· AUSTRALIA$3.00 · BELGIUM BF60 · CANADA$2.50 · FRANCE FF10 · ICELAND KR200 · NEW ZEALAND $3.00 . SWEDEN KR15 . UK £1.00 . U.S. $1.50 INSIDE Report on Young Socialists leadership meeting THE -PAGE4 A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE VOL. 65/NO. 14 APRIL 9, 2001

Macedonian 'Cuban revolution is the gov 't drives achievement of millions' at Albanian Cuban youth leaders speak to U.S. students, farmers postttons• • BY ARRIN HAWKINS AND BETSEY STONE BY PATRICK O'NEILL CHICAGO-"The Cuban revolution is Using tanks, artillery, helicopter gun­ the achievement of millions of youth," said ships, and infantry, the Macedonian armed Javier Duenas Oquendo at a meeting of 100 forces launched a ground offensive against people at Loyola University here. The Cu­ the National Liberation Army (NLA) March ban youth leader pointed to examples of the 25. Washington and the European powers young age of the fighters who brought the have given full backing to the assault, di­ rected at NLA positions in the mountains north of the city ofTetovo, near the country's border with Kosova. REPORT ON Around 10,000 people marched in the Kosova capital of Pristina the next day to BAY OF PIGS condemn the military action. They carried banners reading, "Stop Macedonian terror against Albanians" and "Freedom for Alba­ CONFERENCE nians in Macedonia." A previous demonstra­ tion March 21 drew thousands of young IN HAVANA people, reflecting the widespread anger among Albanians in the region at the na­ PAGESB-9 tional discrimination they face. Macedonian prime minister Ljubco revolution to power in 1959, youth partici­ Georgievski boasted of success late on the pation in the campaign against illiteracy in first day of the offensive. "We have taken 1960-61, the age of the combatants at the all key points," he said. "The centers from victorious battle at the Bay of Pigs in 1961 Militant/Joel Britton where [the guerrillas] acted will be elimi­ and in defeating South Africa's invasion of Event in Chicago of the Cuba Youth Lectures Committee to welcome Cuban youth nated." Reports indicated that the rebels had Angola, and the role of youth in develop­ leaders Javier Dueiias, kneeling, center, in white shirt, and Yanelis Martinez, standing retreated from Secle, Gajre, and other vil­ ing health and education systems available directly behind Dueiias. They began a speaking tour at Loyola University in Chicago. lages that they had captured. Three days to all in Cuba. later, Skopje opened a fresh attack on a Duenas, along with Yanelis Martinez tion of University Students. Duenas, 28, is A major goal of the visit of Duefias and broader front to "clear out the terrain," ac­ Herrera, began three weeks of speaking en­ a professor of journalism at the University Martinez is to build the Second Cuba-U.S. cording to army sources. U.S. helicopters gagements in the United States with talks at of Havana and a member of the National Youth Exchange planned for Havana from monitored the assault from the border area. Loyola and the University of Illinois in Chi­ Bureau of the Union ofYoung Communists July 22 to 30. Issues to be discussed The Macedonian government says its cago on "Youth in Cuba." in Cuba. Continued on Page 11 Continued on Page 14 Martinez, 22, is a fifth-year law student at the University of Havana and a member of the National Secretariat of the Federa- Defense at Mia01i trial exposes anti-Cuba lies

Buchner said. "That allowed the government North American Air Defense Command Sewing shop Five face frame-up charges of Cuba to exercise their sovereign right to (NORAD), which was charged with over­ of spying for Cuba; one charged protect its airspace." A third plane flown by seeing nuclear "missile defense" over U.S. Brothers to the Rescue leader Jose Basulto territory. with conspiracy to commit strikers in also violated Cuban air space but turned Buchner's testimony contradicted earlier murder in shootdown of Brothers back and was not hit. Buchner testified the U.S. government statements and a report to the Rescue planes in 1996 Cuban MiG pilot tracking Basulto's plane issued by the United Nations Security Coun­ Los Angeles "showed restraint" by breaking off pursuit. cil in 1996 alleging the planes were shot Buchner is a former commander of the Continued on Page 10 BY ARGIRIS MALAPANIS win support AND CINDY JAQUITH MIAMI-The trial here of five men ac­ BY NAN BAILEY cused by the FBI of spying for the Cuban Socialists prepare to launch VERNON, California-"Hollander government in southern Florida during the escucha, estamos en Ia lucha!" (Hollander 1990s is nearing its fifth month. listen, we are fighting!) chanted UNITE Recent testimony by witnesses called by eight-week sales campaign members on the picket line here as their the defense has shed further light on BY GREG McCARTAN struggles. These include fights by unionized strike against Hollander Home Fashions Washington's policy of providing a base of AND MAURICE WILLIAMS meat packers and organizing drives by those entered its third week. operations on U.S. soil for counterrevolu­ Socialist workers, Young Socialists, and without union protection. Workers are on The 450 members of the Union of tionary forces carrying out provocations other working people and youth will be dis­ strike at the Harmel plant in Rochelle, Illi­ Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Em­ against Cuba. cussing plans and goals over the next two nois, and 1,600 packinghouse workers in ployees (UNITE) struck the company's two Retired U.S. Air Force colonel George plants here in the middle of Los Angeles weeks for ~n eight-week drive, from April Fort Morgan, Colorado staged a three-day Buchner testified at the trial March 21 as a 14 to June 10, to expand the readership of strike in February to protest intolerable March 8. Daily picket lines remain spirited defense witness. Buchner answered ques­ and sizable, with 75 strikers at each plant, the Militant, Perspectiva Mundial, and other working conditions imposed by the bosses. tions about two Cessna planes flown by pi­ revolutionary literature. Garment workers organized by the Union the limit imposed by a court-ordered injunc­ lots belonging to the Miami-based Broth­ tion. The bosses continue to bus in replace­ The campaign includes sales of a new ofNeedletrades, Industrial and Textile Em­ ers to the Rescue group, which repeatedly pamphlet in preparation by Pathfinder Press ployees (UNITE) are picketing Hollander ment workers recruited by the temporary violated Cuba's air space and were shot agency, Labor Ready, in an attempt to break entitled, Cuba and the Coming American Home Fashions in Los Angeles, while down by the CubanAir Force Feb. 24, 1996. Revolution: Organizing to Win the Inevitable UNITE-organized laundry workers have the walkout. The former U.S. military officer pre­ Strikers are taking their fight across the Battles by Jack Barnes, national secretary waged successful efforts to win union rec­ sented evidence from records of the U.S. of the Socialist Workers Party. Campaign­ ognition in several areas. country and winning support from workers government's National Security Agency. His at other Hollander plants. Eighty union ers will also take goals to sell two other re­ Coal miners, seeking ways to defend their testimony showed that the planes, which cent pamphlets: The Working Class and the lives and their union, have held meetings members and strike supporters picketed the took off from Florida, were about six miles corporate headquarters of Hollander Home Transformation ofLearning by Barnes, and over the past several months to advance their inside Cuba's air space when they were shot Pathfinder Was Born with the October Revo­ demand for medical and pension coverage Fashions in Boca Raton, Florida, March 21 down five years ago. The Brothers to the in support of the walkout. Workers at lution by socialist leader Mary-Alice Wa­ for miners suffering from black lung, as well Rescue pilots had ignored repeated warn­ ters. as for the widows of miners who have died Hollander's plant in Tignall, Georgia, con­ ings from Cuban authorities. tinue their strike in solidarity with the strik­ The campaign comes at a good time, as from the disease. This is part of a broader ing workers here. The Tignall workers are "The trigger was when the first aircraft Militant supporters are joining with work­ movement in mining communities against Continued on Page 4 crossed the 12-mile territorial limit," ers and farmers involved in a number of Continued on Page 5 Immigration fuels rise in U.S. population- page 15 Bust of Klan founder removed from public property in Alabama BY PATTI IIYAMA the march. Four days later, 25,000 march­ SELMA, Alabama-Workers and farm­ ers arrived in Montgomery. The Voting ers in Alabama won a victory February 28 Rights Act was passed soon after. when, after months of debate and protests, a bust of Confederate Gen. Nathan Forrest, 'Insult to the Black community' a founder of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), was The Forrest monument has been the cen­ moved off Selma city property. The monu­ ter of controversy since it was erected. As ment to the racist figure was placed in a Selma City Councilman Samuel Randolph nearby cemetery. stated at a January city council meeting, Built with mostly private funds and "The monument is an insult to the Black owned by the Friends of Forrest, the bust community and over 95 percent of the was set up on public property in October people in my district want it removed. 2000 on a five-ton granite base in a major­ Forrest murdered hundreds of Black sol­ ity Black neighborhood. diers, as well as founding the KKK." Two days after the monument was moved Confederate general Forrest was defeated Protest in Selma, Alabama, January 15 against statue of Confederate general and Klan to the Unknown Confederate Soldiers sec­ in Selma inApril1865 by Union Gen. James founder Nathan Forrest. Controversy over monument reflects polarization in city. tion of the Old Live Oak Cemetery, the city Wilson. Wilson was part of Gen. William of Selma hosted its annual commemoration Sherman's March to the Sea from Atlanta, later apologized for his segregationist past monument, a decision that was met with of the 1965 Bloody Sunday voting rights Georgia, which sealed the defeat of the Con­ and made Black appointments to several protests, including one of 150 on Martin march. Several thousand workers, farmers, federacy in the U.S. Civil War. Forrest had offices. Although the city has been mostly Luther King Day. and young people attended, including some been a slave trader, as well as plantation Black for decades, he was able to win pre­ In response to the removal of Forrest's who came from other states to be part ofthe owner, before the war. In 1864 his troops vious elections by getting most of the white bust to the Confederate soldiers' cemetery, weekend's events. massacred several hundred Black and white votes and enough votes from middle-class the Confederate Heritage Association is now Two busloads of union members from Union soldiers, including their commander, Blacks to achieve a majority. pushing a bill in the Alabama State House Detroit, sponsored by the United Auto who had surrendered at Ft. Pillow, Tennes­ Many workers and farmers who are Black to prevent any monument on state-owned Workers union, were present and joined a see. in the Selma area were heartened by property from being relocated, removed, several-day caravan to important sites from Survivors testified later that many of the Smitherman's defeat, and are hopeful that disturbed, obscured, or desecrated. The di­ the civil rights era. Black soldiers were buried alive. Forrest was the new administration may make it possible rector of the heritage group, Michael The annual event salutes the 1965 Selma­ found to be responsible for the massacre by for some positive changes to be made. But Chappell, told the Birmingham News that to-Montgomery march that helped lead to the U.S. Congressional Committee on the the controversy over the Forrest monument the National Association for the Advance­ the passage of the federal Voting Rights Act. Conduct of the War in 1871. He was also reflects the polarization which continues in ment of Colored People and the Southern On March 7, 1965, civil rights marchers set the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, response to a city administration headed by Christian Leadership Conference have on out for Montgomery some 50 miles away, which he helped to found in Tennessee in even a moderate Black political figure. their national agendas "to wipe out Confed­ but did not make it past the Edmund Pettus 1866. The Selma City Council voted to remove erate heritages." Bridge on the edge of downtown Selma. The bust of Forrest had been approved the monument to Forrest by December 11, They were attacked with tear gas and night­ by the previous Selma mayor, Joe but reversed itself after a November 19 Patti Iiyama is a garment worker and a sticks by state troopers and county lawmen Smitherman, but was not unveiled until last march in support of the monument by nearly member of the Union of Needletrades, In­ on horseback. Many were left with fractured October, a few days after James Perkins Jr. 300 people waving Confederate battle flags dustrial and Textile Employees (UNITE). Su­ skulls and broken limbs. was installed as Selma's first Black mayor. and singing "Dixie." The City Council in­ san LaMont, also a member ofUNITE, con­ Television images of this brutal attack on The bitterly contested September mayoral definitely extended the deadline to move the tributed to this article. unarmed protesters demanding the right to election had won considerable attention, register to vote were broadcast around the because Smitherman had been in office 35 world, bringing home the reality of life un­ years, including during the 1965 voting der Jim Crow segregation. rights march. Both Perkins and Smitherman Miami cops indicted for lying Two weeks after the marchers were at­ are in the Democratic Party. tacked, voting rights activists set out again In 1964, when Smitherman was first BY CINDY JAQUITH istrative leave for their role in another shoot­ from Selma, their ranks swelled this time elected, only about 150 Blacks were regis­ MIAMI-Five cops from the SWAT unit ing, the 1997 killing of a homeless man in by thousands of supporters who had poured tered to vote in Selma. Like his mentor, late were indicted by a federal grand jury here Coconut Grove. Rafael Juan Fuentes, also into Alabama to help ensure the success of Alabama Gov. George Wallace, Smitherman March 14 on charges oflying and fabricat­ charged, beat a prisoner with a set of hand­ ing evidence in the 1996 slaying ofRichard cuffs in 1995. A fourth indictee, Alejandro Brown. Police fired more than 120 bullets Macias, was suspended from the force in at Brown, a 73-year-old retired seaman who 1989 for his part in the clubbing of a doctor was Black. The cops claimed he was a drug who was jogging in a park after closing time. dealer and was armed when they broke into Police internal reviews and investigations THE his home. Their bullets left a six-foot-high of the Brown shooting at the time cleared MILITANT the cops involved. They claimed they only swath on the walls. Chanting "Justice for all! We did nothing fired on Brown after he shot at them. But wrong," some 400 cops and their supporters Brown's family, including his great-grand­ Defend the Cuban revolution staged a march in downtown Miami March daughter Janeka, an eyewitness to the shoot­ 19 to defend the SWAT team members. ing, continued to press for justice. Last year The recent coverage in the capital­ AI Cotera, president of the local Fraternal the city of Miami paid $2.5 million to Janeka ist media marking the 40th anni­ Order of Police, said, "The community Brown to settle a lawsuit charging that the versary ofthe U.S.-organized should know we will not sit by quietly while cops had planted a gun on Brown and had this abuse is going on by the U.S. Attorney's also planted cocaine outside his apartment. invasion of Cuba highlights the Office. This is a slap in the face to all officers The federal grand jury has not yet re­ determination ofthe Cuban people who go out every day and risk their lives." leased specific details of the cop cover-up. to defend their revolution. The Two of the cops indicted, JoseAcuiia and The police, meanwhile, are threatening more 'Militant' tells the truth about Arturo Beguiristain, were already on admin- demonstrations. Washington~ defeat and how that opened up new possibilities to address. 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2 The Militant April 9, 2001 Bush's tax plan aims to boost big business BY MAGGIE TROWE emergency aid that farmers have fought for ity leader, in supporting the bill. Murkowski's he supported reduction of emissions. Chris­ The debate around President George to compensate for below-cost prices for their bill aims to reduce U.S. dependence on oil tine Whitman, his Environmental Protection Bush's tax cut and budget proposals show commodities. imports by 50 percent, particularly from Iraq Agency (EPA) director, had indicated in the efforts the wealthy ruling class and both Most Democrats opposed Bush's tax cut and Iran, who he describes as "unstable na­ February that the administration was mov­ big-business parties are making to reverse a proposals during the 2000 campaign, but tions." The U.S. companies buy 750,000 bar­ ing toward regulation. sagging capitalist economy at the expense many now favor most elements of the plan. rels of oil a day from Iraq. On March 20, Whitman announced the of working people. Tom Daschle, the Senate's Democratic Party Widespread sentiment against despoiling EPA was withdrawing federal standards re­ Bush is promoting a $1.6 trillion tax cut leader, announced support March 23 for the the environment exists in the United States, ducing by 80 percent allowable levels of ar­ proposal as a needed economic stimulus and immediate $60 billion tax cut proposed by however, and Republican leaders in the senic in drinking water. "I want to be sure a boon for working people. "The American Republicans. Many Democrats oppose the House decided to withdraw the Alaska drill­ that the conclusions about arsenic in the rule family had a victory today," Bush announced extent of the tax rate cuts at the higher brack­ ing proposal from the budget package. are supported by the best available science," to a large crowd March 8 in Fargo, North ets, some of the budget cuts that would af­ Democrats responding to Abraham's at­ Whitman said. The National Academy of Dakota, when news came that the House of fect social programs and aid to farmers, and tack on the Clinton administration's track Sciences has concluded that arsenic in drink­ Representatives had passed the tax cut. Bush's repeal of some of Clinton's last­ record on energy, pointed out that Clinton ing water causes bladder, lung, and skin can­ The tax bill, however, will allocate 43 per­ minute regulations. permitted more leasing and exploration on cer, and might cause liver and kidney cancer. cent of reductions to the richest I percent of The framework of all tax cut proposals public land than any previous president. Bush has indicated he wants to block a the population, many of whom already pay before Congress is a continuing budget sur­ In other measures to ease up protective new regulation requiring hard-rock mining few taxes due to extensive loopholes and shel­ plus. But in light of a falling stock market environmental regulations, Bush announced companies to post a bond guaranteeing they ters provided in federal and state tax law. For and a gloomy economic forecast, some poli­ March 13 that he would not regulate car­ will clean up the environmental damage they the one-third of workers and farmers in the ticians are expressing doubts that revenues bon dioxide emissions, which are thought cause, and a recent ban on new roads and country whose earnings are so low that they will sustain a surplus. In the Senate, where to contribute to global warming. During his almost all logging on 58.5 million acres of are eligible to pay no income taxes, the plan no majority exists on any tax plan, a dozen campaign for president last year, Bush said national forest. would have no effect. senators from both parties introduced a 10- The Bush tax cut proposal comes after a year tax cut plan with a "safety valve" that decade of growing earnings and shrinking would delay cuts in years when no budget tax liability for the superwealthy few. From surplus is predicted. 