Mission
The Digital Solidarity Movement (DSM) unites tech and digital workers to leverage our strategic position at the control points of the modern economy. We recognize a simple truth: those who build and maintain digital systems, and contribute to the digital economy, have the power to reshape, or if necessary halt, economic structures that harm our fellow workers. That no group, united, is more powerful than we are.
In the spirit of "We the People," we assert that economic power must return to the people themselves, not concentrated in corporate entities that have usurped democratic control. Just as the Constitution established that legitimate government derives from the consent of the governed, we maintain that a legitimate economy must derive from the consent of those who create its value.
Our mission isn't merely to suggest improvements but to demand fundamental change. We will use our leverage to ensure an economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few. When necessary, we are prepared to exercise our unique collective power to change the systems that perpetuate inequality and exploitation.
We draw inspiration from diverse traditions of economic thought that teach us the purpose of economic activity should be to reduce suffering and create conditions for genuine human flourishing, not to only maximize profit and consumption. We recognize that mindfulness, moderation, and interdependence are essential principles for creating a truly sustainable and just culture and economy.
Our Policy Platform
Economic freedom is as vital as political freedom. We envision a society where everyone can access healthcare, housing, education, and fair work, not just in theory but in practice, ensuring that dignity isn't determined by financial status.
DSM supports the concept of an Economic Bill of Rights, building upon President Franklin D. Roosevelt's vision in his 1944 State of the Union address¹ and further expanded by Senator Bernie Sanders². Economic rights are not theoretical, they must be actionable, enforceable, and protected from corporate and institutional suppression. While individuals are legally guaranteed freedoms, economic insecurity often prevents them from exercising those rights in practice. True economic justice requires fair wages, workplace protections, access to healthcare, education, and sustainable living conditions, ensuring that no one is denied dignity due to financial hardship. This Economic Bill of Rights affirms that Americans are entitled to:
- The right to meaningful and fairly compensated work in industries, services, agriculture, or technology sectors that contribute to society's wellbeing, with equal pay for equal work and the freedom to join unions.
- The right to a living wage sufficient to provide nutritious food, quality clothing, vacation, and access to childcare and pre-kindergarten programs.
- The right of all businesses, large and small, to operate in a fair marketplace free from monopolistic practices and economic domination, both domestically and internationally.
- The right for every household to access safe, affordable, and sustainable housing that supports community and personal growth.
- The right to accessible, affordable, and high-quality medical care, including paid family leave, sick leave, and vacation.
- The right to protection from economic insecurity caused by aging, illness, accidents, unemployment, or other crises, supported by social safety nets and proactive planning.
- The right to equitable, inclusive, and excellent education opportunities, from pre-kindergarten to lifelong learning.
- The right to green jobs and environmental stewardship, ensuring a sustainable future for all.
By enshrining these rights, DSM ensures that constitutional freedoms have real meaning in everyday life.
Example 1: A retail worker is entitled to a minimum wage, but that wage isn't enough to afford the fundamentals in their city. They have no guarantee of predictable hours, making it impossible to plan childcare or further education.
Example 2: A construction worker labors under hazardous conditions, operating heavy machinery and working in dangerous situations. Their job is essential, yet they have no guaranteed protections if they’re injured on-site. If an accident leaves them unable to work, they may face financial ruin without proper coverage.
In both examples their employer can deny them paid sick leave, forcing them to choose between coming to work ill or losing a paycheck. If they speak out about working conditions, they risk retaliation—hours cut, shifts reassigned, or even termination. In theory, they have rights. In practice, economic insecurity keeps them from exercising them.
Studies show that countries with stronger economic rights protections consistently score higher on measures of general well-being, including the UN Human Development Index and OECD Better Life Index³. These protections create more stable economies with reduced inequality and greater social mobility.
- Push Congress to pass a federal Economic Rights Act codifying living wages, social safety nets, and housing guarantees.
- Empower the Department of Labor with new enforcement powers and funding to monitor and penalize violations.
- Establish an independent Economic Rights Oversight Board for transparent public reporting and community input.
- Provide federal grants for state and local pilot programs in universal childcare, affordable housing, and healthcare access.
- Partner with labor unions, community groups, and digital platforms to mobilize grassroots support and public education campaigns.
- Publish an annual Economic Rights Scorecard to hold elected officials and corporations accountable.
- FDR Presidential Library (1944). "FDR's Second Bill of Rights."
https://billofrightsinstitute.org/activities/franklin-roosevelt-second-bill-of-rights-1944 - Sanders Campaign (2020). "Fight For Working Families." https://berniesanders.com/issues/fight-for-working-families/
- OECD (2020). "How's Life? 2020: Measuring Well-being." https://www.oecd.org/statistics/how-s-life-23089679.htm
Academic Papers
- Fukuda-Parr, S., Lawson-Remer, T., & Randolph, S. (2015). Fulfilling Social and Economic Rights. Oxford University Press. This book introduces the Social and Economic Rights Fulfillment (SERF) Index, analyzing global trends in government performance and the relationship between economic growth and rights fulfillment.
