U.S. Ships and Troops Readied for War in Central A01erica

Chrysler workers demand higher wages . 3 TH£ U.S. rulers attack democratic rights 12 Can there be an upturn without workers? . .16 A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE VOL. 47/NO. 29 AUGUST 5, 1983 75 CENTS U.S. ships and troops readied for war in Central A01erica New stage Nicaraguan reached in militia vows Washington's to defend escalation homeland BY DAVID FRANKEL BY MICHAEL BAUMANN A qualitative shift has taken place in MANAGUA, Nicaragua - "They are Washington's drive toward a full-scale war talking about invading us , about putting a in Central America. The speed of the U. S. quarantine around our revolution with their escalation, the size and scope of the mili ships and planes. We say to the imperialists tary moves being undertaken, and the that our revolutionary people are prepared character of the statements coming from to resist however long it may be necessary. the White House and the Pentagon, all add We will not surrender!" up to a gigantic step toward the military confrontation that has been building up Thousands of members of Nicaragua's since 1979. new Territorial Militia cheered these words by Humberto Ortega, commander-in-chief With the aircraft carriers Coral Sea and Ranger and the battleship New Jersey al of the Sandinista armed forces . ready steaming toward Central America, A crowd of about 20,000, many of them top U.S. officials confirmed July 22 that workmates and relatives of armed and President Reagan has approved a plan for uniformed militia members, came to the what the New York Times called "'prepara Plaza of the Revolution here July 26 to tions for a possible limited military block greet the first three battalions of the Ter ade of Nicaragua." ritorial Militia. More than 500 members of Such ~ ' '. ' limited military blockade," or the new battalions are women. U.S. troops in training for combat in Central America Continued on Page 6 "We are not alarmists," Ortega said. "But the forces that are threatening to in vade and attack us are now practically al ready off our coast and at our borders. We General Motors and Toyota press must strengthen military defense of the rev olution." Reorganization of the militias on a ter attack on UAW at Fremont plant ritorial basis is part of the immediate re sponse. Militia units are now being pre BY GEORGE JOHNSON The companies are not only refusing to local by GM and Toyota did not make it to pared to defend their own cities and towns An ominous report in the July 21 Wall consider recall by seniority, they are also the floor for a vote, even though it had been against what Ortega termed "the real possi Street Journal states that General Motors opposed to the use of seniority in determin adopted by UA W Region 6 and by a con bility of intervention by the hated U.S. (GM) and Toyota have stepped up their ing layoffs or job assignments once the ference of locals from GM 's Assembly Di Marines." drive to open the Fremont, California, as plant opens. They want to base these on vision plants. Units in Managua, for example, are sembly plant with a significantly weaker "merit" - determined by the company, of There was strong support for 1364, quickly being familiarized with the terrain union and a poorer contract. According to course. shown in a spontaneous demonstration at surrounding such strategic areas of the city the Journal, · the United Auto Workers The Local 1364 official also said that the convention and in numerous statements as the refinery, power plant, and strip of (UA W) international leadership "has indi while Toyota has been pictured as more of solidarity from other UA W locals factories on the eastern edge of town. cated it won't strongly resist demands for hardcnosed than GM, that isn't true: "GM's throughout the country. concessions .. in wages and benefits, "We don't have aircraft carriers to resist just letting Toyota do its dirty work." Local 1364 officials told the Militant seniority and work rules." the North Americans at sea," Ortega said. A number of UA W locals have dis that GM and Toyota have threatened not to "But we are certain that if they try to land, UA W Local 1364 has represented work cussed the Fremont ·situation in union open the plant unless they get the conces they are going to confront an armed, or ers at the Fremont GM assembly plant, meetings. The sentiment at those meetings sions. ganized people ready to defend their home which was shut down in 1982. The plant is was expressed by a GM worker in Kansas Local 1364's position has not changed, land, their revolution." to reopen to produce small Toyota-de City: "If