The National Staff of the Green Party of the United States are members of the Industrial Workers of the World. The statement from the Staff can be read here.

David Doonan, Web Manager

David Doonan has served as web manager for GPUS since 2007. His career has been spent in the graphic arts, working as a college photographer; offset platemaker, cameramen, 4/C stripper and compositor, desktop publishing technician; photographer / journalist and finally, web developer.

A 1977 graduate of The Cooper Union in New York City, Doonan began his career in politics circulating petitions for an anti-war congressional candidate in Springfield MA in 1968. In 2008 he was elected Village Mayor of Greenwich, New York. He served until 2018 when he choose not to seek re-election.

Shortly before 9/11, Doonan left full time employment to become a self-employed web developer. Shortly after 9/11 Doonan changed his party registration to Green as a silent protest against vengeance and not justice.

Doonan lives with Judy, his wife of 36 years, two cats who fully live up to their names (Trouble and Turbo) and has his heart constantly broken by Tottenham Hotspur and the Buffalo Bills. At least the Red Sox & Celtics have brought him joy.

To email David: Email

Starlene Rankin, Fundraising Technician

Starlene Rankin is a longtime member and leader of the Green Party, and joined the staff in 2015. She has been a co-chair of GPUS. She is a founder of the GPUS Lavender Green Caucus, former co-chair of the Media Committee, and manages the GPUS social media presence.

Starlene co-chaired the Iowa Draft Nader for President Committee in 1996, then co-founded the Iowa Green Party.

Starlene lives in NW Portland, OR with her cool cat, Bobby. She has three amazing sons and adores singing and performing as a member of the Portland Lesbian Choir.

To email Starlene: Email

I don't know what has happened in America. People seem to have less and less respect for the working class, many seem to have an absolute disdain for any type of labor. Combine this with an overall lack of respect for education and skills training- decrying those who go to college or those with college degrees goes hand in hand with a hatred for union trained workers.

If federal minimum wage doesn't go up, the skilled wages don't increase. When my father wanted me to join the Plumbers and Pipefitters union in 2000, the wages for an apprentice are the same as they are today.

This Labor Day, we can't help but think about the insanity that is our country's desperate need for countless people-hours to transform our infrastructure and renew public services while, at the same time, countless people and families across our nation suffer for lack of living-wage jobs.

But as crazy as that problem is, the solution makes perfect sense: an Eco-Socialist Green New Deal. Greens have fought for it. And the idea is catching on, thanks to the tremendous effort of our members and candidates. Will you give to the Green Party of New York today so we can keep up the fight at this pivotal time? Because you and I know there is nothing the corporate power structure would love more than to erase the most essential, radical demands of the GND. We cannot allow that.

• Solidarity with the Communications Workers of America members at AT&T who are striking over unfair labor practices.

One of my junior political advisors and I went out this morning and walked the picket line with local union members and their families. It's time for AT&T to step up and send folks to the table who can make decisions. We join our fellow workers demanding that they bargain in good faith.

• Black and Green: Wednesday, May 1, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.

In February 2018, 20,000 school employees walked out in West Virginia. At least 20,000 more walked out in Oklahoma. Then 40,000 teachers left work in Arizona. Teacher walkouts followed in Colorado, Kentucky & North Carolina. By 2019 Los Angeles & Oakland saw school walkouts.

Marshall, Michigan – A walk between two labor landmarks in Marshall on Saturday, May 4 will give people an opportunity to "spring into action", put some of their own labor into cleaning things up, and talk afterward about next steps. The event, which is open to the public, is posted at https://www.facebook.com/events/289001138684843/

The walk will start at 11:30 am at the intersection of East Drive, East Mansion Street, and Michigan Avenue, across from the VFW Hall -- original site of the house where a union known as the Brotherhood of the Footboard was founded in 1863.

Corporate media absolutely won’t tell you this, but this year’s Los Angeles teachers strike is the latest chapter in the long running struggle against the privatization of public education in the US. With massive public support, 30,000 teachers have voted a settlement that increases their wages a little, brings back nurses, librarians and counselors to each and every one of the city’s 900 schools, caps class sizes and charter school expansion and more. 

At high noon, October 3, 2018, over a hundred underpaid, fast food workers, their families, union supporters, and community members including Greater Milwaukee Greens marched on a Milwaukee McDonald's to demand a $15/hr minimum wage.

With the Fight for $15, many of us had demonstrated there over the last couple of years. We exposed the injustice of McDonald's making billions of dollars in profit while the people who do the real work are struggling to survive. This time would be different.

Green Party candidate for Michigan Governor, Jennifer V. Kurland, said today that eliminating the prevailing wage in Michigan places skilled trade workers in jeopardy at a time when they are needed most. The ramifications, she added, will be long term and negative.

"For a party who touts fiscal responsibility as a key value, Republican lawmakers in Lansing certainly didn't make a fiscally responsible decision for our state on Wednesday," Kurland said.

April 13, 2018 – Last week public school teachers throughout Oklahoma and Kentucky courageously followed the example of West Virginia’s educators, by committing to statewide wildcat* strikes. Between 2008 and 2015, per-student education spending in Kentucky fell by 11.4 percent; in Oklahoma, by 15.6. In both states, as in West Virginia, lawmakers paired disinvestment from education with tax cuts for high-earners and business interests.

WV Governor Justice (R-CoalBaron) came up with what turned out to be a low-ball offer, which teachers flatly rejected. It was probably because earlier in the year Justice had been pushing for tax cuts on the inventories of his many extraction industries.