A Vision, an Election, and the Power of Organizing
Calling all TCDSA members to share their voice in deciding what our work looks like over the next year! Come to an all-chapter visioning session and be prepared with your ideas and to roll up your sleeves and get involved or LEAD! We invite all members to sessions on October 29th (In-Person) and October 30th (Virtual) to begin the process of implementing our chapter resolutions and identify the priorities and analysis of our chapter members. The “Democratic” in “Democratic Socialism” isn’t just about voting, but about creating collaborative processes of decision making and political work in the chapter that allows every member to have a voice. The more people we have involved, the stronger our work will be!
We are fast approaching the midterm general elections on November 8th. Members have voted to endorse six candidates on the ballot across the metro, and last week members of Twin Cities DSA, along with YDSA members from University of Minnesota, Macalester, and Metro State gathered to canvass for Mai Chong Xiong. Next Saturday, Nov. 5th, we are asking members to turn out for our last canvass of the season! In Robbinsdale Ward 4, Aaron Wagner won the primary election over incumbent Pat Backen. Victory here will put in a DSA member on the city council in Robbinsdale who will defend reproductive rights, who will work for a rent stabilization initiative, and who believes the working class should have the final say in government. This is an opportunity for Twin Cities DSA to make an impact outside of the “Twin” Cities. Sign up here to canvass for Aaron Wagner on Saturday, Nov. 5th
After announcing two 4-day warning strikes in the Twin Cities and Duluth set to have begun last week, the Teamsters Local 320 have won all of their demands and more in a tentative agreement. The workers will vote on this contract in the next couple weeks. With the strike averted, and with the best contract offer in 50 years, we hear from YDSA about the work done to support the workers.
Also on the blog this week, co-chair Kip H writes on the hostility faced by Starbucks workers as bargaining sessions begin for MN unionized locations. Published elsewhere, David Ackos writes about the recent decision by the St. Paul City Council to eviscerating their city’s rent stabilization measure.
Big events in the next week
- Twin Cities DSA Visioning Sessions
- In Person: Saturday, 10/29, 12:00pm-3:00pm – RSVP Here
- Online: Sunday, 10/30, 2:00pm-4:30pm – Register Here
The outgoing and incoming TCDSA Steering Committees want to invite all chapter members to a visioning discussion about what our work looks like over the next year. We will be holding two sessions, one in person, and one online. This is not a chapter meeting, but rather an opportunity to talk about how we build DSA into a multi-racial, working class, mass socialist organization, how we help build working class power and build toward a socialist world. It will also be a place where you can plug into volunteer opportunities and we can all get to work building a new world.
- In Person: Saturday, 10/29, 12:00pm-3:00pm – RSVP Here
- Twin Cities DSA Bonfire Social – Como Park Fire Pits – RSVP Here
- Saturday, 10/29, 4:00pm – 7:30pm
Join us for an all-member social in Como Park!
- Saturday, 10/29, 4:00pm – 7:30pm
- TIME’S UP: Nurses Are Taking It to the Bank Rally – US Bancorp Center – RSVP Here
- Wednesday, 11/2, 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Do you support nurses and safe staffing? Join MNA nurses, friends, family, and community and union allies for a free speech rally against the corporate greed that has eroded our healthcare system.
- Wednesday, 11/2, 12:00pm – 2:00pm
- Robbinsdale Ward 4 Canvass for Aaron Wagner – Manor Park – Register Here
- Saturday, 11/5, 12pm – 2:30pm
The midterm election is November 8th, and our last canvass of the season is next Saturday! Join our last door-knock to help push all our endorsed candidates to victory and build DSA’s connection across the metro.
- Saturday, 11/5, 12pm – 2:30pm
From the Blog / In the News
Authors’ opinions may not reflect those of Twin Cities DSA.
- YDSA and the Teamsters Fight at the University of Minnesota – Teamsters Local 320 represents 1,500 workers at the University of Minnesota, who authorized a strike for better conditions with 93% member support. With a tentative agreement and the strike called off, our comrades in YDSA write about their work to support the workers, and some take aways from the organizing.
