2012 Labor Party Goals
Posted by kimberly on March 13, 2012
Through our annual strategy meeting in January and ongoing conversations, we have determined to focus on building our base through achieving clear financial and membership goals, developing activist and leadership skills in current members, and forming strategic partnerships with groups in our local community. The Labor Party has formed five “SMART” (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely) goals for 2012:
- Partner with two organizations in each of these five categories:
- Union
- Faith
- Senior
- Student
- Minority
- Host a labor or health care film screening once a quarter.
- Organize a large community event for the fall.
- Recruit one hundred new members.
- Reach one hundred Committee of 100 donors (only 16 to go!).
Tools for Building our Base
We are developing several tools to reach our goals, including a “membership drive thermometer” like the one on the left, which Lynn Chacko created to motivate and help us record each new member as a “degree” until we finally reach 100. Chad Hood is working on a “pledge of support” for developing partnerships with local groups. As we brainstormed how best to connect with individuals, several members wanted to develop a resource to offer folks having trouble at work or needing affordable health care in the absence of a single-payer system. Accordingly, Gaby Gross has gathered an extensive list of free and greatly subsidized community health care services, which will soon be posted on our website. David Hennig, Jason Fults, and Sheila Payne are working to create a list of referral services and possibly a labor review board for workers who call our office searching for just solutions to wage theft and other job abuses. Also to be finished this spring are an updated brochure on HR 676—the Improved & Expanded Medicare for All bill—and a brand new brochure explaining why and how we identify as the “Labor Party.” Finally, for members seeking a deeper understanding of how different health care systems compare to the single-payer one we seek, Marilyn Eisenberg continues to host a reading and discussion group one Sunday afternoon each month.
A Prescription for Progress: Share your talents, time, and gifts!
We are achieving slow but steady progress with our goals: Jeremiah Cleghorn joined as our first new 2012 member, Scott Billings and Stephanie Ridgeway have joined the Committee of 100, and Marilyn Eisenberg, Dan Harmeling, and Jeremiah Cleghorn are organizing a public forum on single-payer health care at Santa Fe College—our first potential student partnership! But to reach our goals, we need everyone’s support. Please consider helping us build our base and reach these goals by:
- Renewing your membership ($20/year; pay online or mail back attached form)
- Joining the Committee of 100 or increasing your current monthly pledge
- Getting active through one of the ways mentioned here, or suggest a new way!
Help send 3 activists to national healthcare conference!
Posted by kimberly on January 6, 2012
Please consider making a secure donation through our website to help cover the cost of sending three Labor Party activists – Dr. Lynn Chacko, Kali Blount, RN, and myself – to the Healthcare-NOW! annual strategy conference in Houston at the end of this month. (Conference details available here.)
Total costs for the conference (plane tickets, hotel, conference fees) are roughly $1000; we have raised $300 so far, thanks to those of you who gave generously towards the conference at December’s holiday potluck and party honoring Mark.
Also, if you have not yet become a Labor Party member ($20/year) or would like to join the Committee of 100 ($20/month) to help us hire another staff person, you can also do that through our website. We have 85 Committee members so far but still need 15 more to meet our goal!
Thank your for your time & support. We hope to see you on the 14th (see below)!
Sat, Jan 14: Annual Strategy Meeting
Posted by kimberly on January 6, 2012
Please mark your calendars and make time to attend our upcoming Annual Strategy Meeting; at the beginning of every year, the Alachua County Labor Party meets to discuss our movement-building strategy for the upcoming 12 months. This year we are at a critical crossroads with the departure of Mark, who was not only a co-founder with knowledge and a co-chair with dedication, but also a part-time staffer for our organization. With Mark stepping down as co-chair, we now — more than ever — need everyone on board to help lead and grow the Labor Party and our local movement for single-payer, universal health care. Mark will be at this meeting to share his insight and help us plan ahead.
We will email you an agenda for the planning meeting early next week; I hope you’ll read it, consider it, and prepare your thoughts for how you might contribute your talents, energy, interests, and resources towards strengthening and expanding the Labor Party this upcoming year. This year we need to particularly focus on recruiting and building a core leadership and on expanding the Committee of 100 so we can bring on another part-time staff organizer. Here are the event logistics:
ACLP 2012 Annual Strategy Meeting: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM; Saturday, January 14 at the Civic Media Center (433 South Main Street, Gainesville)
Mark will be back to participate in a two-part strategy session devoted to leadership development & building the Labor Party’s 2012 healthcare campaign; we will break for coffee & pastries. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by replying to this email or by joining the facebook event.
Fellow Worker Labor Social: Saturday, January 14th, 7:00 PM at Cafe Collete (in Wild Iris Books, 802 W. University Ave, Gainesville)
If you are a worker and support economic justice, come on out and raise a glass. Meet folks from other trades and learn more about their lives and work. We will celebrate victories, discuss strategy and build solidarity with one another. Sponsored by Gainesville IWW and the Alachua Labor Party
On Tuesday, January 10 at 2:30 PM in the Labor Party office (14 E. University Ave, Suite #204) we will be mailing out postcards to remind folks about the January 14 meeting; if you would like to help with this mailing, please also reply to this email or call the office at 352.375.2832 and let me know.