1989 to 1998, the incomes of the wealthiest Bush is making other moves to ease up Immigrant workers protest in Korea 1 percent of the population, adjusted for regulations on mining, manufacturing, and inflation, grew eight times as fast as the energy companies, also in the name of bottom 90 percent. In addition, the share of stimulating the economy. their annual inc"ome-which averaged $816, 189-that the top 1 percent paid in Looser regulations on big business taxes was 27.1 percent in 1998, down from The administration is responding to en­ 28.9 in 1996. ergy blackouts in California by calling for massive tax breaks for the energy compa­ 'Too small and too slow' nies and other measures, including lifting For some, however, these advances for the prohibition on oil and natural gas drill­ the wealthy are not adequate in the face of ing in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife the slowdown in the economy and the sharp Refuge and other federally protected lands. decline in stock values on Wall Street and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, in a in other exchanges around the world. "We speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, hate to be a spoilsport," the Wall Street Jour­ said failure to carry out such measures "will nal editors exclaimed February 8, but threaten our nation's economic prosperity, "someone has to point out the emerging compromise out national security, and lit­ danger that whatever passes Congress could erally alter the way we live our lives." be too small and especially too slow." Bush's Frank Murkowski, a Republican senator from Alaska and author of a bill to overhaul plan would bring the top tax bracket down Immigrant workers protest living conditions and demand equal rights in south U.S. energy policy, cites U.S. national secu­ from 39.6 percent to 33 percent over five Korea. Of the 290,000 immigrant workers in the country, an estimated 67 percent rity interests in his push to open up the Arc­ years. The Journal's editors urged immedi­ lack legal status. Immigrant workers from China, India, Thailand, Burma, and tic to drilling. "American dependence on for­ ate adoption of the rate cuts and repeal of other Asian countries work in south Korea. the estate tax, also part of the Bush mea­ eign oil threatens our national security and sures. The paper called for elimination of our freedom," said Trent Lott, Senate major- the "alternative minimum tax," which the editors called "onerous." This tax is applied when people with large tax deductions reach a certain low level of tax payments. Contntunists in UK defend working farnters In a March 23 editorial titled "The Beltway Fiddlers," the Journal editors took The Militant is setting aside space this Working farmers are being caught be­ in preventing the ruin of working farmers. a more strident tone. Pointing to the sharp week to reprint excerpts from a statement tween rising costs of farm inputs like fuel It should demand; fall in stock prices, they called for a more issued by the Communist League of the and fertilizers and sharply declining prices • Immediate compensation to cover the generous and immediate tax cut for the United Kingdom. The following statement for the livestock and crops that they pro­ full costs of production for all farmers hit higher bracket payers. "Washington is fid­ was issued by Paul Davies, who will be duce. This cost/price squeeze imposed by by the restrictions on livestock sales and dling while the economy bums," the editors the Communist League's parliamentary the capitalists and their government is driv­ movement and the government-imposed fumed, and for members of Congress, "the candidate in the Southwark and ing record numbers of farmers into ruin and slaughter policy! moribund state ofAmerican manufacturing, Bermondsey constituency in the forth­ off the land. • A guaranteed market for farmers' crops the earnings meltdown or a Charles Schwab coming UK general election. As farmers in Cumbria begin to resist the and livestock with prices adequate to meet [stock brokerage firm] announcing 3,400 government's policy of slaughtering animals production costs and provide a decent liv­ layoffs, and P&G [Proctor and Gamble] The response by the government to the that are not infected with the disease, work­ ing! 9,600 more, is like radio signals from far­ outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the ers should stand with them as they fight to • Abolish small and medium-sized farm­ away galaxies." United Kingdom is in effect tightening the defend their livelihoods. If workers are to ers' debts owed to the banks and the gov­ House conservatives are proposing a $2.2 screws on farmers who are already devas­ be successful in their struggle against the ernment! trillion tax-cut package that includes cuts tated by the worst crisis in agriculture in 60 capitalist class we will have to build a revo­ •Cheap credit to working farmers who in taxes on capital gains. years. In addition to preventing livestock lutionary movement based on a fighting al­ need it! movement, the government has imposed liance with working farmers to take power •Guaranteed government-funded crop Manufacturers in hard hats restrictions on the movement of working out of the hands of the rulers and establish a and livestock insurance with 100 percent Bush is not the only one trying to put a people in rural areas. These measures are workers and farmers government. protection against virus outbreaks, floods, pro-working class spin on the tax cut. The backed up by the courts, cops, and British The labor movement has a vital interest and other so-called natural disasters! National Association of Manufacturers sent army. All this is being done in the name of out a memo encouraging members to attend wiping out a disease that rarely kills ani­ a tax cut rally outside the Capitol March 8, mals and cannot kill human beings. Pilots strike regional airline Comair urging people in a memo to be "DRESSED Working people need to demand massive DOWN, appear to be REAL WORKER aid to farmers facing these government re­ BY BRIAN WILLIAMS pilots with two years of experience or less types, etc." The memo continued, "We plan strictions. No farmer should lose his or her After three years of contract talks the would receive less than $30,000 annually. to have hard hats for people to wear. Other land as a result of the steps being taken by 1,350 pilots employed by Comair Inc. went President George Bush, who said recently groups are providing waiters/waitresses, and the government to prevent the movement on strike March 26. The pilots are seeking a that he would "take the necessary steps" to other types of workers." and sale of livestock. company-funded retirement plan, more rest prevent strikes at the nation's airlines, did The NationalAssociation of Manufactur­ Contrary to the picture presented in the time between flights, higher pay, and the not receive a request from the N a tiona! ers is one of four groups leading the Tax big business media, working farmers are not right to be paid for all hours they are on the Mediation Board to intervene. "They did not Relief Coalition, an association of nearly the source of the crisis in agriculture-they job, not just actual flying hours. give me the right to move in on the strike," 100 trade associations and companies lob­ are its victims. It is the workings of capital­ Comair, which is based out of the Cin­ stated Bush during a visit to Kansas City, bying for tax cuts for big business. The other ism that turns crises like the outbreak of dis­ cinnati-Northern Kentucky International Missouri. "And therefore the parties are three leading groups in the coalition are the eases and flooding into social and economic Airport, serves more than 8 million passen­ going to have to settle it themselves." U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National catastrophes for working people. gers annually. It operates 815 flights to 95 Delta has assured its mainline pilots that Association ofWholesaler-Distributors, and London's approach to combating foot­ cities in the United States, Canada, Mexico, it would not try to service the struck routes the National Federation of Independent and-mouth disease has nothing to do with and the Bahamas. with aircraft from other company opera­ Businesses. meeting the needs of working farmers, but Comair was founded in 1977 and ac­ tions. The airline is also facing possible In addition to tax reductions, Bush's bud­ is driven by the capitalist rulers' fight for quired by Atlanta-based Delta Airlines in strike action by members of the Air Line get includes proposals to increase military markets for their products abroad. For de­ 1999. The pilots are seeking salaries closer PilotsAssociation (ALPA) who fly for Delta spending by 4.8 percent to $310.5 billion, cades British bosses used the "disease free" to those earned by pilots flying on Delta's and Delta Express. and to cut $17.9 billion from the Depart­ status awarded to British livestock to gain mainline operation. ALPA must decide by March 29 whether ment ofAgriculture budget and $7.3 billion an edge on its rivals, particularly to domi­ A recent contract offer by the company, to accept an offer to arbitrate its contract from the Environmental Protection Agency. nate markets in countries oppressed by im­ which was rejected by the pilots, called for dispute with Delta. A refusal by the pilots Farmers at the March 2-5 convention of the perialism, where the disease remains preva­ increasing the pay of top-scale pilots from to accept arbitration would trigger a 30-day National Farmers Union voiced concern that lent. The British government ended a man­ $66,000 to $96,000. But only the 40 pilots cooling-off period that would leave ALPA the proposed cuts in agriculture spending datory vaccination program to prevent out­ who have at least 18 years of experience free to strike the nation's third largest air­ will be aimed at reducing the substantial breaks of this disease a number of years ago. would be eligible for this pay rate. The 420 line in late April or early May. April9, 2001 The Militant 3 --YOUNG SOCIALISTS AROUND THE WORLD------­ YS leaders discuss openings to do mass work BY ROBERTO GUERRERO leaders of the Cuban revolution and a layer ing pledges to the fund along AND JASON ALESSIO of revolutionary-minded young people in with organizing weekly SEATTLE-Young Socialists leaders the United States. fund-raising activities, such meeting here the weekend of March 17-18 Coming out of the leadership meeting, the as classes, socials, and discussed the opportunities open to the revo­ YS NEC has decided to make building the raffles. Chapters and mem­ lutionary youth organization to do mass upcoming Second Cuba/U.S. Youth Ex­ bers at-large of the Young work and to recruit and widen its influence change, to be held in Cuba July 22-30, a Socialists are planning to set through building the communist movement. central part of its work. Sponsored by Cu­ local goals by the end of Delegations to the National Leadership ban student and communist youth organi­ March. Council from Chicago; Los Angeles; New zations, the exchange will be an opportunity Discussion by a number of York; Tucson, Arizona; and St. Paul, Minne­ for young people in the United States to learn participants in the meeting, sota, were joined at the meeting by YS lead­ how workers and peasants made the revolu­ led by a YS member from ers from Canada, Iceland, and Sweden, and tion and the challenges and opportunities fac­ Iceland, pointed to the impor­ a delegation from the Socialist Workers Party. ing the Cuban revolution today. It will also tance of sending articles into The meeting focused on two reports that be a chance for young people in Cuba to learn the Militant and reestablish- were given by Jacob Perasso and Olympia about the class struggle in the United States. Newton, members of the YS National Ex­ Through building the youth tour, orga­ ecutive Committee (NEC). Perasso opened nizing participation in the July exchange, the meeting by reporting on a victory won setting up street tables with revolutionary the previous day when Cuban youth leaders literature, and joining social protest actions, Yanelis Martinez and Javier Duenas received strike picket lines, and other struggles, Young Socialists members will also find their visas to travel to the United States. Above: Jonathan Silberman YS members have been an active part of revolutionary-minded youth interested in Left: YSer Lawrence Mikesh walks the organizing the visit of the two young com­ participating in the 15th World Festival of picket line to protest U.S. bombing of munists from 9uba, who began a three-week Youth and Students (WFYS) that will be held Iraq.Above: YS leader Olympia Newton, speaking visit to college campuses in Illi­ this August in Algiers, Algeria. The WFYS right, at Pathfinder booth at Havana In­ nois, Minnesota, and southern New England is a gathering of thousands of young people ternational Book Fair. March 23 on invitation of a number of pro­ from organizations around the world who fessors and student organizations. Winning want to fight imperialism. Several Young So­ the world closer together and gives those the visas in order to have an exchange be­ cialists representatives participated in an In­ interested in the YS a better idea of the kind tween young people in the United States and ternational Preparatory Meeting for the of revolutionary organization they can be­ Cuba-something the U.S. embargo of the WFYS in Rome as part of this effort. come part of. island and its travel ban seeks to prevent-is The Young Socialists also decided to Newton opened her report with a descrip­ a victory for all working people, Perasso said. launch in the coming weeks an eight-week tion of the recent three-day strike by a ma­ Perasso explained the importance of the national fund drive. Raising funds for the jority of the 1,600 meat packers employed work by the YS over the years to help bring national treasury of the YS is an essential by Excel Corp. in Fort Morgan, Colorado. Cuban youth to speak in the United States, component of building an organizationally The workers, who are mainly from Mexico distribute books and newspapers that tell the independent communist youth organization, and Central America, demanded a three-year truth about the Cuban revolution, and orga­ Newton said. contract, regulated line speeds, union rep­ nize actions against the U.S. government's The drive will be intertwined with build­ ing a regular Young Socialists Around the resentation on the floor, a lower insurance assaults on Cuba. This has deepened the un­ ing the Cuban youth speaking tour and the World column. YS members agreed that deductible, and the end to the company's derstanding of the Cuban revolution among July conference, and winning revolutionary coverage of the YS's activities, campaigns, abusive behavior against the workers. youth and working people and strengthened minded youth to the communist movement. and participation in class-struggle actions The communist movement responded by the political relationship between young Individual members of the YS will be mak- helps bring young communists from around rapidly sending a sales and reporting team to Fort Morgan, which met with a number of participants in the strike. At the same time, a team of socialist workers visited coal mine UNITE strikers in Los Angeles gain support portals and met with supporters of the Mili­ tant throughout the coalfields in Colorado. Continued from front page kind-that's our complaint," said Solario. rested. The company was trying to stop them Through the course of the political dis­ honoring a picket line set up March 13 by Another striker, who overheard her de­ from being able to vote," Pantoja said. "But cussions over the weekend, the YS leader­ three workers from the Vernon plants. scribing the unsafe working conditions and the union got them out on bail so they could ship meeting decided that a few of its mem­ Vernon striker Ruby, just back from meet­ other injustices faced by workers on the job, come to vote in the plant. Immigration had bers should move to Colorado to join with ing with union members at Hollander plants added, "There is so much injustice. It some­ come to the plant before and we found out members of the Socialist Workers Party in Chicago and Dallas, reported to workers on times seems like we're in the Third World. from the union lawyers who learned it from there in reaching out to students, coal min­ the picket line about the positive response she And we're supposed to be in the number immigration officials that the company had ers, and other workers who are looking for received in those cities. Workers already knew one democracy in the world!" called them to come and make arrests when­ answers to the increased attacks by the about the strike, she said, before she arrived "We're on strike for equality, primarily," ever they needed to lower the number of bosses and the world crisis of capitalism. and expressed their support and solidarity. striker Alberto Pantoja said, "And for a 401 workers. They did it this way rather than The National Leadership Council elected Union contracts are up at the plants in (k) retirement plan. And to protest the reduc­ have a layoff or fire people. a National Executive Committee of Jason Chicago and Dallas in coming months, tion in pay that came when they changed the "But after getting out on bail, all 21 were Alessio, Olympia Newton, Roberto Ruby said, adding an extra importance to piece rate. Before, one person would weigh able to participate in the vote. The vote was Guerrero, and Jacob Perasso. the outcome in Los Angeles. In Chicago, and the other would stuff as we ran the ma­ 58-13 for the union. After the votes were The meeting adjourned March 18 in time she met with union members in the plant chine. Now one person has to do both jobs." counted it was announced in the plant by a to join 170 other participants from up and lunchroom, and workers at the two plants union representative and we all applauded," down the West Coast in a meeting to com­ in Dallas met at a nearby hotel. Hollander How union was won he said. "It didn't take long to win a con­ memorate the 1961 victory of workers and also has plants in Pennsylvania and Canada. Pantoja has worked at Hollander Home tract." Workers at Hollander became mem­ farmers in Cuba who defended their social­ While the company reported $165 mil­ Fashions since 1974. His job for the entire bers of ILGWU Local 482 with that vote. ist revolution by routing a U.S.-backed in­ lion in sales in 1999, strikers learned this 27 years has been running a machine that The union later merged with the Amalgam­ vasion of the island. The meeting celebrated week that the company's sales figures grew stuffs cotton into pillows. He is one of a ated Clothing and Textile Workers Union to the publication ofPlaya Gir6n!Bay ofPigs: to $205 million in 2000. Letters distributed handful of workers still working at the plant form UNITE. Washington's First Military Defeat in the by the company since the strike began urge who were part of the fight to establish a union The union is asking supporters to contact Americas and launched a campaign to sell workers to return to the job, outline the dis­ at Hollander. Pantoja started working at the Hollander Home Fashions to voice support that book, together with Making History: advantages of 401 (k) pension plans, and plant at age 19, not long after arriving in Los for the strike demands. Call 1-800-BED­ Interviews with Four Generals of Cuba's encourage them to save money for retire­ Angeles from his native Mexico. ROOM, write the corporate headquarters at Revolutionary Armed Forces, through June ment. One of the letters, written in Spanish "A truck driver friend who worked for 6560 W. Rogers Circle, Boca Raton, FL 10. YS members plan to throw themselves and signed by Hollander chairman Leo Hollander talked to some of us about the 33487, or fax (561) 997-8738. into the campaign. Hollander, says, "And what is the union union," Pantoja said. "He told us what a doing? They are making problems for the union would mean. He had learned about manufacturers ofAmerica and forcing us to unions from other truck drivers. I liked the 15,000 rally in Hungary against longer workweek move to other countries." Another says, idea. All of us he spoke with agreed. The "UNITE, leave our people alone." rest of us started spreading the word to other BY BRIAN WILLIAMS and considerably expand the definition of ''I'm not going to gain much from this workers. We told them how being in a union In ol'l.e of the biggest labor protests in seasonal work. because I'm going to retire soon. But here I would help us. We asked them ifthey agreed Hungary in years, some 15,000 workers Government officials in Hungary, a de­ am," said 62-year-old Marta Bonilla, speak­ to bring in the union without letting the boss demonstrated in the streets of Budapest formed workers state, are promoting these ing of the strikers' demand for a pension know because if the boss found out before March 24, the Reuters news service re­ proposals in a bid to join the European plan. The unionists point out that salaried the union sent a letter to begin negotiations ported. The action was organized in oppo­ Union in 2003 or 2004. employees have a pension plan and that we'd all be fired. Everyone I talked to agreed. sition to legislation being put forward by "I came here so that the government union members are entitled to one, too. "The same truck driver friend gave us the the government to change the country's la­ would not approve an amendment which Other workers close to retirement expressed name and address of a union-the Interna­ bor laws to give employers more power to hurts employees," said a 50-year-old worker the same attitude as Bonilla. "The retirement tional Ladies' Garment Workers Union extend working hours. from a spinning factory in Miskolc, in north­ plan will perhaps not help me much, but it's (ILGWU)," he said. "We started to meet with The new regulations would allow employ­ east Hungary, who attended the protest, to a for the younger workers," said Rigoberto them to discuss what we wanted. There were ers to reduce weekly rest time and compen­ Reuters reporter. Castellanos, who has worked at Hollander 50 or so workers who went to these meet­ sate for it later in a single installment. This "In several workplaces within the chemi­ Home Fashions for 27 years. ings. Some of the things we wanted were a would in effect raise the 40-hour workweek cal industry, the weekly working time is 36 "Just one mistake was made in the first raise in pay and more vacation time. Before to 48 hours. According to a statement is­ hours," said VDSz president Gyorgy Militant article on our strike," said UNITE having a union, the vacation time given was sued by the country's Federation of Chemi­ Paszternak. "The employers encouraged by member and striker Maria Solario. One one week no matter how long you'd worked cal, Energy and General Workers' Unions the government proposals, decided to in­ worker was quoted in that article saying that here. We also wanted family health insur­ (VDSz), the new rules would eliminate the crease weekly work times to 48 hours. So the company provides no masks or safety ance, instead offor the individual only, and daily work break, oblige employees to work in these cases working hours will increase protection from the dust and filth in the air more holidays. six days instead of five days per week, in­ by more than 30 percent.. .. But wages will as workers stuff pillows and comforters with "Right before the vote was to take place crease the maximum amount of overtime remain the same." Parliament is to debate feathers and other material. "They do pro­ at the plant on getting a union, the company from 144 hours to 300 hours per year, re­ the proposed legislation at the end of March, vide us with masks, but they're not the right called [ the INS] and 21 workers were ar- duce the weekly rest period by two hours, a final decision is expected in mid-April. 