The answer to this question will decide whether I will continue with my current org. We have a couple hundred volunteers reporting to a lead that is paid an undisclosed amount from an undisclosed source

  • stigsbandit34z [they/them]
    hexagon
    ·
    10 months ago

    Really value the time and effort that it took to type this response. I’m sure it will be very useful to others who feel similar to myself

    • Juice [none/use name]
      ·
      10 months ago

      No problem, it really is kind of mentally available cuz we have a lot of discussions around these issues. Feel free to reach out

      • stigsbandit34z [they/them]
        hexagon
        ·
        9 months ago

        The paid staffers have other jobs though, right? Like DSA isn’t their full-time job (it is in this org)

        Very sus

        • Juice [none/use name]
          ·
          9 months ago

          I think it depends? A couple of years ago national hired a contractor to do some kind of campaign analysis (this was before the new left wing configuration of the NPC and a big reason we were able to get a majority) who got paid like a disgusting amount of money, and members went nuts and put an end to it. If we vote that a position should be part time or full time or how much it will pay, that's what the position entails. Not to say there is no funny business, but it is transparent. Its a big org so we can afford to have full time staff.

          There is a local org that is like a split from a split from an old LaRouchite group that has fulltime staff and they're kind of a scam. And having fulltime paid organizers is an asset, take it from someone who just had a stress breakdown from working full time + family+ organizing. You want people who spend their best mental hours building your org. Even in our caucus, we publish a real nice slick mag and hold discussion groups in a bunch of topics including contacting international comrades. If someone wasn't working full time on that stuff we wouldn't be able to do any of it.

          I would not like that there is no transparency about where the funding is coming from, hopefully its above board. Its one of the things that makes democratically structured orgs appealing. I mean it might not be that shady, they could be getting money from like the SEIU or something and not want to say, although you'd think you'd want to advertise that. But even so its a bad look