Spring 2007 Regional Meeting
From SP Boston
The spring 2007 New England regional meeting of the Socialist Party was held Saturday, 21 April 2007 in the AFSC building at 2161 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge. It began around 10:30 (with bagels, coffee, orange juice, and a chance to gather before hand) and ran until the afternoon.
For more information, see the full minutes below.
Agenda
Bagels, coffee, orange juice, etc. available starting around 10:00.
- Introductions and agenda approval (10:30-11:00)
- Local reports (11:00-11:30)
- In the interest of keeping business moving, locals are encouraged to submit written reports ahead of time that can be collected into a booklet and distributed ahead of time.
- Regional organization and coordination (11:30-12:45)
- General issues: how to keep in touch and coordinate between regional meetings?
- Organizing new locals and reactivating dormant locals: how can we best help support each other's efforts?
- Labor issues: unionizing workplaces, and a report on the CIW mobilization in Chicago the previous week, and where the campaign for fair food and farmworker justice goes next.
- Immigration raids like those in New Bedford and Danbury: how best to respond, work with the immigrant community, and bring an end to the raids?
- Preparing for the 2008 elections on a regional level: considering potential candidacies of our own, as well as ongoing efforts to pressure Presidential candidates and Congressional offices to take strong stands against the war.
- Other antiwar work and action.
- Break for lunch and socializing (12:45-1:30)
- Other business (1:30-2:30)
- Upcoming events such as May Day 2007, the US Social Forum, the third annual anti-imperialist Fourth of July celebration, etc.
- Socialist Party National Convention, October 19-21 in St. Louis, MO: considering possible resolutions or potential Presidential candidates. We may also consider delegates, but the number of delegates allotted to each state will not be settled until later in the summer.
- Possible state caucuses to address business such as electing State Executive Committees or planning state-wide meetings over the summer.
- Socialist Summer '07: preparing for this year's campaigns, should they be announced yet.
- Any 2007 election campaigns already underway.
- Scheduling the Fall 2007 Regional Meeting.
- Addressing the recent Supreme Court decision on abortion.
Minutes
- Introductions and agenda approval
- The meeting was attended by Matt A., Rebecca B., Andrew I., Chris P., and David S. of Boston; Chas H. of Worcester; Eric C., Susan D., and Ed M. of western Massachusetts; Bill S. of Connecticut; Priscilla C. of New Hampshire; Peter D., Mal H., Michael M., Doris L., Jerry L., and Anne T. of Vermont.
- Local reports
- All four locals (Boston, Western Mass., Connecticut and Brattleboro Vermont) supplied brief written reports, which will be posted online in the near future. Some brief additions were made:
- There is now a significant left presence on the Brattleboro Select Board, with three left members (including the chair). In the past there have only been 1-2 left Select board members.
- Bill outlined some of the immigrant actions the Socialist Party of Central/Eastern Connecticut had been involved in, although a more general discussion of immigration issues was postponed until later in the agenda.
- The Tom Mooney local discussed some of their recent actions, focusing especially on the difficulty they had achieving visibility for the Socialist Party itself.
- David added that Bob Flanagan from Worcester was unable to attend, but is working start a local in Worcester/Central Massachusetts.
- Regional organization and coordination
- Susan proposed that the convention planning committee be used as the nucleus of a group that can stay in close communication and help locals keep in touch with each other, and aware of each other's activities.
- Liaisons from each local were nominated to that purpose: David from Boston, Susan from western Massachusetts, Bill from Connecticut, and Mal from Vermont. These nominations should be confirmed by locals.
- In addition to immediate communication and coordination, this group will compile local reports into a newsletter to be distributed to all New England members before the next regional meeting in Connecticut in late September.
- Supporting new locals
- Jerry described the formation of the Brattleboro, VT local as a model of outreach to new locals. He and others emphasized especially addressing personal motivations and mixing business and organizing with more fun and relaxing activities.
- There are several SP members in unorganized areas, including New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Central Massachusetts, and Maine. In order to organize those areas, we need someone 'on the ground' who can help bring people together, as well as outreach from established locals to help introduce potential members and supporters to the Socialist Party, its history and its structure.
- Attention focused on reaching out to and recruiting experienced activists and unaffiliated groups which seem likely to be interested in and open to joining with the SP.
