Initiative 82 leaps over ballot hurdle — DC's tipped minimum wage set to increase over five-year span
After a contentious campaign season, DC overwhelmingly voted yes to pass Initiative 82. Initiative 82 was voted by a majority of residents in every single precinct in the city — passing with well over 70% of the vote according to the latest tally from the DC Board of Elections.
Here’s the timeline for implementation: In December, the DC Board of Elections will certify the final results. In January, the DC Council Chair will transfer I82 to Congress where it will move through a 30-day legislative review. Once confirmed, I82 will become law, and tipped workers will get their first raise (from $5.35/hr to $6/hr). Tipped workers will receive a second pay raise in July to $8/hr (at that point, the regular minimum wage will be around $17.50/hr). Every year following, the tipped minimum wage will increase until 2027, when the tipped credit will be totally eliminated and all workers in DC will make at least the minimum wage. (In the meantime, if you are a worker who suspects their employer is not paying them the appropriate wage, you can file a claim with the DC Department of Employment Services here.)
From helping to secure ballot access, to running canvassing operations, to developing literature and public discourse, the Metro DC DSA played an integral part of the public campaign for Initiative 82. (A socialist force organized through the chapter knocked over ~18 thousand doors in support of the initiative.) But the fight for Initiative 82 has always been a larger project embarked and participated in by a wide array of community organizations, labor advocacy groups, motivated activists and inspired workers who wanted to see an end to this unjust system. This popular front defeated an opposition campaign financed by over $600,000 in corporate cash. When the working class gets organized, the working class wins.
If you are not a member of the DSA, and want to join our wider labor and political organizing efforts, consider joining the Socialists today. Metro DC DSA’s Labor and Electoral working group helped organize the fight for I82, and will continue to organize workers across the region in support of labor rights (and also make sure that I82 is fully initiated without disruption or interruption from the business lobby).
MDC DSA Fall Book Exchange at Alethia Tanner Park — TOMORROW, November 12 at noon
Metro DC DSA is hosting a fall book exchange and DC Public Library card sign-up TOMORROW, Saturday, November 12 from noon to 3pm at Alethia Tanner Park. Sign up here and come on out! Bring your books, leave with some other books, pick up some free swag and learn about getting access to library resources in DC and surrounding areas. The event is open to all and will take place at Alethia Tanner Park, 227 Harry Thomas Way NE, Washington, DC 20002 — along the Metro Branch Trail near NoMa and Rhode Island Ave. See you there!
Film Screening: Barry Farm: Community, Land and Justice in Washington, DC — Tuesday, November 15 at 6pm (hybrid)
Join Metro DC DSA Socialist Night School this coming Tuesday evening for a film screening! The film is about Barry Farm, the site of one of DC’s first thriving Black communities during Reconstruction — which was developed into public housing in the 1940s. Residents lived in the Barry Farms Dwellings up until 2019, when the final community members were removed for redevelopment. The documentary film is about this community, followed by discussion with the filmmakers, former Barry Farm residents, and special guests, including newly elected DSA DC Council member Zachary Parker. The event is held and sponsored by the University of the District of Columbia College of Arts and Sciences, University of the District of Columbia D.C. History Research Lab, Empower DC and the DC Legacy Project. Sign up now to join us in person or virtually!
November WASHINGTON SOCIALIST
Four new entries in the Metro DC DSA’s monthly archive…
Training on How to Organize a Walking Tour — this Wednesday, November 16 at 8pm (online)
Interested in getting involved in political education? Have an idea for an event? Sign up now for a 90 minute online training on How to Organize a Walking Tour! The training takes place on Wednesday, November 16 at 8pm and will cover all aspects related to safe outdoor political education — with a specific focus on walking tours. The training will cover what topics work for a walking tour, how to conduct signups, and how to route tour attendees to continuing education and organizing. It will also cover logistical details such as how to coordinate supplies, find volunteer roles, send attendee reminders, keep attendees safe, arrange content, and do follow up. The Political Education Working Group plans to hold outdoor political education events and walking tours this coming spring and summer — sign up now to get trained on how to help (and suggest some topics)! The meeting will be recorded but make sure to sign up to share your ideas and let us know of your interest even if you can’t make it Wednesday night.
