Statement by over 100 labor activists in DSA calling on Danny Fetonte to step down

The following statement is made in a personal capacity, and is not an official position of the DSA or any of its constituent groups. Sign on here.
We are workers, union members, staff, and retirees united in support of rank-and-file democracy in the DSA and labor movement. Without assigning blame, we believe that the democratic process in the DSA was compromised by the nondisclosure of Danny Fetonte’s association with police union organizing. The revelation of his work with CLEAT subsequent to convention has caused escalating conflict inside the DSA, and is discrediting the DSA in communities of color that we seek to organize in solidarity with. We call for Brother Fetonte to step down from the National Political Committee in order to allow the organization to move forward. We have no doubt that he is a principled and sincere person, and believe he will do the right thing for the organization.
We feel that individuals’ views of police unions are irrelevant to the question at hand, which turns on respect for informed choice as the basis for democracy. The place for debate about police unions should have been on the convention floor, before the election. However, because a group of DSA labor members have recently released a statement which said in part, “…some of us, like Danny, have organized law enforcement personnel, including police and correctional workers, for which we refuse to apologize,” we feel compelled to set the record straight about what it means to be a socialist in the labor movement.
Let us be clear: the police and police unions in the United States are a tool of white supremacy and capitalist exploitation and oppression. They serve to shield police from accountability. They are a key instrument in enabling racist police terror that we are actively organizing against. It is the duty of socialists in the labor movement to advocate not for police, but for those who are most oppressed by them: people of color facing racist police brutality, prisoners in revolt against prison slavery, workers confronting cops who enforce injunctions and the power of the capitalist class, and the poor. Some may argue for tactical engagement with police unions as part of a strategy for transforming them. But those who want to advance this strategy need to make the case for it, not simply blankly “refuse to apologize” for building police unions.
The present conflict can yet become a teachable moment for DSA, and an opportunity for all of us to examine dynamics of race and class in our own organization and in society. But for this to happen, we must recognize that our democratic process was tainted by a lack of informed debate, and that this has led to a crisis situation that can only be resolved by Brother Fetonte stepping down.
To be clear, we are not calling for Brother Fetonte’s expulsion from the organization, nor are we questioning his work in and service to Austin DSA. But national leadership of a democratic organization carries with it great responsibilities, and a duty to accountability and respect for the membership. The tremendous outcry among the membership makes clear that trust, and faith in democracy undergirded by informed consent has been broken. This must be restored.
We call on Brother Fetonte to do the right thing and step aside from his role on the NPC to allow the organization to move forward.
In solidarity,
[Organization listed for identification purposes only]
Erik Forman, labor activist
Andrew Dobbyn, Rank and File CWA
Mary Clinton, Organizer, CWA
Isham Christie, Organizer, WGA-East, CWA-TNG
Michael Belt, Organizer, UAW
Patrick Shepherd, Organizer, UAW
Jason Hicks, rank-and-file, TWU Local 100
Joel Solow, labor activist
Paul Weiskel, rank-and-file, IBT
David Miller, labor activist
Jonah Furman, member, CWA-TNG 32035, Organizer, AFT
Annie Della Fera, rank-and-file, HUCTW
Ariel Marie Zakarison, labor activist, rank-and-file, PSC-CUNY and DC37 Local 2054
Laura Gabby, rank-and-file, Carpenter’s Union
Annie Shields, rank-and-file, The News Guild of New York Local 31003, CWA
Aaron Ratoff, rank-and-file, 1199SEIU
Joe Demanuelle-Hall, Organizer, TWU Local 100
