Victory in the Democratic primary has transformed what’s possible for socialists in New York City. A 10,500 member-strong NYC-DSA's road to November is paved with opportunities to expand our base and muster the forces needed to implement his agenda.

The post A Million Doors to a Million Votes: NYC-DSA’s Plan for a Mamdani Mandate appeared first on Democratic Left.

by Rochester Grants Pass Resistance

The post Street Outreach to the Unhoused first appeared on Rochester Red Star.

Champion for working class wages, Michael Westgaard has qualified for the 2025 General Election in Renton!

The Renton City primary on August 5th narrowed the pool of candidates to the top two, which will go on to the General Election.

Michael and his Seattle DSA comrades began raise the wage efforts in earnest in 2023 and the initiative won in 2024. However, Renton residents have yet to see these democratically demanded wage increases from $16.28 to $20.29. Michael is determined use his position to defeat the bureaucratic blockade preventing Renton residents from raising the minimum wage.

As with Zev Cook in Tacoma, Michael is facing extreme opposition in his race, in this case with funding coming from Amazon and big real estate. Unsurprisingly, Michael’s General Election opponent has even argued that minimum wage should not be a living wage and disgustingly cast minimum wage workers as “unskilled.” In stark contrast, Michael is channeling the sewer socialism tradition, which Alex Brower successfully campaigned on earlier this year in Milwaukee.

We encourage all DSA members to help out with the Michael Westgaard campaign or send a donation!

Our DSA candidates in Washington state are sending a clear message – whether it happens this November or in a future year, socialist cash will take out the capitalist trash.

Tireless advocate for the Palestinian cause and Co-Founder of Tacoma for All, Zev Cook, has qualified for the 2025 General Election!

Tacoma’s primary election narrowed down the pool of candidates to a total of six, which will go on to the General Election for selecting the three new city council members.

Motivated by her Jewish values of community repair, Zev has worked with various direct aid and non-profit organizations and co-founded Serve the People Tacoma which has provided over 10,000 meals and other supplies for homeless neighbors over two years.

Super PAC money has been flooding into Tacoma to oppose Zev and mislead voters into equating anti-Zionism with antisemitism.

Zev will be facing off with Joe Bushnell this November, who plans to increase policing should he win. These two have previously battled over Zev’s wildly popular efforts to protect renters, Tacoma for All. Despite this fact and Zev’s years of community organizing to protect the most vulnerable of the population, she is facing very difficult odds for the General Election. Fellow Washington state candidate Michael Westgaard is similarly facing steep opposition, in his case from Amazon and real estate interests.

We encourage all DSA members to help out with the Zev Cook campaign or send a donation!

We are thrilled to announce that one of our most recent National DSA endorsees, Denzel McCampbell, just won his August 5th primary!

Denzel has spent more than a decade working on issues such as voting rights, water affordability, and equitable transportation. He also has a keen focus on community violence intervention programs and mental health services.

Denzel is part of a slate of candidates in the Socialist Cash Takes Out Capitalist Trash fundraising project!

Can’t afford to donate at this time? Support Denzel by phonebanking your DSA comrades!

By: Collin P.

All resolution numbers are linked, and links are to the DSA Forum. You must be a DSA member and opt into the forum, which you can do here.

This article will mainly be listing the passed/rejected resolutions. Resolutions either not considered or referred to the NPC are generally not included. A full list of motions and their status from OpenSlides can be found here: Full List. All results are preliminary and need to be reviewed by the Resolutions Subcommittee. All links to resolutions are their original language and not the final amended language with the passed resolutions.

This last weekend, August 8–10, DSA hosted our biennial national convention. Elected delegates from around the country came together in Chicago to debate, to vote, and to decide on the organization’s direction for the next two years.

The convention center was filled with 1300 delegates, many alternates, many observers, and the countless volunteers who spent their own time working to make this convention a success.

Consent Agenda Items

These are the items that were adopted as part of the “consent agenda” — that is, they were accepted all at once without discussion through a single vote of adoption. If an amendment to a resolution was not accepted into the consent agenda but the base resolution was, the amendment was considered null and void. Some amendments were added to the consent agenda while their base resolutions were not and either considered separately or referred to the National Political Committee (NPC).