4 The Militant April 9, 2001 Socialists to launch sales drive April14 Continued from front page nomic, political, and military pressures the offensive by the coal operators and their against Cuba. government. During the tour, and continuing through­ Socialist unionists recently organized a out the spring, members of the Young So­ Militant sales team to visit the coalfields in cialists will also be joining with other young Colorado and Wyoming, where they sold 25 people to build the Second Cuba-U.S. Youth copies of the paper to miners during a morn­ Exchange, to be hosted by student and youth ing shift change at a mine portal of the organizations in Cuba in July Pittsburg & Midway Coal Co. 22-30. Ferment among workers in the airlines The exchange will be an op­ industry is growing. Ramp workers, flight portunity for young people in attendants, mechanics and other airline the United States to visit Cuba Militant/top: AI Duncan. Above, Socialist Workers candi­ workers, and pilots at Northwest, Southwest, and learn firsthand about the date for mayor of Los Angeles American, and UnitedAirlines are involved revolution. Out of these and Wendy Lyons campaigning with in contract fights. Their unions are running other activities, YS members the Militant on the picket line of up against anti-union laws, all the way up are encouraging fellow youth to UNITE strikers at the Hollander to the no-strike order by U.S. president participate in the World Youth Home Fashions sewing shop. George Bush. Festival scheduled for later this Left, Militant campaigner intro­ Farmers across North America are orga­ year in Algeria. duces paper to participant at nizing meetings and protests to resist the Finding others interested in farmers action in Canada March consequences of the tightening cost-price the conferences is part of the 14. Sales drive will increase read­ squeeze that is throwing them more and struggle to construct a world­ ership of among fighting workers more deeply into debt and driving manyoff wide anti-imperialist youth and farmers who are hungry for the land. Thousands of farmers and their movement. revolutionary ideas. supporters, for example, took part in a Organizing to publicize and March 14 day of action across Canada. take part in the public meetings Struggles such as these heighten interest of the Cuban youth leaders is PM for the first time will be publi­ among working people in the root cause of part of preparing for the spring cized in these pages soon, along the economic and social crises they face socialist sales campaign. Ef­ with local and national sales goals under capitalism. These fights lay a firmer forts to spread the truth about for them. foundation for solidarity with those engaged what the workers and farmers Cuba and the Coming American in battles against racist discrimination and of Cuba have accomplished in­ Revolution will include the fore­ cop brutality, assaults on immigrants, and creases the numbers of young word by Jack Barnes to the recently mounting attacks on the conditions of people attracted to emulating that example to other working people engaged in published book Playa Giron!Bay of Pigs: women that fall heaviest on those in the here and expands the openings to recruit struggles. Washington's First Military Defeat in the working class. young people to communism. Young Socialists members and chapters Americas by Fidel Castro and Jose Ramon Such resistance increases interest in revo­ of the YS across North America and else­ Fernandez. lutionary literature such as the Militant, PM, Plans for subscription drive where will discuss goals and join in the com­ The new booklet will also include major and Pathfinder books and pamphlets not Supporters of the Militant and PM are en­ mon effort. excerpts from the talks given by Barnes at only among the workers and farmers en­ couraged to plan the first week of the sub­ recent meetings in New York and Seattle to gaged in these struggles, but also among scription drive as an all-out effort to get out Pamphleteering for socialism celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Cuban youth and students who sense the political the socialist press as broadly as possible. Together with winning subscriptions to victory and of the 1961 literacy campaign importance of such battles and are attracted Doing so will help systematize the po­ the Militant and PM, socialists will be pam­ in that country; an excerpt from the book toward them. litical work in workers districts by branches phleteering with the new pamphlet, Cuba Capitalism 's World Disorder describing the of the Socialist Workers Party andYS mem­ and the Coming American Revolution, as campaign by the SWP and Young Socialists Cuban Youth Tour bers. Consistent sales of Pathfinder litera­ well as The Working Class and the Trans­ in October 1962 to oppose the U.S. drive Meetings now under way for Cuban ture help finance the halls and bookstores formation of Learning and Pathfinder Was against the Cuban revolution during the so­ youth leaders who are speaking at college where socialist workers and YS members Born with the October Revolution. called "missile crisis" that year; and a pref­ campuses and to other audiences in both the meet to discuss and organize participation These pamphlets take up burning political ace by Mary-Alice Waters. United States and Canada provide more in the class struggle and political activity. questions in U.S. and world politics today opportunities to find students, workers, and Workers carrying out communist trade and help explain the history and traditions of Winning the inevitable battles others interested in the facts about the so­ union and political work in various indus­ the revolutionary working-class movement. As emphasized on the back cover of the cialist revolution in that country and the rea­ trial unions will also take goals to sell lit­ Special offers on the pamphlets to those book Playa Giron, Cuba's workers and sons for the U.S. rulers' unrelenting eco- erature on the job, at union meetings, and purchasing a subscription to the Militant or farmers 40 years ago showed in practice that "with political consciousness, class solidar­ ity, unflinching courage, and revolutionary leadership that displays an impeccable sense 'I have to have a copy ofthat book!' of timing, it is possible to stand up to enor­ mous might and seemingly insurmountable odds-and win." BY GREG McCARTAN ture table in Queens. "Cuba has done so much lanta reported that he visited a bookstore at AND MAURICE WILLIAMS That political lesson is also at the heart for Africa," said a woman from West Africa the city's airport. "I talked with the store's of the new pamphlet-"organizing to win Pathfinder supporters are getting rolling as she purchased a copy in Washington book buyer about the importance of the new the inevitable battles," as the subtitle puts on a campaign to sell Playa Giron!Bay of Heights-one of seven people who pur­ book and described the conference that took it-as well as at the heart of every issue of Pigs: Washington's First Military Defeat in chased the book in either Spanish or English place in Cuba the previous weekend. He had the Militant and PM and the entire range of the Americas, and Making History: Inter­ from tables setup inNewYorkonMarch25. heard something about it and became quite Pathfinder pamphlets and books. views with Four Generals of Cuba 's Revo­ Two workers in Manhattan's garment dis­ interested." The store ordered 40 books to­ It is a message of great interest to every lutionary Armed Forces. trict looked over Playa Giron and Making taling $725, including 10 copies of Playa worker who's been told there's no point to Participants in street tables and political History at a street table but didn't have Giron. "I also talked to him about fighting because they and their unions will events already report keen interest in enough money to purchase the book. They Capitalism 's World Disorder and its com­ only be weakened and crushed. Pathfinder's new titles. bought a $10 Pathfinder Readers Club mem­ prehensive analysis of world politics and he To every farmer who's been told they're "I have to have a copy of that book!" said bership instead in order to receive the spe­ ordered four copies." A team to another air­ on their own up against the banks and one person who saw Playa Giron on a litera- cial discount on the titles when they visit the port store several days later sold 20 copies agribusiness. local Pathfinder Bookstore later in the week. ofPlaya Giron, 15 in English and 5 in Span­ To every working person who's been told for further reading Thirteen participants in a March 23 Mili­ ish, plus a range of other books published there's no alternative to "tightening their tant Labor Forum on the Irish freedom by Pathfinder. belts" in face of the bipartisan offensive Pathfinder Was Born struggle in San Francisco bought the book, Mary Lipman from Santa Cruz got right against social entitlements and democratic with the October Revolution bringing the total sold there to 35. on the phone calling stores in her area and rights. These responses show the interest among had "quite an exciting day, including get­ Mary-Alice Waters To every young person who's been told working people in revolutionary literature, Explains the origins of Pathfinder Press ting some orders over the phone for the new that it's just "human nature" to "look out such as Playa Giron and Making History: titles." Thre~ stores purchased seven copies as part of the forces that arose on a world for number one" and tum your back on hu­ Interviews with Four Generals of Cuba's scale to defend and emulate the first so­ ofPlaya Giron, one ofMaking History, and man solidarity. Revolutionary Armed Forces. The campaign two of another new Pathfinder title, Fertile cialist revolution of our epoch in Russia Join us in campaigning for socialism in to sell the two titles, launched at East and in October 1917. Ground: Che Guevara and Bolivia. the weeks to come! West Coast meetings reported in the last two From the words of issues of the Militant, got a boost with the Marx, Engels, and international coverage of a March 22-25 leaders of the October Workers at Royal laundry win union drive conference in Cuba on the 1961 victory of Revolution, through workers and peasants there over a U.S.­ BY MICHAEL ITALIE linens for American Airlines. the speeches and writ­ backed invasion (see article page 8). This victory comes on the heels of others ings of Malcolm X, MIAMI-Five hundred laundry workers Pathfinder supporters took advantage of won by laundry workers over the last year, Fidel Castro, Ernesto gained union recognition in mid-March, the big-business media's coverage of the including a successful strike for union rec­ Che Guevara, and the after a months-long campaign at Royal conference to encourage its supporters to ognition at Five Star Linen in Chicago and leaders of the commu­ Linen industrial laundry. The company start organizing to place the two books in as a militant strike for a contract at Tartan Tex­ nist movement in the agreed to recognize the United many bookstores as possible. "While the tile in Pompano Beach, Florida. UNITE has United States today, Waters writes, "Path­ Needletrades, Industrial, and Textile Em­ opportunity extends over coming weeks reached a tentative contract agreement with finder lets revolutionaries speak for them­ ployees (UNITE) at plants in Miami, Chi­ through the end ofApril, the next few days Royal Linen, and a vote on the contract is selves, in their own words." Also avail­ cago, Dallas, San Francisco, and Los Ange­ can be the key to beginning a sustained expected in the next weeks. able in Spanish. $3.00. les after the union turned in authorization month-long effort," said Pathfinder editor cards signed by a big majority of workers. Available from bookstores, including those listed Mike Taber in a letter to the publishing Laundry workers at Royal Linen in New Michael Italie is a garment worker. Lisa on page 12. house's distributors. York had already won recognition. Work­ Potash, a member of UNITE in Chicago, Pathfinder supporter Fred White in At- ers at the laundries clean blankets and other contributed to the article. April 9, 2001 The Militant 5 Argentine rulers shift austerity moves in face of mass protests BY ROGER CALERO guay will be increased up to 35 percent, Following mass protests by working while taxes on imported capital goods will people and students March 20-21 against be eliminated as an incentive to encourage government austerity measures that target foreign investment. Cavallo says he aims to social spending, Argentina's wealthy capi­ boost industrial productivity by 20 percent talist rulers quickly moved to back alterna­ as part of this drive. tive proposals put forward by the new Cavallo traveled to Brazil to meet with economy minister, Domingo Cavallo. his counterparts. The instability of Cavallo asked Argentina's Congress for Argentina's economy, the lack of economic emergency powers to try to pull the country growth in Brazil, and a slowdown in the U.S. out of a nearly three-year recession and to economy have forced the Brazilian govern­ generate funds needed to make interest pay­ ment to take steps to stabilize its weaken­ ments on what the World Bank reports is a ing currency. $150 billion foreign debt owed to U.S. banks "The best gesture of our neighbors has and other financial institutions. Cavallo says been to understand the emergency that Ar­ gentina is in and to give full support to the he will reorganize state agencies, restruc­ •u•-•uoLuui~ mothers of the rallied in Buenos Aires measures we are taking," said Cavallo, re­ ture the tax system, privatize state banks and anniversary of military coup that unleashed terror in Argen­ ferring to the Brazilian government's re­ enterprises, and directly attack the working tina. Some protesters compared government repression to current austerity policies. class by altering the labor code and pen­ sponse of support to Cavallo's plan. Before sions, and firing or cutting the wages of state leaving Brazil, Cavallo also rejected rumors workers. circulating about President De Ia Rua's res­ percent of the population lives below the popular resistance after former economy Cavallo, the third person to occupy the ignation due to the political turmoil. government designated poverty line. minister Lopez introduced what some poli­ ministry post in less than a month, was ap­ Hugo Moyano, a leader of the dissident Cavallo also claims that he will carry out ticians now call a "ridiculous plan," contin­ pointed by Argentine president Fernando de wing of the Confederation of Labor (COT), his economic measures without devaluing ued in the debate over granting minister Ia Rua after Cavallo's predecessor, Ricardo which led what the New York Times called a the peso or ending the decade-old currency Cavallo sweeping executive powers. Lopez Murphy, was forced to resign after "damaging 24-hour strike" March 21, said board system, which he was responsible for After more than 14 hours of debate in his proposed austerity plan was met with unions would not stop their protests. "I don't introducing under the government of Carlos congress, the legislature granted limited protests by workers and students and the believe Cavallo's policies will remove the Menem in the early 1990s. This system emergency powers to de Ia Rua, not to resignation of several government ministers. country from its crisis," he said. "They al­ pegged the peso to the dollar at a one-to­ Cavallo. The measure did not include the Cavallo's new economic plan, called the ways postpone the social needs of the one exchange rate. Given the strength of the authority Cavallo sought to privatize state Competitiveness Bill, will sharpen trade dis­ people." U.S. dollar on world markets, Argentina's enterprises, modify labor laws and state pen­ putes among South American nations as the Cavallo claims that his plan would result exports have become relatively expensive. sions, or to fire state employees or cut their government aims to cut imports and boost in strong economic growth this year and wages. Debate on extent of powers exports. Tariffs on imports of consumer would reduce unemployment and the foreign Despite reassurances by the Argentine goods from outside the Mercosur trade bloc, debt.Argentina's official unemployment rate The divisions inside the Argentine gov­ government that it would not default on its which includes Brazil, Paraguay, and Uru- is currently at around 15 percent. Some 30 ernment that came to the fore in the face of debt payments, wealthy imperialist inves­ tors are clearly worried. The Buenos Aires Herald reports a Bear Steams analyst say­ ing that the Argentine government has the NOW calls national march for abortion rights money to meet a payment of $400 million due on March 30. But after that, all bets are BY MAGGIE TROWE site at www.now.org. were deprived of their right to choose." off. The National Organization for Women Under successive Democratic and Repub­ In addition, the wholesale bipartisan as­ On March 24 an estimated 50,000 people (NOW) has called a national action to de­ lican party administrations on both the state sault on working people has had a dispro­ marched to commemorate the 25th anniver­ fend abortion rights to take place Sunday, and federal level, legislators have passed portionate impact on workers and farmers sary of the military coup that brought to April 22, in Washington, D.C. Nearly 60 many laws restricting access to abortion. who are women. For example, the elimina­ power a bloody dictatorship that was respon­ groups are sponsoring the event, including These measures include mandatory delay tion ofAid to Families with Dependent Chil­ sible for the death of an estimated 30,000 Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion and biased counseling laws, funding restric­ dren, a key plank of former president Will­ people. A Financial Times article observed, and Reproductive Rights Action League tions, and forced parental consent and in­ iam Clinton's policies, has increasingly "Many draw comparisons between the mili­ (NARAL), the National Black Women's volvement laws. In recent years, many states pushed workers, in particular single women tary coup of 1976 and the market-based eco­ Health Project, the Feminist Majority, have passed bans on an abortion procedure with children, into a precarious existence. nomic model that has followed the return to Catholics for a Free Choice, and the Na­ that opponents of women's rights call "par­ Shortly after taking office, President democracy." One banner read, "The coup­ tiona!Asian Women's Health Organization. tial birth abortion." George Bush reinstated a policy which terror of blood. The market-terror of hun­ The rally will assemble at II :00 a.m. in These restrictions hit working-class eliminates international funding to organi­ ger." Upper Senate Park at Constitution and Dela­ women in disproportionate numbers. Since zations that offer abortion counseling or A 36-hour national strike called by the ware Avenues. 1976, when the Hyde Amendment was lobby their governments in favor of abor­ country's labor federations is set to occur Some NOW chapters and other groups passed by Congress, virtually no federal tion rights. April 5-6. With Lopez's resignation, the which support women's rights are organiz­ Medicaid or other federal funds may be used ln a victory for women's rights, the U.S. Argentine government and media have at­ ing buses to travel to the event. Meetings to for abortion. As a report by the Center for Supreme Court ruled March 21 that a pub­ tempted to demobilize the workers and stu­ organize publicity and participation are tak­ Reproductive Law and Policy explains, the lic hospital cannot administer drug tests to dents by calling the protests "illogical" since ing place in Chicago, New York, Pittsburgh, "ability to obtain an abortion, especially pregnant women without their consent. The they were aimed at a plan that had already and other cities. Information on the event, early in pregnancy when the procedure is 6-to-3 decision held that tests of pregnant been rejected when Cavallo came into of­ as well as a fact sheet in English and Span­ safer, is directly related to the capacity to women for cocaine, conducted by the staff fice. ish and a flyer, are available at NOW's web afford one. In effect, many indigent women of the Medical University of South Caro­ The Financial Times article stated, "Left­ lina in collaboration with Charleston, South wing parties, trade unions, and community Carolina, police, violated constitutional pro­ groups that organised the Saturday [March tections against illicit search and seizure. All 24] march blame him [Cavallo] for the job but one of the 30 women arrested under the losse~. and austerity that accompanied re­ Chicago socialists protest break-in policy were Black. form. BY JOEL BRITTON refreshments stand was undisturbed and a CHICAGO-Lisa Potash, Socialist Work­ TV, computers, and other items of value ers Party candidate for U.S. Congress in the were not taken. NY to pay $8.6 million in Louima case 5th district here last year, protested the "pos­ In a statement released to the media on sible politically motivated break-in" that took March 26, Potash pointed to "the recent BY MAURICE WILLIAMS mand justice. The demonstrations forced place March 24 or 25 at party's offices. court ruling that lifts some restrictions on The New York City government and the city prosecutors to file criminal charges Filing cabinet drawers were left open by the right of the Chicago police to spy and Patrolmen's Benevolent Association agreed against the cops involved in the attack on whoever forced their way through the front harass political activists. The decision helps to pay ·a combined $8.6 million to Haitian Louima. door of Pathfinder Books & Libros, which create an atmosphere where such attacks can immigrantAbner Louima, who was tortured U.S. District Judge Eugene Nickerson, rents space to the SWP, the Socialist Work­ more easily take place." Potash, a garment in a Brooklyn police station in 1997. Attor­ who presided over the federal trial ofVolpe ers Campaign Committee, and the Young worker and union member, was referring to neys for Louima announced the tentative remarked, "Short of intentional murder, one Socialists. the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on settlement March 22. cannot imagine a more barbaric act... and the The Militant Labor Forum holds regular January 11, which substantially reversed the Two policemen assaulted Louima on Aug. deep depravity of this crime ... through the free speech forums at the store, open to the provisions of a 1981 federal consent decree 9, 1997, in the bathroom of the police pre­ use of force." working-class public. The forum a week that had placed limited restrictions on the cinct station house where one cop, Justin Volpe was convicted and sentenced to 30 before the break-in featured Illinois farmer actions of the Chicago police department's Volpe, forced a broken broomstick into years in federal prison while Schwarz was Don Brown Jr., a leader ofthe fight of work­ "red squad." Louima's rectum while another cop, Charles convicted and given 15 years for pinning ing farmers to stay on the land. Brown, a Another tenant in the building reports Schwarz, held him down. Volpe then shoved the man down during the attack and lying diversified farmer and past president of the that several days before the break-in, a man the stick into the man's mouth. about his actions. Four other cops were con­ Illinois Grasslands and Forage Council, had and woman were noisily shaking the door Louima incurred severe internal injuries victed of covering up for Schwarz or lying expressed interest in helping meat packers to the socialists' offices and, when con­ including a ruptured bladder and colon. Af­ about the case. on strike at Rochelle Foods, a subsidiary of fronted, spewed anti-communist rhetoric ter being tortured he waited more than two Initially Volpe pled not guilty in his fed­ Hormel, in Rochelle, Illinois. Brown nor­ before departing. hours before an ambulance took him to the eral trial, but changed his plea to guilty and mally sells his hogs to nearby Rochelle The break-in occurred a couple days after Coney Island Hospital for treatment. confessed to the bestial act when four cops Foods but agreed that ifthe company moves two Cuban youth leaders had arrived in Chi­ The news of the assault sparked a testified they saw him waving a stick around to bring in strikebreakers, farmers should cago for a speaking tour on area campuses. firestorm of outrage and protests by Hai­ the time of the attack. "I took a man down demonstrate their solidarity with the strik­ Members of the Young Socialists and Social­ tians and other working people in the city. tonight," he bragged to other cops. At his ers and seek other markets for their hogs. ist Workers Party are active participants in a Some 7,000 people rallied in New York trial Volpe admitted, "I threatened to kill A small amount of cash in the offices' broad committee organizing the tour. one week after the police violence to de- [Louima] if he told anyone." 