Autoworkers across the country are on strike, carrying a militant message of class struggle against the “Big Three” car manufacturers. Here in the East Bay, our members have been bringing that same message to canvasses with our neighbors to defend public schools and public transit.

Chapter highlights

Our chapter helped organize and turned out for Sasha Ritzie-Hernandez’s canvass launch on September 2nd! We knocked doors to get the word out in Oakland’s District 5 about why this school board election is so important. We can keep our public schools safe for the community and out of the hands of privatizers and billionaires by electing leaders like Sasha who will fight for the multiracial working class of the East Bay. Join our next canvass on October 1st to stand with Sasha and defend our public schools.

EBDSA and OEA members canvassing for Sasha

• On September 10th we had our first meeting of the Fall New Member Cohort. This is a great place for new members to get involved with the chapter. Anyone looking to join should contact the Membership Engagement Committee at [email protected]

• On Tuesday August 29th the Political Education Committee held a night school called “Democracy is Power”. We talked to author Martha Gruelle about the book she and Mike Parker co-wrote, and the importance of democracy in unions and our political organizations. Please join us for our next night school on September 19th, called Abolition 101.

• EBDSA, TANC (Tenants and Neighborhood Councils), and BTU (Berkeley Tenants’ Union) showed up to protest a cocktail party put on by Berkeley landlords, celebrating the end of the eviction moratorium.

• The People’s Transit Alliance held a ridership canvass at Del Norte Bart station on Wednesday, September 13th. They are collecting signatures for a petition to AC Transit to end the transit worker shortage, and improve working and riding conditions. Join the next PTA meeting on October 19th.

“Yes, these corporations are mountains, but together we can make them move.”
— UAW President Shawn Fain

Meetings Committee 

Socialists go to a LOT of meetings. In EBDSA, the Meetings Committee organizes our Chapter General Meetings, researches and implements improvements to those meetings, runs trainings on the meeting rules, and holds political discussions regarding the politics of meetings (yes, it's a real thing; no, we can't define it).

Dozens of volunteers are needed to run our semimonthly general meetings, meeting improvement projects, and political education work. These roles can be one-offs (like counting votes at general meetings) or ongoing commitments (like providing training on Robert’s Rules). We always welcome new members, members looking to get more involved, and others who haven't taken leadership roles in the chapter before. 

We meet on Zoom the second Monday of every month from 7 to 8pm. Please check the Chapter's events page for the next date and meeting link. 

“We live in capitalism — its power seems inescapable, but so did the divine right of kings.”
— Ursula K. LeGuin

More from the chapter

Contest!

The East Bay DSA website team is looking for a new photo to use on our homepage. If you have a high-resolution photo they could use, please send it to [email protected] with the subject line Homepage photo contest.

Updates

Eden Branch – Hayward, San Leandro, Unincorporated Alameda County

Labor Committee – upcoming meeting will evaluate its last two years

Summer Socials – Spanish language mixers, movie night, basketball

Upcoming events:

📖 Night School: Lenin's Imperialism 🪖 - 10/3

⛽ Canvass for Contra Costa Ban New Fossil Fuel Infrastructure -10/4

🗣️ "You Deserve a Tech Union" w/ Ethan Marcotte - 10/5

🎉 DSA Fall 2023 Social - 10/15

🇲🇽 El Golpe: A Talk w/ Author Rob McKenzie - 10/22

🗳️ Sasha 4 OUSD canvasses: 10/1, 10/7,  10/15 & 10/21

🌹 Fall General Meeting - 11/12

For a complete list check out our events page. New member-friendly events will be marked with a rose 🌹

Minutes

• Steering Committee Minutes ✍️
• General Meeting Minutes ✍️

Newsletter info

• The deadline for submissions to the next issue is October 15. Use this form to make a submission.
• The Newsletter Working Group welcomes your feedback. Use this form to share.
• If you want to help produce the newsletter, email [email protected].

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