Support the Rideshare Drivers’ Strike Tomorrow, July 21

March and rally with Uber and Lyft drivers who are going ON STRIKE all day long tomorrow to protest unfair wages and working conditions from rideshare app companies, and to call for the passage of the PRO Act, which would protect gig workers’ rights to organize. We need you to turn out and show that DSA SF stands with all workers, especially those in the highly precarious gig economy. Event details below:

11:30 a.m., Meet at Lyft HQ, 185 Berry Street
12:20 p.m., March and car caravan to Uber Mission Bay Building
1:00-2:30 p.m., Rally at Uber Mission Bay building, 1725 3rd Street

Upcoming Events

? Wednesday, 7/21 (11:30 a.m.): Rideshare Drivers United Strike

? Friday, 7/23 (7:00-8:30 p.m.): Tenant Solidarity documentary screening

? Sunday, 7/25 (11:30 a.m.): San Francisco Caravan: End the U.S. Blockade of Cuba – U.S. Hands Off Cuba!

? Friday, 7/30 (5:00 p.m.): National DSA Jumpstart Socialism for a New Tomorrow telethon

? Monday, 8/2 (6:00 p.m.): Ecosocialist Book Club: Dina Gilio-Whitaker’s As Long as Grass Grows

For more events, click here.

Announcements

Join Tenant Solidarity for a Documentary Double Feature

Join DSA SF Tenant Solidarity and East Bay DSA Social Housing for the second screening in our joint documentary series. We will be watching You a Nomad and Point of Pride: The People View of Bayview/Hunter’s Point on Friday, July 23 from 7:00-8:30 p.m., including a brief discussion. Register here!

San Francisco Caravan: End the U.S. Blockade on Cuba!

For 60 plus years, Cuba has remained under a brutal blockade of the United States government. The world sees the U.S. blockade of Cuba for what it is: an unjust and criminal attack on the sovereignty and rights of the Cuban people. Join us next Sunday, July 25 at 11:30 a.m. to call for an end to the blockade and show our solidarity for the Cuban people and their revolution. Details here.

Check out National DSA’s Jumpstart Socialism for a New Tomorrow Telethon on July 30

Ready for a socialist future? Step 1: Hold a National Convention to set our priorities. Step 2: Fund the work! National DSA is kicking off the National Convention with Jumpstart Socialism for a New Tomorrow, a telethon starting Friday, July 30 at 5:00 p.m.. We’re organizing to win and that’s worth celebrating! Join in, and use the link here to donate to fund the chapter’s work!

Reading Groups

Ecosocialist Book Club: Dina Gilio-Whitaker’s As Long as Grass Grows

Join the DSA SF Ecosocialist Committee’s book club biweekly on Mondays in August – August 2, August 16, and August 30 at 6:00 p.m. -7:15 p.m. We’re reading and discussing Dina Gilio-Whitaker’s As Long as Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice, from Colonization to Standing Rock. Open to all! Register now using the link here.

Comrades,

As regime changes are forced in Haiti, protests in Cuba are amplified and distorted without context, and the socialist project in Venezuela is mystified by propaganda. It’s more important than ever to focus on the truth behind US interventions in these nations.

To the people who manage the U.S. empire, it’s necessary to impose ruthless sanctions and blockades to isolate and alienate Cubans, Haitians, Venezuelans, Yemenis, and others from us.

We must dedicate ourselves to solidarity across nations, to see the humanity in the people who suffer most from our country’s power, and to act together to free ourselves from that power!

Solidarity,
DSA SF Communications Committee

Upcoming Events

? Wednesday, 7/14 (6:45-9:00 p.m.): July Chapter Meeting (virtual)

? Friday, 7/16 (4:00 p.m.): Rally to Stop the Saudi-U.S. War on Yemen!

? Sunday, 7/18 (5:00 p.m.): National DSA Report Back on the delegation to Venezuela (virtual)

? Monday, 7/19 (6:30 p.m.): Everything You Wanted to Know About Lenin But Were Afraid to Ask (virtual)

For more events, click here.

