Contact: info@columbusdsa.org

COLUMBUS – The Columbus chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America released the following statement regarding DSA’s ongoing layoffs:

As part of DSA’s ongoing budget process, the National Political Committee (“NPC”), our political leadership, has sought to lay off seven unionized staff members. Through successful fundraising, non-staff cuts, and seven voluntary resignations, DSA was able to exceed its financial goals for this year before laying off a single staff member. Yet, the NPC insists it will not negotiate with the DSA Union or adjust the number of layoffs to our new circumstances. This is a damaging maximalist posture from our leadership and, simply, an economically unnecessary number of staff to eliminate.

Last year’s successful abortion rights campaign in Ohio depended on DSA’s Electoral Campaigns Organizer and Org Tools Coordinator and could not have happened without the support of these staff members. The NPC’s plan to fire them along with five other union members is immensely short-sighted and would seriously harm our basic organizing capacities. As DSA chapters around the country seize a historic political moment with ambitious organizing projects for reproductive rights, Palestinian liberation, and more, it is a mistake to eliminate the staff who play a key role in getting these efforts off the ground and scaling up our organizing.

During this process the NPC has engaged in bad-faith negotiation, and their insulting offer to the union would see workers sign away their rights and relegate all unionized staff to at-will employment. This and multiple other violations of the DSA staff’s union contract have led the union to file grievances against several NPC members.

We stand in solidarity with all members of the DSA Union and reject any politics that seeks to sacrifice or compromise workers’ rights.

Columbus DSA affirms the statements of the DSA Union and calls on the NPC to move away from its destructive approach by negotiating in good faith to minimize the number of layoffs.

###

The post We Power DC appeared first on Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America.

The Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) and the International Committee of DSA extends our solidarity to the University professors of ANDES-SN (National Union of University Professors), the administrative workers of Fasubra (Federation of Technical-Administrative Workers Unions in Public Higher Education Institutions of Brazil), and students of UNE (National Union of Students) who are currently on strike to increase the funding for public universities in Brazil. Professors at Brazilian public universities have faced a 40% decrease in their real wages since the Rousseff PT government was couped in 2016. This is on top of the austerity that has been imposed on the universities that has been cutting essential services for students and faculty alike. President Lula was elected, with the support of many professors and students, on the promise that he would support public education and end the funding cuts implemented by the neo-liberal and neo-fascist Bolsonaro administration. We stand with our courageous comrades and ask President Lula to make good on his campaign promises and negotiate with the striking unions in good faith, to ensure that the Brazilian public university system serves the working class.

We are engaged in the same struggle against the austerity our administrations and state governments impose upon our universities and other public services. They will cut and cut and cut, unless someone fights back and it has to be us. We must build a movement of university staff and students marching hand in hand to ensure that our universities and public institutions are able to serve the working class. We hope to emulate what you have built in Brazil and replicate your upcoming victories!

We also want to thank ANDES-SN specifically for their recent statement in support of the ongoing student protests against the Genocide in Gaza and the Zionist Apartheid regime of Israel. It is inspiring to us to know that we have the support of the international working class in our firm stance against our institution’s complicity in the mass atrocities that have been carried out both in this year and over the entirety of the 76 years of the settler colonial project of Israel’s existence. It will be through the mass action of the international working class that we free Palestine and put an end to the oppression of the Palestinian people. We are honored by your support and we will continue to fight for a free Palestine with our comrades here in the states. 

Solidarity Forever!

Solidariedade para Sempre!

The post Solidarity from DSA International Committee and YDSA to Striking Professors, Administrators, and Students in Brazil appeared first on DSA International Committee.

On this day in 1970, four Kent State students were murdered while protesting Nixon’s escalation of the Vietnamese war into Cambodia. This massacre further inflamed the anti-war protests on campuses across the nation which saw 4 million students strike for peace.

Today, we see history repeat itself with students occupying their campuses with the demand to cut funding to Israel’s apartheid regime as it slaughters ten of thousands and dislocates millions.

