DFNYC June Newsletter

 

 

 

DFNYC June 2018 Newsletter

Written by Bobby Cohen, Tracey Keij Denton and Richard Wallner

 

Endorsement news from DFA, analysis of the Supreme Court's decisions, an event tomorrow to learn how to register voters, and more!

 

View this email in your browser

~~~Democracy for NYC June 2018 Newsletter~~~


(1) Democracy for America Backs Cynthia Nixon
(2) Supreme Court Decisions

   ~ Key points on voter purges, LGBTQ discrimination & arbitration clauses' effect on the #MeToo movement.
(3) Learn How to Register Voters: Tomorrow, Sat June 16th, 12pm
(4) Common Cause Event: Speaking Our Truth in the Age of Trump

~ Speakers: Melissa Mark-Viverito, DeRay Mckesson (Pod Save the People) & Prachi Gupta (Jezebel)
(5) Webinar on How the Oil Industry Drives Fracking
   ~ Wed. June 20th, 8pm EST
   ~ Hosted by Food & Water Action

(6) June is Pride Month!
   ~ Bronx Pride is this Sunday, June 17th
(7) Support the Workplace Democracy Act!
   ~Co-sponsored by Sens. Bernie Sanders, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren and 10 other Democrats
(8) Nobody is Above the Law- ACLU Mueller Rapid Response Rallies
    ~This is a Text list you WANT to be on!

DFNYC June 2018 Newsletter

(1) Democracy for America Backs Cynthia Nixon

Democracy for America, the organization started by Howard Dean after his 2004 Presidential campaign, has weighed in on the primary in the Governor's race. They have endorsed Cynthia Nixon.    

From the DFA press release:

"With Cynthia Nixon, the proudly progressive state of New York finally has the chance to have a governor in Albany who shares their values in the battle for racial and economic justice --and DFA members across the state and nationwide will stand side by side with her in this fight." -- Charles Chamberlain, Executive Director, Democracy for America"

Read the full press release at:  http://www.democracyforamerica.com/site/page/dfa-backs-cynthia-nixon-for-governor-of-new-york

Note: Our group, Democracy for NYC, is a local group of Democracy for America. Like other DFA groups across the country, our endorsement process is separate from DFA. That said, we have many members in NYC that are actively supporting Cynthia Nixon's campaign and hoping it drives Gov. Cuomo to listen to the concerns of the progressive grassroots throughout the state.

(2) Supreme Court Decisions
   ~ Key points on voter purges, LGBTQ discrimination & arbitration clauses' effect on the #MeToo movement.

Court Upholds Voter Purge in 5-4 decision
There are few better arguments for the need of progressive to unite and get rid of Trump than the 5-4 decision upholding a State's right to purge voters from its rolls when they haven't voted in awhile. Justice Neil Gorsuch, appointed by Trump after Senate Republicans refused to allow Barack Obama his constitutional right to appoint a justice, joined the majority in this opinion upholding a right-wing strategy for voter suppression. The case is Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute. Read more at:
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/supreme-court-voting-ohio-w521452

Arbitration Clauses in Employment Contracts: How They Could Affect the #MeToo Movement:
In Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, the Court made it harder for wronged employees to sue their companies if their employment contracts include an arbitration clause.  This may be the first time DFNYC has ever linked to  Glamour magazine article in our newsletter. But this is a clear concise analysis of the arbitration case, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's dissent, and the implications for the #MeToo movement, but Glamour writer Julyssa Lopez:
'What You Should Know About the Supreme Court Arbitration Ruling That Ruth Bader Ginsburg Called 'Egregiously Wrong'
https://www.glamour.com/story/supreme-court-workplace-arbitration-ruling-ruth-bader-ginsburg

Court allows Bakery's Refusal to Make  Wedding Cake for Gay Couple
You may have heard about MasterPiece CakeShop. Many critics of the Court's 7-2 decision feel that it sets up a slippery slope for discriminating against LGBTQ people, but on the bright side, the Court's decision was not as bad as some feared.  Here's an interesting analysis and background from Vox:
'The ruling is far from ideal for LGBTQ advocates, but the worst was avoided.'
https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/6/4/17425294/supreme-court-masterpiece-cakeshop-gay-wedding-cake-baker-ruling
It is unclear how the Masterpiece Cakeshop decision will be interpreted or exploited going forward. Discrimination against LGBTQ people should not be sanctioned or encouraged.  Democracy for NYC is working hard to prevent this by joining with our progressive friends to take back Congress and fight the Trump Administration.

For more Supreme Court cases decided this month, visit this list and links:
https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/16-980

(3) Learn How to Register Voters: Tomorrow, Sat June 16th, 12pm

Our friends at Broadway Democrats are hosting a VOTER REGISTRATION TRAINING tomorrow:

When: Saturday, June 16th 12pm
Where: Morningside Heights Library (2900 Broadway between 113th &114th St.) in the Community Room. Take the Elevator to C level. 

Details from Broadway Dems:

How do we win elections? We get more votes. What helps? Register every eligible voter.

Please Join us Saturday June 16th at the Morningside Heights Library (2900 Broadway between 113th &114th St.) in the Community Room at 12 pm. (You do not need a library card to enter and you do not need to preregister - just show up and take the elevator down to C level.)

