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- Meeting of the National Action Committee April 25, 2006 Attending (all by phone): Matthew Andrews, Raul Cano, Susan Dorazio, Greg Pason and Jim Schaefer. Meeting called to order at 9:00 pm (ET) by Greg Pason. Organizing Conference: The committee discussed the proposed contract with Wayne State University for the 2006 National Organizing Conference. The group agreed that there would not likely note be a need for housing for more than 10 folks on Thursday evening, but the rest of the contract was fine. Motion: To approve the contract by the National Organizing Conference Committee as submitted with one change: to lower the number of beds reserved for Thursday night from 30 to 10, and to authorize a $2000 loan from Treasury to the National Office to cover the deposit need to secure the conference location and to produce and mail a national postcard mailing to all members of the conference date, location, housing info. and other information. The loan is to be repaid before the first National Committee meeting of 2007. Motion passed 4 yes 1 abstention (Jim Schaefer) Editor/The Socialist The committee discussed the recent issue of The Socialist. Greg reported that the issue should be delivered before May Day to all members with dues paid up-to-date. The committee discussed re-naming Diane Brand as temporary Editor through the next issue, but decided not to since an issue of Socialist Women was coming out (which Diane was helping with) and the NC meeting being only a little more than one month away. Motion: The National Action Committee thanks Diane Brand for stepping into the temporary Editor position after the resignation of Shaun Richman as Editor. We authorize Diane, as convener of the Editorial Board, to collect articles for a September issue of The Socialist, until the National Committee elects a new Editor. May Day Resolution Motion: Celebrate May Day 2006. On May 1st walkouts at schools and workplaces across the US will take place in solidarity with immigrant communities under attack by Congressional legislation. These walkouts invoke the powerful tradition of May Day - the socialist celebration of international working class solidarity. Once again US immigrants are taking a leadership role in the struggle for social and economic justice, just as they did at the birth of May Day in Chicago a hundred and twenty years ago. The Socialist Party USA joins in the celebration of May Day and condemns the Democratic and Republican Parties for militarizing our borders and failing to protect the rights of all workers. Callous and ineffectual immigration policies are exacerbating racism in the US and creating an underclass of super-exploited workers, all in the service of corporate profits. The Socialist Party furthermore rejects assimilationist policies and attitudes which marginalize and criminalize the diverse heritages of immigrants and people of color. Experience teaches us that only militant industry-wide labor action can challenge corporate power and win better wages, hours and working conditions. Nevertheless, the global inequalities that compel migrants to seek risky, back-breaking, low wage labor in the US cannot be resolved within the constraints of modern capitalism. In the tradition of May Day we call for the abolition of capitalist systems of ownership and trade, and the creation of a truly democratic society where production fulfills human need, not profit. In a world riddled with war and underdevelopment, we also add racism, militarism and imperialism to the list of global cancers which must be uprooted as prerequisites to peace and justice. The Socialist Party encourages all members and affiliates to take part in the May Day call for “No Work, No School, No Buying, No Selling” and for members and affiliates to take part in local May Day actions. A list of actions can be found on the Socialist Party USA website www.sp-usa.org and on www.nohr4437.org Motion passed unanimously. The committee agreed to hold the next NAC phone meeting during the third week of June. Past Business: NC Mail Ballot Greg reported that the budget passed unanimously, the resolutions for $1000 from the Treasury to support publication of Socialist Women and $600 from the Treasury for The Torch passed with one abstention. The NAC decided the NC decision on the IC request was withdrawn since the conference it was earmarked for had already taken place. Treasury Jim Schaefer reported that the Party has already request the following: $7000 in loans from the Treasury to the N.O. ($5000 as fronted dues revenue and $2000 as seed money for the organizing conference), plus $2250 for The Socialist and $1600 for The Torch and Socialist Women. He warned that we had available assets, that we should be aware that we had already taken (for loans or grants) nearly $10,000 this year. Meeting adjourned at 9:50 pm |
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Socialist Party
USA 339 Lafayette St. #303 New York, NY 10012 |