Nate Franco, rank & file member, DC37 AFSCME
Alex Jallot, rank-and-file, UFT
Justin Charles, rank-and-file, ACT-UAW 7902
Ben B., rank-and-file, AFT
Marvin Gonzalez, labor activist
Ryan Haney, rank-and-file, Teamsters
Zack Pattin, rank-and-file, ILWU
Brendan O’Connor, rank and file, WGA-East
Frank Reynolds, rank-and-file, The News Guild of New York Local 31003, CWA
Zelig Stern, Organizer, CWA
Dana Steer, New York Hotel Trades Council (UNITE HERE Local 6); Actors’ Equity Association (AEA); SAG-AFTRA; AFL-CIO
Sean Collins, SEIU Local 200United
Meg Beyer, labor activist
Jennifer Lenow, rank-and-file and shop steward, GSOC-UAW Local 2110
Ryan Bruckenthal — UFT member, NYC
Adam Cardo, labor activist
Stephen Thompson, Rank and File Member, DC37 AFSCME
Jonathan Koch, UAW 2865
Shannon Ikebe, Trustee, UC Student-Workers Union (UAW 2865)
Dan La Botz, PSC
John Aho, Organizer, SEIU
Alexandra Thebert, East Bay DSA member
Erin Neff, UAW Local 2325 Rank and File
Bradley Philbert, rank-and-file AFT
Natasha Abner, AAUP
Sean Orlowicz, NJEA
James Capozzi, NJEA
Steve W, shop steward, DC 37 Local 372
Dan Husman, rank and file, AFT
Rob Bryan, journalist, Brooklyn DSA member
Robbie Nelson, UAW 2865, rank-and-file
Aimee Inglis, SF DSA, tenants rights organizer
Emily Claffy, member of the Abolition of Police and Prisons Caucus, DSA East Bay
Jamie Kellner, DSA
Chris Wang, Austin DSA, Tech Committee co-chair
Shannon Miller, DSA East Bay
Miles Kampf-Lassin, rank-and-file, News Guild, CWA
Steve Weishampel, Northside Chicago DSA
Sam McCann, Queens DSA
Alexander Kolokotronis, rank-and-file, UNITE-HERE Local 33
Stephen Thompson, Rank and File Member, DC37 AFSCME
Ella Wind, GSOC-UAW 2110
Dan Russell, UPTE-CWA 9119
Yoel Bitran, UNITE HERE Local 23
Ryan Price, Executive Director, Independent Drivers Guild; IAMAW
Michael Paulson, rank-and-file, UAW
John Pearson, SEIU Local 1021 Rank & File
Marsha Niemeijer, NYSNA and Labor Notes Board Member
Niall Reddy, rank-and-file, UAW
Alex Chis, NWU UAW 1981
Claudette Begin, Teamsters 2010 — Retired
Jodie Trzaska, UFT/AFT
Phil Bianco, UFCW Local 876
Lori Freshwater, Labor activist, journalist
Daniel Burton, DC37 AFSCME
Joaquin Chavez. UPTE-CWA 9119
Andrew Porter, Union Organizer, National Nurses United
Gabriel Galloway, IBEW Local 60
Jason Serko, UNITE HERE!
Bryce Phillips, UFCW local 75
Melanie Vasa, Rank and File, PVEA, NJEA, NEA
Jason Schulman, PSC-CUNY/AFT 2334
Jeff Jacobs GWC-UAW Local 2110
Naomi Bick, Afl-CIO/ AFT 1729
Marc Rodrigues, AFSCME Council 979
Donna Cartwright, CWA Local 31003, retired
Peter Brogan, Organizer, NUHW
Wyatt Jones, Brooklyn DSA
Nick Johnson, labor lawyer
Tim Swanger, DSA
Susan Kang, PSC
Puja Datta, labor activist
Julia Carmel Salazar, NWU (UAW Local 1981 member)
Willie Johnson, United Federation of Teachers
Stephen Thompson , Labor activist
Michael Marchman, Organizer, GTFF/AFT3544
Kara Malin, NNOC
Seth Leibson, UAW 2865
Xhoana Ahmeti, B/UM Branch — NYC DSA
Stefanie Reis, Massachusetts Nurses Association
Sara Kallock, American Association of University Professors
Sally Tompkins, DSA
Bianca Cunningham, CWA, DSA
Tyler Curtis, GWC-UAW Local 2110
Sam Nelson member, TNG-CWA Local 32035
Ai Csuka, Milwaukee DSA
Riley Woodward-Pratt, PTE 17 rank and file
Peter Montalbano, Retail, Wholesale & Department Store Union (UFCW)
Michael Hirsch, UFT staff (retired); UAW/NWU L. # 1981
Miguel Canales, DSA
Jake Moskowitz, DSA Long Beach
Marlena Fontes, USW 9544 member
Jeremy Cohan, UAW 7902, rank-and-file
Grisha Etkin, UAW
Alexandra Holmstrom-Smith, former UAW 2865 executive board member
Spencer Frei UAW 2865
Michael Grochowski, DSA member
Richard Mellor, Afscme Local 444, retired Facts For Working People Blog
Liliana Gutmann-McKenzie, UAW, Organizer
Santiago Iglesias, DSA Member
Kevin Bates, DSA member
Alyssa De La Rosa, UPTE-CWA 9119
Ben Burgis, Executive Board member, Part-Time Lecturers’ Chapter, Rutgers AAUP_AFT
Eric Wimer, SSEU 371
James Cersonsky, labor activist
Aaron Warner, AGVA
John Kaderbek, Teamsters
Jim Williams Union Activist (retired)
Susan Schacher, AFT 1603
To sign on to the statement, complete the form here. Signatures will be added to the public-facing list above every evening.
