. If you aren't a dues-paying member of DSA yet, join here!