2024-Week 24 Weekly Update

Meeting Minutes & Weekly Updates Weekly Updates
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Weekly Update - Week 24

Below, you will find updates on our latest activities and a list of “Action Items,” which are tasks we need to finish to accomplish the campaigns and activities Members have voted on.

If you have questions about any of these action items, please schedule a Zoom meeting with a member of the Steering Committee here. We were elected to help Members achieve the goals they voted for, so please don’t hesitate to book a meeting!

Upcoming Meetings and Events

Full Calendar Here

Canvassing At CalVilla Townhomes (WCU Tenant Union)
– June 13 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
– June 21 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
– June 27 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Flyering at Weberstown Mall (No Votes for Genocide Campaign)
– June 15 @ 12:00 pm - 3:30 pm
– June 22 @ 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm
WCU Reading Group
– June 20 @ 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
WCU New Member Orientation
– June 22 @ 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Tenant Union Focus Campaign

Recent Updates

  • Collected 10+ signatures from tenants signing on to a letter to Code Enforcement about a cockroach infestation
  • Created a one-page explainer that outlines the importance of contacting Stockton Code Enforcement, challenging the HOA, and collective action to give to tenants.

Current Project: Letter to Code Enforcement About Cockroach Infestation

  • There is a large-scale cockroach infestation in the Cal-Villa Townhomes development affecting multiple units.
  • Our review of Cal-Villa’s governing documents shows the HOA is responsible for common areas, where the cockroach infestation originates.
  • Instead of tackling this issue landlord by landlord, we need to urge Stockton Code Enforcement to impose fines on the HOA until they address the infestation.
  • Through this campaign, we aim to find local tenant leaders willing to organize their neighbors.

Highlights

  • Ongoing roach problems reported by new and long-term tenants.
  • Initial attempts by landlords to address the issue failed due to roaches being present across the development.
  • Children are coming into contact with cockroaches, affecting the quality of life for tenants.
  • Tenants expressed fear of landlord retaliation but showed willingness to confront the HOA.

Goals

  • Use this widespread issue to encourage tenant participation and involvement in the Cal-Villa Tenant Association.
  • Obtain signatures from a majority of affected tenants.
  • Organizing a meeting of the Cal-Villa Tenant Association to discuss next steps at the end of the month.
  • Complete the initial draft of the WCUTU Tenants Handbook that has basic information about tenant’s rights. We are adopting the handbook from Los Angeles Tenant Union, but there are several sections we need to research/edit so they match San Joaquin/local laws.

ACTION ITEMS

Canvassing At CalVilla Townhomes
– June 13 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
– June 21 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
– June 27 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Letter to Code Enforcement About Cockroach Infestation (Details Here)

  • Review Draft Letter to Code Enforcement
  • Develop One-Page Explainer
  • Prepare Letter Toolkit

Tenant Union Handbook (Details Here)
– Pick a section of the handbook highlighted in green (which indicates areas we thought might not apply to San Joaquin County and were LA specific), research to find if those rules/regulations apply to us, and make the appropriate edits in the Google Doc.

No Votes for Genocide / Free Palestine Campaign

Recent Updates

Current Project: Finish Campaign Materials and Start Tabling

  • We are still finishing the baseline material needed to launch our campaign. This includes language for the online petition, social media posts, flyers, and email.
  • We will begin holding flyering events this week. The hope is that by the end of the month, we have a streamlined process for recruiting volunteers into events.
  • If all goes as planned, we should be prepared next month to expand to other actions we voted on, including phone banking, developing a toolkit for people to organize without our direct involvement, and disrupting fundraising events.

Goals

  • The goal of this campaign is to not only achieve a ceasefire in Gaza but also to use this issue to break from the duopoly of the two major parties.
  • This means revealing how undemocratic both parties are while preventing people from falling into despair and inactivity. We must work with them to develop new democratic organizations and systems that can replace what we have today.

Action Items

Flyering Events
– June 15 @ 12:00 pm - 3:30 pm
– June 22 @ 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

June Action Items - No Votes for Genocide (Details Here)

  • Finalize language for No Votes for Genocide Pledge
  • Complete the half-page flyers with information about Gaza
  • Half-page flyers with information about Josh’s voting record
  • Draft language for social media posts about the campaign, asking people to sign the petition, and asking people to come table with us
  • Draft emails introducing people to the campaign, asking people to ask their friends/family to sign, and asking people to do outreach with us
  • Draft text that explains why WCU is doing this campaign for our website for future members

WCU Reading Group

The next reading is “Who’s going to be the lesser-evil in 1968?” by Hal Draper. Please see the Reading Group thread for a link to the text and an audio version of the text. The Reading Group meets on Thursday June 20th at 8PM on Zoom. You can RSVP here.

Action Items

Reading Group Online Meeting
– June 20 @ 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm