Steering Committee Minutes: March 15, 2020

East Bay DSA, Steering Committee Meeting, March 15, 2020, 2-5pm, Zoom

Introduction and approval of the agenda

The meeting was called to order at 11:35am via ZOOM, by Abigail G-G who chaired the meeting along with Keith BB. The recording secretary was taking notes. Also present at the meeting were Matt S, Sean M, Marissa S, Will S, Annika B, Hannah E, Maura M, Allie L, Rex LC, and Shane R.

Following opening statements, the agenda was amended and approved.

Committee Reports

Following opening statements, committee reports were delivered.

Finance Report delivered by Sean M.
Secretary Report delivered by Mark G.
Member Engagement Committee report was delivered by Andrew R.
Political Education Committee report was delivered by Avir W.
Racial Solidarity Committee report was delivered by Hasan C.
Green New Deal Committee report was delivered by Eric R.
Meetings Committee report was delivered by Maura M.

New Business

[SC.2020.28] Resolution on Organizing Response to COVID-19 Outbreak

Submitted by Esperanza F, K M, and Molly A.

The following resolution was motivated by Esperanza F.

Whereas, the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to cause significant economic and social disruption to the Bay Area and the greater United States; and

Whereas, the pandemic will have significant effects on our community’s jobs, healthcare, housing, safety, and health; and

Whereas, COVID-19 has the potential to significantly change the course of our daily lives over the next year; and

Whereas, movements are making demands in silos to address the needs of low-wage workers, homeless populations, tenants, and unemployed people; and

Whereas, this economic, social, and public health crisis is raising consciousness of people for the need to adopt democratic socialist policies; and

Whereas, climate change increases the risk of future pandemics thus requiring permanent policies and organizing; and

Whereas, containment and mitigation measures to fight this epidemic are likely to include extreme measures such as severe lockdowns; measures that have historically deeply impacted the most marginalized (consisting of the multi-racial working class) amongst us; and

Whereas, the pandemic has obligated us to think of our sense of purpose and the meaning of struggle, sacrifice, and demands of our humanity to be accountable, and responsible, to the most vulnerable amongst us;

Whereas, we as democratic socialists are called to take action and meet the demands of the moment.

Whereas, the East Bay Democratic Socialists of America can bring movements and people together under a uniquely socialist position in order to amplify the calls of our movement partners under a comprehensive and cohesive platform; and

Whereas, the East Bay Democratic Socialists of America can situate the local movement’s calls under a strong class analysis in order to serve as a vehicle for political education and politicization of working-class people throughout the region; and

Whereas, the East Bay Democratic Socialist of America can utilize a multifaceted array of organizing strategies and tools to tap into the captive attention around this moment in order to build our membership and recruit new leaders through a campaign to address the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; now,

Whereas, the multi-racial working class in our community came out in solidarity for the socialist policies of Bernie Sanders in the 2020 democratic primary, because we, the East Bay Democratic Socialists of America, canvassed them. Nurturing this level of class solidarity through support of the multi-racial working class, in dangerous times, then, is our imperative.

Therefore, be it resolved, that East Bay DSA will form an ad-hoc COVID-19 organizing committee.

Therefore, be it further resolved, to meet the needs of the current moment, the committee will specifically develop and propose to the Steering Committee:

A strong, comprehensive political analysis of the situation and its local economic and social ramifications for working people;
A comprehensive and cohesive platform of demands put upon local, state, and federal government and upon corporate entities; and
An organizing plan used to engage membership, reach and recruit new members, and

Therefore, be it further resolved, that upon approval by the Steering Committee, the COVID-19 committee will move to implement the plan.

Therefore, be it further resolved, the COVID-19 Committee will be formed with appointment of 2-3 co-chairs. The COVID-19 committee will subsequently admit membership and create subcommittees to move the work and engage broader membership.

Therefore, be it further resolved, the resolution serves to create a comprehensive, cohesive coronavirus analysis, platform, and organizing plan.

Therefore, be it further resolved, the committee will develop a list of demands and a policy platform to propose to the Steering Committee that will address the needs of all working people in the East Bay, including low-wage workers, underground economy workers, unsheltered people, and people with an immigration status.