• CR01: DSA National & Chapter Affiliation Agreement Proposal
• CR04: National Political Education Committee Consensus Resolution
• CR05-A04: Carnation Program Amendment to the National Education Committee Resolution
• CR05-A05: Invest in Cadre Candidates and Political Independence
• CR06: 2025 DSA Housing Justice Commission Consensus Resolution
• CR08: Unified Grievance Policy — AS AMENDED
  - Amendments:
  — CR08-A01: Member Expulsion Policy (formerly CB01–3)
   — CR08-A02: For a Member-Led Grievance Response
   — CR08-A03: Fix the At-Large Loophole in Grievance Policy
   — CR09-A02: Removal of Staffer Requirement

PASSED but base resolution referred to NPC

• CR10-A02: Carnation Program Amendment to the National Labor Commission Resolution
• CR10-A03: Support Federal Worker Organizing
• CR10-A04: Non-Reformist Labor Reforms for Worker Power
• R02: No AI Images!
• R05: Fight Fascism, Build Socialism — AS AMENDED
  - Amendments:
   — R05-A01: Leave Hiring to the NPC
• R09: For Political and Technological Independence: A Path to Exit from Capitalist and Democratic Party Tech
• R13: For a Robust & Centralized National Resource Library
• R18: Seize the Moment! Defeat Corporate Democrats and Elect More Socialists
• R19: From Palestine to Mexico: Fighting Fascist Attacks on Immigrants
• R26: Fight Fascist State Repression & ICE
• R29: Proposal to Launch a Member-Led National Design Committee
• R30: Fighting Back in the Class War: Preparing for May Day 2028
• R30-A01: Tenants & Workers Together in 2028
• R32: Towards a Multilingual DSA / Hacia un DSA Multilingüe
• R36: A Unified Democratic Socialist Strategy for Palestine Solidarity
• R40: Build Worker Power, Defeat Amazon
• R49: Resolution on the Use of X.com
• CB02-A01: Power to the Members: Deliberative Democracy for 1 Member 1 Vote (amendment consented to but base resolution voted down)

Non-Consent Agenda Resolutions:

These are the items that were debated on or had more delegate involvement.

