When Dolly Parton sang “9 to 5,” she was doing more than just shining a light on the fate of American working women. Parton was singing the true story of a movement that started with 9to5, a group of Boston secretaries in the early 1970s. Their goals were simple—better pay, more advancement opportunities, and an end to sexual harassment—but their unconventional approach attracted the press and shamed their bosses into change. Featuring interviews with 9to5’s founders, as well as actor and activist Jane Fonda, “9to5: The Story of a Movement” is the previously untold story of the fight that inspired a hit and changed the American workplace.

The movie was codirected by the recently deceased Julia Reichert, whose "American Factory" won an Oscar for best documentary-feature in 2019, and who also codirected such other documentary classics as "Union Maids" and "Growing Up Female." "9to5: the Story of a Movement" was nominated for a Peabody Award in 2021, and was aired on PBS in 2021.

Watch the documentary prior to the meeting (we will send you a link) and then join us for a very special event cosponsored by Democrats Abroad Barcelona/Spain and the Global and Spain Women’s Caucuses.

On April 11 at 2pm CT / 8pm CET, we will meet with book author and founder of 9 to 5 Ellen Cassedy; and Kim Cook, an organizer and activist for worker’s rights. Both women appear in the film.

Ellen Cassedy was a founder of the 9 to 5 organization of women office workers that began in Boston fifty years ago. She is the author of a new book, “Working 9 to 5: A women’s movement, a labor union, and the iconic movie,” with a foreword by Jane Fonda. Liz Shuler, the president of the AFL-CIO, calls the book “a must-read for any activist or reader in search of inspiration.” Historian Lane Windham calls it “exactly the right book at the right time.” Ellen is a former columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News. She was a speechwriter in the Clinton administration and is the award-winning author of several books. She lives in New York City.

Kim Cook is the past President of SEIU Local 925, a local of 26,000 child care and public sector workers in Washington State. She began her work as a member activist of 9to5, a pre-union clerical workers association, was hired as an SEIU organizer in 1984 and organized workers around the country; she was elected President of SEIU Local 925 in 2001. Kim served on the SEIU International Executive Board and as an International Vice-President. In 2010 she was hired to build and lead a new department at SEIU - Member Leaders in Action. She is also one of the co-founders of Flash Mobs for Social Justice. She retired as an Associate at the Cornell Worker Institute in New York City.

When you RSVP to this event, you will be sent a link to watch the documentary (90 minutes) at your own convenience. Then come on April 11 to hear from the people behind the movement, the film and the book and ask them your questions. 

The Annual General Meeting and Elections will be held on Saturday, 13 May from 10:00am to 1pm (approx.) at the ESERP Business School, Calle Girona 24, Barcelona. Stay tuned for more details on the event.

Elections for officers of the Barcelona chapter of Democrats Abroad Spain for the 2023–2024 term are approaching quickly. The new term will run from the moment elections have been decided until the Spring of 2025, meaning that the coming term will see the all-important General and Presidential Elections of 2024. You can play a leading role in the Democrats retaining the White House and the Senate, retaking the House, and continuing to champion democracy and equal opportunity.

The following offices are up for election this year: Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer. Officers serve a two-year term and can hold the same office for a maximum of two consecutive terms. To submit your candidacy, use the nomination form here.

Want to learn more? Join the Orientation Meeting on Tuesday, 28 March at 7:30 pm on Zoom, at which we will provide further insights on the roles now open, the nomination and election process and the AGM. Past and current officeholders will be on hand to provide more information and answer all your questions about the different roles and what they involve. 

Kathy Tullos, DAS Chair and the rest of the DAS Executive Committee invite you to join us for the ExCom monthly meeting. This meeting is open to all DAS members and we hope to see you there.

In general, our focus will be on registering voters, growing our membership, and bringing in new volunteers. The meeting agenda will be provided the day prior to the event.

If you have questions or a topic you would like to add to the agenda, send an email to [email protected]

The Spain Women's Caucus is hosting our second informal one hour chat that we are calling  ‘Let’s Talk!’ to close out the month of March, Women’s History Month. 

The focus will be on sharing who our personal female heroes are, be they historical, current, famous or not. As well we can talk about what is on our minds, for example the ERA, abortion rights, and being a foreign female living in Spain.  It will be a very informal gathering with a flexible agenda. 

The suggested topics are:

• Who is your female hero? (How do we define the word ‘hero’?) 
• What is going on in the USA!?! (ERA, abortion rights, the current Supreme Court etc. etc. (The list is too long!) 
• What is it like to be a foreign woman living in Spain? 
• What is on your mind?