Announcements

Join us for our July regular chapter meeting

Our July chapter meeting is tomorrow, July 14 at 6:45 p.m. on Zoom. Please join us as we debate and start voting on chapter priority campaign, committee, and working group leadership. We’ll hear from priority campaign leadership candidates (candidate statements here!), with online voting using OpaVote closing a few hours after the meeting. Steering committee will present a plan of work to the chapter, and we’ll discuss a chapter International Solidarity and Mass Action resolution from some comrades. Hope to see you there – RSVP here!

Rally to Stop the Saudi-U.S. War on Yemen

The Saudi blockade is killing civilians and the U.S. is not only complicit, but aiding Saudi Arabia in it. Congress can end the blockade and all U.S. participation in the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. Join us to rally in front of the SF Federal Building this Friday, July 16 at 4:00 p.m. for a Day of Action for the Yemen War Powers Act.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Lenin But Were Afraid to Ask

Join the Education Committee on July 19 at 6:30 p.m. for a virtual interactive discussion of the ideas and classic texts of Lenin. It’s perfect for newcomers, but also a great way to dig deeper into Lenin’s crucial contribution to socialism, Marxism, and why he remains an important touchpoint for us today. Register here!

National DSA Report Back on the delegation to Venezuela

This June, DSA sent a historic delegation to Venezuela in order to represent the organization in the Congreso Bicentenario de los Pueblos in Caracas. For two weeks this delegation traveled the country, engaging with various political formations and communes, speaking to political leadership at every level, and witnessing firsthand the construction of Venezuelan socialism as it struggled against crippling US sanctions in the time of COVID. For this special report back, join us on Zoom on Sunday, July 18 at 5:00 p.m. PT for a thoughtful and frank reflection as our delegates discuss US sanctions, socialist solidarity, and the many contradictions and triumphs they experienced during their time in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. RSVP here.

DSA SF is now on Tik Tok!

DSA SF’s Communications Committee has launched a chapter Tik Tok account! We will be churning out socialist propaganda, dog videos, socialist dog propaganda videos — the works. Follow us and tell your friends!

Reading Groups

Ecosocialist Book Club: Dina Gilio-Whitaker’s As Long as Grass Grows

Join the DSA SF Ecosocialist Committee’s book club biweekly on Mondays in August – August 2, August 16, and August 30 at 6:00 p.m. -7:15 p.m. We’re reading and discussing Dina Gilio-Whitaker’s As Long as Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice, from Colonization to Standing Rock. Open to all! Register now using the link here.

Join us for Intro to DSA on July 7!

Ready to get started with DSA SF? Have questions about socialism or our chapter? Or have you been a member but haven’t found the right way to connect with the chapter? Attending an Intro to DSA meeting is a great first step. Join us on Wednesday, July 7 at 6:30 p.m. as we give a background on socialism and introduce you to some of the work being done in our committees and working groups. Hope to see new and old comrades alike there! Register for the meeting here.

Upcoming Events

? Wednesday, 7/7 (6:30 p.m.): Intro to DSA – Register here!

? Friday, 7/9 (7:00 p.m.): DSA SF Tenant Solidarity + East Bay DSA Social Housing documentary screening – Boom! The Sound of Eviction

? Saturday, 7/10 (1:30 p.m.): Rally to Recall Dandelion Chocolate Workers

For more events, click here.

Announcements

Join us for “Boom! The Sound of Eviction” Documentary Screening hosted by the Tenant Solidarity Committee

Come join DSA SF’s Tenant Solidarity Committee for the first screening of our bi-weekly documentary screening series on housing justice and homelessness! Our first screening will be this Friday, July 9 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. We will be watching Boom! The Sound of Eviction with a brief discussion with the directors after. Register here!

Join the Rally to Recall Dandelion Chocolate Workers!

