From East Bay DSA <[email protected]>
Subject Newsletter: What's fair and how to fight for it
Date February 25, 2021 7:02 PM
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Some people say you fight fire best with fire, but we say you put fire out best with water. We say you don't fight racism with racism; we're gonna fight racism with solidarity. We say you don't fight capitalism with no black capitalism; you fight capitalism with socialism.



-- Fred Hampton



Comrades,



Throughout the pandemic, we've worried about workplace safety, which many employers neglected in the interest of profit. When it came to remote work, we discussed work-life balance and the changing expectations of on-call and work hours. We've been reminded of the precarity of all these jobs in a serious downturn, and the precarity of any health insurance that’s tied to employment.



With so much in freefall, we've rationalized many losses and inevitably lowered our expectations, even of basic fairness. But we haven't forgotten what's fair, or how to fight for it:



"People are just tired of just paying their bills and just barely making it to the next week, when you’re working in a facility that’s owned by the richest man in the world," said Michael Foster ([link removed]) , an Alabama poultry worker and organizer with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). He's talking about outgoing Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world, and Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer, AL, who are in the middle of a historic union drive.



It's not just the high profiles of Amazon and its founder that matter here, nor the strategic importance of the Amazon warehouse to the 21st century labor movement. (With all of the company’s modern tools of control and alienation, "We're treated like robots," said Jennifer Bates, a worker who has become one of the faces of the campaign). It’s also about the overwhelmingly Black and female workforce in Bessemer.



"We were nervous at first," Bates said. "But understanding now how it will change history... this will be one of the first Amazon facilities that people remember from this day forward. And then it’s Black history."



If you're ready to fight on the labor front, there's a lot for you: the monthly meeting ([link removed]) of our own EBDSA Labor Committee ([link removed]) , a discussion of labor and the Green New Deal ([link removed]) with EWOC, and the screening next Sunday of Workers' Republic ([link removed]) . We're also phonebanking for COVID relief in Navajo nation ([link removed]) and holding another round of Virtual Mask Builds ([link removed]) to keep people safe in our local community. Join us and fight for fairness!



Solidarity!



News and Information

Be sure to check out East Bay Majority ([link removed]) , East Bay DSA's news source with a socialist perspective, for the latest news and information.

Featured Events

While we are still unable to meet face-to-face, events are still going on that you can be a part of. RSVP below to stay updated. You can also keep track on our Events page ([link removed]) .





** (NATIONAL DSA) QUIENES SOMOS Y QUÉ QUEREMOS LOS SOCIALISTAS DEMOCRÁTICOS

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Tonight! February 25 | 5–6:30 p.m.

Online via Zoom – RSVP for info ([link removed]) ♿

El Grupo de Trabajo por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes de DSA los invita a un seminario web en español: “Quienes somos y qué queremos los Socialistas Democráticos.”



Escuche a algunos de nuestros miembros sobre su trabajo en DSA y en sus comunidades.



Join the Immigrants' Rights Working Group of Democratic Socialists of America for a Spanish webinar: “Quienes somos y qué queremos los Socialistas Democráticos.”



Hear from some of our members about their work in DSA and their communities.



RSVP ([link removed])





** (EWOC) VIDEO PREMIERE: UNION ORGANIZER REACTS TO “NURSE JACKIE” WALKOUT

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Tonight! February 25 | 5–7 p.m.

Online via Zoom – RSVP for info ([link removed]) ♿️

Join us for the premiere of the Emergency Worker Organizing Committee (EWOC)'s first YouTube video: Union Organizer Reacts! Our own Tristan Bock-Hughes, former organizer with the Illinois Nurses Association, watches and reviews an episode of "Nurse Jackie'' where the nurses stage a walkout to stop their hospital from closing. Is it a realistic model of labor power, or just TV fantasy? Watch to find out!



RSVP ([link removed])





** LABOR COMMITTEE MEETING

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Sunday, February 28 | 6–8 p.m.

Online via Zoom – RSVP for info ([link removed]) ♿

Please join the East Bay DSA Labor Committee for our regular monthly meeting. It's open to all DSA members who are interested in getting involved in labor work with their comrades! Learn more about how to get involved in the committee, our ongoing projects, and upcoming solidarity actions! If you'd like to submit an item for the agenda, please email [email protected].



RSVP ([link removed])





** (EWOC) WORKERS & THE GREEN NEW DEAL TODAY: A CONVERSATION WITH NAOMI KLEIN, KEON LIBERATO, AND KATE ARONOFF

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Monday, March 1 | 5–7 p.m.

