Whereas the 2014 Affiliation of Children’s Hospital and Research Center Oakland with UCSF was purported to be a partnership of equals, in the interest of strengthening both hospitals; and

Whereas, in the years since the Affiliation, UCSF has jeopardized the future of Children’s Hospital Oakland (CHO) and its mission to serve all children regardless of background, race, medical condition, or ability to pay, and has weakened the role of Children’s Hospital Oakland as both a safety net hospital for the neediest children in our community and a tertiary care pediatric referral center for the sickest; and

Whereas, the CHO serves a diverse population, with the majority of patients coming from Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, and San Joaquin Counties, reflecting the demographics of the East Bay, with many immigrants, children of color, and families from working-class communities; and

Whereas, many of CHO’s patients have been pressured to go to San Francisco for services that have been and often are still provided on the Oakland campus and in Children’s Hospital Oakland's other East Bay facilities, or have not received care at all. Sending East Bay families to UCSF for care has caused their travel and healthcare costs to skyrocket at a time of devastating economic uncertainty; and

Whereas, inpatient and surgical volumes at Oakland have plummeted since the Affiliation, while San Francisco’s census has increased significantly; and

Whereas, Children’s Hospital Oakland has lost the skills and dedication of countless experienced and beloved health care workers, doctors, and nurses who have chosen to leave the hospital for better working conditions at other local facilities; and

Whereas, critical services, resources, and technology have been neglected or cut after UCSF took over the leadership and control of Children’s Oakland; and

Whereas, UCSF continues to implement changes to operations that result in the degradation of the purpose and obligations of a full-service safety net hospital without the community's knowledge or employees' input; and

Whereas, since the affiliation, health care workers’ and community advocates’ attempts to engage UCSF leadership to address these increasing healthcare disparities created by the partnership, and have been met with a refusal to be transparent or accountable; and

Whereas, multiple requests for financial information, including information regarding past and future consolidation, elimination, and transfer of services from Oakland to San Francisco have been denied by UCSF; and

Whereas, the transfer of wealth and resources from Children’s Oakland to UCSF can be seen as a form of structural racism, and an exacerbation of pre-existing classism, where people with less access to money and influence also get less access to healthy food, healthy air and water, equal rights, and quality health care; and

Whereas, National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) represents roughly 1,200 workers at CHO in three bargaining units: Business Office Clerical, Service and Technical, and Professionals, with job classifications in a variety of essential roles: custodial staff and food service, X-ray techs, respiratory therapists, psychologists, physical therapists, clinical social workers, and countless others; and

Whereas, NUHW is a progressive independent union and East Bay DSA ally that has led the struggle along with DSA to win Medicare for All in California; and

Whereas, the healthcare and service workers at CHO have served the East Bay community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with inadequate protections and communication from management regarding infection control, and are now facing a spike in pediatric COVID cases as schools have reopened and the Delta variant has proven to be highly infectious in children. Unlike nearly every other hospital in California, UCSF Benioff/CHO management has throughout the pandemic refused to meet with frontline staff to discuss infection control strategies; and

Whereas, healthcare workers employed by UCSF/Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland (CHO) and represented by NUHW are engaged in an ongoing and escalating contract campaign and preparing for two other contract campaigns to win better working conditions and job security for East Bay healthcare workers in order to keep vital pediatric healthcare services in the East Bay, where they are vastly more accessible to the diverse working class community that CHO serves; and

Whereas, several members of East Bay DSA are active in the campaign to keep care in Oakland, both as staff and as union member leaders; and

Therefore be it resolved that East Bay DSA stands with NUHW members in their struggle to keep vital pediatric healthcare services in Oakland and ensure job security for the working-class healthcare workers who serve the children and families of the East Bay, and fight for a healthcare system that works for all residents of the East Bay; and

Be it further resolved that East Bay DSA shall support the NUHW contract fight including any possible future actions or strike activity for the contract with material resources, organizing assistance, and publicity as needed; and,

Be it further resolved that the EBDSA/CHO Solidarity Committee shall lead this solidarity support in collaboration with chapter representatives and the aid of other chapter committees and bodies where there is interest.

Moderated by Share R.

Motivated by Humberto R. Laura N., Keane C

[Not at Quorum, so the vote will be turned to straw poll for Steering to consider.]

Q&A HIGHLIGHTS:

Q: What type of media campaign is the movement running? A: community forum is planned with media and common cause

Q: What can EBDSA members do to further support the resolution? A: coalition member, communication support at the local level.

DEBATE HIGHLIGHTS:

PRO - supporting labor struggles and a beloved children’s hospital, that many local groups support.