Join us for a rally this Saturday, July 10, at 1:30 p.m. at Dandelion Valencia in SF to RECALL THE WORKERS!Last month, Dandelion Chocolate terminated or laid off 9 union supporters in retaliation and still has not recalled them. They have instead hired from outside to fill positions. Join us to stand with workers and let the bosses know – SF doesn’t stand for union busting!

DSA SF is now on Tik Tok!

DSA SF’s Communications Committee has launched a chapter Tik Tok account! We will be churning out socialist propaganda, dog videos, socialist dog propaganda videos — the works. Follow us and tell your friends!

Join DSA SF’s Communications Committee

Want to post for socialism? Looking for a great entry point to learn about the broad work being done in our chapter? Join DSA SF’s newly-formed Communications Committee! We’re expanding our purview to include video, long-form and educational content, and content in different languages. But we need help! We use a broad range of skillsets, from writing and editing, to social media posting, to graphic design, and various kinds of internal administrative support. If this sounds interesting, email comms@dsasf.org to get involved!

Reading Groups

Ecosocialist Book Club: Dina Gilio-Whitaker’s As Long as Grass Grows

Join the DSA SF Ecosocialist Committee’s book club biweekly on Mondays in August – August 2, August 16, and August 30 at 6:00 p.m. -7:15 p.m. We’re reading and discussing Dina Gilio-Whitaker’s As Long as Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice, from Colonization to Standing Rock. Open to all! Register now using the link here.

Comrades,

Last week, DSA SF held our annual picnic and many new members finally got to meet their comrades in person for the first time. After more than a year of Zoom meetings and quarantine, times like these help us remember why socialism will win: comradeship. As San Francisco opens up, it is more important now than ever to forge strong bonds with our fellow socialists. We are trying to organize in the most alienated and segregated society in history, right after quite possibly one of the most alienating and lonely periods imaginable. As we emerge from our isolation, we each need to rededicate ourselves to meeting and connecting with comrades; not just to do our work better, but because we want to strengthen the bonds of this community against capitalists who want us atomized and living in fear of each other. Take heart and take care of one another.

Sincerely,

? DSA SF Communications Committee

Upcoming Events

? TODAY, 6/29 (5:30 p.m.): Weekly Tenant Organizing Phonebank | Email neighborsunitedsf@gmail.com or call Pat at 610-246-2552 to RSVP!

For more events, click here.

Announcements

Top Stories from SFIJ

? Over 50 Dandelion Chocolate employees, union members, city-elected officials such as Supervisors Dean Preston and Connie Chan, and union supporters rallied to demand CEO Todd Masonis hire the workers back for unionizing.

? The fight to make SF’s Muni free for riders has staunch supporters within City Hall, but failed by a single vote to overcome the Mayor’s veto. Supervisor Myrna Melgar was the only one voting “no”, despite 91% of her district supporting free Muni.

If you have committee work or another story you want to be publicized by a friendly outlet, please submit tips to editors@sfindependentjournal.com.

Support Local IAM 1546 Workers

The workers of Cummins, Inc. in San Leandro are being forcibly removed from their union health plan, and management wants to put them on a high-deductible HSA plan, with $8,000 and $11,000 deductibles for individuals and families respectively. The IAM technicians are receiving only $150 per week for strike support and are going to lose their healthcare coverage on July 1. Organizers say this strike, now entering its fourth week, is the culmination of 20 months of negotiations. You can learn more about this labor action in this Labor Notes article, or in audio report from KPFA (starting around minute 15). Our comrades in DSA East Bay have been showing support for these workers, and we can show them solidarity by donating to their strike fund. 

DSA SF is now on Tik Tok!

DSA SF’s Communications Committee has launched a chapter Tik Tok account! We will be churning out socialist propaganda, dog videos, socialist dog propaganda videos — the works. Follow us and tell your friends!

Join DSA SF’s Communications Committee

Want to post for socialism? Looking for a great entry point to learn about the broad work being done in our chapter? Join DSA SF’s newly-formed Communications Committee! We’re expanding our purview to include video, long-form and educational content, and content in different languages. But we need help! We use a broad range of skillsets, from writing and editing, to social media posting, to graphic design, and various kinds of internal administrative support. If this sounds interesting, email comms@dsasf.org to get involved!