Online via Zoom – RSVP for info ([link removed]) ♿

Are you organizing for green jobs? Have you talked with your coworkers about climate change? Are you a union member, or are looking for a community with which to strategize about organizing for climate justice? Join us Monday, March 1 at 5 p.m. for Emergency Worker Organizing Committee (EWOC)'s event, "Workers & the Green New Deal Today," as we discuss organizing around climate-friendly work, building a movement to defeat the interests of oil and gas, and winning a just transition for all workers.



Featured speakers:

* Kate Aronoff, co-author of A Planet to Win: Why We Need a Green New Deal ([link removed])

* Keon Liberato, President of Teamsters Local 3012 and member of Philadelphia DSA

* Naomi Klein, author and filmmaker



RSVP ([link removed])





** CLASSROOM JUSTICE MEETING

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Monday, March 1 | 7–9 p.m.

Online via Zoom – RSVP for info ([link removed]) ♿

Join the Classroom Justice Campaign! Classroom Justice is a locally-run campaign that seeks to fight against the injustices happening in our public school system by a cabal of privatizers, whose sole purpose is the dismantling of every public service in this country. If you want to join in the fight against these gentrifiers or merely have questions, sign up or send your inquiries to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .



[link removed]



RSVP ([link removed])





** GREEN NEW DEAL FOR TRANSIT MEETING

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Monday, March 1 | 7–9 p.m.

Online via Zoom – RSVP for info ([link removed]) ♿

Join us to win power for:

* Free Public Transit

* Greatly expanded service, accessibility, and schedule

* Protection of union workers and expansion of union jobs Social equity to overcome transportation discrimination

* Conversion of Public Transit to Zero Emissions vehicles



RSVP ([link removed])





** INTRO TO DSA

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Wednesday, March 3 | 6:30–8:30 p.m.

Online via Zoom ([link removed]) ♿️

The membership of DSA, the largest socialist organization in the United States, is rapidly growing by the thousands. Democratic Socialist politicians like Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, and Cori Bush are raising the expectations of millions of people across the United States and bringing them into a political awakening. Millions of working-class Americans are calling for Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, universal rent control, and more.



But what is democratic socialism? What does it mean to be a member of DSA? How do socialists look at the crises of police brutality, economic precarity, and COVID-19? And what is the best course of action during the Biden administration?



Let's get into it! Join us to discuss what our political moment calls for, meet new people, and get plugged into our fight for democratic control of the things that we need for all of us to live a dignified life.



Join on Zoom ([link removed])



RSVP ([link removed])





** TENANTS FIGHT BACK! TENANT ORGANIZING PANEL AND DISCUSSION

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Thursday, March 4 | 6–7:30 p.m.

Online via Zoom – RSVP for info ([link removed]) ♿

Save the date for the second Socialist Housing Organizing Project (SHOP) panel and discussion. SHOP is a project of the East Bay DSA Social Housing Committee to improve our tenant organizing skills by studying housing from a socialist perspective, learn from the history of housing struggles, and work together to organize tenants and win housing for all.



RSVP at the link below and watch the page for more details.



RSVP ([link removed])





** PHONEBANKING FOR COVID RELIEF IN NAVAJO NATION

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Sunday, March 7 | 2–5 p.m.

Online – RSVP for info ([link removed]) ♿️

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated Navajo Nation, and the destructive legacies of settler colonialism and extractive capitalism have pushed the death toll far above that of the rest of the country.



Join us and other DSA chapters for this discussion and phone banking event to raise funds toward existing grassroots mutual aid relief networks in Navajo Nation.



Though this is a temporary campaign for an acute crisis, we see this as a first step in adding material substance to DSA's 2019 endorsement of the Red Deal (The Red Nation's radical call for a people's movement that is anti-capitalist, anti-colonial, anti-imperialist and anti-extractive).



We'll begin the phonebank with a discussion of the situation in the Navajo Nation, and a brief discussion about how socialists can engage in meaningful indigenous solidarity work and decolonization to help build a mass people’s movement for liberation.



RSVP ([link removed])





** MOVIE SERIES: "WHO IS THE INTERNATIONAL WORKING CLASS TODAY?"

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Sunday, March 7 | 6–8 p.m.

Online via Zoom – RSVP for screening link and info ([link removed]) ♿

There are many discussions today about the nature of the working class and their capacity to fight for their own interests. Usually, we look at history to learn about the workers' movement, but what potential exists in the modern international working class? What does a modern workers’ struggle really look like? What recent examples are there of workers organizing against the conditions they face and exerting their power? Join us in this movie series as we explore these questions by looking at workers' struggles that happened in our lifetime.