NO CONS

STRAW POLL: 44 yes/ 1no - take be voted on in the Steering Committee

B. Resolution to Rent an Office and Apply for Matching Funding

Submitted by Benny Zank, Eric Ruud, Neder Gatmon-Segal, Zach Weinstein, Casey Busher

Whereas the national convention passed Resolution #30: Strengthening DSA From the Bottom Up Through National Matching Funds for Chapters to Hire Staff and Open Offices;

Whereas the resolution provides a year of matching funds to open an office;

Whereas the chapter needs to raise at least 25% of the necessary to fund the office before applying for matching funds;

Whereas our local dues already meet this 25% threshold and we can point to the fact that we have previously rented an office to demonstrate financial self-sustainability for renting an office in the following years;

Whereas an office provides a secure location for our members to organize and meet, which is particularly critical for projects such as the jobs program;

Whereas an office provides a space for training organizers;

Whereas an office provides solid grounding for our organization and a place where members can congregate;

Whereas an office provides a space we can invite allies and comrades we are organizing with into;

Whereas in-person connection is doubly important following almost two years of no in-person events due to the COVID-19 pandemic and;

Whereas lackluster pandemic response by the US government, failing to provide adequate testing, isolation, vaccinations, and financial support to the working class of this country and the world, means that COVID-19 seems likely to become endemic, and given that it has now been shown that well-ventilated, masked, indoor gatherings are relatively safe;

Therefore be it resolved that East Bay DSA apply to the NPC for matching funds to open an office;

Therefore be it resolved that East Bay DSA submit its previous office lease and monthly bank statements to the NPC to demonstrate the ability to be sustainably pay for an office after the matching funds end;

Therefore be it resolved that the Steering Committee develop and adopt a proposal detailing the political, organizational, and recruitment goals that we will seek to leverage the matching funds for, with clear metrics for yearly assessments of progress in order to be eligible for the matching funds;

Therefore be it resolved that East Bay DSA's Steering Committee is tasked with looking for, and finding, an office that meets as many of the criteria listed below as possible, and securing it by the first quarter of 2022;

Therefore be it resolved that the office be within walking distance of BART and AC transit stops;

Therefore be it resolved that the office be ADA-compliant and accessible to all members of our organization;

Therefore be it resolved that the office be large enough and have operable windows so that members are able to be socially distant and have sufficient airflow if needed.

Motivation - Neder GS and Benny Z

Q&A

Q: the resolution passed in the convention - does that decrease funds for staff? A - ironing out the details, but it should not interfere with staff funding.

Q: Any non-mandatory requirements being explored [i.e. shared space]? A:someone we can look into and welcome any recommendations.

Q: proof of vaccinations/negative-tests requirements? Who would hold accessibility? A: the resolution would allow for the Steering Committee to looking into and iron out the details of those issues.

Motion to amend; seconded [added]

Therefore be it resolved that we will particularly explore having the office be in a shared space with allied organizations, akin to the model used for the Grassroots House [https://grassrootshouse.org/], in an effort to use our funds as efficiently as possible;

Motivated by Mattew L

NO QUESTIONS

AMENDMENT DEBATE

CALL TO QUESTION: [2/3’s vote] PASSES 38/4

AMENDMENT Q&A

Q: Who would we share with? A: Amendment intentionally doesn't specify

AMENDMENT VOTE: FAILS YES 17/ NO 27

RESOLUTION Q&A:

Q - Included a friendly amendment for exploring locations outside of Oakland and Berkeley? Neder GS: many different options would include exploring outside of oakland/berkeley as long as it doesn’t compromise the basic requirements.

Susan - Will it cost more than DSA has? IN touch with the national DSA? Neder GS: The resolution is meant to get the ball rolling and would expect months to figure out the cost and the relationship with the national.

DEBATE: NO CONS

RESOLUTION VOTE: STRAW POLL: YES 39/ NO 0

Shane: in talks with NPC over how to apply to match funds.

III: Branches WG Update Presentation

By Zack W

Highlights:

Feedback - Isaac H - public forum and surveys show overall support, and minority on the fence.

Ideas so far: Formation via resolution form Test branches

Socials: E. Contra Costa; Berkeley/Albany/Emeryvile; Castro/Hayward

MOTION TO EXTEND by to 3:15 - Seconded

MOTION VOTE [2/3 threshold]: PASSES [25 / 2]

Q&A:

Q future potential plans for branch groups from the socials? A: main focus is on socials form organized by local members, most concrete plans includes support for RPA candidates in Richmond. .

Q: Anything happening in Vallejo? A: we have active members with local connections in Vallejo, campaigns include protesting police violence.

Q: Considering branches based on things other than geographic regions, i.e. Workplace? A: There hasn’t been anyone championing, but no one is opposed.

Some concerns over conflicting with the current labor circles.

IV. Committee and Member Announcements:

Neder GS: Electoral committee meeting - TUE 10/26 6pm on zoom

Benny Z: GND meeting - 10/25 7:30

Share R: please become a monthly member for East Bay chapter

Andrew R: Jess B has been appointed in at-large members, links to contribute to DSA: https://act.dsausa.org/donate/membership2020/

Also Venmo: @EastBayDSA

Shane - OCT 26th Labor Social

General Membership Meeting: October 17, 2021

I. Settle In & Welcome

II: Updates

II: Resolution Debate and Vote

A: Resolution to Support UCSF Benioff/Children’s Hospital Oakland By M.V.

B. Resolution to Rent an Office and Apply for Matching Funding

III: Branches WG Update Presentation

IV. Committee and Member Announcements:

MEETING ADJOURNED