• CR02: International Committee Consensus Resolution — Building an Internationalist Party — UNAMENDED
  Outcome: PASSED
  Yes: 1013 (89.173%)
  No: 123 (10.827%)
  Abstain: 31
  - Amendments:
   — CR02-A02
  Outcome: FAILED
  Yes: 504 (43.486%)
  No: 655 (56.514%)
  Abstain: 50
• CR05: National Electoral Commission Consensus Resolution — AS AMENDED
  Outcome: PASSED
  Yes: 1049 (88.823%)
  No: 132 (11.177%)
  Abstain: 23
  - Amendments:
   — CR05-A02 : One DSA: Toward a Unified Endorsement Process
  Outcome: FAILED
  Yes: 373 (31.962%)
  No: 794 (68.038%)
  Abstain: 25
   — CR05-A03: Towards Deliberative Federal Endorsements
  Outcome: PASSED
  Yes: 655 (55.508%)
  No: 525 (44.492%)
  Abstain: 23
   — CR05-A04: Carnation Program Amendment to the NEC Resolution
  Outcome: PASSED BY CONSENT AGENDA
   — CR05-A05: Invest in Cadre Candidates and Political Independence
  Outcome: PASSED BY CONSENT AGENDA
• CR10: “Building A Worker-Led Labor Movement”- 2025 National Labor Commission — AS AMENDED
  Outcome: PASSED
  Yes: 1049 (88.823%)
  No: 132 (11.177%)
  Abstain: 23
  - Amendments:
   — CR10-A01
  Outcome: FAILED
  Yes: 544 (47.93%)
  No: 591 (52.07%)
  Abstain: 40
   — CR10-A02: Carnation Program Amendment to the NLC Resolution
  Outcome: PASSED BY CONSENT AGENDA
   — CR10-A03: Support Federal Worker Organizing
  Outcome: PASSED BY CONSENT AGENDA
   — CR10-A04: Non-Reformist Labor Reforms for Worker Power
  Outcome: PASSED BY CONSENT AGENDA
• R01: DSA for One Palestinian State
  Outcome: FAILED
  Yes: 330 (30.499%)
  No: 752 (69.501%)
  Abstain: 53
• R06: One Member One Vote For Federal Endorsements
  Outcome: NOT CONSIDERED — RULED OUT OF ORDER BY CHAIR
   — Motions related to resolution:
   — Vote to sustain the ruling of the chair
  Yes:669 (57.179%)
  No: 501 (42.821%)
  Abstain: 30
• R07: Principles for Party-Building
  Outcome: PASSED
  Yes: 641(53.775%)
  No: 551 (46.225%)
  Abstain: 0
• R20: Workers Will Lead the Way: Join with Unions to Run Labor Candidates — AS AMENDED
  Outcome: PASSED
  Yes: 987 (91.729%)
  No: 89 (8.271%)
  Abstain: 27
  -Amendments:
   — R20-A01: Democratic Socialists and the Labor Movement Need Each Other
  Outcome: PASSED
  Yes: 834 (72.585%)
  No: 315 (27.415%)
  Abstain: 20
• R22: For a Fighting Anti-Zionist DSA — UNAMENDED
  Outcome: PASSED
  Yes: 675 (56.297%)
  No: 524 (43.703%)
  Abstain: 30
  - Amendments:
   — R22-A01: Align with the BDS Movement
  Outcome: FAILED
  Yes: 572 (45.397%)
  No: 688 (54.603%)
• R27: Staff Relationship to Members in a Democratic Organization
  Outcome: PASSED
  Yes: 683 (58.029%)
  No: 494 (41.971%)
  Abstain: 37
• R33: Unite Labor & the Left to Run a Socialist For President and Build the Party — UNAMENDED
  Outcome: PASSED
  Yes: 687 (59.326%)
  No: 471 (40.674%)
  Abstain: 36
  - Amendments:
   — R33- A02: Building a United Front Toward 2028 (Formerly R37)
  Outcome: FAILED
  Yes: 540 (46.114%)
  No: 631 (53.886%)
  Abstain: 25
• R34: Workers Deserve More, Forever: For a Coherent and Continuous Program Befitting DSA’s Political Growth — UNAMENDED
  Outcome: PASSED
  Yes: 900 (75.567%)
  No: 291 (24.433%)
  Abstain: 28
  - Amendments:
   — R34-A01: A Fighting Socialist Program for DSA (formerly: R12 & R23)
  Outcome: FAILED
  Yes: 532 (44.97%)
  No: 651 (55.03%)
  Abstain: 30
• R35: For Working-Class Member Leadership
  Outcome: PASSED
  Yes: 651 (56.51%)
  No: 501 (43.49%)
  Abstain: 28
  - Amendments:
   — R35-A01: Stipend the NPC
  Outcome: FAILED
  Yes: 538 (45.593%)
  No: 642 (54.407%)
  Abstain: 20
• R42: Labor for an Arms Embargo — UNAMENDED
  Outcome: PASSED
  Yes: 347 (80.139%)
  No: 86 (19.861%)
  Abstain: 10
  - Amendments:
   — R42-A01: For a Strike-Ready Labor for an Arms Embargo
  Outcome: FAILED
  Yes: 421 (35.348%)
  No: 770 (64.652%)
  Abstain: 35
• R44: Resolution on Staff, Contractors, and Budgeting
  Outcome: FAILED
  Yes: 583 (49.533%)
  No: 594 (50.467%)
  Abstain: 21

Constitution and Bylaws Changes

All constitution or bylaws changes required a vote of ⅔ or more to pass.

• CB01: Democracy Commission Comprehensive Structural Reform Proposal
  Outcome: PASSED
  Yes: 989 (82.007%)
  No: 217 (17.993%)
  Abstain: 13
  - Planks:
   — CB01–1: Archive Policy
   — CB01–2: Abolishing Constitutional Membership
   — CB01–4 Member Input Policy*
   — CB01–5 National Commission Policy*
   — CB01–6 Changes to the NPC Democracy Commission
   — CB01–7 Standards for the NPC Democracy Commission
   — CB01–8 Implementing Chapter Affiliation Agreement
   — CB01–9 Reauthorizing the Democracy Commission
   — CB01–10 Repealing the Ban on Democratic Centralism
• CB02: One Member, One Vote for National Leadership Elections
  Outcome: FAILED
  Yes: 487 (39.82%)
  No: 736 (60.18%)
  Abstain: 11
  - Amendments:
   — CB02-A01: Power to the Members: Deliberative Democracy for 1 Member 1 Vote
  Outcome: PASSED BY CONSENT AGENDA
• CB03: Setting Fee Structures for the Organization’s Print Publications
  Outcome: PASSED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT
• CB04: Fair Representation via STV Delegate Elections
  Outcome: PASSED
  Yes: 711 (63.313%)
  No: 412 (36.687%)
  Abstain: 22

NPC Election Results

There were also elections for our National Political Committee, the highest decision-making body between conventions. This is the body that meets and votes on the whole organization’s policies and is elected by delegates to lead our organization for the next two years.

