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Steering Committee Meeting December 18th, 2022



East Bay DSA 

 Steering Committee Meeting Agenda


December 18th, 2022

10am-12pm (PDT)






Zoom link: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85621335631?pwd=U2JlcjdLSFRDVFZqNGFtazlqc05LZz09

Meeting ID: 826 7217 1030

Passcode: 466367


Steering Committee Agenda


  1. Settle in 10:00AM-10:05AM [5 min] 
  2. Maddy GW
  3. Hasan A
  4. Mathew L
  5. Ian B
  6. Yari G
  7. Shane R
  8. Nick R
  9. Renee P
  10. Graham D
  11. Max M
  12. Micheal S
  13. Benny Z
  14. Carlos O 


  1. Drew B
  2. Spencer A
  3. Ly M
  4. Keshav K
  5. Justin G
  6. Tim J
  7. Ella T 
  8. Aaron H
  9. Kendra M
  10. Matthew T


  1. Approval of Agenda 10:05AM-10:10AM [5 min]
  2. Motion to swap the contact discussion and the UAW contract; seconded
  • Vote: PASSES unanimously
  1. Motion to table discussion item; seconded
  • Vote: Passes: 8 yes; 2 no; 1 abstain

  1. Adding member contextual but non binding statements to the agenda


  1. Consent Agenda
  2. Resolution to Fund Leadership Retreat
  3. Discussion

10:10AM-10:30AM [20 Minutes]

  1. Holiday Party Debrief 10:10AM-10:20AM [10 Minutes]
  2. Electoral Committee Activity 10:20AM-10:30AM [10 Minutes]
  3. New Business 10:30AM-12:00PM [90 Minutes]
  4. Staff contract (Executive Session) [40 Minutes] VVV
  5. Resolution to Support a Rank and File Centered UAW 2865 Strike Response [50 Minutes]
  • Motivated by Justin G
  • Q&A
  1. Highlights: There was a list of people that were against the previous UWA resolution, then compromised with the second resolution, why weren’t they included in the signing in? This resolution help with the opposing party?
  2. What was the conesus? Between the proponents and opponents over whether there would be a real connection. 
  3. Is this just in Berkeley? This can have far reaching results, technical, emotional reasonings between colleagues. 
  • Resolution debate:
  1. HIghlights: 
  2. CON: not politically effective, counterproductive; we don’t prove service like this and the union has not requested this; we might be in the minority; set a bad precedent for future union contract fights. 
  3. PRO: During the process, the UWA leadership was being talked about like they were “ultras”; but they are organizing for rallys, actions, etc. 
  4. CON: We’re being asked to pick and fund one side over the other in the chapter/UAW dual carder; prominent members of DSA and UWA have been attacked. The Union itself seemed split. 
  5. PRO: ACtive Dual members are predominately in favor; We want R&F to organize in DSA; pushing more militancy in various unionized areas
  6. CON: The TA seems pretty good and will likely pass overwhelmingly and push a no vote campaign looks bad. I think we’re supporting the real militant minority that revived the union.
  7. PRO: This was what the dual carders are asking for; they’ve put in the work and DSA to delicately support. We’re trying to change peoples' minds.
  8. MOTION TO AMEND; seconded
  9. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r-Tvc0SqiCE1mi1yLJ-KbXf1EfCe2a_ql6FLtJFMPX8/edit
  10. Motivated by MAddy GW
  11. Q&A
  12. SRU has been worn down, and are willing to accept anything on the contract; 
  13. SRu are only being contracted over voting on a TA, not the 2865.

  15. Amendment Debate:
  16. PRO: We would appear to be behind the scenes
  17. POI: no spoke/text banking AND PHONE BANKING? A PHONE BANKING doesn’t cost money. People are still permitted to do it for free on there free time
  18. CON: they have the inclination to provide us a text banking list; it’s in lines with op-ed
  19. VOTE: does not pass: 6 yes; 7 no
  20. RESOLUTION debate: Red Bait
  21. What are we doing for them if we don’t help them?
  22. We would appear to be pulling the strings
  23. Why DSA? Why This? Seems crude; neutrality doesn’t seem effective
  24. The dual cards are working to get support from many other members. 
  • Vote: 6 Yes, No 7
  • MOTION TO RECONSIDER the amendment; seconded
  1. Debate - Call to Question PASSED acclimation
  2. VOTE: 8 yes; 4 no; 1 abstain
  3. AMENDMAment VOTE - 9 yes 2 no
  • AMENDED RESOLUTION VOTE:
  1. 9 yes; 3 no; 



  1. Staff contract (Executive Session) [40 Minutes]
  • MOVED TO EXECUTIVE SESSION
  • https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nCPVcu0UYTRE-CDisLSC06YU3Zj_IznLFMErVcfQpT0/edit
  • Amendment: Add - While Teevan is working as the staff organizer under this contract, she will recuse herself from internal DSA political actions, except that Teevan may vote in contexts in which votes are anonymized, and resign her membership in any ideological caucus. The intent of this clause is to apply the same standards for political recusal to Teevan as apply to DSA national staffers.
  • A debate over conflict of interest in staffing and political caucus member ship.  
  • MOTION to Amend: Strike down the caucus line
  1. Motivated by shane
  2. Debate
  3. VOTE: 5 yes; 6 no


  • MOVED to EXTEND to 12:15; seconded x2
  1. Passes via Acclimation
  • Replace: “.” with “, except that a vote of the full chapter will be taken on whether to renew Teevan’s employment.”
  • Replace: “.” with “, except that a vote of the full chapter will be taken on whether to renew Teevan’s employment and a failure of that vote will terminate the contract... .”
  • Add: “and countersigned by Teevan”

