Statement on the proposed “Resolution to Lay Off 12 Staff Positions”

by THE SOCIALIST MAJORITY STEERING COMMITTEE

Back in September, the NPC voted down a Socialist Majority-authored resolution to make avoiding staff layoffs DSA’s highest priority. Our NPC members, Renée and Colleen, argued that in dealing with DSA’s large budget deficit, the organization must maintain as much of our day-to-day operational capacity as possible—capacity that is vital to supporting DSA’s member-led organizing. We cannot act independently of existing party structures without our staff. 

But a majority of the NPC (Red Star, Marxist Unity Group, Bread & Roses, and Ahmed and Luisa) voted against the resolution. They argued that a discussion about avoiding layoffs was premature and unnecessary. They dismissed the resolution as mere politics, claiming that they had no plans to lay off staff.

Today, that same NPC majority introduced a resolution that would lay off twelve staff members—nearly 40% of staff—while voting against non-staff cuts that could save positions vital to DSA’s organizing. Socialist Majority condemns this resolution in the strongest possible terms, and will vote no when it comes up for a vote on Monday.

These extraordinary layoffs are not inevitable; they are a political choice. Last month, this NPC majority declined to cut hundreds of thousands in non-staff expenses. And at the time of publishing, members of this NPC majority are voting to continue paying themselves co-chair salaries and steering committee stipends. Multiple NPC members are opposing almost every non-staff cut. 

As we wrote back in September, there is no getting around our budget deficit. While we believe avoiding layoffs should be our highest priority, we understand that some layoffs may be unavoidable. But as DSA’s elected leadership, NPC members must not plunge the organization into chaos by laying off nearly 40% of our staff. That means reconsidering cuts to non-staff expenses that they have repeatedly refused to enact.

Socialist Majority urges DSA members to email the NPC (npc@dsacommittees.org) and tell them to vote down this resolution. Members can join the Monday, March 11th at 8pm EST meeting where the resolution will be voted on by RSVPing here.