Therefore, be it further resolved, the committee will explore and decide upon strategic alliances to push for local, statewide, and federal policy and corporate policy that adequately protects our community from economic, medical, and social consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak. This may include reaching out to our established coalition partners (OEA, ACCE, etc) to assess their needs, see if we can amplify their support. Any new coalition partners will be subject to approval by the Steering Committee.

Therefore, be it further resolved, the committee will develop an organizing plan to invite the broader community into our movement in order to tap into the organizing opportunities presented by this crisis and to use this time of social distancing to learn digital organizing techniques and tools to list build, recruit, and build membership.

Therefore, be it further resolved, the committee will not implement any in-person events or mutual aid activities unless approved by the Steering Committee, determined safe, and with a sound public health argument for doing so.

Therefore, be it further resolved, the effective time period for this committee is 15 September 2020 to be reviewed for renewal at that time.

Following debate and amendment, the resolution PASSED by a unanimous vote.

[SC.2020.29] Election Methods Working Group Recommendations

By Sean M, Maura M, and Mark G.

ELECTION METHODS

OpaVote is a computer software that allows for using different vote counting methods. This software has been used by our chapter in many previous elections. OpaVote allows all chapter members to have transparent access to all ballot data while keeping each voter’s identification a secret.

Recommendation: Counting ballot votes shall be done using the OpaVote software and all ballot data will be open to inspection by all members using OpaVote.

Co-Chairs

Considerations:

The co-chair positions have unique role in East Bay DSA, wherein they are the chapter’s public-facing representatives, run voting meetings, and guide the activities of the Steering Committee.
Co-chairs should have broad support from the Chapter and STV methods can result in a co-chair with a small minority of first place votes.
The Steering Committee adopted Convention Rules that included Borda as the voting method for co-chair elections in 2019

Recommendation: The Borda Count voting method shall be used for the election of Steering Committee Co-Chairs.

Single officer members

Considerations:

The Vice-chair, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, and Communications Secretary are single-seat elections where majority support is important
Instant runoff voting is a good method for electing a single candidate because it ensures that the winner is supported by a majority of the voters.

Recommendation: The Scottish Single Transferable Vote (STV) counting method An Instant Runoff voting method shall be used in the ranked choice voting election for the election of single officer Steering Committee member positions of Vice-Chair, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, and Communications Secretary.

At-large members

Considerations:

At-Large members should reflect the composition of political tendencies within the chapter and not be a pure majoritarian body

Recommendation: the Scottish Single Transferable Vote (Scottish STV) method shall be used for the election of At-Large Steering Committee members.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Candidate eligibility rules

Considerations:

It is important that members seeking elected positions be familiar with East Bay DSA and have been part of it.

Recommendation: To be eligible for an elected position, including the Steering Committee and National Convention delegation, candidates must have been members of East Bay DSA for at least three months before the date of the election.

Voting eligibility rules

Considerations:

It is important that voters have an understanding of East Bay DSA and the impacts of election on the chapter.
We do not want people to be recruited to the organization only to vote.

Recommendation: Members must have joined East Bay DSA at least 1 month before the election, be current dues paying members at the time of the election, and not have been lapsed for the full year preceding the date of the election in order to vote in Steering Committee and National Convention delegate elections.

ELECTION PLANNING RECOMMENDATIONS

The following items should be considered by the Elections Committee when drafting a convention plan:

Candidate nomination

Nomination deadlines
Number of nominations required (reference: 5 in 2018, 10 in 2019)
Method for nomination (ex. google form)
Timeline to include announcements and deadlines

Candidate statements / Questionnaires

Is there to be a candidate questionnaire, and if so, how are the questions determined?
Where will statements / questionnaire responses be made available? (ex. website, packet, etc)

Candidate forums

Will there be a public forum for candidates?
What are the rules for the forum and who will moderate?

Voting method

How will voting method be communicated / explained?
How are votes collected?

Absentee voting process

What are the eligibility requirements for absentee voting?
How are absentee ballots requested?
What is the process for distributing and collecting absentee ballots?
How will absentee ballots be validated?

Vote counting method

Who can be involved in counting votes and who is allowed to observe?
How will votes be counted?
How will incomplete or illegible ballots be handled?
How and for what period will vote data be stored?
How will election results be transparent and made publicly available for the wider membership (e.g released via OpaVote)?

ELECTIONEERING RULES

Considerations:

Members with access to chapter resources, including communications tools and money, could use their position to advantage themselves or others in an election.