- Koob, S. A., Jørgensen, S. S., & Sano, H.-O. (2017). Human Rights and Economic Growth: An Econometric Analysis of Freedom and Participation Rights. Danish Institute for Human Rights. This paper examines the causal relationship between freedom, participation rights, and economic growth, using econometric methods.
- Jensen, S. L. B. (2023). Twentieth-Century Economic and Social Rights: Decolonization and the Global South. Oxford University Press. This chapter explores the historical evolution of economic and social rights, focusing on decolonization and the Global South.
Books
- Paul, M. (2023). The Ends of Freedom: Reclaiming America's Lost Promise of Economic Rights. University of Chicago Press.
Mark Paul argues that economic rights—such as access to housing, healthcare, and employment—are essential for true freedom. He traces the history of economic rights in the U.S., critiques neoliberal policies, and proposes a modern Economic Bill of Rights. - Hertel, S., & Minkler, L. (2007). Economic Rights: Conceptual, Measurement, and Policy Issues. Cambridge University Press.
When CEOs earn a typical worker’s annual pay before lunch on January 1, the system is broken. DSM backs a 50 : 1 pay cap so prosperity lifts everyone—and executives share in their workers’ well‑being. Let CEOs celebrate their salaries because they’ve raised pay across the company.
DSM supports implementing maximum wage ratios to address the extreme inequality that has developed in American workplaces over the past several decades. This policy would cap executive compensation at a fixed multiple (50:1) of the lowest-paid worker, applying to total compensation including stock options, bonuses, and other benefits.
This approach creates incentives to raise wages at the bottom to allow higher pay at the top, helping reverse the dramatic growth in CEO-to-worker pay ratios (up from 20:1 in 1965 to nearly 400:1 today).
Research shows that extreme pay ratios correlate with poorer company performance, higher employee turnover, and reduced innovation. Meanwhile, countries with lower executive pay ratios like Japan (10:1) and Denmark (50:1) demonstrate that successful businesses can thrive without extreme compensation disparities.
- At Walmart, CEO Doug McMillon received $25.3 million in FY 2023—933 times the $27,136 median associate pay, illustrating how top‐heavy compensation squeezes frontline workers.
- Across the S&P 500, the average CEO‑to‑worker pay ratio was 268 : 1 in 2023—meaning it would take over five career lifetimes for a typical worker to earn what their CEO makes in a single year.
- In 1965, CEOs earned roughly 20 times more than average workers; by 2023, that gap ballooned to about 290 : 1—a 1,350 % increase over six decades.
| Action | How It Works | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 50:1 cap on total pay | Applied via tax code + federal-contract rules | Raises bottom wages or curbs top pay |
| Surtax on excess pay | 50%-75% on amounts above the cap | Makes extreme gaps economically irrational |
| Full ratio disclosure | SEC filings + worker pay stubs | Instant, public "fairness" metric |
| Claw-back safety net | Bonuses held in escrow until ratio verified | Stops games with deferred stock tricks |
| "Raise-the-base" credit | Temporary ratio relief if median pay rises | Aligns exec rewards with wage growth |
Why It Works:
- Performance, not profiteering – balanced pay scales cut turnover and boost innovation (IPS studies).
- Global proof – Japan (≈10:1) and Denmark (≈50:1) run world-class firms without C-suite excess.
- Historic precedent – America's 1950‑70 boom held ratios near 20:1 while the middle class thrived.
Coming soon: Polls show 74‑88 % of Americans favor capping CEO pay or raising the minimum wage — detailed data to be added.
- Piketty, T. (2014). "Capital in the Twenty‑First Century." Harvard University Press.
- Pizzigati, S. (2021). "Corporate Pay Ratios: What's Happened Since the 2008 Crisis." Institute for Policy Studies.
- Anderson, S. & Pizzigati, S. (2023). "Executive Excess 2023." Institute for Policy Studies.
Our nine‑member Supreme Court is overwhelmed and corporate‑captured, deciding less than 1 % of cases while favoring wealthy interests. Concentrating such immense power in just nine seats inherently limits access to only the most powerful and connected. A 36‑justice Court with specialized divisions and term limits would restore justice for all Americans.
The current Supreme Court structure is failing to deliver equal justice for all Americans. As case filings have increased by over 800 % since 1960, the Court’s capacity has drastically decreased, now hearing less than 1 % of cases brought before it. This severely limited docket is increasingly dominated by corporate interests and elite lawyers charging $1,500+ per hour, creating a two‑tiered justice system.