Comrades, Join us in commemorating Pride by exploring the history of queer activism in San Francisco tomorrow, June 23, from 6:00 — 7:00 p.m. There will be a lecture and discussion covering our city’s queer history, including the significance behind the Compton’s Cafeteria in the Tenderloin, how our understanding of LGBTQ+ issues has evolved over time, and how all of this intersects with capitalism and other forms of oppression today. Register here. Sincerely, ? DSA SF Communications Committee

Upcoming Events

? TODAY, 6/22 (1:30 p.m.): 21st Century Socialism Reading Group: Jackson Rising

? TODAY, 6/22 (5:30 p.m.): Weekly Tenant Organizing Phonebank | Email neighborsunitedsf@gmail.com or call Pat at 610-246-2552 to RSVP!

? Wednesday, 6/23 (6:00-7:30 p.m.): Loud and Proud: San Francisco’s Queer History in Context

? Saturday, 6/26 (1:30 p.m.): DSA SF Summer Picnic 2021

? Sunday, 6/27 (3:00 p.m.): National DSA’s Labor Strategy: Organizing Worker Power for a Socialist Future

For more events, click here.

Announcements

New from SFIJ

? Over 50 Dandelion Chocolate employees, union members, city elected officials such as Supervisors Dean Preston and Connie Chan, and union supporters came out to a rally to demand CEO Todd Masonis to hire the workers back for unionizing.

? The fight to make SF’s Muni free for riders has staunch supporters within City Hall, but failed by a single vote to overcome the Mayor’s veto. Supervisor Myrna Melgar was the only one voting “no”, despite 91% of her district supporting free Muni.

If you have committee work or another story you want to be publicized by a friendly outlet, please submit tips to editors@sfindependentjournal.com.

Join DSA SF’s Communications Committee

Want to post for socialism? Join DSA SF’s newly-formed Communications Committee! We’re expanding our purview to include video, long-form and educational content, and content in different languages. But we need help! Email comms@dsasf.org to get involved!

Comrades,

Over the weekend at our chapter convention, we officially ratified three chapter priorities for the coming year:

• A DSA SF Chapter Commitment to Black Liberation, Indigenous Sovereignty, and Fighting Global White Supremacy
• Worker Organizing to Advance Shared Political Goals 
• DSA SF Ballot Measure Campaign

You can learn more about each of the priority resolutions here.

As nominations for elected leadership of these three campaigns are underway, we also recognize some important commemorations happening this month. This month is Pride Month. Additionally, this Saturday is Juneteenth, which celebrates the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation to slaves in Texas, who had no knowledge for three years that they were legally free.

The call for liberation is ongoing. In order to dismantle capitalism and fight against white supremacy, we must recognize that policing and the carceral state are integral to maintaining the capitalist status quo. Rather than protecting the communities they claim to serve, the police brutalize Black and Brown people and serve as the protectors of capital.

Queer folks have also long been pathologized and faced tremendous harm through the prison industrial complex, and they have been constantly targeted and criminalized through anti-queer laws, anti-trans bills, and policing. That is why this year, the NYC Pride Parade explicitly refused to welcome cops at their events. Historically, Stonewall started as an anti-police riot, which was then followed by other uprisings and rebellions, including the riot at Compton’s Cafeteria, now known as the 111 Taylor St. facility in the Tenderloin.

To put it simply, there is no liberation under racial and rainbow capitalism. As we celebrate Juneteenth and Pride, we must also remember the radical and revolutionary actions of abolitionists and queer activists throughout history. These commemorations also mean liberating all of us and each other from the oppressors. 

Fighting for Black and queer liberation is more than just standing in solidarity. It also means centering abolition as one step closer to that goal.

Sincerely,

? DSA SF Communications Committee

Upcoming Events

? TODAY, 6/15 (5:30): Weekly Tenant Organizing Phonebank | Email neighborsunitedsf@gmail.com to RSVP!

