Socialism From Below

In this episode we are joined by Gabriella a rank and file Teamster, UPS worker, and Teamsters for a Democratic Union steering committee member. In this episode we discuss rank and file union organizing, the challenges and opportunities the upcoming Teamsters election presents, and Teamsters for a Democratic Union.

Follow Gabriella on Twitter @revivethestreijk for updates on her war on cheese and Teamsters posting. Check out the websites for  Teamsters for a Democratic Union https://www.tdu.org/ and Teamsters United https://www.oz2021.com/ to learn more about them. You can find the Joe Burns books mentioned by Gabriella at most book sellers.

For more about Solidarity go to our website www.solidarity-us.org and follow us on Twitter @SolidarityUS and Instagram @SolidarityUS1986. If you liked what you heard here, be sure to check out our comrades at the socialist journal Against the Current www.againstthecurrent.org. You can also follow them on Twitter @atc_mag and Instagram @atc.mag.

This is part two of two in a series of conversations about TDU, TU, and the Teamsters election.

Joining us this week is Andy — a rank and file Teamster, public transit worker, member of the Tempest Magazine collective, and Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) member — and Hank — a rank and file Teamster, worker at UPS, and TDU member. In this episode we discuss rank and file union organizing, the challenges and opportunities the upcoming Teamsters election presents, and Teamsters for a Democratic Union.

If you want keep up with Hank check out his writing at Letterboxd and follow him on Twitter @ComradeRobocop. To read more from Andy you can follow him on Twitter @andsern or his Patreon. Finally, please do not forget to check out Tempest Magazine for its insightful writing and analysis.

Follow Socialism from Below on Twitter @socfrombelow. Do not forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast streaming platform and do not forget to rate us and write a review on iTunes. It takes five seconds and is a huge help to our podcast.

For more about Solidarity go to our website www.solidarity-us.org and follow us on Twitter @SolidarityUS and Instagram @SolidarityUS1986. If you liked what you heard here, be sure to check out our comrades at the socialist journal Against the Current www.againstthecurrent.org. You can also follow them on Twitter @atc_mag and Instagram @atc.mag.

This is part one of a two part series. In the next episode we will talk with Gabriella a rank and file Teamster, TDU member, and UPS worker.

Joining us from Seattle are Jade and Megan, two members of Seattle DSA. Jade is also a member of the national Afrosocialist Socialist of Color Caucus (AfroSoc Caucus) and is also a co-chair of Seattle DSA’s Anti-Racist Co-Conspirators Caucus (ARC). Megan is co-chair of SDSA Council district 3, co-chair of the Seattle AfroSoc caucus. We talk about reparations, class reductionism, restorative justice, and the necessity of open and frank conversation.

If you want to find out more about what Seattle DSA be sure to check out their website www.seattledsa.org and @SeattleDsa. If you want to learn more about what the Seattle AfroSoc caucus is up to give them a follow at @seattleAFROSOC and for more about the national caucus check out @AFROSOCDSA. While ARC doesn’t have any social media yet keep an eye out for future accounts.

This week we are joined by Luis of the Mexican socialist party the Partido Revolucionario de las y los Trabajadores. We talk about what the PRT is, the current political situation in Mexico, the Fourth International, and the meaning of “Trotskyism” in the 21st century.

To learn more about PRT check out their website, Facebook, and Twitter. To learn more about the FI check out their website, the website of their educational center International Institute for Research and Education, their magazine International Viewpoint.

1:34 What is Partido Revolutionario de las y los Trabajadores (PRT)? Situating it historically and in the current moment.

9:47 The meaning of nationalism and populism in Latin America.

16:03 The emergence of AMLO and its consequences.

24:40 The Fourth International and its historical relationship to “Trotskyism”

34:16 What is the FI now?

38:00 The strategy of building broad/useful parties

42:30 Talking about PSOL in the context of the “broad/useful parties” framework.

46:09 Final comments

We just launched our Socialism from Below Twitter account. Do not forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast streaming platform. Please follow us there, and do not forget to rate us and write a review on iTunes. It takes five seconds and is a huge help to our podcast.

For more about Solidarity go to our website and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. If you liked what you heard here, be sure to check out our comrades at the socialist journal Against the Current. You can also follow them on Twitter and Instagram.

This week we are joined by Jetzel, Magda, and Mak  who are all leaders in KC Tenants. We talk about how they use a diversity of tactics, the importance of organizing at the speed of trust, why socialists should organize tenants, and some pro tips for those of us who are new to tenant organizing.