6 The Militant April 9, 2001 CUBAN REVOLUTION: CELEBRATE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF BAY OF PIGS VICTORY AND LITERACY CAMPAIGN October Crisis and the U.S. class struggle Reprinted below is an excerpt from But these political realities cannot even remarks made by Jack Barnes, national be seen, much less understood, unless we secretary of the Socialist Workers Party, recognize the space that exists inside the during the discussion period at a Militant working class and the unions-space that Labor Forum entitled "The Vote for Ross can be used by revolutionary-minded work­ Perot and Patrick Buchanan's Culture ers to practice politics. This space is not seen War: What the 1992 Elections Revealed." or registered by anything in bourgeois pub­ The forum, at which Barnes was the fea­ lic opinion. It can only be seen from inside tured speaker, took place in New York the working class and the unions. It can best City on Nov. 7, 1992, four days after the be seen by workers who are communists U.S. presidential elections. The entire pre­ who are using that space to talk politics with sentation is printed in Capitalism~ World other workers, to promote revolutionary lit­ Disorder: Working-Class Politics at the erature, to bring co-workers and their unions Millennium. Copyright© 1999 by Path­ into fights around social and political issues, finder Press, reprinted by permission. and to participate in guerrilla skirmishes Subheadings are by the Militant. around conditions on the job. Without us­ ing this political space, the tensions just BY JACK BARNES seem like tensions, the openings are missed, Last month many of us watched televi­ and the space will be diminished over time. sion specials marking the thirtieth anniver­ sary of what is called the "Cuban missile Working-class vanguard, political space crisis" in the United States. In Cuba it is As I was watching those television spe­ called the October Crisis, since it was not cials last month, I realized that as a young really about missiles; it was about revolutionist during the missile crisis I had Washington's unsuccessful effort in Octo­ learned a little bit about using po­ ber 1962 to destroy the socialist revolution Above, Granma. Right, Militant litical space. I was not fully con­ in Cuba. I think there were five network Above, Cuban militia members scious at the time of everything I specials on the crisis last month. The three I load artillery shells during the was learning, but it turned out to saw were extremely interesting. It would be October 1962 missile crisis. Right, be very useful. That is why I was useful for communist workers to get the vid­ picket line at United Nations in so struck by the inaccuracy of that eotapes of a couple and play them for fel­ New York demanding "Hands off aspect of the documentaries. low workers; many productive political dis­ Cuba" in the same month. There are people at this meeting cussions would result. Marching are SWP candidates tonight-not a whole lot, but not The interviews, documents, and other for public office in New York, just two or three either-who be­ materials used in these programs confirm Sylvia Weinstein, Richard Garza, came different people during things that many of us have long believed and Allen Taplin. Working-class those ten days in October 1962, to be true, things that have generally been vanguard participated along with and not because they went out and covered up or denied by the U.S. rulers and tens of thousands of others to op­ bought canned goods. They devel­ their bipartisan political spokespersons. pose threatened U.S. invasion of oped a deeper political relation­ Above all, they establish once and for all Cuba, and organized to use and ship with others in the YSA and that an invasion to crush the socialist revo­ defend political space in the SWP who were working together lution in Cuba was being prepared by Wash­ working class. unflinchingly along the same ington, by the Kennedy administration. Pre­ lines. viously secret government documents that During the crisis, I never have been recently released bear out what son and as a relatively new member thought there was going to be a communists in Cuba and in the United States of the Young Socialist Alliance and nuclear war. I am not have explained for three decades-and what Socialist Workers Party. I know from my own nizer of the BerkeleyYSA, for example, lit­ misremembering-I genuinely has been obvious to any objective observer experience that there were thousands of erally jumped on his Kawasaki motorbike never thought so. I did know that the U.S. of what the U.S. government has done, no people in the United States who worked and rode off into the. hills for several days rulers were driving to start a war to crush matter what it has said. Using these records, round the clock to stop Washington from in­ in October 1962. The rest of the cadres no­ the socialist revolution in Cuba, and I knew the TV documentaries reported on the ris­ vading Cuba. We did not stock up on canned ticed he was gone, but they didn't miss a that they would put the future of the world ing economic sabotage against Cuba in the goods. In fact, we did not buy much of any­ beat. In the tense days following the assas­ in stupendous danger if they did so. So, like early 1960s; the campaign ofU.S.-organized thing. We were too busy-we hardly had time sination of U.S. President John Kennedy a thousands of others, I spent day and night terror and attempted assassinations carried to eat. We were organizing people to come year later, as the media was playing up re­ trying to stop that from happening. We saw out under the code name Operation Mon­ down to the picket lines. I remember march­ ports that Lee Harvey Oswald was a mem­ there was space to do this, and we used it. goose; and the large-scale preparations for ing in downtown Chicago across the street ber of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, What is more, as we did so we won some a U.S. military assault aimed at doing what from a Woolworth store, for example, where the same comrade went jelly-bellied again. new, young fighters to the communist move­ the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion had miser­ we had picketed earlier in support of civil Late one night he knocked on the apartment ment who were strengthened and given ably failed to accomplish-crushing the rights sit-in fighters. Some people who door of two other members of the chapter's greater staying power by the test of fire. revolution. 1 worked at the store came out and supported executive committee and in a panicky voice Today there are opportunities to win a But I was struck in watching all of these the picket line. informed them that, "as the new, young sec­ new generation of revolutionists to the So­ documentaries by an inaccuracy that gave me ondary leadership," they should be prepared cialist Workers Party. Many of them right a new insight into the importance of the po­ Response by communist movement to take charge. now will not initially come out of a revital­ litical leverage communists have today This single-minded effort was the re­ But by then the Berkeley YSA was quali­ ized labor movement. Through the prole­ through the use of our propaganda arsenal. sponse of the overwhelming majority of tatively stronger than a year before. The self­ tarian party, however, they can be won to Each of them portrayed what was happening Socialist Workers Party and Young Social­ styled "primary leadership" was soon re­ join in building a leadership that can orga­ in the United States at the time as universal ist Alliance members of all generations. moved by decisive vote of the chapter's nize the working class to make a popular mass hysteria. But if you lived through the They responded to Washington's heightened members and the "secondary leadership" revolution and prevent the fascist devasta­ missile crisis as a political person, as a revo­ war threats against Cuba with the immediacy became the new executive committee. The tion and world war that capitalism is drag­ lutionist, you know that was not true. of a revolutionary fighting instinct. This former organizer and the rest of the first ging humanity toward. Fighters from this The TV specials showed residents of the political course was discussed and decided string rapidly decided they had joined the generation will reach out to find parties of United States running into grocery stores to by the party's Political Committee and the wrong movement and went on their way. revolutionists who are workers. revolution­ buy canned goods, taking them home, put­ Young Socialist Alliance National Execu­ The party went through a similar experi­ ists who have some experience in the class ting them in shelters, and carrying out air tive Committee and was carried in the news ence-and registered similar accomplish­ struggle. They will want to emulate com­ raid drills in schools and workplaces. The coverage, analysis, and editorial line in the ments-at the time of the near meltdown of munist workers who have learned to defend idea that everybody in the United States in pages of the Militant. the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor in and use space within the organizations of 1962 joined together as "we Americans" and Pressures originating in bourgeois pub­ 1979. the working class, and who can show them just waited in a patriotic panic for the lic opinion get translated into petty-bour­ A bolshevik party is not and does not try how to do politics-how to do working­ Kennedys to incinerate the world is utterly geois hysteria at such times, however, and to be monolithic. It does, however, strive for class politics, a differentiation most of these inaccurate. these pressures are never without an echo political homogeneity and common struggle fighters will not have thought about before­ I lived through those days as a young per- inside the communist movement. The orga- experience to prepare for our inevitable re­ hand. sponsibilities. In the crunch, it has had a This is the kind of working-class experi­ helluva batting average. ence that nobody will ever get through elec­ tion campaigns. This is the kind of politics Political space inside working class that for bourgeois public opinion does not One of the most difficult things for exist. Capitalism's World Disorder: capitalism's propagandists to understand Working-Class Politics at the Millennium and portray accurately is how a political vanguard of the working class reaches out 10nAprill7, 1961, 1,500Cuban-bornmer­ Jack Barnes to others to use and defend political space­ cenaries invaded Cuba at the Bay of Pigs on the "The capitalist rulers offer us social disaster. They as we did during the October missile crisis. southern coast. The action, organized by Wash­ Communists have no schemas or timetables. ington, aimed to establish a "provisional gov­ offer us depression. They offer us death from But we do know that the tensions inevita­ ernment" to appeal for direct U.S. intervention. curable disease. They offer us war. They offer us bly rising from world capitalism's depres­ The invaders, however, were defeated within sev­ fascism. They offer us an unending list of hor­ sion conditions and its inexorable march enty-two hours by Cuba's militia and its Revo­ lutionary Armed Forces. On April 19 the last in­ rors. But we offer ourselves the ability to prevent toward fascism and war keep leading not only to unanticipated crises, but also to re­ vaders surrendered at Playa Giron (Giron Beach), those horrors from becoming the final reality, the sistance out of which vanguard workers can which is the name Cubans use to designate the confidence that we can transform that future." build a movement. Right now, we can an­ battle. The day before the abortive invasion, at a mass rally called to honor those killed or ticipate that growing interest among work­ wounded in U.S.-organized attacks on airfields Available from bookstores, including those listed on page 12, or write Pathfinder, 410 West St., ing people and youth in radical ideas ignored in Havana, Santiago de Cuba, and San Antonio New York, NY 10014. Tel: (212) 741-0690. Fac: (212) 727-0150. When ordering by mail, by them in the past-or rejected without de los Banos, Fidel Castro had proclaimed the please include $3 to cover shipping and handling. serious study-will keep ahead of the pace socialist character of the revolution in Cuba and of mass popular struggles. called the people of Cuba to arms in its defense. April 9, 2001 The Militant 7 WASHINGTON'S COW WAR AGAINST CUBA 'We knew we were defending the gains o Cubans at conference: 1961 defeat ofWashington at Bay of Pigs was not aU BY MARTIN KOPPEL try to regain their privileges, riches, AND MARY-ALICE WATERS and positions, and men are not pre­ HAVANA-Alberto Fernandez had pared to give up their lives for those never been in combat before facing the causes." U.S.-organized invaders at the Bay of "The main factor in any armed Pigs. But the then-22-year-old former conflict," he added, "more important crop duster flew nine missions between than all its weaponry, is the human April I 7 and 19, 1961. He and other element and the reasons that impel members of Cuba's fledgling revolution­ people to fight." ary air force shot down nine B-26 bomb­ At the end of the conference, ers flown by the invading Cuban exiles speaking to participants during the and sank two of their U.S.-organized visit to the Bay of Pigs, Fernandez transport and supply ships. explained that "Playa Giron was an "We knew what we were fighting inevitable battle." He noted that "it for---our sovereignty and the conquests was the culmination of a stage of the of our revolution," said Fernandez. U.S. efforts to destroy the Cuban "They were fighting to recover their lost Revolution." properties." A year and a half of sabotage, as­ Alberto Fernandez was standing next sassination attempts, and other acts to one of the Sea Fury planes used by of escalating aggression by Washing­ the Cuban forces in the three-day battle ton against the Cuban Revolution and repelling invaders at the Bay of Pigs­ its leadership had begun soon after known in Cuba as Playa Giron, the beach millions of Cubans overthrew a U.S.­ where the main force of mercenary backed dictatorship in January 1959 troops surrendered. The plane is in front Militant/Martin Koppel and embarked on a deep-going so­ of the Playa Giron museum, located at Jose Ramon Fermindez, vice president of Cuba's Council of Ministers, describes battle of Playa cial revolution. Cuba's victory at the scene of the battle. Giron at closing of March 22-24 conference, "Giron: 40 Years After." Fernandez, chair of the Playa Giron was a bone in the throat The former pilot was one of the par­ conference organizing committee, led the main column of Cuban forces that defeated the U.S.­ for U.S. imperialism, however, and ticipants at a March 22-24 United organized invasion in April 1961. "What decided the victory and the defeat," Fernandez told Washington immediately launched a States-Cuba conference hosted in Ha­ U.S. and Cuban participants, was that Cuban working people "knew they were defending the new stage of aggression that culmi­ vana on "Giron: 40Years After." The ex­ gains of the revolution." nated 18 months later in the October change was one of the events being held 1962 "missile" crisis and U.S. naval to mark the 40th anniversary of Cuba's vic­ revolutionary Cuba prevailed over Washing­ conference, Jorge Hernandez, head of the blockade of Cuba. To this day, Fernandez tory, in which an invasion force of 1,500 ton was reiterated by other Cuban partici­ University ofHavana's Center for the Study noted, Washington's hostility continues. Cuban counterrevolutionaries-trained, pants during the course of the three-day of the United States, noted that the U.S.­ During the conference revolutionary Cu­ armed, financed, and deployed by the U.S. event, which concluded with a tour of the sponsored invasion at the Bay of Pigs is of­ ban combatants exchanged experiences and government-was crushed in less than 72 Bay of Pigs area. ten attributed to CIA "blunders" and "vac­ views about these events with some former hours by Cuba's revolutionary militias, po­ illations" of the Kennedy administration. Kennedy administration advisors, CIA of­ lice, and Rebel Army. Not a U.S. fiasco but a Cuban victory It was not a battle lost by Washington, ficials, and members of Brigade 2506, Alberto Fernandez's observation on why Speaking at the end of the first day of the he insisted, but "a victory won by the Cu­ Washington's Cuban-American invasion ban people-organized and armed through force. Professors and researchers from both their revolutionary militias and their revo­ countries also participated. lutionary leadership." The gathering, organized as an academic Jose Ramon Fernandez, vice president event, was sponsored by the University of of Cuba's Council of Ministers and chair Havana through its Center for the Study of of the conference organizing committee, the United States as well as three other Cu­ spoke to the press prior to the conference ban research centers. The U.S. delegation about the main lessons of the battle at the was organized by researchers Peter Bay of Pigs. "What decided the victory and Kornbluh and Thomas Blanton of George the defeat is that the militia forces and pa­ Washington University's National Security triotic troops participating were strongly Archive, which has worked since 1985 to aware of what they were defending," said declassify and publish government docu­ Fernandez, who led the main column of the ments, including on the U.S.-Cuba conflict. Cuban revolutionary forces in that battle. The Cuban delegation of several dozen "They knew they were defending the participants included a number of revolu­ gains of the revolution, its factories, its tionary combatants who took part in the sugar mills, its literacy campaign and edu­ Bay of Pigs battle. Among them, besides cation, its public health, social justice, the Fernandez, were Enrique Carreras, one of elimination of racial discrimination and Cuba's ace pilots during the battle; Efigenio the dignity of knowing they were the rep­ Ameijeiras and Samuel Rodiles, then com­ resentatives and defenders of a sovereign mander and deputy commander respec­ people." tively of the Revolutionary National Police; Gran rna In contrast, Fernandez emphasized, Angel Jimenez, in charge of the Militia May Day 1961 rally in Havana, shortly after Bay of Pigs victory. Banner says, "Workers "The invaders were at a great disadvan­ Leadership School at that time; Pedro in power." In the battle against the U.S.-backed invasion, a turning point in the Cuban tage: they weren't coming to defend any Miret, artillery chief of one of the columns; Revolution, "the Cuban people were fighting in defense of socialism," Ricardo Alarcon, achievements, they weren't coming to de­ and Ramiro Valdes. president of Cuba's National Assembly, told conference participants. fend their country, they were coming to Cuban commander-in-chief, President Fidel Castro, took part in almost the entire conference and commented that this was the first time in 40 years all the leading Cuban officers involved in Playa Giron had themselves met together. For members ofthe Pathfinder Readers Club U.S. delegation The more than 50 U.S. participants in­ Playa Giron/Bay of Pigs Making History cluded former Kennedy advisors Arthur Washington's First Military Defeat Interviews with Four Schlesinger and Richard Goodwin; ex-CIA in the Americas Generals of Cuba's officials Robert Reynolds and Samuel Revolutionary Armed Forces Halpern; and five former members of Bri­ In less than two hours of combat during April Interviews with Cuban generals gade 2506, as well as two members of the 1 961 near the Bay of Pigs, Cuba's revolu­ Nestor Lopez Cuba, Enrique Kennedy family. A dozen U.S. academics tionary militias, police, and armed forces also attended, such as James Blight of Carreras, Jose Ramon Fernandez, defeated an invasion by 1 ,500 mercenaries Brown University, Philip Brenner ofAmeri­ and Harry Vjllegas. Through the armed, trained, supported, and deployed by can University, MaxAzicri of the Edinboro stories of these outstanding University of Pennsylvania, and Jorge Washington. In the process, the Cuban revolutionaries-three of them Dominguez of Harvard University. people not only transformed their country leaders of the Cuban forces at the The conference included panels on four and themselves, but set an example for Bay of Pigs that defeated the invaders topics: the U.S. government's actions lead­ workers and farmers across the Americas and within 72 hours-we can see the ing up to the Bay of Pigs invasion, how the world. With political consciousness, class class dynamics that have shaped our revolutionary Cuba responded, how the solidarity, unflinching courage, and a revolu­ entire epoch. We can understand battle unfolded, and its aftermath and les­ tionary leadership displaying an impeccable how the people of Cuba, as they struggle to build a sons. While sessions were not open to the media, the organizers held several press sense of timing, it is possible to stand up to enormous might and new society, have for more than 40 years held conferences to report on highlights. seemingly insurmountable odds-and win. Forty years later the Washington at bay. With an introduction by Mary­ Schlesinger, expressing the view of U.S. rulers can still neither accept nor extinguish this example. Alice Waters. In English and Spanish.$15.95. some in the U.S. delegation, sought to Foreword by Jack Barnes. In English and Spanish. $20. Special offer $12 downplay Kennedy's responsibility for the Special offer $1 5 April 1961 invasion of Cuba by saying Available from bookstores, including those listed on page 12. that Kennedy had inherited Republican