? Thursday, 6/17 (6:00 p.m.): Join Ecosocialists at Our Transit Working Meeting! Email ecosocialist@dsasf.org for the password!

? Sunday, 6/20 (11:30 a.m.): Neighbors United Lit Drop in Jefferson Square Park | Email neighborsunitedsf@gmail.com to RSVP!

? Wednesday, 6/23 (6:00-7:30 p.m.): Loud and Proud: San Francisco’s Queer History in Context

? Tuesday, 6/22 (1:30 p.m.): 21st Century Socialism Reading Group: Jackson Rising

? Sunday, 6/26 (1:30 p.m.): DSA SF Summer Picnic 2021

For more events, click here.

Participate in Our Annual Chapter Convention this Weekend!

This coming weekend, June 12 & 13 from 12:00-4:00 p.m., we will be holding our annual chapter convention! On Saturday, we’ll discuss and debate priorities for the coming year and consider amendments to our chapter’s bylaws. Priorities resolutions advanced by the membership will go up for a ranked-choice vote between the two days of convention via email, to determine which three resolutions will be adopted. On Sunday, we’ll consider a few resolutions and elect leaders to guide the chapter and represent us at the National Convention in August.

Register for the convention here.

Upcoming Events

DSA SF Candidate Forum TOMORROW at 6:45 p.m.

Join us TOMORROW, June 9, at 6:45 p.m., to meet the candidates for DSA SF Grievance Officers, Steering Committee, and our potential candidate for the National Political Committee. Chapter members will have the opportunity to ask the candidates questions and hear about candidates’ plans before voting during our Chapter Convention. Information and registration at bit.ly/dsaforum2021.

Neighborhood Outreach to Renters in the Fillmore

Interested in tenant organizing? Join Neighbors United for our weekly phonebank, tonight at 5:30 p.m.We’ll be calling tenants in the Fillmore to let them know about their rights, and how to access rent relief. On June 30th at 6:00 p.m. in Jefferson Square Park, we’ll be hosting a tenant’s rights bootcamp. Want to become more involved on a regular basis? Join our weekly meeting on Sundays at 12:00 p.m.

Fun in the Sun with Comrades

Mark your calendars: on Saturday, June 26 from 1:30-4:30 p.m. join comrades old and new, for an afternoon of food, games, and camaraderie outside. ? We will set up in the Panhandle near Lyon & Fell St – down the street from the new office! Appropriate safety considerations will be observed. We hope to see you there!

Announcements

New on SFIJ

Hi there, comrades! We think the following pieces of news from the San Francisco Independent Journal (SFIJ) may be of interest to you:

? First, demonstrators successfully blocked an Israeli cargo ship last Friday after picketing in front of six different gates at the Port of Oakland.

? Second, Mayor London Breed announced her budget proposal in a recent press conference with no mention of how her office plans to use Prop I funds, which was passed with a 15-point margin in November.

? Third, the United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) voted to support occupied Palestine amid the escalating crises brought on by Israeli bombings, blockades, and illegal settlements.

? Finally, a series of emails exposed one of San Francisco’s top homelessness chiefs arguing that providing public services ‘attracts unsheltered people’ and that restricting amenities would be necessary to keep the City to be ‘tent free.’

If you have committee work or another story you want to be publicized by a friendly outlet, please submit tips to writing@dsasf.org.

Learn more about the chapter at this week’s Intro to DSA meeting!

Ready to get started with DSA SF? Have questions about socialism or our organization? Whether you have been a member for four years or four weeks, Intro to DSA is a great way to become more active in our organization. Our next Intro to DSA meeting is this Wednesday, June 2 at 6:30 p.m. – register here to join us.

Upcoming Events

Next EWOC Training Series Starts This Week!