Find out more about KC Tenants on Twitter, Instagram, and on their website. You can also find the pamphlets that Magda mentioned in longer form and zine form on their website. To support them you can head over to their donations page.

~ 0:34 What is KC Tenants?

~ 4:03 How do policy advocacy, direct action, and mutual aid fit together?

~  12:32 How did COVID-19 change how you organized? What were the challenges?

~ 20:09 Organizing at the speed of trust.

~ 24:20 Tenants hotline and workers’ inquiry

~ 30:26 Why should socialists organize tenants?

~ 34:12 Organizing a diverse working class.

~ 45:32 Pro tips for new tenant organizers.

We just launched our Socialism from Below Twitter account. Do not forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast streaming platform. Please follow us there, and do not forget to rate us and write a review on iTunes. It takes five seconds and is a huge help to our podcast.

For more about Solidarity go to our website and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. If you liked what you heard here, be sure to check out our comrades at the socialist journal Against the Current. You can also follow them on Twitter and Instagram.

This week we are joined by Jhon a member of the National Bank Employees Union in Colombia and an organizer involved with the latest round of protests in Colombia. We talk about the neoliberal agenda that has sparked this series of protests, the state’s response, the role of narco trafficking paramilitaries, and the power of a united and democratic working class movement.

Jhon suggests that you follow these sites for news about the protest movement: Canal Dos and El Comando Departmental Unitario

~Min 2:34 The neoliberal program that sparked the protests

~Min 10:40 Narco trafficking and its relationship to the state

~Min 15:05 Venezuelan Refugees

~Min 21:00 State violence against protesters

~Min 29:30 Role of paramilitaries and narco trafficking in the state repression

~Min 37:30 Current protest movement and the work of building it from the bottom up

~Min 51:00 The power of a United and democratic working class movement

~Min 55:30 How comrades in the US can support Columbian comrades

We just launched our Socialism from Below Twitter account. Please follow us there, and do not forget to rate us and write a review on iTunes. It takes five seconds and is a huge help to our podcast.

For more about Solidarity go to our website (www.solidarity-us.org) and follow us on Twitter @solidarityus, Instagram @solidarityus1986, and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SolidarityUS

If you liked what you heard here, be sure to check out our comrades at the socialist journal Against the Current (www.againstthecurrent.org). You can also follow them on Twitter @atc_mag and instagram @atc.mag.

This week we are joined by Natalia Chaves from the Brazilian socialist organization Subverta to talk about Bancada Feminista do PSOL the socialist feminist collective candidacy as well as democratizing electoral campaigns, ensuring accountability to social movements, trans inclusion and queer representation in the socialist feminist movement, and ecosocialism.

Find out more about Subverta on their website www.subverta.org and on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @subvertamos

Find out more about Bancanda Feminista on their website www.bancadafeministapsol.com.br and on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @bancadafeministapsol

~ Min 2 What is Subverta and how does it relate to PSOL?

~ Min 10 Bancada Feminista do PSOL, what is a collective candidacy and what are the challenges they face?

~ Min 21 Democracy, representation, and the composition of the collective candidacy

~ Min 29 Accountability to social movements

~ Min 34 Bancada feminista and the feminist movement in Brazil

~ Min 45 Trans inclusion and queer leadership in the socialist movement

~ Min 51 Ecosocialism

For more about Solidarity go to our website (www.solidarity-us.org) and follow us on Twitter @solidarityus and Instagram @solidarityus1986

If you liked what you heard here, be sure to check out our comrades at the socialist journal Against the Current (www.againstthecurrent.org). You can also follow them on Twitter  and instagram @atc.mag.

This week we are joined by Vini Almeida who is a member of the Brazilian socialist organization Comuna. We talk about the challenges socialists face when working to build a democratic and multi-tendency socialist organization, electoral politics, supporters of the new right, and the political effects of the pandemic. Throughout we draw connections between the political situations in the US and Brazil.

To find out more about Communa check out their website www.comunapsol.org

~ Min 1 What is Comuna and PSOL? 

~ Min 16 The Bolsonaro government, wannabe fascists, and his extreme neoliberal policy

~ Min 25 Who supports Bolsonaro?

~ Min 35 Pressures on, fissures within, the effects of the pandemic on the Bolsonaro government.

~ Min 54 Prospects for the left in Brazil