The NPC consists of two co-chairs, 23 at-large members, and two YDSA Co-chairs.

The number of members was expanded to 25 from 16 seats by the passage of R01, the Democracy Commission recommendations at this year’s convention. The two YDSA Co-chairs were elected at the 2025 YDSA “Over the Barricades!” Convention held in Chicago August 6–7.

Each member has their chapter and their caucus or slate affiliation next to their names.

Our two co-chairs are

• Ashik S.- Wilmington DSA — Groundwork
• Megan R.- At-Large — Red Star

The NPC at-large members for the next two years are -

• Abdullah F.- DSA-LA — Carnation Program
• Ahmed H.- NYC DSA — Springs of Revolution Slate
• Amy W.- Seattle DSA — Marxist Unity Group
• Andrew T.- Denver DSA — Springs of Revolution
• Cara T.- Metro Detroit DSA — Groundwork
• Cerena E.- Houston DSA — Bread and Roses
• Christian A.- Long Island DSA — Socialist Majority Caucus
• Clayton R.- DSA-LA — Socialist Majority Caucus
• Cliff C.- Orlando DSA — Marxist Unity Group
• David J.- NYC DSA — Libertarian Socialist Caucus
• Eleanor B.- NYC DSA — Groundwork
• Ella T.- Seattle DSA — Bread and Roses
• Frances G.- DSA-LA — Groundwork
• Francesca M.- Connecticut DSA — Springs of Revolution Slate
• Hayley B.B — Portland DSA — Bread and Roses
• Hazel W.- San Francisco DSA — Red Star
• Jeremy C.- NYC DSA — Socialist Majority Caucus
• John L.- New Orleans DSA — Red Star
• Kareem E.- NYC DSA — Groundwork
• Katie S.- Ithaca DSA — Socialist Majority Caucus
• Sarah M.- Portland DSA — Reform and Revolution
• Sidney C.W — NYC DSA — Marxist Unity Group
• Luisa M.- Portland DSA — Springs of Revolution Slate

YDSA Co-Chairs elected this week at the YDSA Convention:

• Daniel S-C — Florida International University — Reform and Revolution
• Sara A — Cornell — Independent/No Affiliation

Whether the resolutions you wanted passed or failed, the convention is about camaraderie and building a unified vision for DSA. We have a vision and a direction for the next two years. Let’s try our best to build up the working class. We got a world to win.

What is to be done? What is our future? 2025 DSA National Convention Results was originally published in The Detroit Socialist on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

To err is human, to be a union organizer is to make mistakes. We all do it, so don't sweat it. Here are some tips to try to avoid the next one.

The post Common mistakes new union organizers make — and how to avoid them appeared first on EWOC.

Events & Actions

Tuesday, August 12 (8:15 AM – 4:45 PM) ICE Out of SF Courts! (In person at 100 Montgomery)

Tuesday, August 12 (6:00 PM – 7:30 PM) Ecosocialist Bi-Weekly Meeting (Zoom)

Wednesday, August 13 (6:45 PM – 9:00 PM) August General Meeting (Zoom and in person at Kelly Cullen Community, 220 Golden Gate Ave)

Thursday, August 14 (5:30 PM – 6:30 PM) Education Board Open Meeting (Zoom)

Thursday, August 14 (7:00 PM – 8:00 PM) Immigrant Justice Office Hour (Zoom)

Friday, August 15 (8:15 AM – 4:45 PM) ICE Out of SF Courts! (In person at 100 Montgomery)

Friday, August 15 (7:00 PM – 9:00 PM) Maker Friday: SF Zine Fest Prep (In person at 1916 McAllister)

Saturday, August 16 (6:00 PM – 8:00 PM): Homelessness Working Group Food Service (In person at Castro & Market)

Sunday, August 17 (1:30 PM – 5:00 PM) Tenant Organizing Canvass (Meet in person at In Chan Kaajal Park)

Sunday, August 17 (5:00 PM – 7:00 PM) Capital Reading Group (In person at 1916 McAllister)

Monday, August 18 (6:00 PM – 7:00 PM) Socialist In Office (SIO) Subcommittee Regular Meeting (Zoom)

Monday, August 18 (6:30 PM – 8:00 PM) Homelessness Working Group Regular Meeting (In person at 1916 McAllister)

Monday, August 18 (7:00 PM – 8:00 PM) Labor Board Meeting (Zoom)