- Starbucks Workers Face Down A Hostile Company – The first bargaining session for 6 Minnesota unionized Starbucks was scheduled for 10/26. Kip H talks about how that went, the hostility faced by workers, and how we all can help.
- St. Paulites agree housing is a human right; city council needs to catch up – Member and organizer David Ackos writes about the recent decision by the St. Paul City Council to side with developers in eviscerating the rent stabilization measure passed by ballot initiative in 2021.
Chapter Branch/Committee/Working Group Meetings and Events
- Street Corps WG: Service Committee – Tuesday, 11/1, 6:00pm-7:00pm – Zoom Registration
- The Service Committee of the Street Corps Working Group is focused on organizing mutual aid and service projects for DSA members to directly engage the community. We will be discussing several proposed projects for this fall and winter.
- The Service Committee of the Street Corps Working Group is focused on organizing mutual aid and service projects for DSA members to directly engage the community. We will be discussing several proposed projects for this fall and winter.
- Internal Organizing Phonebank – Wednesday, 11/2, 6:00pm-7:00pm – Zoom Registration
- Join the Internal Organizing Committee for our bimonthly phonebank to call new TCDSA members.
We 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. A brief training is provided and no prior experience is required. 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 where we will call you, not an event designed for new members.
IO phonebanks are held on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month. For more information about joining this meeting, see the #internal-organizing Slack channel.
- Join the Internal Organizing Committee for our bimonthly phonebank to call new TCDSA members.
- TechOps: Website Content Strategy – Tuesday, 11/3, 12:00pm-12:30pm – Zoom Registration
- Regular check-in regarding website redesign work and making changes to the website.
- Regular check-in regarding website redesign work and making changes to the website.
- Electoral Committee General Meeting – Sunday, 11/6, 2:00pm-3:30pm – Zoom Registration
- The TCDSA Electoral Committee holds a general meeting the first Sunday of every month at 2PM.
- The TCDSA Electoral Committee holds a general meeting the first Sunday of every month at 2PM.
- Street Corp Working Group – Tuesday, 11/8, 6:00pm-7:00pm – Zoom Registration
- The Street Corps Working Group works on addressing issues in the community through mutual aid, community building, and community defense initiatives.
This group meets on the 2nd Tuesday of the month. For further information about joining this meeting, check out the #mutualaid Slack channel.
- The Street Corps Working Group works on addressing issues in the community through mutual aid, community building, and community defense initiatives.
- Internal Organizing Committee – Wednesday, 11/9, 6:30pm-8:00pm – Zoom Registration
- All are welcome to join our monthly meetings of the TCDSA Internal Organizing Committee (IOC).
This 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.
- All are welcome to join our monthly meetings of the TCDSA Internal Organizing Committee (IOC).
- TCDSA Physical Space Search – Wednesday, 11/9, 7:00pm-8:00pm – Zoom Registration
- Join us to begin planning for a TCDSA physical space! Our goals at this meeting:
1 – Create a survey for membership on what they want to use a space for and shape the criteria for searching for a space.
2 – Begin planning for the fundraising the chapter will need to undertake to afford a physical space.
3 – Logistics of searching for potential spaces, including seeking out commercial realtors.
- Join us to begin planning for a TCDSA physical space! Our goals at this meeting:
- Political Education Committee – Thursday, 11/10, 6:00pm-7:30pm – Zoom Registration
- All members are welcome to join the Political Education committee or to attend any of our meetings to discuss the continuation of Socialism 101 and lifting up Pol Ed for new, curious, and established TCDSA members.
This group meets on the 2nd Thursday of the month. For more information, check out the #politicaleducation Slack channel.
- All members are welcome to join the Political Education committee or to attend any of our meetings to discuss the continuation of Socialism 101 and lifting up Pol Ed for new, curious, and established TCDSA members.
- Steering Committee Meeting – Sunday, 11/13, 3:00pm-4:30pm
- Check #steeringcommittee for the zoom link and agenda. If you are a member and need access to slack, sign up at tcdsa.org/slack.
Go to tcdsa.org/events to see everything!
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