After Friday’s midnight deadline, the United Auto Workers went on strike against the Big 3 automakers of Ford, GM, and Stellantis, marking the first time in history the UAW has gone on strike against all three auto companies. As of this recording, 12,700 auto workers have walked off the job at three plants: a Ford plant in Wayne, Michigan, a GM plant in Wentzville, Missouri, and a Stellantis plant in Toledo, Ohio, and there are potentially many more plants to follow. While here in New York City, postdoctoral workers with the UAW at Columbia University and Mt. Sinai Hospital are fighting to transform the working conditions for postdocs in Higher Ed. Tonight, we are joined in-studio with Brandon Mancilla, Director of UAW Region 9A, and Chris Voila, an auto worker and UAW member, to hear the latest about this historic auto strike. We will also hear from PJ and Andrea, postdocs with the Columbia Postdoctoral Workers Union and Sinai Postdoctoral Organizing Committee, on their respective contract fights and how postdoc workers are ready, if necessary, to strike. 

 

Follow SPOC-UAW at @spocuaw (Twitter) and https://sinaipostdocunion.org/

And CPW-UAW at @CPWUAW (Twitter), cpw_uaw (IG), and https://columbiapostdocunion.org/

The strike has begun, DSA is in full solidarity mode, and even members in smaller chapters with no picketing nearby should take the Strike Ready Pledge. Duluth has no UAW plants, but we have heard that many of the auto mechanics at the dealers are members of the UAW. Stay tuned for actions, and meanwhile, take the pledge.

Socialists are taking on Tacoma City Hall and winning. My four guests today are all good friends and fellow leaders of Tacoma DSA. We're in the midst of a major ballot initiative campaign to win the strongest tenant protections in Washington state, and on the cusp of winning DSA’s first seat on Tacoma City Council for Jamika Scott, a deeply-rooted Black leader and democratic socialist.

In this episode, we tell the story of how Tacoma City Council, on behalf of the landlord lobby, tried to defeat our Tenant Bill of Rights with a watered-down, competing ballot measure – and how we took them to court and won, getting their deceptive measure removed from the November ballot.

We discuss the labor movement’s strong support for our Initiative #1, the debate in labor around Jamika's campaign, and how these fights are positioning DSA to help transform Tacoma city politics in the years ahead.

Find out more about Initiative #1, the Tenant Bill of Rights, at Tacoma4All.org, and follow our campaign on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @Tacoma4All

Tacoma DSA endorsed candidate Jamika Scott’s website is jamikafortacoma.com

Check out The Stranger's article, “Tacoma is the Revolution,” which we reference in this episode.

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This podcast is only possible due to the generous monthly contributions of Seattle DSA members and supporters who pay my part-time salary as the chapter’s Communications Organizer. To sustain this podcast, and our wider communications work, please become a monthly contributor at seattledsa.org/podcast

Thanks to Jason Cory for editing this episode!

Join us for a free film screening of American Hospitals—Healing a Broken System Thursday, September 21st at 7pm! The film will be followed by a panel discussion led by Dr. Mary Owen.

One of the most striking examples of health disparities in the United States is the unequal distribution of healthcare resources. Health disparities refer to the differences in health outcomes among different groups of people, often based on factors such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geographic location.

This film illustrates how corporations have transformed American hospitals into profit maximizers instead of serving to improve the health of the community. American Hospitals will provide valuable insights into this critical issue - and, you will also have the opportunity to connect with others who share your passion for improving access to healthcare for all!

Mark your calendars and join us for an inspiring evening of film and discussion!

In this episode, we interview activist Chuck Collins on his new novel, "Altar to an Erupting Sun." His book addresses the work of activism, the value of community, and the question of what tactics are on the table as we face the destruction of the planet. Find his book and more resources at chuckcollinswrites.com. Don't forget to join us for theologybeer.camp on October 19–21st. Use promo code HEARTGODPOD for a discounted ticket and to support this podcast. Hope to see you there!

Cindy is 65 years old, disabled, and lives on the third floor of a Siegel Suites apartment complex with a broken elevator. Due to her disability, the broken elevator makes it impossible for her to bring groceries up to her apartment or do laundry without help. Her rent of $1800+ per month makes it difficult for her to save up and find a new place to live. Siegel Suites preys on their tenants, trapping them with high rents while ignoring basic repairs and maintenance.

We’re collecting stories from tenants about their living situations and predatory landlords. Have a story you’d like to share? Fill out our tenant incident report form.

Want to get involved in our housing justice work? Join us for our next meeting September 12th @ 6pm.

Join us for our monthly meeting and coffee hour! Non-members, both socialist and socialist-curious are encouraged to attend. Our first hour is dedicated to chapter business, with committee reports, updates, announcements, and other chapter news. Then at 5 pm we break for a more free flowing discussion or presentation.

This month, a representative from LEAN (Law Enforcement Accountability Network) will discuss an important case concerning racial justice in our city. Coffee and treats served!

This was an exhausting weekend. Super hot too. But we made tons of new community connections at the all day Saturday Pride Festival, and our button making station was a big hit. We had a good playlist that we blasted from our PA during the Sunday Pride Parade, and for Labor Day we narrowed it down to three solid labor songs.

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Sarah demonstrates our button making station. People could choose from our designs, or they could draw one of their own (popular with kids).

The good folks at Worx have put together a beginner swag shop for us. Worx is a union cooperative, and they offer print-on-demand custom branded swag, union printed with a bug. A beginner store is 3 items. We went for the t-shirt in both regular and femme cut, and the hoodie. They threw in a tote bag as well. Additional items will include a set-up fee, but the hosting is free. We make no profit from the swag, so it all goes to the workers. Click on the image to see the store.