Flatbush Workers United: New York Health Act Campaign Proposal
An ambitious plan to fight for universal, guaranteed healthcare for Flatbush
Intro
Flatbush Workers United is a dues-paying membership based political organization centered in Flatbush Brooklyn. Having originally coalesced as Flatbush 4 Bernie, we kept going after Bernie dropped out in 2020 and reconstituted ourselves based on this program. Our strategy to build the united, working class opposition needed to win a platform like Bernie’s requires knitting together existing organizations to create something new and revolutionary.
One key element in our program is the need to end profit-driven healthcare: winning Medicare for All at the national level, with a New York State version being the New York Health Act. We have opened a dialogue with an existing campaign: the Campaign for New York Health (CNYHA below). Their theory of change is very compatible with FWU’s: a domino effect of uplifting and empowering local voices, who can then in turn empower those around them, all in the name of creating vibrant local groupings capable of independent action toward a common goal.
Our vision: Flatbush for NYHA
FWU wants to systematically work to help this campaign take root in Flatbush. CNYHA offers plenty of free materials, FAQs, and information for download. Luckily, and as with most organizing, we will not need to start from scratch.
We envision two key aspects of this Flatbush for NYHA campaign:
- Healthcare Story videos — these have been a source of powerful local messaging for NYHA. Under 5 minutes each, these humanize and make clear what’s at stake by highlighting individual people’s stories and how the NYHA would transform their lives for the better
- Petition signatures — having thousands of signatures in support of the NYHA would send a powerful message to state officials on the bill’s popularity and build political pressure to pass it. We would like to pair these canvassing actions with registering people to vote. That said, it is important to note, and we will be stressing in messaging, that our electoral system undemocratically disenfranchises thousands of Flatbushers who would benefit from the NYHA — based on immigration status, conviction records, being under the age of 18, not to mention excessive voting wait times
A third, possibly most fun element, would be rallies, marches, concerts, etc., to get out the word in a splashy and exciting way.
Details, Dates, and a Map
Flatbush is many things to many people, and a very small thing to the developers driving gentrification. The (quite big) area we consider Flatbush is largely divided among three NY State Assembly districts, and we want this campaign to be vibrant across all three:
In the north including PLG, District 43 — current incumbent Diana Richardson
In the south, District 42 — current incumbent Rodneyse Bichotte
In the east, District 58 — current incumbent Nick Perry
All three Assembly members’ terms end December 31, 2022. The general election is on November 8, 2022, with the primary likely to be held in June 2022, since June has become the month for primaries in New York. That gives us just over a year to build out local NYHA committees in all three districts capable of driving this campaign. Politicians are always most vulnerable during election season, and who knows they may even face a NYHA-centric candidate if things really take off.
Key Metrics of Success
- 15,000 signatures, 5,000 per district
- 15 healthcare story videos, 5 per district
- Flatbush is an incredibly diverse neighborhood, with vibrant Black, Caribbean, Latinx,, and Middle Eastern communities, to name a few. It is simultaneously home to a large number of immigrants. It is imperative that this campaign includes, empowers, and uplifts people in these communities. The NYHA would be for all people, so the campaign fighting for it must be as well.
Take Action — get looped in into our work
If this plan excites you, please reach out to us at flatbushworkersunited@gmail.com to hear about the next event you can join.