Alexandra Bruns-Smith

Boston DSA • GENU-UAW

I am a graduate student worker at Northeastern University and I am currently unionizing my workplace with the United Auto Workers (UAW). In my union, I have been active in recruiting workers to organize new departments, having organizing conversations, collecting cards, and forming an anti-harassment coalition.

I have been co-chair of Boston DSA’s labor branch for the past nine months and have been active in our local strike support efforts, including supporting the 700 nurses striking at

St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, MA. I have also helped build out a jobs program to organize new workplaces in Boston, including cafes and Amazon warehouses. I was also a lead on Boston’s campaign for the PRO Act. Previously, I was involved in political organizing in New York and Missouri. I believe our slate’s platform is critical for building DSA’s organizing capacity and making material gains in the labor movement.

Emma G.

At-Large DSA Member • Teamsters Local 177

I am a UPS package car driver and proud member of Teamsters Local 177. I joined DSA in 2018, and within a few months, I was helping to organize the massive “Bread for Ed” fundraising and food distribution operation as part of East Bay DSA’s strike support for the Oakland teachers strike. From this experience, I knew I wanted to dedicate my organizing energy toward building the labor movement. COVID led me to take a job with UPS in my hometown, and being part of the legacy of militant Teamsters has been one of my greatest accomplishments. I take every opportunity to educate coworkers on their rights and offer support in standing up for themselves.

While I am currently an At-Large DSA member, I’m involved in Amazon organizing efforts and have been working to cohere and organize national networks of UPS members as we gear up for our 2023 national contract campaign. As a member of North NJ DSA in 2020, I helped build a Member Organizing committee and implement a new member orientation and onboarding program. I’m excited to bring my skills and experience from DSA and as a newer union member to help build DSLC and lead our organization’s labor work in building power for the working class.

Heather Hillenbrand

Akron DSA • Executive Board & Steward, SEIU Local 1

I am a practical Midwestern lunch lady ready to build the DSLC we need. As a rank and file member of SEIU Local 1 and steward for my bargaining unit, I fight daily for safer working conditions in a public school. As the Akron representative for the SEIU Local 1 executive board, I’ve helped with contract campaigns, fight-back campaigns, and organizing new bargaining units.

In two years as Akron DSA co-chair, my most public-facing work has been a successful campaign to stop a plan to frack near our city’s reservoir and an independent expenditure campaign supporting Nina Turner. My internal work has been labor education and making small and mid-sized DSA chapter connections. Collaborating with multiple chapters in this fall's strike support work showed me that we need a DSA Labor Corp to help grow labor work in the chapters and the national organization. I’m excited to build on existing organizing to help create it.

Honda Wang

NYC DSA • AFSCME Local 1549

I am an analyst at a city agency and a rank-and-file member of AFSCME Local 1549, which represents clerical-administrative employees in the public sector. I have also been an organizing committee member for the Lower Manhattan branch of NYC-DSA, and I am an active member of our local Labor Branch as well.

Over the past year, I have been committed to supporting labor struggles which include the Teamsters Local 202 strike at Hunts Point, GSOC-NYU graduate student-workers at New York University, John Deere workers on strike in Iowa and Illinois, UMWA coal miners from Warrior Met protesting outside of BlackRock's NYC headquarters, United Metro Energy Teamsters on strike in Brooklyn, cab drivers on hunger strike outside of City Hall, Mercy Hospital nurses in Buffalo, and more.

The DSLC has an opportunity this term to bring our organization closer to these labor struggles, to rank-and-file militancy, and to the labor movement as a whole. I'm proud to be one of the dedicated cadre in the Strike Wave Slate who are willing to carry out these important tasks before us!

Liam Kelly

Philly DSA • Philadelphia Federation of Teachers Local 3

I am a public school teacher, member of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) Local 3, and organizer in the union’s Working Educators caucus. I’ve been a DSA member since 2017, when I co-founded a YDSA chapter at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. After organizing a solidarity effort for North Carolina teachers’ Red4Ed action, I understood how central the labor movement was to building socialism.

Since then, I’ve worked as a staff organizer, a leader on an organizing drive, and a rank-and-file union member. Within DSA, I was a co-founder of EWOC and recruited DSA chapters to participate in the PRO Act campaign. On the DSLC, I hope to put that experience toward bringing more socialists into the labor movement, and more of the working class into DSA.

Morgan Stewart

Richmond DSA • President, AFGE Local 3380

I am a member of AFGE and president of Local 3380 in Richmond, Va. I work in the public sector in civil rights investigating housing discrimination. I was appointed to the DSLC SC this past summer to fill a vacancy for the south and I am honored to run for a spot amongst the other committed rank and file organizers on the Strike Wave slate.

I got my start in the labor movement as a rank and file member of AFGE local 911 in Chicago when I organized our local to endorse efforts to repeal legislation banning rent control laws in the state. I mobilized members to take action and build upon this support leading to endorsement of the AFGE District and the state AFL-CIO.

Since then, I have been involved in fighting for the PRO Act, Green New Deal for Public Schools, and transforming my union into a fighting, militant arm of the working class. I believe a strong, strategic DSLC is vital for DSA to build material solidarity with the labor movement.

Sean Orr

Chicago DSA • Steward, Teamsters Local 705

I am a package car driver and elected steward with Teamsters Local 705. I am an active member of Teamsters for a Democratic Union, and served as the Chicago coordinator for the O’Brien-Zuckerman / Teamsters United campaign. I have been a socialist since high school, and joined DSA in 2020. I believe that we have a historic role to play in bringing the socialist movement and the labor movement together into a fighting force for the working class - and a well-organized, dynamic DSLC is central to making that happen.