Recommendation: Members should not use chapter resources to advantage any candidate in an election. Chapter resources include but are not limited to chapter email lists and communications, social media accounts, CRMs and member lists, money, office space, printers, and button makers.

DELEGATE ELECTIONS

Considerations:

National DSA sets the member-to-delegate ratio and creates rules for delegate elections, both of which may change for the 2021 National DSA Convention.
Delegations should represent the composition of political tendencies in the organization and not be a majoritarian body.
The Modified Borda method becomes complicated for voters and vote counters as the number of candidates increases.

Recommendation: the Steering Committee take into consideration the following when taking up delegate elections rules in 2021:

Modified-Borda can be cumbersome for voters and vote counters.
Consider automatically appointing members of the Steering Committee in office during the National Convention as delegates.
Evaluate the use of STV methods other than Scottish STV, such as Meek or Fractional, as they may be able to better capture breadth of support.
The Elections Committee that is appointed by the Steering Committee should include more than one person

The resolution PASSED by a unanimous vote.

[SC.2020.30] East Bay DSA Convention 2020: Proposal for Convention Logistics and New Steering Committee Elections Process

Submitted by Abigail G-G and Keith BB.

The following resolution was motivated by Abigail G-G.

Whereas, our bylaws state that East Bay DSA’s Annual Convention is the highest body of the chapter, and needs to include both Steering Committee (SC) Elections and the ratification of a Priorities Resolution (PR).

Whereas, with the COVID-19 pandemic in full effect it is unclear if we will be able to hold our local convention, planned for May 2020, in person.

Whereas, SC elections do not require in-person deliberation and debate.

Therefore be it resolved, the following timeline and process will be approved by the SC.

Therefore be it further resolved, that we will adopt the Elections Methods Recommendations as the voting method to elect the SC.

Therefore be it further resolved, that we will provide a SC Candidate Forum via online conferencing, open to all interested members.

Therefore be it further resolved, that we will use OpaVote to elect SC members and that East Bay DSA members will be sent a unique link to vote and will have one week to cast their vote.

Therefore be it further resolved, that the current Priorities Resolution will continue to be our guiding document until a new one can be drafted and ratified by the membership at an in-person convention.

Therefore be it further resolved, that the current Chairs, plus one other person selected by the chairs, none of whom are running for re-election, will bottomline this process and bring in organizing assistance (from members who are not running for election or re-election to the SC) as necessary.

Therefore be it further resolved, that in the case that COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control by the end of April 2020, the SC will plan an in-person convention for May or June 2020.

Therefore be it further resolved, that if COVID-19 pandemic is not under control by the end of April, the new SC will assess conditions after they assume office and plan for an in-person convention later this year.

Therefore be it further resolved, this is a one time exception due to an unforeseen and uncontrollable situation, and that all future SC elections will take place in-person at our annual convention as laid out in our Chapter bylaws.

Timeline for Candidate Nominations and Elections

April 5

Announce Local Convention process, including timeline and nomination Google form, to membership via email

April 5-12

Open period for candidate nominations (require 10 nominators, via Google Form)
Nominators must be members in good standing
Any given member can nominate multiple candidates
Nominees must be in good standing and have been East Bay DSA members for at least 3 months before the date of the election

April 19

Deadline for candidates to accept/reject nomination
Candidates submit candidate statements (500 word limit)

April 22

SC candidates announced to membership via email
Candidate statements uploaded to website

May 2:

Candidate Forum via online conferencing, in which candidates for SC are able to make their case as well as answer moderated questions from assembled members.

May 3:

Opa Vote Link sent to membership. Link open for one week to vote (deadline May 9 at 11:59 pm).
Members must have joined East Bay DSA at least 1 month before the election, be current dues paying members at the time of the election, and not have been lapsed for the full year preceding the date of the election in order to vote in Steering Committee.

May 10:

New SC announced to membership via email and social media

Date TBD:

In-person local convention

After debate and amendment, the resolution PASSED by a unanimous vote.

[SC.2020.31] Resolution to Support SEIU 1021 AHS Strike Organizing

Submitted by Aaron H, Ari M, Annika B and Molly A.

The following resolution was motivated by Aaron H.