  • MOtion to extend to 12:30
  1. Passed va Acclimation
  2. Motion to include clause 15
  • PASSES 6 yes; 3 no
  1. Resolution Vote: 
  • PASSES 7 yes; 2 abstain
  1. Adjourned at 12:31PM

 




Addendum: Member Statements on the Resolution to Support a Rank and File Centered UAW 2865 Strike Response

  1. Zach W - Statement
  2. Sam C - Statement 
  3. Richard M - Statement

 




Consent Agenda


Resolution for funding lunch for 1/7/22 Leadership Retreat

Motivated by Rottem S, Yari G, Ella T


Whereas, it’s critical for a mass organization like DSA to support mobilizers and committee members as they work to develop strategy and build out a strong membership base;


Whereas, East Bay DSA is having a leadership retreat for leaders to build skills together and build relationships, including a lunch to spend time together,


Therefore, be it resolved that East Bay DSA allots $400 to fund lunch for the leadership retreat on 1/7/22. 


Therefore, be it resolved that Rottem Sagi is designated as the expense approver for this lunch budget.


New Business


Resolution to Support a Rank-and-File-centered UAW 2865 Strike response

Motivated by Justin G., formerly UAW 2865, 2014-2022, currently California Faculty Association


Whereas, the University of California system has, for decades, remade itself into a marketized institution that hyper-exploits workers and indebts students; and, given this fact, the current UAW strike gets to the heart of things, meaning that the strike is an important milestone fight that will have decades-long consequences; 


Whereas, the initial demands of UAW 2865 and SRU-UAW included a yearly salary increase “by at least either 7%, or the highest year-over-year median rent increase in the locality of any UC campus, whichever is greater.” This would take cost of extreme rental prices into account, is known as a COLA;


Whereas, the initial demands of UAW 2865 and SRU-UAW also included remission of non-resident supplemental tuition, improved disability access provisions, improved childcare subsidies, and remission of premiums for dependent healthcare; 


Whereas, all the aforementioned demands are widely desired by active rank-and-file members—as made clear by major agitation and contention within and outside of union meetings by striking union members—but were all removed or significantly undermined by a razor-thin majority of 2865’s bargaining team;


Whereas, 2865 bargaining team is split almost evenly on all aforementioned demands, as well as tactical questions (a long-haul strike) for winning those demands, most often by 10 to 9, a mere one vote difference; 


Whereas, there will be considerable pressure—potentially emanating from the UAW international, from the University of California system and from various parts of the state, and from other anti-worker formations that exist in our society—put on rank-and-file members to accept a TA that they may not find satisfactory; 


Whereas, the demand for a COLA is not simply about wages—a victory would force the University of California to begin ceasing its marketized-style of operation and fund its base workers with living wages; 


Whereas, winning the demands for NRST remission, disability access, and childcare will likewise have meaningful effects on the lives of workers and strike a blow against the heavily privatized University of California system—a system that effectively functions like a for-profit institution;


Whereas, winning a COLA and other related demands would also undoubtedly set off effects throughout higher education, inspiring other workers to follow suit by demanding that wages become linked to costs of living and that their social reproductive needs are attended to;


Whereas, the voting period of the UAW 5810 (postdoctoral workers) occurring a few weeks ago highlighted an asymmetry of resources in favor of bargaining team messaging. These resources included use of phonebanking, textbanking, and picketers to conduct one-on-ones with union members to promote a ‘yes’ vote.   


Whereas, a tentative agreement, between the University of California and the SRU and 2865 bargaining units, was reached on Dec 16 2022. 


Therefore, let it be resolved, rank-and-file dual EBDSA/UAW members listed on this resolution and with friendly comrades (UAW members), will disseminate literature for 2865 strikers in the context of this TA;


Let it be resolved, that EBDSA will articulate the following lines on our literature and social media: 

That we, East Bay DSA, support the workers’ right to vote down a tentative agreement and continue their strike; 

and that, particularly given the extreme costs of living in the Bay Area, we and other community members view a COLA and the other suite of demands as reasonable and just demands; 

and that if workers decide to vote down the tentative agreement, our organization, and surely community members in general, will stand with them until the very end.


Let it be resolved, that EBDSA will allocate $450 dollars for the mass printing of materials that are agreed upon by the majority of dual members for rapid distribution to UC Berkeley strikers in the event of a tentative agreement, These materials would, for example, include literature providing accurate information on what may come after the rejection of a tentative agreement, specifically the FAQ released by 2865 Bargaining Team members Jack D. and Stefan Y. (both also members of Santa Cruz DSA): 


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bjV7ITUF2iEc4f9aFMxPNQ_F8a34v_oum8j8TIvcBMg/edit.

 

EBDSA’s Labor Committee co-chairs (Kendra M. and Zach W.) will oversee which materials receive funding and will communicate finances to the EBDSA treasurer. 


Let it be resolved, that EBDSA will allocate $250 for texting services or use of the chapter Spoke account. Dual card members will text coworkers with messaging in support of voting no against an unfavorable contract and/or promoting democratic decision making within the union (at the discretion of the texter)


Finally, let it be resolved, that in the event of a voted down TA, EBDSA will support a fundraiser event to raise money for an extended strike. 


Co-Signers: Zach H., UAW 2865 member; Robin M., UAW 2865 member; Abrar A., SRU member; Xander L., UAW 2865 member; Andrew H. UAW 2865 member; Joel A., UAW 2865 member; Spencer A., UAW 2865 member; Jake O. UAW 2865 member; Chris G., UAW 2865 member, Anya W-Z., UAW 2865 member; Johnathan G., UAW 2865 member; Kendra M., East Bay DSA Labor Committee Co-chair






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