| Starbucks and Trader Joe’s workers forming unions locally, nurses and UMN workers demanding better conditions – people are flexing their labor power! And here at the TCDSA Labor Branch, the calendar is teeming with events to advance our struggles in the workplace. Below you’ll find three events for all sorts of comrades — a movie night, a reading group, and a virtual event on logistics worker organizing featuring a member of the Democratic Socialist Labor Commission — as well as some upcoming Twin Cities picket solidarity. In the words of our Labor Branch Co-Chair Kip, “class confrontation is coming.” Some of the richest men in the world are going to be challenged by workers at places like UPS and Amazon to determine how much wealth should go to those who work and how much should go to those who own. As socialists, our answers are generally “one hundred percent” and “zero percent” respectively, but this struggle is playing out incrementally at the moment, and it’s important we put our collective finger on the scale. Logistics — which includes sectors like warehouses, transportation, and shipping — presents particularly fertile grounds for our efforts because it acts as a choke point for many other sectors. If the drivers who deliver products for thousands of businesses are willing to go on strike to protect abortion rights or fight for universal healthcare, we can bring thousands of capitalists to heel with relatively focused organizing efforts. If you’re interested in learning more about how our movement can gain energy through workplace organizing, be sure to turn out to a few of our coming events! |
| Socialists on the Ballot Primary Tuesday was a mixed night for our Twin Cities DSA endorsed candidates. Omar Fateh, Zaynab Mohamed, Mai Chong Xiong, and Athena Hollins all won their primaries and will advance to the general election in November. Sheigh Freeberg’s campaign to unseat a long-time incumbent in SD 65 fell short of the mark and won’t advance further in this cycle. Thank you to everyone who knocked doors, donated, talked to their friends, and participated in our chapter electoral process. We’ll have more chances to strengthen our relationships and accountability with these candidates in the coming months. |
| Big events in the next week |
| Your TCDSA Labor Branch invites you to a movie night! Join us for a classic Labor themed film and discussion with special guests from the local Starbucks Union campaign. Free, but suggested donation to MN SBWU Strike Fund. Facebook event here. |
| • Class Struggle Unionism – Sunday, 8/21, 12:00pm-1:30pm, Zoom Here |
| Class Struggle Unionism is an important tool to help transform the labor movement. It is filled with insights for empowering working people both directly in our workplaces and the wider community. Whether or not you’ve read the book, come join the discussion! Facebook event here. Hosted by TCDSA Education Justice. |
| • DSA and Logistics Worker Organizing – Thursday, 8/25, 6:30pm-8:00pm, Zoom Here. |
| Amazon and UPS workers across the country are fighting to build collective power, and we need YOU to get involved. This year, Amazon workers made history in New York City in a successful vote to unionize a facility with thousands of workers. Meanwhile, UPS Teamsters are gearing up for a contract fight in 2023 that will impact over 340,0000 workers. How can we push this work forward? Why is organizing logistics critical for rebuilding the labor movement? And how can YOU get involved? Join us Thursday, August 25th at 6:30pm Central as DSA Labor addresses these questions in a presentation. If you’re interested in getting involved in organizing logistics and building worker power nationwide, join us! Facebook event here. |
| Informational Pickets |
| • MNA Nurses at Hennepin Healthcare, Monday 8/22, 7:00am-10:30am, 2:00pm-5:30pm, HCMC, 730 S 8th St, Minneapolis |
| The first-ever picket by MNA nurses at Hennepin County Medical Center comes as nurses have raised concerns to Hennepin leadership over retention and under-staffing which have gone unaddressed by hospital executives. Read more here. Show your solidarity on the picket line! |
| • UMN Teamster Workers – Tuesday, 8/30, 2:00pm-5:00pm, Centennial Hall, 614 Delaware St. SE, Minneapolis |
| Join the move-in day informational picket line! The University of Minnesota is paying poverty wages and refusing to negotiate a fair contract with Teamsters. While university administrators have been sitting at home and giving themselves big raises, wages for the essential workers are falling behind. Read more about their demands on the Facebook event. |
| Chapter Branch/Committee Meetings and Events |
| • Religion and Socialism Planning Meeting – Saturday, 8/20, 1:00pm-3:00pm – Minneapolis Central Library, Room N-402, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis |
| All religions, all denominations, spiritual traditions and those not religious but moved by altruism are welcome to this planning meeting for the R&S work group. |
| • Electoral Committee Meeting – Sunday, 8/21, 2:00pm-3:30pm – Zoom Here |
| We will be reflecting on our recent campaigning, considering post primary electoral activities, as well as reviewing the requested endorsements and the timeline to consider them. |
| • Internal Organizing Phonebank – Monday, 8/22, 6:00pm-7:00pm – Zoom Here |
| Join the Internal Organizing Committee for our bimonthly phonebank to call new TCDSA members. We will meet on Zoom to go over the script, mute ourselves and make phone calls to other DSA members, and then return to debrief how our calls went. These phonebanks are a chance to meet newer members to TCDSA, hear what they need from our chapter and what brings them to socialism. All are welcome to join, but new members should note that this is a group calling session, not an event designed for new members. |
| • Tech Ops Meeting – Tuesday, 8/23, 5:00pm-6:00pm – Zoom Here |
| The TechOps committee will be doing a Card Sort to help organize the content on our website so it’s easier to navigate. |
| • People’s Prom Meeting – Tuesday, 8/23, 6:30pm-7:30pm – Zoom Here |
| Join us to help make People’s Prom a reality this Fall! This is only our second planning meeting and we’re hoping to get more people involved to divvy up core planning tasks. |
| • Internal Organizing Committee – Wednesday, 8/24, 6:30pm-8:00pm – Hybrid, Prospect Park and Zoom. Witch’s Hat Water Tower, 55 Malcom Ave SE, Minneapolis |
| This meeting will be in person and on Zoom. Join us in Prospect Park in Minneapolis at the picnic tables below the “witch’s hat” water tower off Seymour Ave SE, or register for the Zoom here. The Internal Organizing Committee works to create the spaces, structures, and resources to initiate and sustain members’ active and healthy participation in chapter work. Through internal organizing, we strive to grow our capacity by developing confident and skilled organizers and leaders who are empowered to turn their resources into collective power to make socialist change. Join the #internal-organizing channel on Slack for more info. New members are always welcome to join! |
| • On the Left Bank Socialist Zine Binding Party – Sunday, 8/28, 3:00pm-4:30pm – Rondo Community Library, 461 Dale St N, St Paul |
| Join us at Rondo Community Library for a sneak peek at Volume 2 of “On the Left Bank: A St. Paul Socialist Lit Mag” the new leftist creative project from St. Paul DSAers.Poets and artists will be there to read their poetry, and this is the first chance to get your hands on a copy of volume 2! |
| Go to tcdsa.org/events to see everything! |
| From the Blog |
| This is the third time we have posted the link in this newsletter – we think Logistics are very important in the struggle for socialism! |
| A quick recap of the most recent TCDSA brake light clinic from one of the organizers. |