Workers' Republic

For six days in December of 2008 during the financial collapse, laid-off Chicago factory workers took over their closing workplace, declaring they would not leave until the owners and creditors agreed to pay them the severance they were promised. Republic's credit line had been cut off by Bank of America, despite receiving billions of dollars in federal bank bailout money. Succeed or fail, these 260 workers decided, "If I don't fight, I know I'll lose. If I do fight, at least I stand a chance of winning." Workers' Republic shows how everyday people may be the most qualified to forge a better world. And in the struggle to save their jobs, they were a beacon of hope and optimism for others to look to.



This is a series with screenings every two weeks. Please join us at 6 p.m. for a brief presentation and to watch via shared screen, and look for Zoom and movie link upon RSVP if you prefer to watch on your own. Discussion will start at 7 p.m.



RSVP ([link removed])





** (NATIONAL DSA) SOCIALIST SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS WITH HADAS THIER

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Tuesday, March 9 | 5:30–7:30 p.m.

Online via Zoom RSVP for info ([link removed]) ♿

Since the Great Recession, more and more working people have realized that the capitalist economy doesn't work for them, but mainstream economics makes it hard for most of us to understand exactly why. Join author Hadas Thier, author of A People's Guide to Capitalism, and the National Political Education Committee for the Socialist School of Economics.



This call will cover the basics of Marx’s analysis of the economy — including the labor theory of value, the profit motive, and competition. Why do mainstream politicians tell us we can't raise the minimum wage? And why do socialists know that workers can and should earn more — and run society? You'll leave this call with a new understanding of how to interpret the chaotic capitalist world around you.



RSVP ([link removed])





** VIRTUAL MASK BUILD

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Tuesday, March 9 | 7–9 p.m.

Online – register here in advance to receive materials and info ([link removed]) ♿

Join the Green New Deal committee for a virtual mask assembly party! The COVID-19 pandemic is intensifying with hundreds of thousands of deaths likely over the coming months, and the U.S. continues to experience PPE shortages, especially of high-grade face masks. The failures of the capitalist system are devastatingly clear. But with mutual aid, we can take the safety and wellbeing of our community into our own hands, while developing relationships across the East Bay and building our own organizational power.



We will be assembling hundreds of no-sew, submicron "N85" masks for distribution with community partners. All we need is your help!



This is a great event for new members to attend. Training and materials are delivered to your door (!), no experience necessary. During the build, we'll hang out on a online call together to talk about mutual aid, socialism, and whatever else you'd like to!



Please RSVP at the link below several days before the build so we provide materials via a touchless kit drop-off at your door! We request that attendees commit to both the March 9 and March 16 mask builds.



RSVP ([link removed])

Upcoming Events





** GREEN NEW DEAL COMMITTEE MONTHLY MEETING (VIRTUAL)

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Wednesday, March 10 | 6:45–8:45 p.m.

Online via Zoom – RSVP for info ([link removed]) ♿

Our Green New Deal Committee meets on the second Wednesday each month. We will discuss eco-socialist issues, upcoming events and actions, committee priorities, and campaigns. All are welcome! Please RSVP or email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) to receive a link to the meeting.



RSVP ([link removed])

Catch up on Socialist Night School

CATCH UP ON NIGHT SCHOOL

With social distancing guidelines still in place, now's as good a time as any to catch up on our Socialist Night School.



Catch up on past night school readings and videos below.



Watch past Night School videos ([link removed])



Catch up on Night School readings ([link removed])





Not a Member Yet? Let's Fix That.

DSA now has 90,000 members nationally, and we're still growing. There's never been a better time to get involved than right now! Join our national organization by clicking below and become an official socialist organizer.



Join DSA ([link removed])



Caucus Corner

Our caucuses organize events too! Check out the Caucus Corner of our website ([link removed]) to learn more about the activities of East Bay DSA caucuses and how to participate.





Announcements





MEET WITH A MOBILIZER!

Are you a new DSA member? Or are you looking to get more involved with East Bay DSA's projects and campaigns? Sign up to talk to a mobilizer!



Here are three reasons to sign up to talk to a mobilizer:

1. Meet a fellow socialist organizer

We want to build a movement of millions of working class people and change the exploitative and oppressive system in which we live, but we do that first and foremost by building one-to-one connections with each other.



2. Answer your questions

Learn more about DSA, the local East Bay chapter, and our different committees and projects.



3. Get more involved

The main thing a mobilizer will help you with is getting more involved in DSA. Maybe there’s a campaign or project you’re particularly interested in, or maybe you’re a blank slate and you don’t really know what to do. Either way, a mobilizer will help you figure it out.



Sign up to talk to a mobilizer! ([link removed])





The emancipation of society from private property, etc., from servitude, is expressed in the political form of the emancipation of the workers; not that their emancipation alone is at stake, but because the emancipation of the workers contains universal human emancipation – and it contains this because the whole of human servitude is involved in the relation of the worker to production, and all relations of servitude are but modifications and consequences of this relation.



-- Karl Marx



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