Today, we see that the leadership of the state and country has learned nothing as it continues to violently crush student protests while increasing funding for weapons of war being turned on the people of Gaza.

Today, we see Joe Biden has learned nothing from this experience as he smears student protestors and inflames violence against them by calling for order and obedience on college campuses

We stand with the student movement and demand an end to this genocide. We must continue fighting until the Palestinian people are free, just as the students of the 70s pushed on until Nixon was left with no choice but to sue for peace.

The post From Vietnam to Palestine: The Power of Student Solidarity appeared first on Democratic Socialists of America.

In Houston, we know that we are not alone in our struggle for economic, social, and housing justice. We are  not alone in the struggle for liberation from capitalism, colonialism, […]

The post May Day Statement appeared first on Houston DSA.

(This statement is from April, 24, 2024) We stand with unwavering solidarity with the students in Rice University, the University of Houston, Columbia University, and all campuses, as they demand […]

The post Student Encampment Solidarity Statement appeared first on Houston DSA.

(This post is from November 8, 2023) For the last 11 weeks, our members have been on the ground talking to Houstonians all over the city about the importance of […]

The post Houston voters overwhelmingly pass Proposition A! appeared first on Houston DSA.

“Half of recent US inflation due to high corporate profits, report finds” - That’s one of the many headlines which have noted the skyrocketing cost of living for US consumers since the 2020 pandemic. Utilities, gas, and other basic necessities have all massively increased in price since 2020. Since 2022 the average American pays 25% more for groceries alone. Of course most workers don’t need a headline or a statistic to tell them the obvious - their ability to live an affordable, prosperous, and dignified life has been hugely eroded in recent years. One of the areas worst hit by this ‘greedflation’ is that of housing. Already the largest single expense for the average American, Idaho workers are especially hard hit as places like Boise and Idaho Falls see record growth, and multinational corporations rush in to snap up properties expected to earn them a profit.

The burden of corporate profiteering is all too real for tenants at the 208 Apartments in downtown Boise. The 208 was recently purchased by Primrose Morse, LLC., a massive corporation based in California. Primrose wasted no time in exploiting their new property: raising rent by 25%, increasing laundry and parking fees, and issuing eviction threats to tenants on the strictest basis possible. No doubt the executives at Primrose expected the 208 tenants to quietly continue to fork over their paychecks to line their own pockets. Unfortunately for them that has not been the case.

Since March tenants at the 208 have been fighting back. Working to organize a tenants’ union, Boise DSA members have been gathering complaints from residents in order to eventually present management (Redstone Residential, Inc.) with demands. Potential demands by tenants include: having management fulfill maintenance requests in a timely manner, improved garbage disposal, and better access to utilities. Black mold is nearly universal, and in the past management has simply painted over black mold when reported. Other tenants do not have drinkable water and have had heater repairs delayed for months into the winter. Management has consistently denied or delayed their response to these problems, but has not hesitated to pressure tenants to renew their leases up to 8 months in advance of termination dates. Tenants are fed up and ready to fight back!

Efforts to resist the exploitation of working tenants at the 208 have just begun to pick up steam. While anger with Primrose and Redstone Residential is near universal, the success of the union in demanding better housing conditions and affordability is not guaranteed. The organizing committee of the 208 Tenants’ Union will fight for these demands no matter what happens, but the difficulties of fighting against management have demonstrated how badly Idahoans need an organized tenant class across the state. As the only existing tenants’ union in Idaho, we are limited in how much pressure we can bring to bear against our corporate landlords.

If more tenants organize in Boise and across Idaho our collective power can grow exponentially. By meeting and sharing problems with fellow tenants we can build a real community of tenants and renters in Idaho, a community which will have the strength to stand up and fight back against housing corporations endlessly working to take more and give less. With enough people fighting together we can build an Idaho with affordable, dignified, and secure housing for all!

If you or someone you know is interested in organizing a tenants’ union contact us at organize208@gmail.com or @organize.208