2022 Convention Timeline — Save the date for December 10 and 11
The MDC DSA Steering Committee has voted to set the dates for the 2022 Local Convention for Saturday, December 10 to Sunday, December 11, 2022. Local Convention is an opportunity for the full chapter to introduce and debate priority campaigns, general resolutions, bylaw amendments, and considerations for political candidate endorsements for the 2023 primary election. The convention planning team is in the process of forming and will be headed by Steering member Aparna R. The Steering election for the 2023 term will occur concurrently with convention and will be managed by a separately constituted internal election administrative department in AdCom.
Make sure to save that weekend in your calendar, as well as the following deadlines:
November 14 to 21: Bylaw Amendment Submissions, General Resolutions, Steering Committee Nominations Due
December 3: Priority Resolutions due
December 4 to 5: Amendments to Bylaw Amendments or General Resolutions due
December 10 to 11: Convention
2022 Convention Bylaw Amendment and Resolution Workshop — Sunday, November 13 at 7pm
Join your MDC DSA comrades Sunday, November 13 for an informational workshop on how to craft bylaw amendments and resolutions ahead of the (Dec. 10-11) 2022 convention. We’ll meet from 7 to 8:15pm on Zoom. If you have an idea for a way to strengthen our chapter and want to learn more about our convention procedures, this is a chance to get questions answered and feedback from others. As a reminder, submission for bylaw amendments and resolutions will be open from November 14 to 21. This event is open to DSA members only.
Candidate Accountability: What it is and why we do it — Tuesday, November 15 at 7:30pm
As socialists aiming to win political power, it’s vital we know how, when, and why we keep elected officials in line with their campaign promises. RSVP for an internal discussion about what that should look like, issues the chapter has had in the past, and how we’ve dealt with it then. This discussion will serve as a basis for another discussion at our yearly convention on the topic. This event is open to DSA members only.
March with the Montgomery County Branch in the Thanksgiving Day Parade — Saturday, November 19
The campaign for rent stabilization continues in Montgomery County. The Montgomery County branch and allies are pushing for a permanent rent stabilization law, which would limit annual rent increases to a small amount, with the support of progressive incoming council members.
There are two upcoming opportunities to get involved: Join us to knock on doors in downtown Silver Spring and talk to tenants about rent stabilization at 1pm on November 12. RSVP here.
We will also be marching in the Silver Spring Thanksgiving Parade on Saturday, November 19 from 8:15am to 12pm. This is the only Thanksgiving parade in the Metro DC area and is widely attended by politicians and community groups in the area — and is televised. We are working on a float and need volunteers to march with us, hold our banner, pass out fliers and give out candy. The more people who can march with us, the bigger the impact we will have. All that is needed is for volunteers to arrive at the Silver Spring Town Center Garage at 8:15am and we will have plenty of time together to talk through our simple and fun puppetry performance. RSVP here if you can join us and an organizer will follow up!
INFO ACCESS
Publications Schedule: The Washington Socialist monthly newsletter is published in harness with the weekly update every month and is out now. November Updates are scheduled for Fridays, Nov. 18 and (for Thanksgiving) Wednesday the 23rd, and the December monthly newsletter will be dated Friday, December 2.
The Washington Socialist welcomes solo or collaborative responses from our many Fall reading groups; pass along what you are learning and thinking to your comrades who aren’t present and to our wider readership on the DMV left. Join our #publications channel to chat this up on Slack and send individual or group responses to [email protected].
Our annual MDC DSA convention (on December 10 to 11) is when we tinker with and update our chapter bylaws and propose chapter-wide resolutions. Wait — we have bylaws? Yep, and you can find them here. Did you know that between our local conventions, “In the absence of a local convention, the members present and assembled at a general body meeting represent the general body membership and are the highest decision-making authority in the chapter”? (Bylaws 3.1) A second workshop on how to propose bylaw amendments and resolutions is set for Sunday, November 13, details to come but save that date. As a reminder, the deadline to submit bylaw amendments and resolutions for convention will be November 21st. Here is a look at last year’s 2021 Convention Bulletin, with full texts of all submitted resolutions.
