North Star Mourns the Death of Danny Fetonte

Long time DSA and NS  member Danny Fetonte died October 23, 2022 after a battle with cancer.  He will be missed, both by DSA members and non-members alike.

Danny was a leader in the founding and growth of the Austin DSA chapter but his geographical reach went well beyond Austin.  He traveled to recruit and meet with DSA members in other beginning chapters across the state of Texas, His organizing work was crucial in generating several of the now existing DSA chapters in the state.

 
Danny was, at heart, a brilliant labor organizer.  He was a long-time organizer for and leader in the Communications Workers of America (CWA) in Texas. He organized workers from various industries in a right-to-work state, a task that the U.S. labor movement has often struggled to accomplish.
 
But Danny was more than a labor organizer. He had a commitment to political participation and engagement from all sectors of the population.  This was, perhaps, demonstrated most dramatically around the 2017 Texas Muslim Capital Day (the “Day”).  The Day is a biennial event in Austin that brings together Muslims to learn about the structure and functioning of Texas state government.  In  2015, the event was disrupted by right wingers opposed to Muslim participation in Texas politics.  But, in advance of the 2017 Day, Danny and others organized to provide a human chain around those assembled for the Day, keeping the antis from disrupting the event.  You can see a video of this action  here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ2TMyXrvHc
 
 
Danny will be missed.  
 
Danny Fetonte, Presente! 
 
The Texas AFL-CIO was saddened at the weekend news that Danny Fetonte, an organizer’s organizer, has died after a long illness.
 
Brother Fetonte was best known for his work with the Texas State Employees Union/Communications Workers of America. None I have known were better at connecting with working people.
 
 Danny’s skill set combined a boundless passion for our movement and for social justice, a gift of gab, mastery of the details of what work is about, and, most importantly, an ability to convey the breadth and history of our movement in direct, simple terms. It is consoling to know that Fetonte lived to see what he battled for his whole career: a national resurgence in union organizing.
 
Fetonte was a proud Democratic Socialist, a proud environmentalist, and a major player in the 2016 Texas presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders. ... It was the essence of Brother Fetonte that during his illness, and even after an arm amputation, he could be seen at labor and social justice events on a regular basis for as long as he was able to get in the mix. 
 
The Texas AFL-CIO extends our heartfelt condolences to the Fetonte family.