- Labor issues and organizing
- David and Matt gave a brief history of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) and summarized their recent agreement with McDonald's. We discussed the strengths and weaknesses of their tactics of allying with consumers and making minimal immediate demands, contrasting those with Starbuck's workers' attempts to unionize.
- A coordinated day of action against Burger King, the CIW's next target, was proposed. The CIW has now launched its campaign against Burger King, and the regional liaisons will start working on planning and coordination.
- One member gave a report on the prospects for organizing his workplace, and received some advice from some who had watched other attempts to unionize similar businesses.
- Immigration and immigrants' rights
- The points in the SP's platform relating to immigration and immigrants' rights were reviewed. There was a proposal that the National Convention expand these points and create a separate section for them; they are currently part of the "Civil Rights" section.
- There was debate on how to balance demands for fundamental change (such as the abolition of international capitalism and the mechanisms that create economic refugees) with working for immediate reforms (such as the demilitarization of the border and immigration agencies, stopping raids and deportations by ICE, opposing exploitative guest worker programs, and granting voting rights to non-citizen residents).
- One particular immediate reform -- supporting forms of "fair trade" that manage to avoid commercialization and co-optation into reformist capitalism -- generated additional discussion and debate.
- Preparing for the 2008 elections
- There was discussion of potential presidential candidates, with general agreement that the SP should, if possible, nominate a woman, preferably one who is enthusiastic about campaigning and doesn't need to be "drafted" into running.
- Several requested the compilation of comprehensive and specific questionnaires to be completed by any Presidential candidates and circulated to the membership (especially NC delegates) well ahead of the National Convention.
- David raised the issue of ballot access, pointing out that efforts to get ballot access in additional states in New England will require assistance from across the region. Peter recommended focusing on Rhode Island and reminded the meeting that any Socialist Party Presidential candidate would need to win Liberty Union's open primary to get on the Vermont ballot.
- Susan Dorazio is considering a campaign for US Congress against John Olver and does not want to run for President, but has not made a Sherman statement.
- The Liberty Union Party in Vermont is planning to run a full slate of candidates in 2008, many of whom will be Socialist Party members. They will also try to get as many local candidates for the State Legislature as possible. Mal and Doris do not want to run for President.
- Boston members hope to run local candidates in 2007, but currently have no definite plans.
- National Convention and upcoming National Committee meeting
- The SP National Convention will be held in St. Louis, MO, on 19-21 October.
- The deadline for potential delegates to join the SP or renew their dues passed a few days before the meeting. One delegate will be allotted for every seven members as of 1 June.
- Information about deadlines for nominating delegates and submitting resolutions and amendments needs to be distributed to the membership, as does information about travel subsidies and how to contribute to the travel fund.
- 20 rooms have been reserved at the St. Louis Hilton, a union hotel. Both single and double rooms are available for $99, but delegates will need to reserve them by 21 September.
- There was some discussion of procedures, including the tasks of the credentials committee and constitution committee.
- The upcoming National Committee meeting in Tampa, Florida on 9-10 June will attempt to fill some positions that are currently vacant -- in particular, treasurer, permanent editor of The Socialist, campaign coordinator, and additional female members of the editorial board and finance committee.
- Antiwar activity
- Eric started a discussion of antiwar activity, recommending working with CODE PINK where possible to pressure Congressional representatives and Presidential candidates into taking meaningful action against the war.
- Next regional meeting
- The Fall 2007 New England Regional Meeting will be held in Connecticut, probably at the East Hartford library. It will be held in late September, a few weeks before the National Convention, but the host local needs to meet before specifying a definite date.
- Massachusetts state meeting
- Matt, David, Chas, Eric, Susan, and Ed stayed a bit after the meeting to take care of some Massachusetts business.
- A new State Executive Committee was elected -- Matt is chair, David secretary, and Eric treasurer.
- Eric and Susan reported on the SP of Massachusetts's finances, and discussed using some of the funds for travel support for delegates to the National Convention. Eric collected SPMA dues from those present.
- The Tom Mooney Local will show the Debs video at UMass-Amherst on 10 May, and see if Bob can attend.
- Members will try to make it out to Worcester to help support Bob's organizing efforts. The most definite suggestion was organizing a presentation on the Socialist Party and its history, to help kick off the formation of a local.
- Another state-wide business meeting or will follow the anti-imperialist Fourth of July picnic. No other summer "convention" is planned.