June CA DSA State Council Meeting Report
The quarterly CA DSA State Council meeting was held on June 8. Delegates heard an update from UAW Local 4811 president Rafael Jaime on the University of California academic worker unfair labor practice strike, voted to support the ARCH campaign, and approved a bylaws amendment.
Keynote speaker Rafael Jaime, President of UAW 4811
Rafael Jaime presented to us the experiences of workers across the UC system, describing the violence that UC administration allowed to be perpetrated against students, teachers, and workers in campus protest encampments. He also described the systematic crackdown on free speech rights and creation of unsafe working conditions for workers simply practicing their constitutional rights of free speech and assembly in their protest of the genocide in Gaza. These actions by the UC administration caused UAW 4811 to file unfair labor practice charges against the UC and their members overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike.
The UC administration attempted to halt the strike with appeals to the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), which denied the requests. The administration then found a friendly judge in Orange County to issue an injunction pausing the strike.
Jaime said it is important for us to keep this fight moving in the name of workers rights, free speech rights, and the movement for Palestinian liberation. Though the UC bent the legal system to its will, workers are committed to taking this fight forward for the long haul. The Stand Up strikes gave student workers flexibility to respond to changing conditions on each campus as the strikes escalated. Members of our State Council noted that this labor action was almost unprecedented in American labor history.
Jaime told us that the next step is for 4811 members at the university department level to decide the best strategy moving forward. He concluded by reminding us that as this struggle continues, it will be key to have DSA’s full support for UAW.
CoChair’s Report
One of our outgoing CoChairs, Alex B, welcomed the new State Council to our meeting and discussed some of the recent changes that took place in our former State Committee’s leadership for the last few months of their term. She also thanked our former State Committee members for all their work over the last year in getting CA DSA this far.
Our second CoChair, Tal L, finished the report by going over some of what we’ve learned in the last year, including the need for our State Committee to develop more effective ways to connect our delegates, members, and chapters across California.
Treasury Report
Tal L, who also served as our outgoing treasurer, discussed the work that had been done over the past year in regards to our statewide organization’s finances. Currently, due to National DSA rules, CA DSA is prevented from having its own bank account but does have its own PAC account. The PAC account is primarily for election campaign fundraising and is governed by state election laws. Currently CA DSA has no revenue stream, which has been one of our biggest hurdles in creating a sustainable organization.
Our State Committee is also tasked with putting forward a recommendation to our National Political Committee on how DSA National should disburse donations to California chapters through 2026, since state election rules limit the amount of in-kind donations our chapters can receive without having to disclose the names of all of our members to election officials. This 4 year limit is $100,000 and some of that money has already been spent. Any spending from non-separately incorporated bodies, grants from National Electoral Commission, any purchase of software in support of local campaigns count toward this amount. If we JUST used the canvassing tool VAN - we’d only have the option to support 10 local campaigns in the next 2 cycles.
Comms Report
Fred G talked to us about our website which was published a year ago along with the initial issue of our bimonthly newsletter, California Red. He described the successes of those efforts in keeping ten thousand CA DSA members across the state informed about the work of local chapters as well as the state body. He noted that we are an all volunteer organization, and we welcome articles and suggestions from the membership for stories.
Discussion on Comms:
A delegate asked, how does California Red interact with the national publications—for instance, do we send anything upstream? How could our publications operate inside the national publication body(ies)? Fred answered that at the moment we don’t have a direct connection; the national DSA staffer who had been attending our communications meetings left the organization and has yet to be replaced. This is mostly a capacity issue for us. We agree that it would be a great thing to be coordinating with National.
Chapter Reports
San Luis Obispo:
Brenda M, Cochair of SLO DSA said her chapter has been very busy working on Palestinian support and in various alliances. A lot of the area is “Trump country.” They are working on ‘food not bombs’ programs, Involved with SLO tenants unions and are out canvassing. They are getting ready to ramp up for propositions on California ballots for renters. They have a dynamic YDSA, and are tabling at many Pride events and making sure Pride flags are flown.
Santa Barbara:
Andrew, Cochair, told us about the Santa Barabara tenants union, which won a rent-eviction fight. The chapter is in the process of incorporation. A member of the Santa Barbara Tenants Union who’s involved with SB DSA is running for city council to put a renter-supportive majority on the city council. There’s also been support for walkouts protesting the genocide in Gaza.
Business Items:
Consent Agenda: Recommended California DSA Legislative Positions
Opposition to CA Assembly Bill 2742
This bill would prohibit a person driving a vehicle upon a highway or a pedestrian from willfully obstructing a highway, including in the course of a protest, in any manner that interferes with the ability of an authorized emergency vehicle to pass and would make a violation of this provision punishable by specified fines. By creating a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Our legislative framework means that we would be submitting our position to the state legislative portal and publicizing our position. The goal of adopting positions isn’t just to get our names down but to educate the public that neither parties in CA are consistent in standing for working class positions. Any other possible actions beyond these are to be determined by the State Committee.
Vote: 34 yes, 0 nos, 1 abstain
Bylaws Amendment submitted by State Committee
CA DSA’s State Committee proposed a Bylaws Amendment that would reduce the size of our Steering Committee from 9 to 7 positions and would also assign specific roles to previously “at large” members of that committee.
Vote: 35 yes, 0 no, 3 abstain
Affordable, Rent-controlled Housing Campaign Program
Link to full campaign program here
Note: Program was amended before our vote to account for the recent removal of a ballot measure from the November 2024 general election
Vote: 35 yes, 1 no, 1 abstain
Non-deliberative discussion:
Our meeting concluded with a discussion of our Affordable Rent-Controlled Housing (ARCH) campaign and a number of final points delegates wished to make about the work ahead. Delegates were excited about the potential for this campaign to build DSA and bring much needed reforms to housing law in California. Members also discussed the looming “Taxpayer Deception Act” which would gut local governments’ ability to fund programs and create taxes. [NOTE: Since the State Council meeting, the state supreme court found the ballot measure unconstitutional and threw it off the November ballot—Editor.]
Delegates also considered how the ARCH campaign interfaces with other chapter and CA DSA work, including other ballot measure campaigns, but also how we make sure local chapters have the ability to be connected to this project.
Slides here from our campaign outline and discussion
Respectfully submitted, Paul Zappia, CA DSA Secretary