Tuesday, August 19 (6:00 PM – 8:00 PM) DSA SF Tech Reading Group feat. Author Mike Monteiro (Zoom and in person at 1916 McAllister)

Wednesday, August 20 (6:00 PM – 7:30 PM) What Is DSA? (In person at 1916 McAllister)

Friday, August 22 (6:30 PM to 8:00 PM) Book Talk with Jaz Brisack: Get On the Job and Organize (In person at 1916 McAllister)

Saturday, August 23 (2:00 PM to 4:30 PM) Palestine Healing Circle (In person at 1916 McAllister)

Check out https://dsasf.org/events for more events and updates. Events with a are especially new-member-friendly!

ICE Out of SF Courts!

Join neighbors, activists, grassroots organizations in resisting ICE abductions happening at immigration court hearings! ICE is taking anyone indiscriminately in order to meet their daily quotas. Many of those taken include people with no removal proceedings.

We’ll be meeting every Tuesday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30  p.m. at Immigration Court at 100 Montgomery. We need all hands on deck, even if you can only participate for 1 or 2 hours.

Join East Bay DSA and Social Security Workers United to Rally for Social Security’s 90th Birthday

The recent attacks from the Trump administration and DOGE on Social Security workers and the services they provide have made our jobs more difficult and have degraded service for the millions of Americans who rely on Social Security. But we’re ready to fight back. That’s why on August 14, Social Security’s 90th birthday, we are taking action to keep #SocialSecurityStrong.

Join us as we demand Social Security Administrator Frank Bisignano:

• Fully staff the Social Security Administration to reduce wait times and ensure high quality service delivered by professionals, not machines.
• Protect the private information that millions of Americans have entrusted to the Social Security Administration.
• Make the rich pay their fair share so that we can expand Social Security and keep it strong for the next 90 years.

Maker Friday: Zine Edition

DSA SF will be tabling at SF Zine Fest at the end of the month! Help us fold and update zines, or bring your own craft and come hang out. Everyone is welcome!

No Appetite for Apartheid Canvass

No Appetite for Apartheid is a campaign aimed at reducing economic support for Israeli apartheid by canvassing local businesses to boycott Israeli goods. Come and canvass local businesses with the Palestine Solidarity and Anti-Imperialist Working Group!

On Saturday, August 16th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., we will be doing a training on how to talk to stores in your neighborhood, then going out and talking with stores together! Meet at 1916 McAllister.

Calling Out Capitalism: An Op-Ed Writing Workshop

San Francisco needs good stories about capitalism’s failures. Why not yours?

In this workshop, you’ll learn how to write effective op-eds, find an audience for your story, and reframe the narratives media outlets miss. Join us on Sunday, August 17 from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM at 1916 McAllister. You can RSVP by clicking the image above or visiting this link.

Tech Worker Reading Group: The Case for Community with Mike Monteiro

Come join TWC, DSA SF, BAL4P, and RDU tech workers at 1916 McAllister on Tuesday, August 19th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM for our monthly tech reading group. We’ll be reading a chapter from Ruined by Design by Mike Monteiro, “The Case for Community.” 

Palestine Healing Circle

Join us Saturday, August 23rd from 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM at 1916 McAllister for the Palestine Healing Circle. The event will begin with a healing circle and end with a community potluck. Join us as we take a moment to process and collectively hold the grief of the devastation in Palestine

Sunday Sip ‘n’ Stitch

Calling all artists for Sip N Stitch! Bring a craft while casually enjoying some drinks with comrades on Sunday, August 24th from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Rise & Grind Coffeehouse at 2598 Folsom St. All are welcome!

Labor & Homelessness Working Group Food Serve and Rideshare Driver Political Education Event

Join Labor and the Homelessness Working Group for a food serve and political education event at Bayside Park near Burlingame on Tuesday, August 26th from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM. We need volunteers to help Homelessness Working Group with food prep and also helping with political education and serving! Pop into the #labor channel on Slack if you’re interested.

People’s Conference for Palestine

We’re excited to announce that our chapter is sending a five-person delegation to join thousands of organizers, artists, students, and community members from across North America at the People’s Conference for Palestine, taking place August 29th through 31st, 2025, in Detroit, Michigan.

With the guiding theme “Gaza is the compass,” the conference aims to deepen our collective strategy, convene us at a critical juncture, and strengthen the mass movement for Palestinian liberation in North America. Attendees will engage in plenaries, workshops, cultural events, and organizing sessions that reflect the urgency of this moment.