The fifth series of the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee’s Organizer Training Series starts this Wednesday, June 2, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. This is a foundational course in organizing in the workplace (your own workplace or others) and is recommended for DSA SF members looking to expand their capacity as labor organizers. You will receive the Zoom registration links once the organizers have reviewed your response. Click here for more information or to sign up!

Learn More About Abolition from the DSA National Abolition Working Group

What is abolition? Why should socialists care about abolition? Join the Abolition Working Group this Thursday, June 3 at 5:00 p.m. for an introductory call that answers these questions on why this work matters, how socialism and abolition go hand in hand, and how you can plug your chapter in going forward. Abolition Working Group members will be joined by organizers Andrea James from Families for Justice as Healing and Rukia Lumumba, founder of the People’s Advocacy Institute. Register for the call here!

Call In to Demand Environmental Justice in the Bay Area!

This Wednesday, June 2 at 9:00 a.m., the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board (BAAQMD) is having a critical vote on refinery pollution. The largest industrial source of pollution, particulate matter (PM) in the Bay Area comes from refineries’ Catalytic Cracking Units (also known as “Cat Crackers”). PM pollution is estimated to kill up to 3,000 Bay Area residents every year, mainly in working-class areas near the refineries.

There is no safe level of PM exposure! Tell the board members to support a common-sense rule to set a standard to reduce the dangerous particulate matter from Chevron’s and PBF’s “Cat Crackers” by 70%. This standard would require pollution control technology already in use at the majority of refineries around the US, including at Valero in Benicia. Sign up to get call-in information and talking points for this meeting. Zoom link for the meeting can be found here, and talking points can be found here.

Announcements

Dean Preston Office Update

London Breed Promises to Veto Free MUNI

After our proposal to pilot a fare-free MUNI program for this summer was advanced by a 7-4 vote from the Board of Supervisors Tuesday, cartoonishly evil Mayor London Breed has publicly promised she will veto the legislation if it passes. While we are disappointed, we aren’t surprised: London Breed has shown time and time again that she values her own neoliberal policies over the democratic will of SF voters and the Board of Supervisors. Let it be known that no matter what the Mayor says, we will never stop fighting for Free MUNI. Completely fare-free public transit is a socialist priority, and it is critical not only for an effective transit program, but also for an eco-friendly one.  

Big Week for Evictions & Rent Debt Legislation

This week, the Board unanimously passed legislation introduced by our office to extend the no-fault eviction ban for another 90 days. Additionally, we introduced legislation to cancel small business back rent, and another emergency law known as the Tenant Lifeline Act. The Tenant Lifeline Act would save tenants from the eviction cliff by extending the period in which tenants only have to pay 25% of their rent until the end of the year. Huge shout out to Kyle Smeallie, one of our legislative aides and a DSA member, who led the charge on all of these critical bills!

Have an idea or want to schedule a meeting with your caucus or committee with Dean’s office? Write either PrestonStaff@sfgov.org or lexvonklark@gmail.com with details, mention you’re with DSA, and we’ll schedule a day!  

Dear comrades, As AAPI Heritage Month comes to a close, we acknowledge the exacerbated anti-Asian sentiments that are deeply rooted in white supremacy, leading to violence, imperialism, and colonialism that are still pervading the Asian diaspora today. Unfortunately, the violence is ongoing. But we can’t fight racism with carcerality. We believe in fighting against violence through continuous organizing outside of the carceral system. The system itself was designed to make marginalized communities more vulnerable, not safer. Part of the ongoing violence also stems from the US exploiting Asian women and immigrants while excluding them from participating in Western society and maintaining the status quo under the guise of a “free market”. That is why we can’t just demand to #StopAsianHate, especially when it comes to hate crime laws. We can’t dismantle racism with more criminalization while also maintaining racial capitalism. The antiquated approach to criminalization will not heal the pain, trauma, and violence that communities are coping with. That is why we support prison and police abolition, and more investment in our communities. To learn more about this historical context, join us for DSA SF’s reading group, “Making Asian America”, for the last session (Empire) this Saturday, May 29 at 2:30 p.m. We must end racism through collective solidarity for liberation and healing from all forms of violence. Sincerely, DSA SF Communications Team

Upcoming Events

Neighborhood Outreach to Renters in District 5

Join us this week for neighborhood organizing in District 5! Electoral Committee is working with Neighbors United, a new community group, to connect renters in District 5 with resources available to them for rent relief, eviction protection, and more. We are hosting a phonebank tonight from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. to reach out to renters in the Fillmore and would love to have you join us. Also, if you’re interested in helping plan these phonebanks and other events, join us for our weekly organizing meeting on Sundays at 12 p.m.