Learn how to properly register first time voters, help voters with change of address, help voters change party registration and other voter registration information. Led by Diane Burrows, from the League of Women Voters in NYC, we'll be talking about all the logistics of voter registration.

Please printout or review the League of Women Voters NYC voter registration training guide in preparation for the training.
For the training guide, visit this link and scroll down. It is the 5th link under "Additional Materials for Download."
http://www.lwvnyc.org/publications&merchandise.html

*The League of Women Voters of the City of New York provides information about elections, voting and issues important to New Yorkers. The League of Women Voters does not support or oppose any candidates or political parties.


(4) Common Cause Event: Speaking Our Truth in the Age of Trump
~ Speakers: Melissa Mark-Viverito, DeRay Mckesson (Pod Save the People) & Prachi Gupta (Jezebel)
~ Tickets just $25 & $125


Please join our friends at COMMON CAUSE for a conversation with:
Melissa Mark-Viverito - Vice President for Strategic Engagement, Latino Victory Project
DeRay Mckesson - Activist & Organizer, Pod Save the People Host 
Prachi Gupta - Senior Reporter, Jezebel

When:  Monday, June 25, 8-9:30 PM (Cocktail reception starts at 7pm)
Where:  NYIT Auditorium, 1871 Broadway, between 61st & 62nd
Tickets:  $25, or $125 for cocktail reception. 
More info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/common-cause-conversation-speaking-our-truth-in-the-age-of-trump-tickets-43862737629

(5) Webinar on How the Oil Industry Drives Fracking
   ~ Wed. June 20th, 8pm EST
   ~ Hosted by Food & Water Action


From Our friends at Food & Water Watch:

Food & Water Action, Progressive Democrats of America and People Demanding Action invite you to join us for the fifth webinar in our Climate & Energy Series. Food & Water Action will be joined by Biologist and Author Sandra Steingraber along with our allies Uwchlan Safety Coaltion and Texas Environmental Justice Advocate Services to examine how the petrochemical industry drives fracking, the construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure, and the transatlantic trade of toxic chemicals.

What: Webinar: Plastics, Pipelines, Fracking and Our Planet
Date: Wednesday, June 20
Time: 5 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. MT / 7 p.m. CT / 8 p.m. ET
Where: Online (preferred) or on your phone
RSVP:  https://fwaction.us/PlasticsWebinar

We encourage you to share this invitation with your allies and networks. You can also find a shareable Facebook event here:  https://www.facebook.com/events/492042551212057/

This is a global issue that can only be solved by a massive political mobilization. We hope you will join us.

- Tyler Van Kirk

(6) June is Pride Month!

June is Pride month and NYC is one of the best places to celebrate. While the most famous event is the march and festival on Sunday the 24th, there are many other events, including a film festival, Cosplay and Pride, Bronx Pride (this Sunday) etc. For a list of events, visit this link:
https://www.nycpride.org/events/

Bronx Pride this Saturday, June 17: 
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1-bronx-pride-festival-2018-tickets-44339377271

(7) Support the Workplace Democracy Act!
   ~Co-sponsored by Sens. Bernie Sanders, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren and 10 other Democrats

Support the Workplace Democracy Act, co-sponsored by Bernie Sanders and Kirsten Gillibrand. This act would, among other things:

1. End "right to work for less" laws by repealing Section 14(b) of the Taft Hartley Act, which has allowed 28 states to pass legislation eliminating the ability of unions to collect fair share fees from those who benefit from union contracts and activities.

2. Require that when a majority of workers in a bargaining unit sign valid authorization cards to join a union, they must have a union.

3. Companies would not be allowed to deny or delay a first contract with workers who have voted to join a union.

4. Unions would be given the right to have their voice heard through secondary boycotts and picketing. And workers would have the right to know when their company spends millions of dollars running anti-union campaigns.

The bill would also stop employers from ruthlessly exploiting workers by misclassifying them as independent contractors or denying them overtime by falsely categorizing them as a “supervisor.”

More information:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/05/09/bernie-sanders-has-a-new-plan-to-raise-wages-save-the-unions/?utm_term=.00b7aa250cf5

Call your representatives:  
https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

The text of the bill is here:
https://pocan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pocan-and-sanders-lead-democrats-in-introducing-workplace-democracy-act  

(8) Nobody is Above the Law-- ACLU Mueller Rapid Response Rallies
    ~This is a Text list you WANT to be on!

MoveOn, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and other progressive organizations are preparing for 'Rapid Response Rallies' for a scenario in which President Trump fires Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller or his direct superior at the Justice Department, Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein.  Firing either one of them will provoke a Constitutional crisis and we must be ready to speak out.  For a list of rallies, or to create your own, please go to:

https://www.trumpisnotabovethelaw.org/event/mueller-firing-rapid-response/search/?source=aclu&s=

To sign up for the proposed NYC rally, which will start in Times Square, please go to:

https://www.trumpisnotabovethelaw.org/event/mueller-firing-rapid-response/13162/signup/?source=aclu&s=