When corporations challenge worker‑protection laws, environmental regulations, or consumer‑rights statutes, the Court’s narrow conservative majority consistently rules in their favor—studies show pro‑corporate decisions in 73 % of business‑related cases. This systematic bias undermines democracy and economic fairness.
DSM supports comprehensive judicial reform centered on expanding the Supreme Court to 36 justices, with regular appointments and structural changes to restore balance, expertise, and public accountability.
- Access to Justice Gap: The nine‑member Court receives about 7,000–8,000 petitions each year but issues full opinions in only 60–70 cases—less than 1 % of filings, compared to roughly 5 % in the 1960s. A 36‑justice, panel‑based system could quadruple the number of cases heard, resolving urgent legal questions now left unaddressed.
- Elite Capture of the Courts: Just 66 lawyers (0.01 % of U.S. attorneys) handled nearly half of all cases accepted by the Supreme Court over a nine‑year period, charging $1,500+ per hour. Meanwhile, corporations and industry groups file three times more amicus briefs than public‑interest organizations, skewing access and outcomes toward wealthy interests.
- Workers’ Rights Erosion: When corporations challenged worker‑protection laws in recent years, the Court’s narrow conservative majority ruled in favor of corporate interests 73 % of the time, eroding decades of labor rights and economic regulations that once protected workers.
- Advocate for a federal Judiciary Expansion Act to amend the Judiciary Act of 1869 and set Court size at 36.
- Partner with bar associations, civil‑rights groups, and public‑defender organizations to draft model legislation.
- Mobilize a grassroots coalition of digital and legal workers to lobby key members of Congress.
- Publish an annual Court Capacity & Accountability Report tracking docket backlog and access metrics.
- Host public forums and webinars with legal scholars and community leaders to educate policymakers.
- Leverage digital campaigns to highlight backlog statistics and corporate skew.
Coming soon: Multiple polls show majorities (55‑68 %) favor Supreme Court term limits or expansion; full dataset forthcoming.
- Epps, D., & Sitaraman, G. (2018). “How to Save the Supreme Court.” Harvard Law Review.
- Take Back the Court (2023). “Supreme Court Reform Proposals.”
- Federal Judicial Center (2022). “Caseloads of the Federal Courts.”
- Lee, K., & Gulati, M. (2021). “The Supreme Court and Business.” Columbia Law School.
- Fallon, R. (2018). Implementing the Constitution. Harvard University Press.
Every year, 68,000 Americans die without healthcare while 530,000 families face medical bankruptcy. Universal healthcare would save lives, free workers from job‑lock, help small businesses compete, and save $450 billion annually while guaranteeing care for all.
America's fragmented, employment‑based healthcare system causes widespread suffering and constrains economic freedom. Despite spending more per capita on healthcare than any other nation, the United States leaves millions uninsured or underinsured, with devastating consequences for individuals, families, and businesses.
DSM supports establishing a universal, single‑payer healthcare system for all Americans. This comprehensive approach would transform healthcare from a market commodity to a public good, ensuring everyone receives the care they need regardless of employment status or income level.
Universal healthcare isn't just a moral imperative — it's economically sound policy. Research shows that a single‑payer system would save an estimated $450 billion annually while improving health outcomes, stimulating small business growth, and enhancing worker mobility and bargaining power.
Coming soon: Polling data demonstrating majority support for an Economic Bill of Rights.
Corporate cash flooded our democracy in 2022—$4.1 billion on federal lobbying and $8.9 billion in election spending—ensuring politicians answer to donors, not voters. DSM backs bold reforms to overturn Citizens United, implement public financing, and create strict anti‑corruption measures to restore government by the people.
Coming soon: Surveys show 77‑88 % back stronger campaign‑finance rules; polling table forthcoming.
Wall Street's extractive practices destroy stable businesses for quick profits. DSM demands a financial transaction tax, limits on debt‑loading buyouts, and an end to carried‑interest loopholes that reward financial engineering over real value creation.
Coming soon: Recent polls indicate broad bipartisan backing (60 %+) for a small financial‑transaction tax.
GDP growth alone can't capture what truly matters—human well‑being, environmental health, and equity. DSM will champion alternative indicators and corporate impact reporting so progress reflects genuine social and ecological flourishing.
Coming soon: Majority of Americans support using well‑being metrics in federal policy according to 2024 Pew survey — details to follow.
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The Digital Solidarity Movement is a growing coalition of digital and tech workers committed to economic justice, democratic workplaces, and inclusive progress. We advocate for bold policies that serve the common good and empower working people across all sectors of the economy.