The Milwaukee Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America is committed, as a socialist organization, to putting labor and the working class at the heart of its efforts at building a better city in a better world. To that end, the Labor Working Group has put together the following Work Plan, which was endorsed by the general membership of Milwaukee DSA this week. Nominations for Working Group Members are open now and will be voted on by the general membership.

Mission

To equip Milwaukee workers with the political, organizational, and tactical tools necessary to challenge capitalist exploitation and build a united labor movement. To foster class consciousness and solidarity, we will advance the struggle for a socialist future where working people have expanded democratic control of society into the workplace. Our work is rooted in the belief that organized labor is essential to achieving economic, social, and political justice for all.

Leadership Development

Every new member that shows up to a labor working group meeting will be reached out to by another member of the group for a 1 on 1 conversation to ensure they feel they understand the work and how they can engage in it. We will encourage all active members of the group to engage in these 1on1s to ensure continued practice. Members of the labor group will become familiar with workplace mapping/charting, identifying elevators of engagement, and tracking campaign progress.

Trackable Goals

Events: We will have held at least 3 external facing events over the course of the year, including at least one event centered around a post-Act 10 Wisconsin.

Partnerships: Attempt to organize at least one joint event with Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association (MTEA) around Power to the People, inviting other unions friendly to the campaign to take part as well. Build relationships with Wisconsin Labor History Society through a joint event or other programming. While we may work on some basis for community support or turnout to events of many other possible partners, we will identify at least one additional labor partner for either the Power to the People campaign or building our vision of a fully democratic labor movement. Partner with Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC), MTEA, or national DSA labor organizers to host workshops on:

• Navigating post-Act 10 restrictions, “Bargaining for the Common Good” tactics (linking contracts to community demands), and legal rights for public sector workers

Engagement Metrics: Improve quarterly engagement through our programming by at least 20%.

Union Contracts: Collect at least 2 contract expiration dates for unions with DSA member involvement; advocate for alignment with the May 1, 2028 General Strike.

Strategy

General

• Solidarity ✊ As The Entry Point: Expressing solidarity is often the first on ramp for labor curious comrades in the chapter and the community to get plugged into deeper work. Solidarity as an action is a necessary component of building ties between labor and our communities. With labor density as low as it is – a primary task of ours is creating engaging low barriers to entry for the community to act in solidarity while using the list building to plug comrades into the range of our follow up programming.
• Labor Power 🤝 Power to the People: The fight for our planet is on, and the power of organized labor is a necessary component to win it. Democratic control of our electric grid is a vision we can work together on – from labor leadership that already supports us, from the bottom up with rank and file members organizing together to have their union support a just transition to good green jobs.
• A Road to Good Jobs for All ⚒️: Our union jobs board has opened the doors for comrades seeking good union jobs or the opportunity to step into a worksite actively undergoing a union campaign. This alongside the continuing partnership through DSA with the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC) forms one piece of the backbone of our mutual aid work.
• ☎️ Office Hours: Beginning as a pilot program this year, we plan to extend our labor working group meetings for an additional hour for open office hours! In nearly every meeting since we restarted the labor working group we’ve had a curious comrade stop by to ask some questions on labor organizing specific to their workplace. Noticing the trend, we will be making it official practice! Information is one of the most powerful tools a comrade can have in labor organizing.
• Eyes on May Day 🪧 2028: Track union contracts and have our members in labor unions line up union contracts with May Day 2028 when possible
• Industry Labor Circles: Adapt the model of labor circles from other chapters to Milwaukee contexts particularly around the healthcare, education, and logistics sectors.

Leadership Development

Elected leadership of the group will be encouraged to work on at least one follow up task with a member not in leadership between each monthly meeting.

Skills targeted for development:

Public speaking, event planning, outreach, follow up 1on1’s, mapping/charting, campaign identification, elevator of engagement, effective storytelling, materials/lit creation, digital communications and Online-Offline, and list work

Timeline

• June – August
  • New leader onboarding
  • Potential Jane McAlevey reading group alongside YDSA. 
  • Contact MTEA for holding joint panel on Power to the People
  • Reach out to chapters with labor circles to establish best practices, and create interest list
• September – November
  • If determined that labor circles are the best route for our chapter, then have started the first one by September.
  • Labor Day: What will it take for a May Day 2028 General Strike?
  • Halloween: Zombie Contracts workshop (reviewing contract provisions like guaranteed beers, and imagining what else we can fight for).
• December – February
  • Review of first 6 months
  • Around Valentines Day – Storytelling in collaboration with our comms officer of wins our members have had, labor conditions they’ve faced, and what it’s meant to have the power of their co-workers side by side fighting for dignity. Themed by the slogan Bread & Roses.
• March – May
  • Tax Day – Panel along the lines of “Tax The Rich: Labor For A Green New Deal”
  • May Day – Turnout out to Voces Rally, march with labor contingent, hold film screening and potluck of a fan favorite labor movie
  • Review and revise plan based on year’s progress

Ongoing Operations: EWOC volunteering, Labor Circles, Tracking labor contracts, Solidarity actions and direct support

Standing Rules of the Chair

At meetings of this committee, a standing rule that the chair will be allowed to make and second motions and vote alongside the rest of the voting members will be enacted. Votes that reach a 50% threshold will be considered lost, with no tie breaking mechanism. These are subject to suspension via a motion to suspend the rules as per Robert’s Rules.

Leadership

Five (5) At Large Members, Elected by the General Membership – filling the duties of outreach liaison, communications liaison, membership liaison & education liaison, and campaigns liaison. A chair will be elected by vote of At Large members.