8 The Militant April 9, 2001 WASHINGTON'S COW WAR AGAINST CUBA f the revolution' .S. blunder but a Cuban victory president Dwight Eisenhower's plans for ing boats and cut off the invaders' means such a military operation. "Kennedy was of escape, while the U.S. warships witJ:!­ trapped and decided to let it go ahead," drew and virtually the entire invading force he asserted. If Kennedy had demobilized was captured. the mercenary brigade, Schlesinger The meeting drew on several declassified added, he would have faced a "disposal documents related to the Bay of Pigs that problem" with its former members. were recently released by both the U.S. and The Cuban hosts set a tone of civil ex­ Cuban governments. These documents do change among the U.S. and Cuban partici­ not reveal anything that alters previous un­ pants in order to "discuss the viewpoints derstanding of the events, but rather, as of each side in a respectful manner, with Fernandez noted, confirm that the the aim of analyzing and clarifying the revolutionary government has told facts," as Fernandez explained in opening the truth from the beginning, un- the conference. He noted that members of like Washington. Brigade 2506 during the conference would Top: Militant/Martin Koppel. Left: Granma not be called mercenaries to avoid offend­ Decisiveness of Cuban Top: Alberto Fermindez, Cuban participant ing those brigade members taking part in leadership in conference on Bay of Pigs invasion, in front the event. Some of the Cuban combatants The several hundred pages re­ of plane flown in the battle. Fermindez, a 22- admitted, with a wry touch, that they had a leased by the Cuban government year-old former crop duster in 1961, and hard time finding another term to describe include documents that are par­ other members of Cuba's fledgling revolu­ the U.S.-financed invasion force. ticularly interesting. One is a col­ tionary air force shot down nine U.S. bomb­ One exchange took place between lective transcript of all the direc­ ers and sank two transport and supply ships Enrique Carreras and a former Brigade tives given by Castro to officers backing them up. "We knew what we were 2506 member, Mario Cabello. In the April in the field-by telephone, in fighting for-our sovereignty and the con­ 1961 battle, Carreras sank two U.S. trans­ writing, and in person-from the quests of our revolution," he said. Left: Com­ port ships off the Bay of Pigs, the Houston early hours of April 17 through batants at Playa Giron preparing for battle and Rio Escondido. Fidel Castro, com­ the defeat of the invading force against invasion force. mander-in-chief of the Cuban forces, had two days later. They capture the ordered the ships be sunk to cut off sup­ Cuban leadership's decisiveness, timing, Subsequent Militant coverage will report is irreversible." plies to the mercenaries and to prevent them courage, and concern for the ranks, factors further on these Cuban documents. At the end of the report, Goodwin says from escaping. that helped ensure a rapid and overwhelm­ One ofthe declassified U.S. government that Guevara "went on to say that he wanted Cabello, who had been aboard the Hous­ ing victory over the counterrevolutionary papers circulated at the conference is a re­ to thank us very much for the invasion­ ton, told Carreras it was a good thing he hit troops. port written by former White House advisor that it had been a great political victory for the ship below the waterline, because the Another declassified document is a Sep­ Richard Goodwin to President John F. them-enabled them to consolidate-and U.S. vessel, smoldering from an earlier hit, tember 1961 report by Fernandez to the Kennedy on an August 1961 conversation transformed them from an aggrieved little was loaded with fuel and probably would central command detailing the operations between himself and Ernesto Che Guevara, country to an equal." have exploded if it had not begun to sink by the Cuban armed forces against the in­ a central leader of the Cuban Revolution. At the conclusion of the conference at and fill with water. Castro remarked, "See, vaders hour by hour. As part of its balance The meeting had been requested by Che at Playa Giron, Ricardo Alarcon, president of Carreras saved your life!" Carreras, now a sheet, the report cites the weaknesses and the time of an Organization of American Cuba's National Assembly, made a similar division general, shook with laughter. errors of the Cuban forces, including his States conference in Punta del Este, Uru­ point. The most important lesson ofthe battle At one conference session Jose Ramon own. At the conference, Fernandez noted guay. While the fact and content of at Playa Giron, Alarcon said, was that Wash­ Fernandez explained that he had ordered that the commission reviewing the docu­ Goodwin's account have long been known, ington must learn that "the Cuban people his soldiers not to fire on the two U.S. Navy ments for declassification had proposed and the memo itself was declassified in 1993, will never renounce their struggle to defend destroyers off the coast in order to avoid a blacking out those sections of his report it had never before been publicly released. their sovereignty and independence." direct confrontation with Washington's before releasing it. "I had my reservations Goodwin reports, "Guevara began by "The Cuban people were fighting in de­ armed forces. He had decided to hold fire about blacking them out, but I accepted the saying that I must understand the Cuban fense of socialism," Alarcon said, and that before receiving such orders from Fidel decision. However, it was the commander­ revolution. They intend to build a socialist their victory marked a turning point in the Castro. Castro remarked that it was a good in-chief, Fidel, who overruled the recom­ state, and the revolution they have begun Cuban Revolution. thing Fernandez made that decision. In­ mendation. He insisted that the entire re­ is irreversible. They are also now out of This fact was apparent among working stead, the Cuban forces fired on the land- port be declassified." the U.S. sphere of influence, and that too Continued on Page 10 Conference event presents books on Playa GirOn HAVANA-Organizers of the March 22- paper Granma reported on the book presenta­ Truth, justice, history, and the vast ma­ 24 conference on "Giron: 40 Years After" tion. TV cameras zoomed in on the striking jority of toiling humanity were on their scheduled a presentation of several new cover of Pathfinder's Playa Giron. side. They did not know what the cost books on the subject during the second af­ Reprinted below are the remarks by would be, but they knew they would win. ternoon of the gathering. Mary-Alice Waters. Her talk is copyright Complementing the documents of the These included Playa Giron/Bay ofPigs: © 2001 by Pathfinder Press, reprinted by time is the second major component of Washington's First Military Defeat in the perm1sswn. Playa Giron, the testimony given before Americas by Fidel Castro and Jose Ramon -MARTIN KOPPEL a Havana court nearly 40 years later by Fernandez, just published in English and Jose Ramon Fernandez, the captain who Spanish by Pathfinder Press, as well as The commanded the main column of revo­ US. War Against Cuba, by Jose Ramon BY MARY-ALICE WATERS lutionary forces that defeated the U.S.­ Fernandez and Jose Perez Fernandez, and The strength of Playa Giron I Bay of backed invading troops at Playa Giron. a collection of excerpts from speeches Pigs: Washington's First Military Defeat From the vantage point of his own re­ about Playa Giron by Fidel Castro, both in the Americas lies in its unique combina­ sponsibilities, Fernandez's account, am­ newly published by Ocean Press. All con­ tion of speeches and documents by leaders plified with nearly two dozen maps and ference participants were given copies of of the Cuban Revolution, leaders deeply charts, provides a clear and concise pic­ these new titles, as well as books by U.S. involved in the events of the time and whose ture of the battle as it actually unfolded. organizers of the conference: Bay of Pigs actions were decisive in the victory of the But the power of this testimony is also Declassified, edited by Peter Kornbluh, and Cuban people on the sands of Giron. Above rooted in the fact that Fernandez draws Politics of Illusion: The Bay of Pigs Inva­ all, Pathfinder hopes it will be a source of extensively on the major accounts, mem­ sion Reexamined, edited by Kornbluh and information and orientation for young oirs, and evaluations written by those James Blight, both published in 1998. people, in the United States and elsewhere within the U.S. government and its agen­ Jose Ramon Fernandez, vice president around the world, born many years after cies, including members of Brigade of Cuba's Council of State and chair of the the historic events that are at the center of Militant/Martin Koppel 2506, who organized, deployed, and par- conference organizing committee, pre­ this conference. Jose Ramon Fernandez, whose firsthand tes­ ticipated in the invasion that was de­ sented the books. In his closing remarks, It is addressed to these new generations timony onApri11961 battle is featured in new signed to be the opening wedge of di­ he said the new titles were contributions to who are trying to understand what hap­ Pathfinder book Playa Giron speaks at event rect U.S. military aggression against the effort to explain the facts about the vic­ pened at the Bay of Pigs. Why, even 40 during Havana conference presenting several Cuba. Their assessments provide stark tory at Playa Giron, letting leading Cuban years later, do the U.S. rulers remain so fe­ new titles. confirmation of the truths explained participants in those events speak in their rocious in their determination to crush the many times over by the revolutionary own words. Cuban Revolution? Why and how were the communiques of the revolutionary gov­ leadership of Cuba. Fernandez pointed to the value of the ef­ people of Cuba able to inflict a defeat on ernment and its armed forces. We read the Playa Giron is a book whose major au­ forts of those in the United States who get the Yankee empire so total and ignomini­ calls to battle issued by Commanders Raul dience in the coming months and years will out the truth about the Cuban Revolution. ous that it remains an example today that Castro to the people of Oriente province be young readers, especially in the United These books, he said, contain "lessons for continues to inspire the oppressed and ex­ and Ernesto Che Guevara to the people States. Addressed to them above all is the the new generations, both in Cuba and the ploited the world over? of Pinar del Rio on April 15, 1961, each book's foreword describing the impact of United States who--40 years after these Playa Giron contains major excerpts within hours of the deadly sneak attacks the Cuban Revolution on a generation of events-still look to us." from the speeches of Commander in Chief on the Havana and Santiago de Cuba air­ young people within the United States at Brief remarks were also made by Mary­ Fidel Castro immediately before and after fields that signaled the imminent invasion. the time of Washington's first great defeat Alice Waters, Pathfinder president and co­ the battle. In the heat of the moment, he Those pieces of the historic record give in the Americas. editor of Playa Giron, and David Deutsch­ explains what was happening in Cuba and readers a feel for the passion, intensity, and That was a generation whose conscious­ mann of Ocean Press. the world, and the stakes for us all in "the determination of the moment-for the con­ ness had already been forged in action sup­ As part of their daily coverage of the con­ inevitable battle." fidence of the Cuban people in their so­ porting the rising mass proletarian struggle ference, Cuban television news and the news- In these pages we can read the war cialist revolution and their leadership. Continued on Page 10

April 9, 2001 The Militant 9 Defense in Miami trial exposes anti-Cuba lies

Continued from front page information allegedly contained in suppos­ Gerardo Hernandez asked that the charges the stand Rodolfo Frometa, a former Alpha down over international waters. edly encoded messages the FBI copied from against him of"conspiracy to commit mur­ 66 member who later founded Commandos According to the Cuban government's ac­ hard drives of computers in their residences. der" and "giving defense information to a F-4. Both groups have been responsible for count, corroborated in part by Buchner, the foreign government" be dropped. "There is armed attacks against Cuba and defenders invasion of Cuban airspace on Feb. 24, 1996, Washington's political aims no clear evidence that the defendant knew of the Cuban revolution in Miami in the past. was the second hostile incursion that day For the last two years, statements by U.S. the planes would be downed," attorney Paul Frometa testified that his group's goal has by the same type of aircraft, and the 1Oth authorities, articles in the big-business press, McKenna stated. always been to assassinate Cuban president such violation of Cuban territory over the and more recently the prosecution case have William Norris, attorney for defendant Fidel Castro, minister of the Cuba's Revo­ previous 20 months, involving some 30 been used by Washington to further its un­ Luis Medina, earlier submitted a motion for lutionary Armed Forces Raul Castro, and planes. relenting "cold war" against Cuba. One goal information from FBI investigations of other Cuban government officials. Throughout this period, Washington had of the U.S. rulers has been to attempt an­ right-wing Cuban-American groups. Ac­ Commandos F-4 has taken responsibil­ known about these escalating provocations other political frame-up of Cuba's revolu­ cording to Norris's motion, "within the ex­ ity for arson attacks on Cuban buses and and permitted them to continue. Prosecu­ tionary government. A second aim is to ile community there exist extremists [try­ vans, Frometa testified. In 1993 and again tion witness Charles Leonard, an aviation cover up the political blow U.S. imperial­ ing] to destabilize the Cuban government, in 1994 From eta and others were caught by expert, said in cross-examination by defense ism suffered with the shooting down of the and [their] acts have effectively been U.S. government agents on boats carrying attorneys March 1 that Brothers to the Res­ Brothers to the Rescue planes, and more re­ planned, financed, and carried out by or­ high-powered weapons near the Florida cue pilots repeatedly violated Cuban air cently with the outcome of the Elian ganizations or individuals in the United Keys heading south. They were not arrested space. He acknowledged that Havana had Gonzalez case. States. Mr. Medina states he was in Miami either of those times. Later in 1994, Frometa repeatedly warned Washington that the Defense attorneys have stated that the investigating these individuals and organi­ was arrested and served three years in fed­ planes might be downed if they persisted government has no evidence to back up its zations." eral prison for trying to buy weapons for a in their provocative flights. charges. On March 2 the attorney for On March 27 defense lawyers brought to plot to kill Castro. While the major national television net­ works, daily papers, and news agencies in the United States gave headline coverage for days in 1996 to White House allegations Havana conference on Bay of Pigs against Cuba, outside Miami they have vir­ tually blacked out coverage of the testimony Continued from Page 9 in a federal courtroom here that strikingly people interviewed by the Militant in the refutes earlier reports. Bay ofPigs area. At the Australia sugar mill near the town of Jagiiey Grande-where in Federal indictments April 1961 Fernandez established his In September 1998 the FBI announced column's command post-rail worker the arrests of 10 people in Miami, whom it Lazaro Morales, 60, commented that the accused of spying for Havana. These indi­ brutal U.S.-directed assault, as well as the viduals were charged with attempting to "in­ Cuban leadership's response, had a lasting filtrate" the U.S. Southern Command­ impact on his own life. which oversees Washington's military op­ At the time he was a 19-year-old student. erations in Latin America, and was relocated "Do you know what it is like to wake up to from Panama to Miami in 1997-and other a bombing attack?" he remarked. military installations, passing on "military The revolutionary leadership called for a secrets" to the Cuban government, and "in­ military mobilization without stopping pro­ filtrating" and trying to disrupt Brothers to duction or the literacy campaign. As local the Rescue and similar rightist Cuban­ sugarcane cutters joined their militia units American groups in Miami. The govern­ to go to the battle front to fight the invaders, ment indicted another four people in absen­ Morales and other youth took their places tia on similar charges. in the canefields-a proud and unforgettable One defendant, Gerardo Hernandez, is moment, he said. also charged with conspiracy to commit "At Giron I learned who we were and Inset: Granma murder in the Brothers to the Rescue case. what we were defending-the literacy cam­ Sinking of Houston during battle at Bay of Pigs. Inset: Enrique Carreras, today a Hernandez is accused of being the main paign, the land reform, the right to have division general of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, standing beside Cuban Sea Fury leader of what the government calls the enough to eat. And if they ever try to attack fighter plane around 1961. Carreras, an ace pilot, sank the Houston and another U.S. "Wasp Network," the term the FBI uses to us again, we are even stronger today." transport ship during invasion in successful effort to cut off supplies to mercenaries. describe the 14 indicted in this case. If con­ victed, the defendants could face sentences of 15 years to life in prison. Five of the individuals have pleaded guilty Conference event presents Playa Giron books to some of the charges and are serving jail sentences ofthree-and-a-halfto seven years. Continued from Page 9 Written by Jack Barnes, who at the time with the truth about the Cuban Revolution. One of them, Joseph Santos, testified in Janu­ for Black rights that was sweeping from of the Bay of Pigs invasion was the orga­ We explained not only why Cuban working ary against those now on trial. Santos had South to North. They were young people nizer of one of the largest campus chapters people would never surrender their con­ been sentenced to five years. Prosecutors rec­ imbued with growing contempt and hatred of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, the quests, but why we inside the United ommended he serve only four and U.S. Dis­ for government anticommunist witch-hunt­ foreword describes the political battle that States-if we were to win our inevitable trict Judge Joan Lenard, who is presiding, ing agencies such as HUAC, the House Un­ groups of young people across the United battles-would have to organize to emulate has reportedly agreed. AmericanActivities Committee, which had States waged, together with veteran com­ their revolutionary course. The U.S. government's case against the dampened political expression for more than munists, trade unionists, and farmers, as we Pathfinder's editors hope that readers will five defendants is based almost entirely on a decade. reached out to the broadest possible forces also find the extensive photo pages and other graphics that are part of this volume to be of special value. Many of the photos repro­ duced as part of the book are the product of Yankee reporters get bad case of the crabs joint efforts by compafieros in Cuba and the United States to rescue from the crumbling HAVANA-On the last day of the con­ months to mate in the waters. At dawn they and happy. pages of magazines and newspapers historic ference "Giron: 40Years Later," participants return to the swamp. The small hard-shelled "Acosta had to fix more than 20 tires from photos that would otherwise be lost because and press, all together, were taken on a day­ natives of the Zapata Swamp will shred the conference-goers alone," Sullivan reported. the corresponding negatives and other re­ long visit to Playa Giron, scene of the April tires of travelers who aren't careful, "Along one short stretch of road near the productions have long ago disappeared. 1961 Cuban victory over the U.S.-directed Fernandez said. beach, at least five cars were pulled over It is important for new generations not invading forces. One Mexican journalist chimed in to alert with flats-some of them with more than only to read the speeches and documents Conference host Jose Ramon Fernandez her colleagues: "I drove to Playa Giron the one tire punctured, making a single spare that are part of the real history of our Ameri­ warned us the evening before that our re­ other day and had to fix flat tires 15 times. useless. Journalists had to abandon crippled cas, but to see with their own eyes the turn trip would have to begin no later than Watch out!" cars and hitch a ride in the back of a pass­ changes wrought by the revolution along 4:00 p.m. From that point on, he said, the Some U.S. members of the press corps, ing flatbed truck." with the faces and actions of those who were coastal road would be covered by "literally however, chose not to heed the warning. The impatient journalists, loaded with willing to give their lives to defend it. millions of crabs" crossing from the Zapata When the visitors left Playa Giron at the their sophisticated phone and camera equip­ This is a book that will be promoted, dis­ Swamp where they live to the shores of the end of the day's event, it was already 4:30 ment, pa,id for not listening to the local farm­ tributed, and read around the world-not Bay of Pigs. The land crabs, indigenous to p.m. Most participants and reporters rode ers and other residents. Two Playa Giron only in North America, but from Asia to Cuba, migrate every evening in the spring on buses provided by conference organiz­ natives, Eberto Anca and Luis Acosta, sit­ Latin America, from Europe to Africa. It will ers. At first we noticed only a few crabs ting in an old truck near the beach, laughed. be sold not only through bookstores and web crossing the road. As the trip continued, "Anca said locals know, from hard experi­ sites, but from tables at factory gates, farm From Pathfinder however, the numbers kept growing, and ence, that driving slowly is the best defense," protests, university campuses, community Fertile Ground within minutes Fernandez's description the Post article reported. centers, workers neighborhoods, and politi­ CHE GUEVARA AND BOLIVIA materialized in living color and sound-an "Indeed, conference participants speed­ cal events. A firsthand account by orange-pink sea of crabs covered the road ing down the road passed many local cars If it helps young readers to understand Rodolfo Saldana for miles, as we listened to the crunching poking along. Later, those same cars that Washington's defeat at the Bay of Pigs and cracking of the shells under the wheels. crawled past as foreigners changed their flowed not from blunders by the CIA or Rodolfo Saldana was one of the The highway was already littered with thou­ shredded tires-wily tortoises in rusted-out vacillations by the administration of U.S. Bolivians who joined ranks in 1966-67 sands ofbodies of the little critters, crushed Soviet-era antiques passing hard-luck hares President John F. Kennedy, but from the with Ernesto Che Guevara to forge a by vehicles that came before us. carrying laptops and satellite phones." strength, preparedness, and determination revolutionary movement of workers, The large tires on the buses rode over the Militant reporters, who traveled in the bus of the Cuban people to defend their newly peasants, and young people to overturn sharp shells without undue damage, as our provided by conference organizers and re­ conquered freedoms and social justice-and the military dictatorship in Bolivia and experienced Cuban drivers navigated the turned to Havana without incident, enjoyed if it inspires them to become the same sort open the road to socialist revolution in terrain. Some journalists, however, mostly both the scenic drive and the marvelous of people-Playa Giron will have served its South America. $9.95 from the U.S. media, drove their own pri­ highway replay 40 years later of the char­ purpose. vate cars and "did not do so well," accord­ acter of the contending forces of the battle Pathfinder's editors will be all the more Available from bookstores, including those ing to an article by Washington Post reporter of Playa Giron. Plus r;a change.... pleased if it is a book that also proves useful for listed on page 12. Kevin Sullivan. But they did keep Santiago those of you here participating in this signal Acosta, a local tire-fixer or ponchero, busy -M.K. AND M-A. W. conference, Playa Giron: Forty Years After. 10 The Militant April 9, 2001 Cuban groups invite U.S. youth to Havana for summer exchange BY ROGER CALERO questions of national identity and culture, AND GREG McCARTAN the current situation of the student move­ The words of Cuban revolutionary Jose ment and its role in society, as well as on Marti "are extraordinarily relevant today. It environmental issues. Participants will also would seem that he was inviting us to the join in discussions on "U.S.