September 2023
As the “hot summer” of workers’ struggles extends into the Fall, we are proud that we are supporting grassroots movements on the cutting edge of worker organizing.
TDU played a big role in the victory by UPS workers after a year-long contract campaign. The win marked a step forward in the ongoing transformation of the 1.3 million-member Teamsters Union.
In a shift of direction, the union concentrated its bargaining power on eliminating the two-tier drivers’ classification, bringing all up to the top rate. With the slogan of “End Part-time Poverty” the union also greatly increased the wages of the underpaid part-time workers who sort and load the packages.
The SJS Fund will continue to support TRF, the educational arm of the Teamster movement, as TDU builds on its outreach and growth this year, and looks toward playing a role in the budding efforts to organize Amazon.
TDU has also increasingly played a role in sparking and aiding emerging movements in other major unions.
As we write this, the UAW is standing up for all workers in the strike at the Big 3 U.S. auto corporations, where fresh leaders and fired-up members are taking on corporate greed with new tactics.
Our continued support for the UAWD Mutual Aid Fund provides critical education and solidarity to the auto workers’ movement. It was Unite All Workers for Democracy (UAWD) which organized over the past three years to finally oust the tired union bureaucracy which ruled the union for 75 years, with Shawn Fain narrowly winning the presidency just six months ago.
UAWD is looking to expand and deepen its work and take on the fight for“green” union jobs as industries move away from fossil fuels.
Labor Notes continues to grow its reach and expand its staff. They have hired Keith Brower Brown with the specific mandate to build connections with Green New Deal and other climate activists in the labor movement and hired Lisa Xu, an impressive leader who formerly worked as an organizer for UAWD. Labor Notes staff is mobilizing all-out for the auto strike, sending staffers to Detroit to join not-so-retired retiree Jane Slaughter and to other strike locations in New York and New England, and posting daily dispatches.
The April 2024 Labor Notes Conference will bring together over 4000 leaders and activists from the labor movement in North America and internationally, and the movement for a green new deal. It will also host a number of meet-ups of various solidarity networks.
The SJS Fund will continue to help sustain these organizations and broaden our support to other organizations to strengthen and network progressive movements that do grassroots worker organizing. Expansion of our contribution base is key to our continued growth and success.
FUNDRAISING & OUTREACH
We have raised $576,431 in the first eight months of 2023. This includes a new $200,000 contribution, which we anticipate will be recurring. This grant came to us via the Jewish Communal Fund, as noted in our February 2023 update. We have also expanded our base with four additional new donors. One of our new donors contributes shares from their annual IRA distribution; we have a few others who do the same each year.
While $189,000 of our 2023 income is a legacy contribution of one of our founders, almost all of the remainder will be recurring. We plan to increase grants in amount and in range, while also growing our assets to increase our investment income.
Fundraising to expand our capacity is a priority for our board. We will be reaching out to many of you and to other potential donors who may join the SJS Fund family. Feel free to share this material with your contacts, and pass along ideas to us.
GRANTS UPDATE & NEW GRANTS
In the first eight months of 2023, we have made grants of $150,000, and will consider making further grants at our November 2023 board meeting. Ideas and questions are always welcome.
Grants in 2023 have gone to the Labor Education and Research Project (Labor Notes), to the Teamster Rank & File Education and Legal Defense Foundation, the UAWD Mutual Aid Fund, and our first-ever grants to support the work of UCORE (United Caucuses of Rank & File Educators) and Rideshare Drivers United.
Our UCORE grant provided scholarships and other support to the July national conference of progressive teachers and educators working within their local caucuses and unions, within both the NEA and AFT. Their next meeting will be held in conjunction with the big Labor Notes Conference next April.
The Rideshare Drivers United grant provided support to the organization as part of their fund drive to raise $300,000 to hire additional organizers from their ranks. RDU is a member-led independent association of Uber and Lyft drivers, based in Los Angeles.
ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES
Our administrative approach is in line with our founding principles, including maintaining extremely minimal admin costs, to commit up to 99% of our money to grants. Our board and supporters perform the bookkeeping, keep up communications, maintain records, and receive and research projects for grants.
We utilize professional services and advice, via the NEO Law Group, our accounting firm, and an experienced investment professional who is a good friend of Social Justice and Solidarity.
Our investments (currently $1.2 million) are housed in the Vanguard Group, which has a very minimal fee structure. The board policy is to sell all donated stock shares upon receipt, with the proceeds swept into an interest-bearing money market account. The bulk of our assets are invested in broad-based mutual funds, with a portion in a money market fund which currently pays 5% interest.
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