Whereas public sector healthcare workers employed by Alameda Health System (AHS) and represented by SEIU 1021 are engaged in an ongoing and escalating contract campaign to win guaranteed safe staffing, an end to layoffs, and protection of their health insurance, in addition to other pressing demands; and,

Whereas the union chapter represents roughly 3,000 workers from over 200 job classifications including registered nurses, nursing assistants, technicians, clerks, environmental service workers, and food service workers; and,

Whereas AHS is the healthcare provider of last resort for the most precarious working class and poor people in the East Bay, operating five hospitals (Alameda Hospital, Fairmont Hospital, Highland Hospital, John George Psychiatric Hospital, and San Leandro Hospital) and three clinic complexes throughout the East Bay; and,

Whereas the workers at AHS are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has placed increased stress on the already anemic public healthcare system. AHS workers have demanded bargaining sessions devoted to COVID-19 and are working to ensure that the health system is adequately staffed and resourced to meet this crisis as well as future ones; and

Whereas the conditions in the healthcare system and therefore the demands fought for by the union have substantial impact on the care delivered to patients, as well as the public health; and,

Whereas the union is framing this fight in terms of the collective good of the working class and poor people of the area, whose quality of health care is inextricable from the working conditions of the nurses, janitors, and food service workers who make AHS run; and,

Whereas AHS has been systematically underfunded for decades and is in a perpetual state of financial distress, and this underfunding is deeply connected to utter negligence and mismanagement on the part of the current administration of the health system as well as austerity budgeting. Unlike most county health systems, AHS is not technically operated by Alameda county. In the late 1990s the county health system was facing structural deficits. The Board of Supervisors, which was then responsible for operating the county health system, voted to change the governance structure of that system.

The move relieved the board of its responsibility to directly operate the health system by creating a public health authority and appointing an unelected board and CEO to handle the finances and operations of the health system. As a result, AHS is not technically a county run entity, although the AHS board reports to the County Board of Supervisors. This move also took away Civil Service protections for workers and removed other regulations, making it easier for public funding to be funneled to the private sector and for standards of care to be rapidly lowered. Substantial tension exists between the Board of Supervisors and the AHS board as a result of ongoing mismanagement. The county has issued multiple financial bailouts to AHS over the past several decades totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.

Whereas there is strong potential to make Alameda County the direct operator of the health system, bringing it under democratically elected control; but only for a limited time before Supervisor Scott Haggerty retires and,

Whereas a DSA member is active in the union and seeking East Bay DSA’s support for this campaign.

Therefore be it resolved that East Bay DSA stands with SEIU 1021 members in their struggle for safe staffing, full funding, and a healthcare system that works for all residents of the East Bay; and

Therefore be it further resolved that East Bay DSA shall support the SEIU 1021 AHS contract fight including any possible future strike activity for the contract with material resources, organizing assistance, and publicity as needed; and,

Therefore be it further resolved that the Labor Committee shall lead this solidarity support in collaboration with chapter representatives and the aid of other chapter committees and bodies where there is interest.

After motivation and questions the resolution PASSED by a unanimous vote.

[SC.2020.32] Resolution of East Bay DSA Solidarity with University of California Strikes

Submitted by Keith BB.

Whereas, University of California graduate student workers on at least four campuses, including UC Berkeley, have conducted wildcat work stoppages, pickets, or grading strikes since December seeking a Cost of Living Adjustment for a living wage;

Whereas, the University of California administration has retaliated with firings of over fifty workers and a lawsuit against the student workers’ union, seeking to bankrupt or decertify their union;

Whereas, student worker organizing is escalating towards a potential systemwide union strike of student workers at the University of California, pending a strike authorization vote;

Therefore be it resolved, the Steering Committee of East Bay DSA declares we stand in solidarity with the student worker wildcat strikes and a potential union strike at the University of California.

Therefore be it further resolved, the Steering Committee of East Bay DSA declares we denounce the University of California administration’s firing of striking student workers, as well as administration attacks on the student workers’ union.

Be it further resolved, East Bay DSA will post a public statement of solidarity with the UC strikes on our website and social media. The solidarity statement will be drafted by members of the Steering Committee and require final approval from the Steering Committee before publication.

After debate and amendment the resolution PASSED by a unanimous vote.

Discussion

April General Meeting discussion

Abigail G-G opened a discussion about the April GM in light of the COVID-19 crisis. There was discussion amongst the steering committee members of how to proceed.

Adjournment

Following discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 2:45pm.