-Cuba relations constant struggle for a unitedAmerica, call­ in the new millennium" and will have a ing us to rise up as one people to believe chance to look over at the U.S. naval base that only the wealth that is created and the at Guantanamo Bay, one aspect of freedom that is conquered is what endures," Washington's continued aggression against says an invitation extended by seven youth the Cuban people. and student organizations in Cuba to young "This will be a special opportunity for workers and students in the United States young workers, students, farmers and farm to participate in the Second Cuba-U.S. Youth family youth, and others to see the Cuban Exchange to take place in Cuba July 22-30. revolution for themselves," said Jacob Marti was a revolutionary anti-imperial­ Perasso, a leader of the Young Socialists. Militant/Joel Britton ist fighter who was killed in battle in 1895 "Participants can get a firsthand understand­ Javier Duenas, center, and Yanelis Martinez, right, with Francis Goodman and Ana in the war for Cuban independence from ing of the kind of society working people Goodman at Family Farm Defenders Conference in Wisconsin. Spain. are capable of creating. The YS welcomes "We invite you to a meeting that will this opportunity to help bring information the news of the opportunity the youth ex­ States and Cuba, and to learn how young strengthen the solidarity between both coun­ to young people in Cuba about what life change offers among younger generations people participate in making decisions in all tries," the brochure states. "We hope this will under capitalism is like and the struggles and they meet in factories, mines, and mills where aspects of society, including on issues of be an opportunity for you to get to know resistance of working people today," he said. they work. There is already interest, he said, self-determination," he said. the Cuban people, that this exchange will "We will be building the youth exchange among young farmers in visiting Cuba, indi­ The organizations who have called the become an arena to condemn everything that through all of our work over the next months cating wider possibilities for several to be­ Second Cuba/United States Youth Exchange attempts to separate us, and that all of us and encourage the widest participation pos­ come part of the visit to Cuba this summer. in Cuba are: the Pioneer Organization "Jose united can demonstrate to the world that sible." Most immediately, Perasso said, the Getting out information at literature tables Marti," the Federation of High School Stu­ unity is not a dream." YS will be signing up to go to the Youth on street comers and at factory gates will also dents, the Federation ofUniversity Students, "Young Cubans are interested in having Exchange those who attend meetings to hear be a feature of the party's work. the Union of Young Communists, the mutual knowledge about the realities of the two Cuban youth leaders speaking in the Duenas said that for Cuban youth, the "Hermano Saiz" Association, the Technical youth in the United States and Cuba," said United States. exchange offers a way to "know what is Youth Brigades, and the Youth Study Cen­ Javier Duenas in a March 28 phone inter­ Jack Willey, a leader of the Socialist happening in the United States and how ter. The organizing committee can be con­ view with the Militant. Duenas is a leader Workers Party, said party members will be young people are organizing themselves to tacted in Cuba by e-mail at: [email protected]. of the Union of Young Communists in collaborating with the Young Socialists to confront social problems." The meetings Those interested in participating can also Cuba, one of the sponsoring organizations, build a broad delegation to the youth ex­ will help participants "obtain knowledge contact the Young Socialists at PO Box 33, and is currently speaking at college cam­ change. Socialist workers will be spreading about the realities of youth in the United New York, NY 10018. Tel: (212) 695-1809. puses during a three-week visit to the United States along with Yanelis Martinez, a mem­ ber of the National Secretariat of the Fed­ eration of University Students in Cuba, an­ Cuba youth leaders speak to U.S. students, farmers other organization hosting the youth ex­ change. Continued from front page sored by International Studies, Social Jus­ They were introduced to the meeting by During the last youth exchange in 1996, include the situation of student movements tice Concentration in Communication, and Randy Jasper, a Wisconsin farmer. In a pre­ 144 young people from 26 states across the and relations between Cuba and the United Peace Studies. sentation to the 60 participants, Martinez United States visited the Caribbean island, States. More than 25 students signed up for Bren Murphy, chair of the communica­ and Duenas explained that unlike in Wis­ holding a range of meetings and activities more information on the youth exchange in tions department, opened the meeting. consin, where six dairy farmers a day lose with their counterparts in Cuba. the first few days of Duenas's and Martinez's David Schweickart, professor of philosophy their land and many more live under the This year the program includes meetings visit. at Loyola who is coordinating the visit of threat of foreclosure, a central conquest of with students and visits to universities, in­ "There is greater participation of youth Duenas and Martinez, then welcomed them the Cuban revolution is a thoroughgoing cluding the Latin American School ofMedi­ in strengthening the revolution than a de­ to Chicago. Citing statistics indicating land reform that ended forever the possibil­ cine and the International Sports School, cade ago," Duenas told the Loyola audience. Cuba's progress in areas of health, educa­ ity of farmers losing their land. Duenas said. The participants will also join "There is more confidence in the ideas of tion, and life expectancy, Schweickart com­ "Forty-one years ago when the revolution in activities organized to celebrate the anni­ the revolution and youth are more involved mented that not only has Cuba survived the triumphed most of the best land and prop­ versary ofthe July 26, 1953, assault on the in fighting for justice and against inequali­ recent years of economic difficulty, "but in erty was owned by corporations in the Moncada army garrison. The event marks ties. Youth were the first to demonstrate for some ways has even thrived." United States," Duenas said. "We only had the beginning of the revolutionary armed the return of Elian Gonzalez" he said. Elizabeth Lozano, a professor of commu­ one crop, sugarcane." With the land reform, struggle that led to the defeat of the U.S.­ Duenas described a central campaign of nications at Loyola, began the question pe­ title to the land was given to the peasants backed dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in the Union of Young Communists and the riod asking about the status of the media in who worked it and a rural infrastructure was January 1959. Federation of University Students to inten­ Cuba. Duenas answered that there has been created to expand access to education, cul­ "The most important activities around the sify the involvement of young people from a renaissance ofjournal and magazine pub­ ture, health services, as well as markets for July 26 anniversary will take place in the poorer working-class neighborhoods. One lishing in recent years. He pointed to the the farmers' goods. neighborhoods, organized by the Commit­ aspect of this campaign is the attempt to youth involvement in a national campaign After their presentation, three farm youth tees in Defense of the Revolution," said draw youth convicted of petty crimes into called "University for All," which includes came and spoke with Martinez and Duenas Duenas. "They will be impressive mobili­ revolutionary activity. Duenas explained the television classes, accessible to all, on lit­ and signed up for more information on the zations of the people," he continued, "but I goal was to bring young people who have erature, art appreciation, history, public Cuba-U.S. Youth Exchange this summer. will leave that to the judgment of the par­ committed petty crimes out of the prisons speaking, English, and music. On March 26 members of the Cuban ticipants." and to win more such youth to the Union of Youth Lectures Committee, which was A flyer about the youth exchange, which Young Communists. Countryside visit formed in Chicago to organize the national is available in English and Spanish, provides The Loyola meeting was organized by the The two youth traveled to Wisconsin on visit, held a welcoming potluck dinner and details on the costs and other arrangements. Honor's Society of the university's Depart­ the first weekend of their visit to attend the discussion with Martinez and Duenas at It lists a series of planned workshops on ment of Communication, and was also spon- annual meeting of Family Farm Defenders. Casa Guatemala here. Martinez thanked the group and explained that meetings like the one with the Wisconsin farmers "allowed Hear Cuban Youth Leaders Yanelie Martinez us to not only explain the situation of farm­ ers in Cuba, but also to learn what the coun­ tryside is facing here in the United States. It They will speak on "Youth and Minnesota University of Minnesota, Minneapolis makes me appreciate more what the Cuban revolution has achieved," she said. Cuba Today" at these campuses: St. Thomas University Wed , Aprif 11, 7:00 p.m. Mon , April 9, 7 00 p.m. Roach Hall Audito­ Room 175 Wiley Hall, West Bank. New England rium. Sponsored by Critical Pedagogy Sponsored by Global Studies Program, SUBSCRIBE TO! Project Peace and Justice Center. Spanish-Portuguese department University of Hartford Macalester College, St. Paul Minnesota Cuba Committee, La Raza Perspectiva Mundial Hartford, Connecticut Student Cultural Center. Call (612) 624- A Spanish-language socialist magazine Tues., April 10, 4:00 p.m.-6:00p.m. 1600 Mon., April 2, 7:00p.m. Wilde Auditorium. 1512, or e-mail: [email protected] Grand Ave. Sponsored by Adelante. Sponsored by Dept. of Politics and Govern­ Special offer for new readers ment and African-American Studies Pro­ Hamline University, St. Paul Minneapolis Community Four months $6 gram and the Greater Hartford Coalition Tues., April 10, 8:00 p.m. and Technical College on Cuba. 1536 Hewitt Ave., Gliddens Learning Cen­ Thurs., April 12, 12 noon to 2:00 p.m., 1515 Hennepin Ave. pt•r•p••c I it'd ter. Sponsored by Political Science Dept., mundial Massachusetts Alma Latina, Multicultural Affairs: Call (612) Sponsored by Department of . Bridgewater State College 869-3194. E-mail: Anthropology, Global Issues. ~-cam&--~: Thurs., April 5, Program 3:00p.m. Moakley 1i0ueremos ·Ia· uniOn wdiaz01 @gw.hamline.edu. Gustavus Adolphus College Auditorium. St. Cloud State University St. Peter v1a queremos va•:. Massachusetts Institute of Wed., April 11, 2:00p.m. Thurs., April 12, 5:00 p.m. Technology, Cambridge, Sponsored by Student Coalition Against Fri., April 6, 7:00p.m. Sponsored by July Racism, Organization for Prevention of AIDS El Colegio High School, Minneapolis 26th Coalition of Boston. For information, in Africa. Call Holly Santiago, (320) 333- Fri., April 13, noon. call (617) 566-2861 or e-mail 3274, or e-mail: [email protected] Send your check or money order to Perspectiva [email protected]. Mundial, 410 West St, New York, Ny 10014.

April9, 2001 The Militant 11 lllinois meat packers win support for strike

BY PATTIE THOMPSON last three years of the four-year contract. "We haven't had any problems so far with between the company and the union have CHICAGO-Hundreds of meat packers Dalen said many workers on the production the police. We have been keeping everything been scheduled. rallied in a park next to Rochelle Foods in line threw the letter with the final offer in peaceful," Sandoval said. "Picket shifts are Messages of solidarity or donations can Rochelle, Illinois, March 23 to mark one week the trash can. Some, however, paid a visit to four hours but some are out there all day be sent to UFCW Local 1540, 315 Cherry on strike against the company, a wholly-owned the personnel office, dropping off a nickel every day, giving up everything to help win St., Rochelle, IL 61068. Phone: (815) 562- subsidiary ofHormel Foods Corp. as they left. By the afternoon, the safety this strike," Dalen added. No negotiations 4661 or fax: (815) 562-3761. The 870 members of United Food and supervisor was called to come and pick up Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1540 all the nickels in the office and the hallway. walked off the job after rejecting a contract Delores Sandoval pointed out that the last proposal from the company that included contract four years ago hadn't included Transit workers rally in New York what the unionists considered inadequate much in the way of wage increases either, pay raises. Union officials at the event said "but we were taken in by the last minute messages of support and financial help for offer of an $800 signing bonus. Not this the striking workers were on their way from time! Out of that $800, after taxes and de­ other UFCW locals, including workers at ductions, most got barely over $300." Hormel 's plant in Austin, Minnesota, and Striking workers said that with inflation UFCW Region 6. Twenty-six UFCW local and company proposals to increase em­ unions have pledged support, they reported. ployee contributions to health insurance and "With what they've lost in one week's prescription co-payments, the raise offered production and paying for all the new secu­ would have left them earning less at the end rity and cameras, they could have more than of four years than they are now. paid what we were asking and settled this "Many of those who come to visit the already," said Kristy Dalen in a March 24 picket line offering support are former work­ phone interview. Dalen, who has worked for ers for Rochelle," said union member Lupe Rochelle Foods for 18 years, was helping Gonzalez. "The picket line is up 24 hours a staff the union hall that day. day, seven days a week. Many of the local After workers rejected the company's businesses support us. We get coffee, sand­ proposed contract by a 99 percent margin wiches, hot chocolate, and donuts." on February 27, Rochelle Foods added five Many workers point proudly to their unity cents an hour to its proposal for each of the and multinational background. Only about a dozen workers have joined the supervi­ sors and salaried personnel crossing the Some 3,000 conductors, bus drivers, and other workers held a demonstration in New York March 28 to defend health benefits in dispute with transit bosses. Anniversary of the Victory at Playa Giron picket line. Speakers at the rally "spoke in English, Spanish, and Bosnian," Dalen said. MIAMI Conference: The Bay of Pigs - 40 Years Later --MILITANT LABOR FORUMS Sat., April14, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Socialist Workers Party. Fri., March 30, 7:30p.m. Speakers: NEW JERSEY Continuing the Bipartisan Assault on Work­ Newark 545 8th Ave. 14th Floor. Tel: (212) 695-7358. ers and Farmers. Speakers: Margaret Trowe, Rafael Cancel Miranda, Puerto Rican Upper Manhattan Socialist Workers 2000 vice-presidential candi­ independence fighter and former The First Two Months of the Bush Administra­ tion: The Continuing Bipartisan Assault on The World Wide Crisis Facing Working Farm­ date, staff writer for the Militant; Roberto political prisoner of the U.S. government Workers and Farmers. Speaker: Maurice Will­ ers. Speaker: Beverly Bernardo, Socialist Work­ Guerrero, National Executive Committee, Young Andres Gomez, national coordinator of iams, Militant staff writer. Fri., March 30, 7:30p.m. ers Party. Fri., March 30, 7:30p.m. Dinner: 6:30 Socialists. Sat., March 31, 7:30p.m. Dinner: 6:30 p.m. 540 West !65th St. Donation: $4. Dinner: p.m. 1003 E. Carson St. Donation: $10. Tel: the Antonio Maceo Brigade Working Farmers Worldwide Confront Crisis of Capitalism. Fri., April6, 7:30p.m. Both events $4. Tel: (212) 740-4611. (412) 381-9785. Mary-Alice Waters, president of at 506 Springfield Ave. Tel: (973) 643-3341. Pathfinder Press, editor of the recently OHIO BRITAIN released Playa Giron: Washington's First NEW YORK Cleveland Military Defeat in the Americas London Brooklyn Grand Opening of the Pathfinder Bookstore. Macedonian Government Attacks Albanian Luis Tornes, editor of Miami Post NATO Troops Out of Yugoslavia! Speaker: 40th Anniversary of the Victory of the Cuban Forces; NATO Troops Out ofYugoslavia. Fri., Luis Madrid, Socialist Workers Party. Fri., March People at the Bay of Pigs. Sat., April 7, 7:00 April 6, 7:00 p.m. 47 The Cut. Donation: £2. Holiday Inn, Coral Gables p.m. Open House 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Buffet 21 05 SW Le Jeune Road. 30, 7:30p.m. Tel: 020-7928-7993. The Fraud of Education Reform Under Capi­ Dinner: 6:00p.m. 11018 Lorain Ave. Donation: Donation: $10. talism. Speaker: Roger Calero, Militant staff $5. Dinner and program: $10. Tel: (216) 688- For more information: (305) 343-1 551. writer. Fri.,April6, 7:30p.m. Both events at 372 1190. NEW ZEALAND Sponsored by: Greater Miami Free Speech A 53rd St. Tel: (718) 567-8014. Christchurch Coalition • Miami Coalition to End the US Garment District PENNSYLVANIA Women and the Fight for Equality. Fri., April Embargo of Cuba • Antonio Maceo Brigade • From Mexico to Argentina: Working People Pittsburgh 6, 7 p.m. Gloucester Arcade. 129 Gloucester St. ATC • Boricua Human R1ghts Network in Orlando. Resist Capitalist Crisis. Speaker: Brian Williams, The First Months ofthe Bush Administration: Donation: $3. Tel: (3) 365 6055. NEW YORK Casa de las Americas Celebrate 40th Anniversary of the IF YOU LIKE THIS PAPER, LOOK US UP Victory at Playa Giron Sat., April14, 8 p.m. Where to find Pathfinder books and 6325. E-mail: [email protected] Haymarket Post Office, NSW 1240. Tel: 02- distributors of the Militant, Perspectiva 9690-1533. 33 West 14th Street NEW JERSEY: Newark: 506 Springfield Mundial, New International, Nouvelle Ave. 3rd floor. 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Tel: March for the Right of Return of Palestinian E-mail: [email protected] Suite 201. Zip: 60622. Tel: (773) 342-1780. 552 5502. E-mail: [email protected] Refugees. Join the demonstration and rally to E-mail: [email protected] TEXAS: Houston: 619 West 8th St. Zip: support the right of Palestinian refugees to re­ 77007. Tel: (713) 869-6550. E-mail: NEW ZEALAND turn to homes and lands from which they were IOWA: Des Moines: 3720 6th Ave. Zip: [email protected] Auckland: Suite 3, 7 MasonAve., Otahuhu. expelled. Sat., April 7. Noon. Assemble at Is­ 50313. Tel: (515) 288-2970. E-mail: WASHINGTON, D.C.: 3541 14th St. N.W. Postal address: P.O. Box 3025. Tel: (9) 276- raeli Mission, 42nd and 2nd Ave. For more in­ I 04107 [email protected] 8885. formation, contact The Palestine Right to Return Zip: 20010. Tel: (202) 722-6221. E-mail: Coalition, P.O. Box 401, Hummestown, Penn­ MASSACHUSETTS: Boston: 683 [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] sylvania 17036. Fax (717) 832-1173. 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Box K879, 69 33 .E-mail: I [email protected] 12 The Militant April 9, 2001 -GREAT SOCIE1Y------They kicked out the ones who remaining 30, 13 flunked the test. our dot.com subsidiary. Your job is Today headline: "Cellphones combined polling project by passed?-The Los Angeles police to fire everyone." Dilbert: "Would drowning out police radios." Gallup, CNN, and USA Today. They have been reluctant to follow the Democratized dwellings-A I get a raise?" Boss: "How does a reported that 59 percent were not example of the cop departments big-time realtor and 34 prestigious billion shares of stock sound?" Like 'national security'?­ concerned about the vice architects are planning a new hous­ "Michigan: Lansing-New regula­ president's ongoing heart problems. ing tract in the Hamptons, the Long Fast learner-Combining sal­ tions prohibit materials in the state's Island, New York, beach area where ary, stock bonus, and perks, Ken­ 44 prisons that depict sex acts. Pub­ Getting chilly-"Consumers in­ the big-bucks society folks have neth Lay, top dog at Enron, a Texas lications that contain nude photos creasingly delinquent on repay­ their summer vacations, yachts, and energy peddler, was paid $18.2 mil­ are allowed if the model is of the ments-More people fall behind on other amenities. The homes in the lion for 2000.A company statement opposite sex from the prisoner. De­ mortgages and credit cards in a new tract will be limited in size and declared its "philosophy" on execu­ partment of Corrections Director troubling sign of an already cool­ moderately priced. They won't be tive compensation was to reward Bill Martin said the change was ing economy"-LosAngeles Times big enough to feature customary performance. Lay apparently implemented for security reasons." business section. discos, gyms, servants quarters, etc. tripled his performance capacity elsewhere in giving lie detector tests But they will be available for rapidly last year. In 1999 he took And not as if they have other Thought for the week-"I don't to new recruits. Finally they de­ $750,000 to $2.5 million. home a mere $5.96 million. worries-After we remembered think that fine architecture should cided to get with the program. The who "Cheney" was, we were struck be limited to the very rich. It should initial results: Of 59 candidates for We did chuckle-A dialog be­ More than meets the ear-We by the headline: "Cheney's health be available to the upper middle membership in the force, 29 chose tween Dilbert and his boss: Boss: didn't realize the social benefit of does not worry most Americans." class as well."