Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee

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Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC) was founded in 1973 by Michael Harrington, when he led a left wing faction opposed to the Vietnam War out of the old Socialist Party USA. DSOC's membership included many former Students for a Democratic Society activists and "undisciplined communists".

DSOC grew quickly in the late 1970s, making big inroads^[1]into the Democratic Party.

By 1979 DSOC claimed a national membership of 3,000, loosely organized into 40 local chapters.

Contents 1 DSOC founding convention 2 Newsletter of the Democratic Left 3 Influencing the Democratic Party 4 Democratic Agenda/Socialist Caucus 5 Prominent members 6 Fourth National Convention 7 1981 Convention 8 Endorsement of New American Movement 9 References

DSOC founding convention

The Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee founding convention Socialism'73 took place in New York City, October 12 and 13, 1973, at the Loeb Student Center, NY University and at the McAlpin Hotel. Speakers included;

• David Lewis, leader, New Democratic Party of Canada, "US economic imperialism".
• Michael Harrington
• Workshops on the unions, feminism, racial equality, Democratic Party, equality and Detente with David Selden, Rose Laub Coser, Doug Ireland, Michael Walzer, Bogdan Denitch, Christopher Lasch
• Panel on "socialism and the welfare state" with Irving Howe, Erazim Kohak, Norman Birnbaum.^[2]

Newsletter of the Democratic Left

DSOC's original publication was called Newsletter of the Democratic Left. It was published 10 times a year from 125 West 77th St., New York. Those listed as helping produce the October 1973 issue were David Bensman, Henry Bayer, Gretchen Donart, David Gaberman, Tom Kramer, David Kusnet, Jon Ratner, Ronnie Steinberg Ratner, Mark Schaeffer, Nancy Shier.

The editor was Michael Harrington, with Jack Clark as Managing Editor.^[3]

Influencing the Democratic Party

Between 1977 and 1979 DSOC played an important and highly visible role in the Democratic Party Mid-term convention in Memphis, organized a youth group, daveloped its local chapter network, took an active role in a number of local election campaigns, developed a strong Hispanic Commission that includes a largely Cuban chàpter in Miami, Chicano members in Texas and Puerto Ricans in New York and organized the Democratic Agenda coalition within the Democratic Party.

The Democratic Agenda alliance emerged from the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee "Democracy '76" project. At that time a Washington, DC, conference attended by some 500 people set up a network to influence the regional and national meetings of the Democratic Party Platform Committee.

Pleased with the result of its input into the drafting of the 1976 Democratic Party platform which DSOC termed "a rather progressive document," the DSOC organized the Democratic Agenda alliance in November 1977. DSOC and the DA both operated from national headquarters at 853 Broadway 1 Room 617, New York, NY 10003 (2l2/260-32701.

DA conference organizing was coordinated from DSOC' s Washington local (chapter) offices at 1730 N Street, NH, Suite 713, Washington, DC      

DSOC's Washington organizers emphasized that the DA is not a coalition of groups agreeing on a goal but, which have disparate analyses. They describe the DA as an alliance of "like-minded groups which share a broad social analysis, and which work together on a broader, more long-lived front and struggle.

According to attorney and treasurer of the Washington, DC, DSOC local Alex Spinrad "if there were a mass socialist organization, Democratic Agenda might be unnecessary: unionists like Doug Fraser and William Winpisinger, Congresspeople, and community activists could all operate within the common organizational framework of a democratic socialist movement . Unfortunately, such a mass socialist base does not exist yet, but the Democratic Agenda provides an exciting vision of the potential movement. "

Spinrad has argued that "Only by creating a coherent organizational framework - and a single broad analysis of social problems -can the left really achieve the long-lasting victories which can lead to truly exciting social change. That is why we are all socialists:because whether we are in the labor movement, the religious community,academia, we all recognize the need for an ideological framework on which to hang all, common, struggles."^[4]

Democratic Agenda/Socialist Caucus

For groups and organizations seeking radical social change within the Democratic Party, the National Convention of 1980 had at least one historic first - formation of a Socialist Caucus of delegates. Organized by the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee and by the Democratic Agenda which was DSOC's cadre and supporters within the Democratic Party and was based in DSOC' s New York office and at 1730 M Street, NW, Washington, DC. Some 31 delegates and alternates from twelve states and Democrats Abroad attended the Socialist Caucus.