Intro to DSA

Ready to get started with DSA SF? Have questions about socialism or our organization? Whether you have been a member for 4 years or 4 weeks, Intro to DSA is a great way to become more active in our organization. Register here.

BAAQMD Board Call-In

Join us to call in on June 2nd! On this day, the BAAQMD Board is having a critical vote on refinery pollution. The largest industrial source of pollution, particulate matter (PM) in the Bay Area comes from refineries’ Catalytic Cracking Units (also known as “Cat Crackers”). PM pollution is estimated to kill up to 3,000 Bay Area residents every year mainly in working class areas near the refineries. There is no safe level of PM exposure. This common-sense rule will set a standard to reduce the dangerous particulate matter from Chevron’s and PBF’s “Cat Crackers” by 70%. This standard would require pollution control technology already in use at the majority of refineries around the US, including at Valero in Benicia. Sign up to get call-in information and talking points for this meeting.

Next EWOC Training Series Starts Next Week

The fifth series of the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee’s Organizer Training Series starts on June 2. This is a foundational course in organizing in the workplace (your own workplace or others) and recommended for DSA SF members looking to expand their capacity as labor organizers. You will receive the Zoom registration links once the organizers have reviewed your response.

Announcements

This Week on SFIJ

Hi there, comrades!

We think the following pieces of news from the San Francisco Independent Journal (SFIJ) may be of interest to you:

?First, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to support a state bill to help convert abandoned, tax delinquent properties into affordable homes.

?Second, Supervisors Dean Preston and Budget Chair Matt Haney overwhelmingly passed their Free Muni Pilot in a 4-1 vote at the Budget and Appropriations Committee, the final hearing before a vote at the full board of supervisors last Tuesday.

?Finally, climate activists gathered for an 8th annual Anti-Chevron Day in front of the Richmond refinery to call for an end to fossil fuels and Chevron’s mass pollution in the Bay Area.

If you have committee work or another story you want to be publicized by a friendly outlet, please submit tips to writing@dsasf.org.

DSA SF Membership Drive

Consider becoming a member of National DSA or making sure your membership is up-to-date, so you can participate in the member forums and stay informed about what the National Organization is doing. Becoming a member also counts towards DSA SF’s delegate count for the August National Convention! As always, no one will be turned away for lack of funds; all you need to do is fill out the dues sponsorship form. If you have any other questions or hurdles on membership, feel free to email steering@dsasf.org and we’ll figure something out together.

Reading Groups

The Antonio Gramsci Reader

The 21st Century Socialism Reading Group will reach back into the second millennium to look at Antonio Gramsci tonight from 6:30 p.m to 8 p.m. We will be reading chapters 7, 8 and the Glossary. Register here!

Dear comrades, Last week at our chapter meeting, we voted on a statement to show our solidarity for Palestine, marched along with over 10,000 demonstrators in the Mission District on the 73rd anniversary of the Nakba, organized an event featuring Ben Fletcher’s biographer Peter Cole and Clarence Thomas of the ILWU, and many more. However, the work is only the beginning. Yesterday, the Biden administration just approved $735 million in arms sales to Israel, deepening complicity in the right-wing regime’s continuing onslaught towards Palestinians. While this issue is gaining momentum in mainstream media and especially in San Francisco, we must continue to work towards liberation and support the Palestinians and the BDS movement. That is why we’ll be joining demonstrators today, May 18 at 4:00 p.m. for another day of actionto show our continued solidarity. We must resist until there’s liberation for our Palestinian neighbors. The intifada must live on. Sincerely, DSA SF Communications Team

Upcoming Events

Today: #30RightNow Rally

Today in front of City Hall, there will be a rally for the #30RightNow campaign, endorsed by the Homelessness Working Group. Too many formerly unhoused tenants are paying over half of their income towards rent—a burden not imposed by private landlords, but by the City and County of San Francisco.

