Resolution for Grievance and Conflict Resolution
Whereas the Resolution 33 process which governs grievances in DSA was principally developed for serious harms, including harassment on the basis of membership in a protected class, there still remains political and interpersonal conflicts and disputes based on less serious charges;
Whereas political and interpersonal conflicts are an inevitable and normal part of life in a mass socialist organization containing members of different political tendencies with different perspectives on organizational priorities, strategies, and tactics;
Whereas violations to the code of conduct may not reach the severity of being considered a grievance, but are still important to address and resolve;
Whereas any successful mediation of conflict requires substantial and sufficient buy-in from wider membership and all parties involved, as well as acceptance of the process, which requires adequate trust in the Harassment and Grievance Officers (HGOs) and the process overseen by HGOs;
Whereas harassment and grievance officers are volunteers providing difficult and invaluable services to their chapters and to DSA as a whole, but grievance officers in smaller chapters may have little structural support in their work;
Be it resolved that NCTDSA hereby establish grievance and conflict mediation procedures that replace the ones currently in use by the chapter.
Be it further resolved that the Code of Conduct and Resolution 33 will be the basis of the NCTDSA grievance and conflict mediation procedures.
Be it further resolved that NCTDSA, in addition to these existing conduct standards and conflict processes established by national DSA, create conflict resolution/mediation processes that, if all parties agree to restorative justice practices, may include but is not limited to:
HGOs serving as resources beyond just the formal grievance process
Procedures where each individual involved can appoint a support person as a restorative practice to serve as an emotional resource to them;
Community Accountability (CA) processes, based on the model developed by Creative Interventions, with HGOs or other designated individuals working respectively with the parties harmed and the perpetrator(s) of harm, with a timeline decided on consensually with deference to the agency of harmed parties and centered on the identification and successful address of the needs of parties impacted negatively in interpersonal conflict;
Restorative circles based on Indigenous practices that focus on the cultivation of personal connection between all members in conflict through and within an atmosphere of respect, concern, and confidentiality, facilitated by HGOs or ombudspeople;
Ombudspeople, who are NCTDSA members in good standing, who have received the proper conflict resolution/mediation and/or restorative justice training in order to resolve the political/interpersonal conflicts and disputes, managed by the chapter’s appointed HGOs, can be selected by HGOs to participate in conflict resolution/mediation processes based on the need of each individual case;
Be it further resolved that HGOs also offer facilitated political conflict mediation that centers the lived experience and value of all comrades in the socialist project and the activities of NCTDSA, when conflict between individuals and/or groups with differing political tendencies ruptures within the chapter.
Be it further resolved that all political conflict mediation be structured to provide greater space for healthy conflict and room for disagreement, rather than suppress political debate.
Be it further resolved that both support requests and formal grievances can be filed by emailing the HGOs at nctdsahgo@gmail.com and will be responded to within 48 hours.
Be it further resolved that this document will be paired with an information table available to members on different options that they can choose to seek support, repair and/or accountability.
Be it further resolved that the information table, HGO email, and thus steps for both seeking conflict resolution and reporting formal grievances will be introduced during every New Member Orientation and Mobilizations.
Be it further resolved that, every twelve months, HGOs will attend at least two trainings or meetings offered by DSA’s National Grievance Committee, or other training as approved by the Steering Committee.
Be it further resolved that HGOs will offer quarterly training and/or events for NCTDSA members to learn about conflict resolution, grievance processes, restorative justice practices, and/or other topics that improve the health of the organization and interactions between members.
Be it further resolved that the Steering Committee will respond to all requests for additional resources regarding conflict resolution/mediation and/or restorative justice practices within 30 days of receiving the request.
Be it further resolved that a record of all training received by HGOs will be maintained and available to members through pinned posts on Discord, in general meeting agendas, and on the website.
Be it further resolved that the Steering Committee will always consult with HGOs prior to suspending or expelling a member, and may ask HGOs to conduct an investigation or other assessment of the circumstance before issuing a decision.
Be it further resolved that, when a grievance is received, all HGOs will meet to review the grievance within 48 hours. HGOs may then begin work on fact-finding, investigating, or otherwise assessing the grievance.
If the grievance includes a Steering Committee member, the HGOs will immediately notify the Steering Committee and will provide a recommendation for how to proceed. The Steering Committee must decide how to proceed within 7 days of notification. The Steering Committee member in question must recuse themselves from any discussion or decision-making regarding the grievance. The HGOs’ recommendation and Steering Committee’s decision on how to proceed will be published to the general body within 48 hours of the Steering Committee’s decision. Details of the grievance and the name of the individual accused of harm in the grievance will not be released.
If the grievance does not include a Steering Committee member, HGOs will report the grievance and its status to the Steering Committee within ten days of their initial meeting. HGOs will provide the Steering Committee and the grievance filer updates on the status of the grievance at least every seven days. At the conclusion of the HGOs’ investigation/assessment, they will provide the Steering Committee a recommendation for addressing the grievance. The Steering Committee will make a decision, determine how to proceed, and will inform the HGOs of their decision within 7 days of the end of the HGOs’ investigation. The HGOs will inform the grievance filer of the Steering Committee’s decision within 7 days.
Grievances may be filed by or against an HGO by emailing ncpdsa@gmail.com, which is only accessible by Steering Committee members, or providing the grievance to a Steering Committee member in writing, rather than being reported to the HGO email address. Steering Committee members may then involve other HGOs and/or ombudspeople at their discretion to assist in addressing the concern. The Steering Committee and HGOs, as well as ombudspeople in relevant cases assisting with the process will follow the timeline outlined above where possible.
The Steering Committee is responsible for seeing that the agreed-upon resolution for a grievance is fulfilled. The Steering Committee will notify the HGOs when a resolution is fulfilled. The Steering Committee is responsible for enforcing any penalties or actions if a member does not complete their agreed-upon grievance resolution.
Should the Steering Committee or a member of the Steering Committee not fulfill the responsibilities outlined in this document or agreed upon during the resolution decision, then HGOs have the right to contact national leadership and/or notify NCTDSA’s general body of the failure to act and provide their recommendation for a response/action. The details of the grievance itself will not be discussed with or disclosed to the general body; however, the HGOs must consult the individual who filed the grievance before notifying the general body.
Be it further resolved that confidentiality and transparency in both restorative practices and formal grievance processes is vital.
The needs of the directly involved parties will have some primacy in determining what disclosures to the general membership are appropriate.
In cases where confidentiality and transparency needs may be at odds, HGO’s will determine how to balance these interests.
Should confidentiality need to be maintained and the general membership as a whole is an affected party, HGO’s will seek the appointment of a representative(s) in the process for the chapter community.
Be it further resolved that:
The chapter's conflict resolution, mediation, and other restorative practices may be superseded when appropriate by resolutions passed by the national organization.