As a preliminary to the convention's Socialist Caucus meeting, , indeed as a "building event" and as a continued show of support for Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), the Democratic Agenda sponsored a convention rally at New York's Town Hall. The speakers included Herman Badillo, Julian Bond, Fran Bennick, Harry Britt, Cesar Chavez, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI}, Douglas Fraser, Murray Finley, Michael Harrington, Terry Herndon, Ruth Jordan, Ruth Messinger, Eleanor Smeal, Gloria Steinem and William Winpisinger.

DSOC works within the Democratic Party, said Harrington, because of the party's relationships with organized workers, blacks, feminists, environmentalists and other "progressive groups."

The Socialist Caucus circulated a list of convention delegates who were caucus members, including;^[5]

Prominent members

According to DSOC founder and chairman Michael Harrington, the influence of the group is disproportionate to its size because of the positions held by some DSOC members within the Democratic Party.

In 1980 prominent DSOC members included Rep, Ronald Dellums (D-CA); Hilda Mason, D.C. City Council, Harlan Baker, Maine state legislature; Jerry Nadler, New York state legislature, Perry Bullard, Michigan state legislature; Ruth Messinger, New York City Council; Harry Britt, San Francisco Board of Supervisors; Patrick Gorman, chairman of the board, Amalgamated Meatcutters; William Winpisinger, president, International Association of Machinists ; Irving Bluestone, vice president, United Auto Workers; Martin Gerber, vice-president, UAW, Sol Stetin, senior vice-president, Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers , Joyce Miller, national president, Coalition of Labor Union Women ; Dolores Huerta, vice-president, United Farmworkers, Cleveland Robinson, president, District 65, UAW; Victor Gotbaum, head of District Council 37, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees , New York, Mildred Jeffrey; Victor Reuther; James Farmer; Nat Hentoff; Gloria Steinem; Rosemary Reuther; Harvey Cox and Irving Howe.^[6]

Fourth National Convention

Some 150 delegates and 100 observers met at Houston's Airport Holiday Inn, February 16-19, 1979, for the fourth national convention of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC).

DSOC's advertised convention participants were listed as including Rep. Ron Dellums (D-CA), Joyce Miller-president, Coalition of Labor Union Women, City Councillor Hilda Mason-DC Statehood Party, Maury Maverick Jr., San Antonio, Texas, James Farmer executive director, Coalition American Public Employees, William Holayter-political action director, International Association of Machinists, Jose Angel Gutierrez-La Raza Unida Party, Crystal City, Texas, Ruben Berrios-head of the Puerto Rican Independence Party and Kris Muller-Osten, a representative of the Willy Brandt led West German Social Democratic Party.

Michael Harrington's keynote speech stressed the need for DSOC, through its Democratic Agenda coalition, the Progressive Alliance headed by United Auto Workers president Doug Fraser and the Citizen-Labor Energy Coalition of IAM presidènt William Winpisinger to work together to force Congress to pass national health insurance, regulation of bank credit, a public energý corporation, full implementation of the Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment Act, to drastically cut the defense budget and to force prompt Senate ratification of the SALT-II treaty.

1981 Convention

At the DSOC's 1981 conference gay activist Harry Britt was elected Vice Chair, as were Trudy Robideau, Marjorie Phyfe and Rosemary Ruether. Others elected included Mike Rivas, Chair of DSOC's Hispanic Commission and William Winpisinger, head of the Machinists Union.^[7],

Endorsement of New American Movement

In 1981, Michael Harrington, Ben Tafoya and Selma Lenihan (Organizational Director) on behalf of DSOC greeted the New American Movement saying,

Greetings to our friends in the New American Movement from you friends in the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee.

In 1981 the Oregon branch of DSOC saluted the Oregon New American Movement chapters: Corvallis, Eugene and Portland,

for their work on people's utility districts and plant closures.

The Chicago branch with Jone Johnson as Chair also saluted NAM members Milt Cohen and Vicki Starr, commenting,

Greetings to the 10^th Anniversary of NAM. Chicago DSOC salutes Milt Cohen and Vicki Starr For unity in the struggle for democracy and socialism.

The East Bay Democratic Socialist Alliance which was a merger between East Bay New American Movement and East Bay DSOC congratulated NAM,

Congratulations to NAM for 10 years of dedicated contributions to the left, the country, and the world.

Other branches of DSOC to congratulate NAM were: Baltimore, Bay Area San Francisco, Austin TX and Detroit.^[8]

References