Union Proud

Someone told me the day before yesterday that this party is a labor of love. Funny enough, I had said those exact words to like four people earlier that day while calling our leaders. Because it is! It will test every fiber of you. You have to work for what you want to see better. We are the thing holding this together.

And before I get into this, I’m a Democrat and I’m proud of it. So please understand this is not a hit piece on our party and I would appreciate this to stay within our ranks. I know our staff and leadership are working to fix all the things. This is just to let you know where I plan to re-commit myself. And because I love this party, I want to be honest about it.

Back when I was at Appalachian State, trying to figure out my next paid organizing gig In 2017, NCDP called me to become an Eva Clayton Fellow. When they called, I had been an unpaid fellow for 3 cycles for various campaigns and causes. 

I was told if I worked hard, within four months I’d be brought on full-time and paid. So I got to work.

I drove from Boone to Raleigh constantly for trainings. I organized during an off-election year. I became the top organizer in the state during that cycle. We exceeded goals week after week. I didn’t just have volunteers, I had a TEAM behind me.

And every month I was told the same thing: “The paycheck is coming.”

Four months turned into thirteen months. 

I’m not telling this story because I need sympathy. This story is not unique at all. Too many people in this party have lived some version of it. And since then, I’ve lived on both sides of campaigns. I’ve been the organizer trying to make magic happen with nothing but vibes. And I’ve also been the person staring at budgets, fundraising goals, payroll spreadsheets, and wondering how we were going to pay our people.

I understand the dilemma.

Some of the hardest jobs I’ve ever had were fundraising jobs. Because field is hard, yes. But realizing people’s rent, groceries, and healthcare depend on whether you hit your numbers that month? That’ll keep you awake at night in a whole different way.

When I finally got into positions where I could make decisions, I tried to do things differently.

On the last campaigns I led in 2024 thru 26, I’m proud to say I paid my canvassers between $25 and $30 an hour. Which is almost unheard of in campaign work for our rural areas. But I’ve never believed in paying people the bare minimum just because you technically can. I believe in paying folks what they’re worth. I set the standard.

We have to start treating campaign labor like skilled labor instead of temporary disposable labor. 

But when I think back to younger me, honestly, I wasn’t asking for much. A gas card. Pizza for volunteers. Ink for my printer.  Instead, like a lot of young organizers, I thought running myself into the ground was just part of earning my place. Looking back, that makes me want to cry for younger Dylan. And that cannot keep being the expectation.

We cannot keep building this party on that. We cannot keep asking organizers and staffers to sacrifice their financial stability just to prove they care enough. They already care enough. That’s why they’re here.

I didn’t have bargaining power back then. I just had myself. But our staff do have power now, and that’s a good thing.

I was lucky enough to watch workers all over organize through the Campaign Workers Guild as a dues paying member and start they started demanding a seat at the table with Downhome NC which I was contracted with in 2024.

As First Vice Chair, I intend to support workers’ rights to bargain and welcome them to a shared table at Goodwin House. 

We’ve seen this story before. In 2018. In 2022. In 2024.

And at some point we have to stop acting surprised by it and starting a whole new conversation, but actually fix it this time. I'm committed to doing that.

-Dylan