At 12:45 p.m., we will be meeting in front of the steps at City Hall for a rally to demand that the mayor fully fund and implement #30RightNow this year, which would only cost $6.1 million per year. There will be several speakers, including rent burdened tenants, community advocates, Supervisor Matt Haney, and our comrade, Supervisor Dean Preston.

The rally begins at 1:00 p.m., and we need people to be there in order to send a message to the mayor that our most vulnerable tenants, many of whom are Black, will not be left behind.”
For more information, check out the Facebook event. 

Read the #30RightNow policy statement here.

Neighbors United Tenant Phonebank

Join Neighbors United for a tenant rights phonebank tonight, May 18 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.We’ll be calling District 5 tenants and providing information on rent relief and the eviction moratorium. Contact Pat at pcochran.media@gmail.com for more information. Zoom link here!

Budget Townhall with Supervisors Matt Haney and Dean Preston

Have questions about how the city spends its money? Even better, have ideas about how the city SHOULD spend it? Join us at a Budget Townhall on Monday, May 24 from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. with Supervisors Matt Haney and Dean Preston! This is an important opportunity for us to be heard by the city government! Register here.

Announcements

Interview with Jackie Fielder on SFIJ

Recently, the San Francisco Independent Journal had the chance to speak with former State Senate candidate Jackie Fielder to find out what she’s been up to. Learn more about her exciting developments for a progressive incubator in California through our latest interview here.

Dean Preston Office Update

In this week’s update:

• Dean’s office is helping lead the fight in SF to make MUNI fare-free for the summer. However, they’re facing pushbacks and need your help. Please write to either Supervisor Peskin (D3) or Supervisor Melgar (D7) and tell them to support Free MUNI for the Summer. Tell your friends and neighbors to reach out to the supervisors too!
• Recently, Mayor London Breed refused to commit to using Prop I funds for rent relief and social housing. This is clearly contrary to the will of both the voters and the Board of Supervisors. Sign this petition to stand with hundreds of others in demanding that Breed respect the will of the voters and properly fund Prop I. You can also reach out to Mayor Breed directly here so she knows exactly how we feel about her selfishness. 
• Neighbors United is having a phonebank TONIGHT at 5:30 p.m. (see above).

Have an idea or want to schedule a meeting with your caucus or committee with Dean’s office? Write either PrestonStaff@sfgov.org or lexvonklark@gmail.com with details, mention you’re with DSA, and we’ll schedule a day! 

DSA SF Membership Drive

Consider becoming a member of National DSA or making sure your membership is up-to-date, so you can participate in the member forums and stay informed about what the National Organization is doing. Becoming a member also counts towards DSA SF’s delegate count for the August National Convention! As always, no one will be turned away for lack of funds; all you need to do is fill out the dues sponsorship form. If you have any other questions or hurdles on membership, feel free to email steering@dsasf.org and we’ll figure something out together.

Reading Groups

The Antonio Gramsci Reader

The 21st Century Socialism Reading Group takes a dip back into the 20th Century. There will be four sessions every other Tuesday, continuing with our third session tonight from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Register here!

Making Asian America: Brief Excerpts on Labor, Belonging, and Empire

Join us for DSA SF’s newest reading group to commemorate AAPI Heritage Month, “Making Asian America.” There will be three sessions (Labor, Belonging, and Empire), each of which will examine a different aspect of Asian American political organizing within its historical context. The last two sessions were on Sunday, May 2 and Saturday, May 15, and the last session will take place next Saturday, May 29, at 2:30 p.m.Sign up here.