September 2023 General Body Meeting Minutes

September 7, 2023

Meeting Minutes

Chair: Kara H.

Secretary: Ash M.

7:05 Welcome & Call to Order

Past Business: HGO Resolution

7:10 Support CCEA in their contract fight against CCSD!Noel K. & Paul K. 

  • Noel K. & Paul K. gave an overview of the current contract fight and advice for how we can support CCSD teachers.
  • Talk positively about teachers and their fight
  • Share information about rallies and attend if you can
7:20 DSA National Convention 2023

  •  Convention Recap Anthony L. 
    •  Sign up for Income Based Solidarity Dues!
    • Jesser and Rahman spoke about their experience being at convention for the first time. Exciting, lots of high-level political discourse, exciting to talk to people from outside of our chapters and see how other chapters are different from ours.
    • LVDSA delegates voted as a block. 
    • External
      • Prioritize GND related work, legislative work, expand to include labor demands
      • Labor strategy, strike and picket support at UAW
      • National labor commission will help establish emergency worker organizing support in local chapters, Anthony is attending training to bring back info to chapter
      • Electoral committee will develop strategy to build independence from Dem party 
      • Work related to supporting immigrants and refugees 
      • Add financial and technical resources to emergency tenant organizing committee
    • Internal
      • Creating actionable plan for resolutions that passed
      • Full-time, national chairs
      • 2 NPC members will be elected, same members from delegation will be voting 
      • Democracy commission for DSA, make national body more functional, more democratic 
      • Solidarity-based income dues, 1 percent of your income, will help us to do all of the things we want to do as an organization
    • Guest NPC Speakers
  • The 2023 Convention and Red Star’s Tasks For Leadership
    • New NPC members spoke about their excitement for the next few years and what they hope to see
    • Excitement about Trans Rights/Reproductive Rights campaign nationwide 
    • Q&A
      • Next big national DSA campaign?
        • Megan: Trans lib, reproductive justice, defending democracy itself, campaign ties all of those things together, more bottom-up organizing 
        • Chapters will assess conditions where they are, decide what campaign is right for them as a part of this bigger campaign, national offers support in whatever way is needed 
        • Connect chapters that are doing similar work, chapters can help each other 
8:00 Chapter Updates

  • Labor
    • Starbucks – Austin K. 
    •  Starbucks Adopt-a-Store!
    • Thursday, Sept 14th 3:30-6:30pm
    • 4780 S. Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas NV 89119
    • Ask: Get 2-3 people out to hand out flyers and tell customers that Starbucks is breaking labor laws
    • Kicked out of this Starbucks last month, got customers worked up, workers were happy
    • Led by Tiko
  • Strike Ready Update – Anthony L. 
    • Valley Hospital Pickets – sign up for a shift here!
    • Staff are picketing, get anyone to be on line with them 
    • Transitioning from UPS teamsters, shifting towards UAW, probably going to strike
    • not many current actions for NV, amplify on social media, talk positively in support, more regional than UPS
  • Report back on Labor 101 Presentation – Austin K. 
    • Presented at E. Las Vegas library
    • 29 attendees, many new people
  • Housing Shannon W. 
    •  Housing Meeting
    • Every second Tuesday of the month
    • September 12th at 6pm
    • First canvas this cycle on Sat
  • Member Engagement Sarah L. 
  • Mutual Aid Justin N. & Rahman F. 
  • Political EducationBrian TS
    • 3rd Monday of the month [IN-PERSON]: Politics in the Park
    • Monday, September 18th 6-8pm
    • Sunset Park
    • 1st Monday of the month [ONLINE]: Socialist Vibes
    • Monday, October 2nd at 7pm
  • Communications – Tiffany S. 
    •  Comms Committee Meeting
    • 1st  Tuesday of the month
    • Next meeting: Tuesday. October 3rd at 7pm
    • Looking for people who want to make graphics, write (social media, blog posts, email), help with translations, and more!
    • Contact Tiffany for more information
  • Socialist Feminist 
    • Upcoming reading series starting in October! Short articles rather than book clubs at first 
    • Reach out to Shaelyn on Slack with any questions or interest in getting involved!
  • LVDSA Office Hours – Roy Z. 
    •  Next one: Thursday, Sept 21 7-8pm
    • Time to work on anything that you need to do and ask chapter-related questions! 
Other upcoming Events – See LVDSA’s full events page here

  • SEIU’s Communities United! A Multicultural Festival
    • Saturday, Sept 9th 4-9pm, free admission
    • 500 S Grand Central Pkwy Las Vegas, NV 89106
Open Comment Period

  • Austin: Tabling at Life is Shit festival, contact Austin if you are interested in tabling along with him!
  • Brian: SRA is inviting all DSA members to join them at the shooting range! Contact Brian if you are interested in being involved 
  • Angel: Somos Pilares @ E. Las Vegas Community Center https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/573429/ 
8:30 Group Discussion

  • Which Way Forward, Socialist? [Jacobin – An interview with Sofia Guimarães Cutler, Rashad X, Philip Locker, Renée Paradis, and Alexander HernándezWe spoke to some of the Democratic Socialists of America members deciding the future of the country’s largest socialist organization this weekend.]
Adjourn