-Hampton real es­ not to show up for the test. Of the ''I'm promoting you to president of cell phones until we read a USA This finding was the result of a tate operator Harry Brown. What is behind ongoing conflict in Yugoslavia? Printed below are excerpts from The in the regions of the former Yugoslavia. Truth about Yugoslavia. Why Working As in the former Soviet Union and else­ People Should Oppose Intervention by where in Eastern Europe, elements of the George Fyson, Argiris Malapanis, and old Stalinist bureaucracy have discarded Jonathan Silberman. This excerpt can be their previous verbal claims to "commu­ found in the chapter titled "The roots of nism" as easily as a snake sheds its old skin. the conflict in Yugoslavia." Copyright © Now they are acting as would-be capitalists 1993 by Pathfinder, reprinted by permis­ to grab as big a portion of the loot as they sion. Subheadings are by the Militant. can, just as any mafia operates to protect and enlarge its turf. And they are compet­ BY GEORGE FYSON ing among themselves for a poor cousin's AND JONATHAN SILBERMAN place at the table of world capitalism. Yugoslavia is gripped by a murderous The main aggressors on the Yugoslav conflict orchestrated above all by the regime battleground are the bureaucrats based in in Serbia, as well as by leaders of Croatia Serbia, the dominant republic in the former and other republics. Yugoslav working Yugoslavia, whose largest city, Belgrade, people, who almost five decades ago began had been the federal capital. The regimes in a mighty socialist revolution, are the ones Croatia and the other republics have shown who are paying with their lives. themselves to be no less keen to plunder Into this situation the rival imperialist resources for themselves, as the Croatian powers of Europe and the United States are regime's annexation of a piece of Bosnia­ seeking ways to intervene, wield their Herzegovina in July 1992 demonstrated. forces, and place their stamp on the outcome None of the fights being waged by the of events. Acting through the United Na- regimes and their surrogate forces in Yugo­ slavia today are in the interests ofworking people there, whose parents and grandpar­ ents carried out a powerful revolution in the 1940s, a revolution that overturned the rule BOOK OF of the exploiting landlords and capitalists U.S. troops on patrol in Mijak, Kosova, near the border with Macedonia. "The world of different tongues and creeds, and forged capitalist system is in the initial throes of a historic crisis. Instability, economic depres­ a united Yugoslavia. sion, social crisis, and war are what this system holds in store," write book's authors. THE WEEK The conflicts since 1991 have been note­ worthy for the inability of the regimes to mobilize large numbers of working people tably result, workers will have their chance socialism. The future battles that workers to fight; for the large number of desertions to build communist parties capable of lead­ face in the former Yugoslavia, in overthrow­ tions, they placed an embargo on Serbia in from the Yugoslav army; for the cases of ing revolutionary anticapitalist struggles to ing the parasitic caste that today presides May 1992 and at the beginning of 1993 were fraternization between soldiers and those establish governments of the workers and over the bloody dismemberment of the fed­ weighing the prospects of military involve­ they were supposed to be fighting; and for farmers and join in the worldwide fight for eration, are part of this worldwide struggle. ment substantially beyond the UN forces the protests against the war, especially in already stationed there. Belgrade. In June 1992 alone, tens of thou­ The military conflict in Yugoslavia began sands took part in protests against the war, -25 AND 50 YEARS AGO in June 1991, when skirmishes in Slovenia including one rally of 100,000. were followed by a devastating war in Despite the nationalist demagogy of the Croatia, where some 10,000 people were would-be capitalists, what is taking place is TH£ MILITANT killed. In March 1992 the slaughter began not national, religious, ethnic, or tribal PUILISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE WORKING PEOPLE struggle. It is the modern class struggle. TH£ MILITANT in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Indiscriminate mas­ A SOCIAliST N€WSWf0:lV/PUstiSHf.O IN 1H1: INi'UEStS OF ltff WOftlli:ING 'EOPH NEW YORK, NY FIVE ( 'i) CE'JT..., sacres of civilians and devastation of cities The petty-bourgeois and aspiring bour­ to a degree not seen since Washington's war geois layers in Belgrade and elsewhere are April 9, 1976 April 9, 1951 against Iraq resulted in at least 7,000 deaths interested only in safeguarding their own CINCINNATI-The three-day National in the first three months of the year. (In mid- privileges, diverting workers from acting in Black Political Convention came to an end After three months of the "Great Debate," 1992, the government of Bosnia­ their own class interests, and continuing the March 20 when U.S. Rep. Ronald Dellums, the Senate adopted on April 4 a resolution Herzegovina put the death toll as high as fruitless attempt to be welcomed as equal in the face of a strong desire by participants approving by a vote of 69 to 21 the ship­ 50,000.) partners into the world capitalist system. to launch an independent political cam­ ment of four U.S. Army divisions to Europe. The war had created as many as 1 mil­ Today this is a less realistic perspective paign, declined the group's presidential This resolution follows the main lines of the lion refugees in Croatia, and some 1.2 mil­ than ever. The world capitalist system is in nomination. original administration "compromise" lion in Bosnia-Herzegovina by mid-1992. the initial throes of a historic crisis. Insta­ "I am unequivocal in my desire not to run. which had been denounced by the Republi­ The number of refugees in Bosnia­ bility, economic depression, social crisis, This is not my role and not my moment," can opposition, in particular by Sen. Bricker Herzegovina-estimated at one quarter of and war are what this system holds in store. the California Democrat told the 888 del­ as "a sham, a hoax, a fraud on the American its population-is the highest anywhere in The events in Yugoslavia are not the prod­ egates and observers .... at the third biennial people." It is exactly that. Europe since World War II. The former Yu­ uct of communism. The Yugoslav crisis is national Black convention hosted by the The American people are being flim­ goslavia had a population of 24 million. one in a series that has gripped the deformed National Black PoliticalAssembly (NBA) .... flammed; their expressed wishes brazenly and degenerated workers states in eastern From the enthusiasm and anticipation flouted. Truman and his associates are re­ Not tribal or ethnic strife and central Europe and the former Soviet displayed at the nominating rally, there was sponsible. But the administration is not Capitalist-minded political commentators Union since the late 1980s, bringing down little doubt that people had come with the alone. Equally responsible is the Republi­ argue that the current conflicts in Yugosla­ governments and shattering the ruling intention of drawing up a platform speak­ can opposition led by Taft, Wherry, and their via are the modem expression of centuries Stalinist parties. ing to the urgent concerns of the Black com­ associates. There is not a single voice in ei­ of tribal or ethnic strife that has gripped this Today the components ofthe former Yu­ munity. Most of all they were looking for­ ther Senate or House that today speaks for part of the world. They use this claim to jus­ goslavia have an enormous debt to imperi­ ward to taking the bold step of launching the people, expressing their will and inter­ tify the need for outside intervention in the alist banks and financial institutions, ram­ an independent presidential campaign to ests. form of an economic embargo and possible pant inflation, and massive unemployment. challenge the decades-old racist rule of the Poll after public poll has shown that the military attack. Yugoslav workers have been forced to mi­ Democratic and Republican parties .... overwhelming majority are opposed to war The truth is the opposite. Today's con­ grate in search of work. Even before the Later that evening the platform was read and to the sending of more troops to Eu­ flicts in Yugoslavia have nothing in com­ wave of war-generated refugees in 1992, to the delegates. There is a section favoring rope. This mass antiwar sentiment is what mon with the historic rise of nation-states there were 600,000 Yugoslav workers in home rule for majority-Black Washington, politicians like Taft are seeking to exploit that accompanied the bourgeois-democratic Germany alone. D.C. Illegal surveillance and harassment by in jockeying for advantages in the 1952 revolutions against feudal conditions in the Different sections of the ruling stratum the CIA, FBI, and other government spy presidential elections .... period from the sixteenth to the early twen­ in Yugoslavia advance variations on a single agencies were condemned. A proposal call­ Neither the administration nor the Repub­ tieth century. Nor are they similar to mod­ approach to getting out of the mess the coun­ ing for "nationalization of all our means of lican opposition will protect the people's em national liberation struggles against co­ try is in. Although they drape their rhetoric production" was adopted .... In a section on interests. An aroused people must assert it­ lonialism and imperialist oppression. In­ in different "national" colors, they share the education the platform reaffirms the right self and demand that it settle through ana­ stead, what is involved is a crude drive for desire to shove the effects of the crisis onto of Blacks to go to any school, but adds that tional referendum the whole issue of peace control over territory and resources between the backs of working people. the "highest priority should be on Black and war, including the sending of troops the conflicting bureaucratic gangs that rule Out of the class struggles that will inevi- education in the Black community." abroad. April 9, 2001 The Militant 13 -EDITORIALS------Macedonian Build Cuba-U.S. Youth Exchange gov't offensive Continued from front page The visit to the United States ofYaniles Martinez and farmers fighting to defend their land and livelihoods. commanders have acted to minimize civilian casualties. Javier Duenas provides youth, working people, and oth­ The July 22-30 Second Cuba-U.S. Youth Exchange The Washington Post shed a little light on the reality of ers an important opportunity to learn the truth about the sponsored by the Union ofYoung Communists, the Fed­ the offensive, however, when it reported that "all males Cuban revolution and to to explain their struggles and eration of University Students, and other youth brought down [from villages to Tetovo] by the govern­ battles with the employers and their government in Wash­ orgaizations in Cuba is a week of activities and discus­ ment were subject to paraffin tests to see if they had fired ington. Defenders of the Cuban revolution throughout the sion that revolutionary-minded youth in the United States guns." No casualty figures have been released. Midwest and Northeast, along with those seeking infor­ can broadly build over the next four months. Revolution­ Fighting has continued in areas further to the east and mation about Cuba across the U.S.-imposed embargo and ary youth involved in this effort in the United States and closer to Skopje itself. On March 26 two Macedonian travel ban, can make a priority of building and attending Cuba are also building the 15th World Festival ofYouth policemen were wounded when their convoy came under the meetings scheduled in New England and Minnesota. and Students, scheduled for this August in Algeria machine gun fire north of the capital. The sizable meetings the first days of the visit by Martinez The call for the youth exchange invokes anti-imperial­ and Duenas indicate the interest there is in a dialog and in ist and revolutionary fighter Jose Marti, who spent sev­ NATO backs the offensive overcoming Washington's decades-long stream of lies and eral years in the United States learning about the rising Washington and the other imperialist powers, who sta­ aggression against the popular revolution made and de­ imperialist power and the struggles of working people from tioned tens of thousands of troops in neighboring Kosova fended since 1959 by workers and peasant of that Carib­ "inside the belly of the beast," he wrote. in 1999, swung into action in support of Skopje as the bean country. Building these meetings and joining the dis­ The reality of the imperialist monster Marti described offensive was in preparation. cussion at them is a must for workers and farmers who are is truer and more pervasive 100 year later than in its in­ "I strongly commend the government of this country engaged in protests, strikes, and demonstrations in defense fancy at the end of the 1800s. But capitalism has also for the firm but restrained way they have reacted to the of their rights, wages, and working conditions. Young people brought into being hundreds of millions of working people provocations of the last few weeks," said NATO secretary who are repelled by the brutality of U.S. imperialism both who are more able to unite across national boundaries general George Robertson in a visit to Skopje on March at home and abroad will be able to learn about Cuba's so­ and other divisions imposed by class society and are more 26. Robertson, who was accompanied by the European cialist revolution-the only alternative course to the dog­ capable of organizing, fighting, making a revolution, and Union security chief, Javier Solana, declared that "terror­ eat-dog world that capitalism has to offer. winning against the final empire on the face of the earth. ism is not going to prosper." Among those interested in attending the meetings will Both events are part of hastening that day. We encour­ The collaboration was built on long-standing military be students and youth protesting racist assaults and mea­ age all our readers to help spread information about the and political links. It has been revealed that MPRI, a U.S. sures to roll back affirmative action, workers defending exchange and world youth festival to as many young firm that trained the Croatian Army during the 1995 war their union or marching for immigrant rights, women or­ people as possible as part of building a broad delegations with Serbian forces in Bosnia, has been training the ganizing protests in support of abortion rights, and young to the two events from the United States this summer. Macedonian armed forces for several years under a con­ tract with Washington. London and Paris have joined their U.S. ally in deploy­ ing pilotless reconnaissance drones to the Macedonia­ Kosova border to detect any materiel and troops flowing to the NLA. Defend the right to choose abortion British forces have also joined Scandinavian troops in forming a joint group of some 400 soldiers to reinforce The Militant urges its readers to help build and partici­ growing number of working women. patrols along the border in the zones ofKosova controlled pate in the national action to defend abortion rights called Although top leaders of major women's rights organi­ by forces from Germany and the United States. These for April 22 in Washington, D.C. The national protest, zations backed the Clinton administration for eight years, patrols have clamped down on crossings to and from which is being organized by the National Organization working women faced a different reality under the assault Macedonia. On March 27, German officers reported that for Women and sponsored by some 60 other groups, will on working people by the government and the employ­ they had detained 100 people identifying as Albanian be an important expression of the sentiment of the major­ ers. Speedup on the job, declining real wages, the growth rebels as they crossed into Kosova, an action repeated at ity of working people in defense of a woman's right to of temporary work and part-time jobs, the cutting ofhealth other points of the frontier. Eighteen of the 100 were still choose abortion. care and pension programs, the lengthening of the work­ in custody at the time of the report. Over the course of the 28 years since the Supreme Court week, and declining farm income are facts of life for mil­ decriminalized abortion in its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade lions of women. These are added to the brutal termination Powell: 'Effective violence' ruling, the capitalist rulers, under successive Democratic ofAid to Families with Dependent Children, dramatic cuts Imperialist spokespeople have advised Skopje to ac­ and Republican party administrations on both the state in the food stamp program, and other rollbacks in social company their military crackdown with the dispensation and federal level, have been whittling away at the avail­ programs that have also had a deep impact on women. of "political gestures towards Macedonia's ethnic Alba­ ability of abortion, particularly for working-class women. As the numbers of women tn the workforce continue to nian minority," in the words of the Financial Times. The This has included the denial ofMedicaid funds for abor­ grow, the fight to defend a woman's right to choose abor­ British paper reported that in a March 23 statement U.S. tion with the Congressional adoption of the Hyde amend­ tion becomes more central to forging a labor movement president George Bush condemned "the ethnic Albanian ment in 1976, the passage oflaws subjecting young women that fights in the interests of all the exploited and oppressed. rebel groups but [urged] the government in Skopje to move to a "parental notification" requirement, and the imposi­ Only with the right to control their own bodies can women ahead with reforms to accommodate the aspirations of tion of waiting periods before being allowed to receive an begin to reassert their full human identity as productive ethnic Albanians." abortion. human beings and join as equals in social and political life. "Macedonia is a close friend, a partner country of These actions all have a strong class bias, affecting This in tum helps to break down divisions in the union NATO, and a successful example of a democratic, working women in disproportionate numbers. In fact, as movement, and enhance its combat unity. multiethnic state in the Balkans," said Bush. of 1998, some 86 percent of U.S. counties and one-third Protest actions like the April 22 demonstration and Washington and its allies, along with Skopje, recog­ of U.S. cities had no abortion providers, adding the cost mobilizations by the labor movement-not reliance on nize that the NLA has won recruits from the Albanian of travel and lodging to other obstacles confronting work­ the promises of capitalist politicians-point the road for­ population around Tetovo. The day before the offensive, ing-class women. While court rulings have reiterated the ward as the road to defend abortion rights and answer the U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell expressed concern fact that Roe remains the law of the land, the bipartisan rightist and other capitalist forces seeking to roll back this that Albanian grievances give the rebels "a little bit of offensive has effectively denied access to abortion to a most vital of gains. fertile ground. Effectiveness," he said, "has to be not just raining down firepower on these extremists, but doing it in a way that does not cause more violence." The Macedonian government has promised talks after it wins on the field of battle. "We need to neutralize the For health and safety on the job terrorists, and then we will intensify dialogue with Alba­ nian political leaders," said government official Antonio The working class is being torn apart in the lowered when workers were absent on the line. A worker Milsevksi. The Washington Post reported that on March plants ... literally. There are industries where thousands of on strike at the Hormel-owned Rochelle Foods in Roch­ 26, "a senior government official said the government was immigrant workers and other workers who have become elle, Illinois, explained the company is "always trying to committed to various changes, including constitutional desperate for a job offer their limbs in exchange for a speed up the lines. When one of us gets hurt, they won't reform, although he was circumspect on institutionaliz­ weekly wage. That is the bargain in more and more let us go to the nurse .... It has made us all mad." And rail ing bilingualism." meatpacking plants in this country. The frequency ofcar­ workers at Burlington Northern-Santa Fe successfully The president of the Democratic Party for Albanians pal tunnel and other repetitive motion injuries is stagger­ pushed back the company's program to perform "genetic (DPA), Arben Xhaferi, has complained that the authori­ ing. Normal use of hands, shoulders, necks, vertebrae, testing" in an effort to claim some workers are predis­ ties have shut his party out of talks to resolve the crisis. and tendons is lost-sometimes forever. Not to mention posed to carpal tunnel injuries. The DPA is a partner in the coalition government of injuries from knives and machinery. It is not just selling "The exploiters under crisis conditions always attempt Macedonia. "Ifl have no important role in decision mak­ your labor power; it is selling life and limb. to push back the clock of history," Barnes writes. In re­ ing, I have nothing to do in this government," said Xhaferi -From Capitalism's World Disorder, by Jack Barnes sponse, the labor movement must rais~ the banner of the on March 27. right of every worker to leave the factory, mine, or office While European security chief Javier Solana promised This explanation of what the employers are forcing on each day as healthy as when they entered. to press Trajkovski "to start the process of negotiation," he working people rings even more true today for tens of This is part of the broader historic struggle for Social added that, after all, "Xhaferi is part of the government." millions across the United States and other countries. In Security, which is not only the fight for the lifetime right Xhaferi and other politicians won their electoral man­ March, President George Bush whisked a bill through of every worker to medical care, to workers compensa­ date by pledging to address the discrimination faced by Congress that repealed workplace safety regulations. tion when injured, and to unemployment insurance for Albanians in employment, government, education, and While the regulations were among several last-minute as long as a person is jobless. It is also combined with other facets of social life. In arguing for constitutional decrees on environmental and worker-related question demanding jobs for all, affirmative action measures in­ changes and other reforms, Xhaferi points to the threat of issued by former president William Clinton to burnish his cluding raising the minimum wage, defense of immigrant further armed resistance. "The readiness to continue the liberal "legacy" after eight years in office, policies adopted rights, and a shorter workweek with no cut in pay as part process of the affirmation of Albanian rights is the main under Clinton were "business-friendly," to use a watch­ of an international fight to defend working people. thing that produces the fighters," he said. word of the Bush regime. The great "productivity boom" Conditions of life for workers and farmers throughout The DPA and the other official Albanian parties present he hailed and the "longest economic expansion" Clinton the semicolonial world also push to the fore the pressing themselves as the nonviolent alternative to the rebels. took credit for were built on the backs of working people, need for unions and other working-class and farmer orga­ However, said Iso Rusi, editor of the Skopje-based Alba­ as Barnes describes in Capitalism's World Disorder. nizations to demand: Cancel the Third World Debt! nian magazine Lobi, "The government is marginalizing But workers, including a significant component of im­ By taking the moral high ground on these questions, them and at the same time the party is losing support on migrant workers, are showing they will not accept the the working-class movement will forge the unity needed the ground." speed-up and restructuring that guarantees that many will to build a powerful movement that can take power away be crippled at work. Workers at the Excel slaughterhouse from the capitalist masters in whose crisis-racked system in Fort Morgan, Colorado, recently carried out a strike profit is everything and the dignity and physical well-be­ which included a demand that the line speed had to be ing of workers and farmers are of no concern. 14 The Militant April 9, 2001 Immigration fuels rise in U.S. population

