Welcome to our very first Local Progress California State Download! This is the first edition of what will be LPCA’s quarterly newsletter where you’ll find resources, highlights from our state and local work, and sneak peeks of what to expect from our team (including more information about our future California state chapter 👀)!
We’ve already had some great local wins and can’t wait to have so many more to share with you.
💪 Working with our Labor Friends
Last month we partnered with our friends at United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 770 and Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) to lead a delegation and deliver a community letter in support of Food 4 Less workers in Southern California, who were fighting for a fair contract. Our members, Councilmember Juan Muñoz-Guevara from Lynwood and Councilmember Jorgel Chavez from Bell Gardens, led the delegation in Southeast Los Angeles. There were plans for additional regional delegations in the future but with community support, including that of our delegation, Food 4 Less workers won a three-year contract!. The newly ratified contract includes wage increases for all workers, more hours guaranteed for part-time workers, and ratification bonuses for all.
🙌 Rent Control is Safeguarded in Concord
Community members in the city of Concord had been fighting for rent stabilization for nearly a decade, which is how our member, City Councilmember Laura Nakamura (left in photo below), began engaging on the topic. She was elected to the Concord City Council last year and got to work protecting renters with East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE) and other partner organizations through a collaborative governance process. In February, Concord passed rent stabilization and strong renter protections, but the very next day,members of the local apartment association and real estate lobby filed for a ballot initiative that would overturn the policy. Laura worked with the Local Progress communications team to develop a messaging strategy to ultimately stop the threat of the initiative.
🔑 ICYMI: Leading the Nation on Rental Price-Fixing
San Francisco became the first city in the nation to ban automated rent-fixing software, led by President of the Board of Supervisor, Aaron Peskin (one of our members from San Francisco). The policy bans the use and sale of the technology and aims to ultimately increase rental availability and affordability. Interested in a similar policy for your municipality? View our policy memo with sample legislation to ban this harmful practice in your community.
✨ Rooted and Grounded after our National Convening
Just two weeks ago we hosted Local Progress’s largest National Convening to date with over 420 local elected officials and partner organizations, 60+ strategy workshops and plenaries, and countless opportunities to grow and share with one another. We’re especially grateful to our hosts Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, and School Board Director Valarie Bachelor, to our local partners Bay Rising, Oakland Rising, and ACCE, and to the many of you who shared your wins, challenges, and opportunities for other local elected officials from across the country to learn from. We can’t wait to see you next year!
💻 Case Studies from Across Our Network
Local Progress is releasing a series of case studies showcasing localities nationwide that are leveraging federal funds for change in their localities. The first of the series was just released detailing St. Paul’s work.
🧰 LP’s Resource Library
Check out LP’s growing library of resources including case studies, policy memos, messaging guides, toolkits, and more.
❤️ Join an LP Caucus!
Local Progress has launched three identity-based community spaces: the Black Caucus, the Women’s Caucus, and Nuestro Caucus, and now a Pride Caucus is currently in formation. These spaces were created by and for LP members to gather and share their lived experiences in governing and leadership positions and are always open for new members. We invite you to get involved – learn more here!
📋 Get Your Policy Win Highlighted!
We’re partnering with the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center to highlight policy wins on the local level! The Progressive Playbook is a comprehensive guide that shows advocates, legislators, and the public how to achieve real progressive wins. It will highlight successful legislative campaigns and policy victories to provide insights for other advocates and legislators to replicate in their states. If you have a policy campaign or win that you think would be a good addition, please reach out to LP Deputy Communications Director, Michael Whitesides, and we’ll help you submit a brief for inclusion! The Progressive Playbook is looking for policy ideas of all kinds but is specifically looking for policy wins related to clean energy, reproductive rights, housing, workers’ rights, taxes on the wealthy, and pushback against book bans.
Currently, there are over 200 Local Progress members in California leading amazing work that advances a racial, economic, and gender justice agenda. We’ll be forming a California chapter soon to highlight and grow that work across our state, but we can’t do it without your help! Invite other progressive local elected officials to join the network by having them sign up here or reach out to me with your wins, questions, and/or asks for support.