they can do this to Fremont, these officials said, on recognition of the "We are not alone," Ortega said. "We signed cars next year under joint GM they'll try it everywhere." union and recall by seniority. Toyota ownership. GM-Toyota has refused have the support of the people of other to accept Local 1364's major demand, that A resolution submitted to the May UA w· The Journal acknowledges that conces countries," among which he made a speeial its members be called back on the basis of convention by Local 1364 for callback by sions at Fremont by the UA W tops are point of including the people of the United seniority under the UAW's GM contract seniority and immediate recognition of the Continued on Page 2 States itself. when the plant reopens. GM and Toyota's position is that the joint venture is a new company and isn't bound by the union contract. The UA Win Steel unionists host rally against U.S. war ternational leadership evidently accepts this. BY BILL KALMAN Coalition (CAMC), and took place at the PITTSBURGH - "The reason we 1397 union hall in Homestead. The UAW international leadership called this meeting is we don't want After opening the rally, Weisen helped headed by President Owen Bieber has another war like Vietnam, we want jobs." set the tone by blasting the bipartisan na never endorsed Local 1364's demand. But This was how Ron Weisen opened a July ture of the government attacks on working it is now clearer that top officials have no 22 "Labor/Community Speak-out: Jobs people. He noted, "Ronald Reagan just put intention of pressing for recall by seniority. Not War! No U.S. Intervention in Central before the Democratic politicians a UAW officials at Solidarity House, the in America!" 300,000 jobs program. That won't even ternational headquarters in Detroit, have The close to 200 people who packed the make a dent in the unemploy'ment. Instead refused to deny the Journal report. meeting greeted his statement with sus our Democratic Party embraced this But the concessions offered by the UA W tained applause. Weisen, president of whole-heartedly. We need a scorecard to leadership aren't enough to satisfy GM United Steelworkers (USW A) Local 1397 tell the difference between a Democratic Toyota, according to participants in a July at U.S. Steel's Homestead Works, chaired and a Republican politician today." 26 meeting. The meeting took place at Fre the important labor meeting, which at The featured speaker at the event was mont among officials from Local 1364 and tracted steelworkers, coal miners , and David Dyson, national secretary of the Na UAW Region 6 to discuss the status of electrical workers, as well as officials of tional Labor Committee in Support of De negotiations betwe~n GM-Toyota and Sol some local unions like the postal workers mocracy and Human ~ghts in El Salvador, idarity House. and shipbuilders. who had just returned from that country. A Local 1364 official told the. Militant Unionist David Dyson addressed rally The speak-out was cosponsored by He visited El Salvador as part of a delega the companies "don't want any union at all, and called for ending U.S. aid to El Sal USW A Local 1397, Thomas Merton tion from ·the U.S. labor movement that in- or at most one with no teeth." vador. Center, and Central America Mobilization Continued on Page 4 -SELLING OUR PRESS AT THE PLANT GATE------- BY MALIK MIAH trial work sites is: 239 Militants Last December the Socialist and I 02 PMs to electrical workers; Workers Party decided to organize 312 Militants and 16 PMs to all our members to sell the Mili machinists and aerospace workers; tant and Perspectiva Mundial in 368 Militants and 13 PMs to oil regular teams at plant gates each workers; 267 Militants and 8 PMs week. We began this column in to rai~ workers; and 368 Militants the Militant to report weekly on to mine workers. To other un our experiences, problems, and ionists we sold 1,148 Militants progress in carrying out this per and 145 PMs and an addtional 79 spective. Militants and 14 PMs to nonunion Based on reports from 30 of the industrial workers. 49 SWP branches we now have a The sales to steel and auto picture of how the party and its . workers are quite noteworthy for a supporters have done in taking the number of reasons. First, few Militant and Perspectiva Mundial SWP members still work in those to plant gates. plants and mills due to the large The' results are quite impres, scale layoffs over the last three sive. Over the last six months, years. Only recently, with the up total sales by 30 branches at plant tum in the business cycle, have gates are 6,055.

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