BY BRIAN WILLIAMS The average age of Europe Dallas have seen population boosts over the Due to immigration and higher birthrates, and Japan will continue to in­ past decade of 20 percent and 18 percent the United States, alone among the major crease relative to that of the respectively. Every state in the nation in­ industrial countries, will continue to grow United States. creased its population. Only the District of in population during the next half century Columbia experienced a decline. if current trends continue, according to a Young and multinational Some of the biggest population increases United Nations report issued in early March. These facts point to some over the past 10 years occurred in cities and "By 2050 the United States will be the important changes already un­ towns throughout the South and West, only developed country among the world's derway in the composition of spurred by the increased numbers of work­ 20 most populous nations," the New York the U.S. working class, which ing people who hail from Mexico-as well Times reported. "In 1950 at least half of the is younger and more multina­ as other countries in Central and South top 10 were industrial nations. In 2000 there tional than ever before. America like El Salvador, Guatemala, and were still three, including Japan and Rus­ Figures released by the U.S. Colombia. Working in meatpacking, gar­ sia." By 2050 the population of semico­ Census Bureau show that as a ment, and other industries where the bosses lonial countries is expected to grow from result of massive immigration have driven down wages and working con­ 4.9 billion to 8.2 billion, while the imperi­ to the United States in the ditions, they have become an ever more im­ alist countries will hold at 1.2 billion. 1990s, some 30 million resi­ portant component of the American work­ "After World War II, Europe accounted dents-11 percent of the ing class, joining and leading struggles to for 22 percent of the world population and country's 281 million build unions. Increases in the Latino popu­ Africa 8 percent," stated Joseph Chamie, people-are foreign-born. lation are 153 percent in Iowa, 117 percent director of the UN population division. "To­ The report said that 51 percent in Indiana, 33 7 percent in Arkansas, and 108 day they are about the same, about 13 per­ of these immigrants came percent in Oklahoma. cent, but by 2050 Africa is expected to be from LatinAmerica, 25.5 per­ New census figures also indicate a rising three times larger than Europe." cent from Asia, and 15.3 per­ number of undocumented workers in the India is growing faster than earlier pre­ cent from Europe. United States. While U.S. officials had esti­ dictions and, by extrapolating current trends, In 1970, around 4. 7 percent mated their numbers at 6 million, it now would eclipse China as the world's most of the population was born appears the actual number is at least 50 per­ populous nation within 50 years. Coun­ outside the country. "Not since cent higher-in the range from 9 million to tries of the former Soviet Union and many 191 0 when a great exodus 11 million. in eastern Europe currently have negative from Europe began waning Increased immigration has boosted the population growth. For example, in Russia, and 14.7 percent ofAmericans rolls of those attending public schools as births per I ,000 people are 8.3 7 while deaths were foreign-born has the per­ well, equaling the all-time high of 48.8 mil­ are 14.63. Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, and centage been so high," stated lion set in 1970 when the post-World War II Ukraine have similar figures. Russia's popu­ the Financial Times. baby boom generation was in school. In lation of 145 million is predicted to drop to In the United States, the 1999, about 20 percent of the nation's stu­ 136 million in 25 years if these trends con­ Hispanic population-prima­ dents in the first through 12th grades were tinue. By contrast, Iran will grow from 67 rily working people from Workers at a packinghouse in Omaha, Nebraska. Many immigrants or children of immigrants. million to 90 million, and Turkey from 65 Mexico and other countries in immigrants from Latin America are employed in U.S. While the population of large cities like million to 88 million in the same period. Latin America-increased 58 meatpacking, garment, and other industries. New York have increased, so has the degree "In 2000, the EU (European Union) had percent since 1990, from 22.3 of residential segregation. Many of those a natural increase of 343,000 people," million to 35.3 million, equaling the Black 2000 Census.About 65 percent of the city's new to the city confront housing discrimi­ Chamie said. "India achieved this in the first population, which rose 21 percent to 3 5.4 population is now classified as "minorities." nation at the hands of landlords and real week of 200 1. If you add immigration to million. The Asian population grew by 74 The largest growth was in the numbers of estate brokers. Europe, the net growth would be about 1.2 percent to 11.5 million. Latinos and Asians. According to John Logan, a sociologist million. India grew that much in the first This huge increase in immigrants is For the first time since the 1950s, the at the State University at Albany, "Neigh­ three weeks of the year." largely responsible for the growth of major population of Chicago increased, reaching borhoods that have real concentrations of Statistics listed on the 2000 World Popu­ cities throughout the country. New York nearly 2.9 million people, with Mexicans minority-group members really are isolated lation Data Sheet project the U.S. popula­ City's population grew 9.4 percent from and other Hispanics comprising one-quar­ enclaves, and very large shares of those tion increasing by 46 percent over the next 1990, topping 8 million, according to the ter of the people living there. Houston and groups live in those places." 50 years, while Japan sees a decline of 21 percent and Europe a decline of 10 percent. Longshore workers fight frame-up charges The Changing Face BY JEFF ROGERS fight. Prior to the mass rally the ILA orga­ Singers performed while the crowd of U.S. ATLANTA-Longshore workers from nized picket lines on the waterfront in mingled and shook hands with the fight­ Politics Charleston, South Carolina, who are fight­ Charleston to protest "vessel calls" by ships ers from Charleston. ing frame-up charges stemming from a owned by the Nordana lines. Elijah Ford said that during his house ar­ Working-Class battle to defend their union, received a warm After 23 years of hiring union members rest, the authorities don't "even give you Politics and the welcome here at a defense meeting spon­ to work its ships, the company began hiring permission to take your kids out." He and Trade Unions sored by the Atlanta Labor Council, the nonunion workers. In response to the the others expressed appreciation for the JACK BARNES Southern Region of the AFL-CIO, and the union's pickets, government authorities con­ support they had received across the nation. A handbook Brisbane Institute at Spelman College. vened a law enforcement summit, Riley said, "This is 2001 ,"Ford said. "We're supposed for workers "We will keep on fighting until all the to mobilize police and a wide assortment of to be moving ahead, not backwards. We coming into charges are dropped!" said Ken Riley, presi­ "antiriot" equipment, including armored need to get rid of the flag. I don't want my the facto­ dent of the International Longshoremen's personnel carriers, gunboats, and rubber kids to live like it was in the 1930s." ries, mines, Association (ILA) Local 1422, to the 100 bullets. Supporters of the longshoremen's and mills, participants at the March 9 meeting. Sev­ "The next ship was due in port just as the struggle were fired up by the rally. Jason as they re- eral members of the embattled local, includ­ state flag demonstration occurred, which Joye, a youth who grew up in South Caro­ act to the uncertain life, tur­ ing Elijah Ford and Charles Brave, two of involved many dockworkers and other lina and is a member of the Atlanta Mutual moil, and brutality of capital­ the workers facing felony charges, joined unionists," Riley said. "So port authorities Aid Collective, looked forward to riding the ism in the closing years of the Riley at the event. Ford, Brave, and the other were instructed to hold the ship outside the buses. Leonard Turner, a retired auto worker, twentieth century. It shows three unionists under indictment have been harbor a few days until things settled down." agreed. how millions of workers, as under house arrest for more than a year. A large union picket line put up when the Union members at the Harmel plant in political resistance grows, will Riley underlined the importance of this ship did come to port was assaulted by po­ Atlanta are supporting the struggle as well. revolutionize themselves, fight for all working people. South Caro­ lice. The state subsequently filed felony One worker, Sabrina Williams, has been get­ their unions, and all of soci­ lina is the least organized state in the coun­ charges against the five workers, and the ting out information about the dockworkers' ety. Also available in Spanish and try, resulting in the low wages and benefits shipping company is pressing civil lawsuits fight to her co-workers and plans to keep French. $19.95 that attract companies to the area from all against the union. building union support in her local. "It's all Pathfinder over the world. Speakers from the Atlanta Labor Coun­ about unity," she said. "When we stick to­ Available from bookstores, including those Riley said the demonstration last year of cil promised to send buses to South Caro­ gether, there's nothing we can't do." listed on page 12. or write Pathfinder, 410 lina as soon as a trial date is set. Linda West St., New York. NY 10014. Fax (212) 727- some 50,000 people in Columbia, South 0150. When ordering by mail, please include Carolina, demanding the state government Chavez-Thompson, executive vice president JeffRogers is a member ofUnited Food and $3 to cover shipping and handling. remove the Confederate battle flag from the of the AFL-CIO, also spoke. Commercial Workers Loca/1996 at Harmel, capitol played a role in the dockworkers' After tht' speeches, the ILA Gospel in Atlanta. -LETTERS World Water Day recovery policies of the World Bank companies are allowed to make children because of the lack of pub­ As the Militant article noted, such The South African Municipal and International Monetary Fund profits while the rest of us are close lic services to help them. events underscore "the urgent need Workers Union would like readers (IMF), which have been imposed to dying of thirst. The Montreal daily La Presse for the unions and the entire labor to focus on World Water Day as conditions for loans in over 12 Anna Weekes reported March 18 on a statement movement to organize a fight to (March 22) on the suffering caused African countries, have led to Media Officer by the Royal College of Physi­ make health care a right available to by water privatization all over the people resorting to using unsafe South African Municipal Workers cians and Surgeons of Canada that all and financed by the state." world. water sources after they could no Union only 5 percent of dying people AI Cappe The UN has themed this year's longer afford water. South Africa is receive palliative care to reduce Montreal, Quebec World Water Day as "Water and a case in point. A cholera epidemic Lack of health care their suffering. Health." Yet more and more people broke out after people's free water In his February 19 column on the The next day, 14-year-old The letters column is an open are becoming unhealthy and dying was cut and they were forced to 10-year prison term meted out to Chelsea Capra Craig, who was se­ forum for all viewpoints on sub­ from being denied access to water. drink from a river. Robert Latimer, the Saskatchewan verely handicapped both mentally jects of interest to working people. Worldwide, more than 5 million Spare a thought on World Water farmer who killed his severely and physically, was found dead at Please keep your letters brief. people, most of them children, die Day for the daily suffering of the handicapped daughter, Joe Young home. Police have accused her Where necessary they will be every year from illnesses caused millions of people who do not have pointed out that working people like mother of poisoning her with drugs, abridged. Please indicate if you from drinking poor quality water. water because the IMF, World Latimer are left virtually alone to which she then ingested herself in prefer that your initials be used The privatization and full cost Bank, and various multinational deal with the care and suffering of an attempted suicide. rather than your full name. April 9, 2001 The Militant 15 TH£ MILITANT French vote shows workers' discontent BY NAT LONDON for mayors took place in cities and towns their farms as a result of the collapse of the and its allies. Overall, however, the elections AND DEREK JEFFERS throughout the country-elections that market for cheap table wine. It was their were notable for the number of workers who PARIS-Transit workers in cities registered an overall decline in popular third such demonstration in seven months. did not vote, registering their dissatisfaction throughout France went on strike March 26 support for the Socialist Party-led ruling with a government whose principal parties to demand the right to retire at age 55. Trans­ coalition. Setbacks for governing coalition are traditionally based in the unions. The portation in some 30 cities, including Other workers have organized strikes and The March 18 municipal elections saw his­ abstention rate of38.7 percent in large cit­ Marseille, Bordeaux, Lille, and Lyon was demonstrations to raise their demands. toric victories for the governing coalition in ies was the largest on record for a munici­ paralyzed. Of the major cities, only Paris, Several days after the ballot, 55,000 public Paris and Lyon, the country's first and third pal election. where workers can already retire at that age, sector workers mobilized to back their largest cities. Elsewhere, though, the coali­ On the other hand, significant numbers was unaffected. demand for a wage raise. The work stoppage tion suffered a series of setbacks at the hands of workers voted for several smaller cen­ Following the successful stoppage, work­ was joined by from 25 percent to 40 percent of the Gaullist Rally for the Republic (RPR) trist parties, particularly Lutte Ouvriere and ers in Marseille voted to renew their ac­ of all teachers, 10 percent of postal workers, and its electoral partner, the Union for French the Revolutionary Communist League, both tion-initially planned for only one day­ and 12 percent of all telephone workers. Last Democracy (UDF). The national govern­ of which averaged more than 5 percent of as an unlimited strike. The action followed year, the government limited wages for the ment, elected in 1997, is a coalition known the vote in those towns where they were on by two months a mobilization by 300,000 5.4 million public workers to a 0.5 percent as the Plural Left, made up of the Socialist the ballot. workers across France to oppose proposals increase. Party (SP), French Communist Party, the Six government ministers who were can­ by the national employers' federation, since Meanwhile, some 7,000 wine growers Green Party, and the Left Radicals. didates for mayor in the local elections were shelved, to raise the national retirement age from southern France demonstrated in In Paris and Lyon, millions of workers' defeated. Plural Left administrations in 39 from its present level of 60 years to age 65. N'imes March 21 to demand immediate votes carried the SP candidates to victory towns and cities went down to defeat. The action came a week after elections government aid to farmers who risk losing in the face of a weaker challenge by the RPR Like the Socialist Party, the Communist Party suffered a number of setbacks in the provinces, losing its governing position in 12 cities. Other partners in the governing coali­ ExxonMobil closes Indonesian gas field tion have also lost some credibility. The lead­ ers of the Green Party, which has campaigned BY PATRICK O'NEILL as a voice for environmental concerns, have The Indonesian government has deployed aroused the ire of working farmers by blam­ 1,500 troops around three gas fields shut ing farmers for environmental problems, and down by ExxonMobil since March 13. The by leading the way in levying a special "pol­ oil company cited attacks on its vehicles and lution tax" on the agricultural sector. other assets in its virtually unprecedented Workers had high hopes in the Plural Left decision to stop production. On March 23 government when it was elected in 1997 in officials of the state oil company, Pertamina, the wake of mass strikes and demonstrations warned ExxonMobil that they will take over that defeated efforts to raise the retirement the operation if production does not resume age of public sector workers, adopt a by July. subminimum wage for young people, and The unexpected shutdown threatens to undermine the public health-care system. deprive the Indonesian rulers of $1 billion In office the administration of Prime Min­ in annual revenue from the lucrative field. ister Lionel Jospin has attempted to slash The gas field is located inAceh province on public spending on health care, and to im­ the island of Sumatra, one of the four major pose other cutbacks that have proved deeply islands in the archipelago. A movement in unpopular among working people. The gov­ Aceh calling for independence has won ernment has backtracked on some of its at­ wide popular support, in part by exposing tacks in the face of protests and industrial the exploitation of the area's resources to action, but has not retreated from its overall fill the coffers of foreign firms and their In­ anti-working class course. donesian co-exploiters. Its much-heralded legislation to introduce The U.S.-based oil giant has complained a 35-hour workweek, for example, has in that its pickups and vans have been hijacked practice benefited the employers, who of­ 50 times since 1999, that its airplanes have ten use its "flexible" work provisions to Thousands demonstrate against Indonesian presidentAbdurrahman Wahid on Janu­ come under fire, and that land mines have move hours from one part of the year to ary 29. As instability and crisis deepen, many have called for his resignation. Wahid's been planted alongside roads used by its another, avoiding the need to pay overtime. supporters have staged large and frequently violent counterdemonstrations. vehicles. "Company buses carrying employ­ Bosses also frequently deduct paid lunch ees from town to the gas fields were stopped, and coffee breaks from "real" work time, the passengers expelled and the vehicles have been used to dig mass graves for vic­ officials state that 36 federations and 11,467 thus reducing the legal workweek without burned. When Indonesian soldiers in jeeps tims of military repression. "syndicates" have registered with the Min­ reducing the actual amount of time worked. escorted the buses, they were attacked," re­ The 1,500 troops sent to Aceh on March istry of Manpower and Transmigration since "The government was elected to do some­ ported the March 24 New York Times. 15 are the "biggest security deployment in mid-1998. thing for the workers," commented Roger Discovered in 1971, the gas field at one Indonesia ever to defend a vital installation," In an action typical of many taking place Pouvreau to the Militant, in a commonly point supplied more than a quarter of said Indonesian security minister, Susilo in Indonesia, more than 250 employees of voiced opinion. In his 28 years as an auto Mobil's worldwide revenue. Times journal­ Bambang Yudhoyono. PT Nagamas Busana Tama, a sock manu­ worker at Renault, Pouvreau has seen a drop ist Wayne Arnold reported that "gas is Since his election in 1999, Indonesian facturer, rode in buses to the Jakarta City in real wages and a decline in conditions on hugely important to Indonesia, supplying a presidentAbdurrahman Wahid has promised Council March 6 to demand recognition of the job. "Workers are disappointed and dis­ fifth of total exports and 5 percent of the a greater degree of autonomy to Aceh. At their Independent Workers Union. The couraged with the government," he said. government budget. But few of the riches the same time, he has sanctioned a contin­ workers have been on strike since February "Many abstained in the elections. The gov­ have found their way back to Aceh." ued military crackdown, largely responsible 26. They wore black shirts and headbands ernment did not honor its election promises "Especially in the early days," wrote for the deaths of some 6,000 people over and unfurled posters denouncing the to give more power to workers, to raise liv­ Arnold, "all the best gas jobs tended to be the past decade, most of them civilians. company's management. "The firm even ing standards, and lower unemployment." filled by foreigners." The company claims established a rival union last month instead that this policy has changed. "But some ill Labor actions on the rise of recognizing us," said the union's secre­ Conservative parties suffer divisions will remains over sore points like the rela­ Even though the decades-long military tary, Juariah. The conservative parties face their own tively luxurious walled compound in Suharto dictatorship has been swept aside, The workers reported that they had not problems in mounting a challenge to the Lhokseumawe where top employees are working people still confront the security received the new minimum monthly wage government, including in general elections housed, the bars and brothels that have forces when they organize to defend their of 426,000 rupiahs (around US$40) until planned for next year. Their defeat in Paris tended to crop up outside the gas plant, and rights and living standards. The Indonesian February. In January, when the new level and Lyon, where they have ruled for de­ several industrial accidents over the years Prosperity Trade Union (SBSI), which fell due, they were paid at the old rate of cades, point to important divisions among that released toxic clouds and started fires," claims a membership of more than 1 mil­ Rp344,(')00 (US$1 = 10,400 rupiahs). these forces. In both cities breakaway can­ noted the reporter. lion, has assembled a list of 135 complaints In the city ofBandung, further to the west didates from the RPR scored heavily. Many Acehnese accuse ExxonMobil 's of violence and harassment against work­ on the most populous island of Java, gar­ Differences have broken out over how managers of collaborating with the military ers by police, soldiers, and local government ment workers at PT Biba Multi Jaya closely to ally these parties with the National in its brutal crackdown on the independence officials during last year. The incidents in­ marched to the provincial legislature March Front and other similar organizations and movement. The company pays the soldiers cluded police gunfire aimed at striking 7 to "condemn a cut in their biweekly figures, who seek to win a following through that guard its installations and allows them workers and the torching of SBSI offices. wages," from Rp 120,000 to between anti-immigrant demagogy and other right­ to use its earthmoving equipment. Accord­ "Officially," said Muchtar Pakpahan, the Rp60,000 and Rp70,000, reported the En­ ist planks. ing to human rights groups, these machines organization's most prominent leader, "there glish-language Jakarta Post. "We do not The National Front did not win any new . .J! is freedom to associate, have any other source of income. We need seats in this election. Despite a damaging freedom to bargain, free­ to know why our wages have been cut," said split in its ranks in January 1999, however, dom to express. But the Ai, a worker from the finishing department. the rightist formation succeeded in having law on the books is dif­ A hard-fought strike by workers at the three of the four National Front mayors who ferent from the law in the Shangri-La Hotel in Jakarta has received were elected in the previous 1995 municipal field." widespread publicity outside the country. elections reelected this time, two of them in The San Francisco Around 500 employees out of a workforce Orange and Marignane, with much larger Chronicle reported "an of more than I ,000 struck the five-star hotel votes than six years ago. incredible proliferation" on December 22 and have maintained their The National Republican Movement, of unions since Suharto's stoppage in the face of police violence and which split from the National Front in 1999, resignation. Government the employer's use of replacement workers. was narrowly reelected in Vitrolles.

16 The Militant April 9, 2001