Our organization is proud to endorse the conference and is actively mobilizing our members to attend. We see this as a critical opportunity to connect with others in the movement, share strategies, and reaffirm our commitment to justice for Palestine.

Although we’ve voted on our official delegation, you’re still able to attend if you’d like and join up with other Bay Area organizers!

For more information and to register, visit the official conference website at peoplesconferenceforpalestine.org

Can’t make it? Consider donating to support the cost of the Conference.

Help spread the word by liking and sharing the following posts:

Call for Endorsers: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJAE5LJgJFl/

Twitter: https://x.com/palyouthmvmt/status/1910362321794236544

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DIeUmF6gBQr/?img_index=1 

DSA SF Homelessness Working Group Reads: Capitalism & Disability: Selected Writings by Marta Russell

Join DSA SF’s Homelessness Working Group as we read through Capitalism & Disability: Selected Writings by Marta Russell. We’ll be meeting at 1916 McAllister starting September 7th at 5:30pm and running every other week for 4 or 5 sessions. For more info, register here: bit.ly/martacd

Behind the Scenes

The Chapter Coordination Committee (CCC) regularly rotates duties among chapter members. This allows us to train new members in key duties that help keep the chapter running like organizing chapter meetings, keeping records updated, office cleanup, updating the DSA SF website and publishing the weekly newsletter. Members can view current CCC rotations.

Interested in helping with the newsletter or other day-to-day tasks that keep the chapter running? Fill out the CCC help form.

Nearly one in six workers is an independent contractor. Learn how you can organize for better conditions.

The post Can freelancers unionize? appeared first on EWOC.

By: Ian McClure

Call to Action: Another “Climb with the Union” event is scheduled for Saturday, 16 August at 2 p.m. Supporters are encouraged to wear union paraphernalia and tell the front desk why they came! DYNO Gym is located at 3500 Orleans St. in Detroit, MI.

Rock climbing is a lot like organizing; it relies on trust, collaboration, and communication. That’s why it’s no wonder that around 30 workers at Detroit’s DYNO Climbing Gym formed a union this July, with a supermajority signing union cards and marching on the boss! After losing their paid breaks and seeing popular coworkers fired, they formed DYNO Detroit Climbing Workers United (D2CWU) and organized with Workers United Chicago and Midwest Joint Board, joining a nationwide movement of organizing climbers.

Two weeks after announcing their intention to unionize, the workers hosted a solidarity climbing night, inviting climbers and labor allies to show up in public support of their effort. Over 50 turned up on a Thursday evening to climb union-themed routes and show their support. While supporters climbed Solidarity Forever (V2) and Union Strong (V4), workers who weren’t on shift circulated the room in matching Workers United t-shirts, handing out buttons, and sharing in the solidarity.

“It feels amazing to see how much community support there is, and to come in and feel like I’m only able to walk five steps before someone’s stopping me to say how stoked they are to support us. I’m really excited to keep going and to make this a better place for us and for everyone who climbs here” said Sky, a D2CWU member and organizer. When workers got on the intercom and invited supporters to take a photo at the front of the gym, cheers and celebrations followed.

It’s clear that for DYNO workers that the gym is more than just a job, and that organizing is a way for them to protect the community that they’ve built there. As Sky put it, “It’s a meeting place, a gathering place, everyone here has a shared interest. […] This is a great place for people to meet new people and work out things that are in their body that need to come out the way that sports do, while also providing a social space to do that.”

They are acutely aware that the conditions of their work directly impact the state of the gym and its members, and so, for Sky, unionizing isn’t just about pay and benefits, but also about protecting that community. “We can foster a better space that gives people a better feeling. The energy in here is going to be better. We already have an amazing energy here; that’s why I applied to work here!”

DYNO is not the first gym to unionize, with over 800 climbers in NYC, LA, Philadelphia, Chicago, Vermont, and Virginia already organized with Workers United. As climbing continues to grow as a sport, so too will the movement of workers organizing at climbing gyms.

When Sky was asked for advice to other climbers thinking about a union, they said “Oh my god, reach out to us if you have any questions or want any help in navigating the process! Do it. We’re stronger together. If workers have input on how things are run, then they will be run better, because we know what we’re doing.”

The quoted interview in this story was conducted by Frances Reade.

Detroit’s DYNO Gym Climbs into the Labor Movement was originally published in The Detroit Socialist on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.