Red Desk is where all members can go to request support, calendar links for events, etc. for their campaigns and working group needs. How to access and use Red Desk? Here are some visual how-tos.
COMMUNITY BULLETIN
Get Help on Your College Applications | Ward 6 Mutual Aid Need help writing your college application essays? Serve Your City DC/Ward 6 Mutual Aid is offering FREE individual college prep support for students of color in Washington, DC. Email [email protected] for more information and/or to sign up for support.
The Homeless Crisis Reporting Project | Street Sense Media Join Street Sense Media and Georgetown University’s Center for Social Justice and Journalism program on November 16 from 6 to 8pm (in person at 500 1st St NW or online) to discuss how newsrooms can and should cover homelessness and related issues. As part of this event, reporters and editors will join with those with first-hand experience of homelessness to share what they would like to see from reporters covering the subject. Register here for this event.
Punk Rock Flea Market and Donation Drive | DC Punk Rock Flea Market Saturday, November 19 marks the return of DC’s annual Punk Rock Flea Market! This flea features creatives from across the DMV — MDC DSA will be tabling! — and also doubles as a donation drive for We Are Family (please bring cans and/or non-perishables to donate). The flea takes place at St. Stephen & the Incarnation Episcopal Church at 1525 Newton St NW from 12 to 5pm.
Oyster Mushroom Cultivation Workshop and Tasting | Slow Food DC Head to Patagonia Old Town (815 1/2 King St, Alexandria, VA) on Saturday, November 19 for a free fungi workshop with Slow Food DC! Attendees will learn the basics of at-home oyster mushroom cultivation while enjoying a variety of functional mushroom snacks and beverages in the store. This event is free and takes place from 12 to 2pm.
Resource Share and Info Session for DMV Farmers, Gardeners, and Ag-vocates | USDA NRCS Are you a community gardener or urban farmer? Join a free resource session with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service on December 1 from 6:30 to 7:30pm at Martin Luther King Jr. Library in NW DC! This is a great opportunity to learn about services currently available to you through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (including financial grants and technical assistance) and meet local field office staff. The event is free and open to the public, but RSVP is strongly encouraged due to space limitations.
Abolition Deep Canvass | SURJ DC Are you interested in how we can engage the hearts and minds of our neighbors and community members, and build support and enthusiasm for much-needed change? The SURJ Deep Canvass Team and Trans & Queer Working Group invite you to participate in our last deep canvass of 2022. The canvass will be held on Saturday, November 19 from 10am to 2:30pm in the Petworth neighborhood and we’ll be talking to neighbors about community safety and police abolition. We will start with a morning training and lunch, then hit the doors! We’ll be canvassing in pairs and will have opportunities to learn from and share collective knowledge about what works in conversations with white people about white supremacy. Sign up here for our November canvass! If you can’t make it in November but are interested in canvassing with us in 2023, please let us know.
ESSENTIAL TRAFFIC
Kim Kelly in Insider recounts how Gen Z workers are changing the workplace because they refuse to adapt to the toxic work environment created by boomers and their successors. “There’s a growing wave of labor organizers and reformers in their 20s who have been working overtime across the country to change the workplace.”
Herman Daly, an early exponent of a sustainable, “steady-state” economy, died in late October. His project has caught on, as Sam Pizzigati worthily outlines in Portside (Sam is incorrect, though, that the WaPo failed to note Daly’s passing; here it is. The University of Maryland School of Public Policy, where he taught for 15 years, also announced his death.
DSA CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Most MDC DSA meetings remain remote-only. To join remote meetings, members will need to register at the event link provided and receive the remote-access link by email.
The flame of thought, the magnificence of art, the wonder of discovery, and the audacity of invention all belong to revolutionary periods when humanity, tired of its chains, shatters them and stops inebriated to breathe the breeze of a vaster and freer horizon..
- Virgilia D'Andrea
Sent via ActionNetwork.org.
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