NY School Bus Strikers Win Workers' Solidarity
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AUSTRALIA $1.50 · CANADA $1.00 · FRANCE 1.00 EURO · NEW ZEALAND $1.50 · UK £.50 · U.S. $1.00 INSIDE Cuban 5 art exhibit held in Montreal, Labañino wins transfer out of Miami — PAGE 7 A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE Vol. 77/no. 6 February 18, 2013 Join new NY school bus strikers 3 years of high 5-week drive win workers’ solidarity unemployment: to win readers Call February 10 support march and rally US gov’t won’t of ‘Militant’! act to create jobs BY LOUIS MARTIN % The Militant urges readers to join U.S. employment to a Feb. 9-March 18 international cam- population ratio paign to win some 1,900 subscribers to the socialist newsweekly and sell hundreds of books on revolutionary working-class politics. Like a similar nine-week drive last fall that netted 3,350 subscribers, the new campaign will be centered on going door to door in working-class Jan 2006 to 2013 neighborhoods. “The Militant is published for the BY BRIAN WILLIAMS working class,” John Studer, a lead- Real U.S. unemployment levels re- er of the New York branch of the main largely unchanged in the first Socialist Workers Party, said in an month of 2013 from where they bot- interview. “Over the last few months, tomed out at the opening of 2010. At going door to door, we have found the same time production has slowed workers know they are in the middle Wirman David Lopez further in recent months. of a growing crisis of the capitalist Contingent of Boston bus drivers joins Feb. 2 march in New York to support striking school system, and the propertied rulers are bus workers. City officials and bus companies want to bust union, drive down wages, benefits. going after our jobs, our working and WORKERS NEED TO FIGHT FOR living conditions, our unions and our BY SARA LOBMAN city Feb. 2. They joined a rally of about GOv’t-FUNDED JOBS PROGRAM rights. NEW YORK—School bus work- 300 strikers, parents, and other sup- —editorial, p. 9 “Workers see the Militant as part ers, members of Amalgamated Transit porters, followed by a car caravan that of an absolutely necessary discussion Union Local 1181 on strike here since drove past New York Mayor Michael While the government has done about what we can do to meet these at- Jan. 16, have been winning solidar- Bloomberg’s residence and then vis- nothing to create more jobs or increase tacks,” Studer said. “They read about ity from other workers in the city and ited two picket lines in the Bronx. The production, the Federal Reserve con- examples of fights against attacks on beyond while city officials refuse to caravan was organized by Parents to tinues to pump money into the banks, the unions, police brutality, women’s negotiate. Improve School Transportation. stock prices are high and government right to abortion—all over the world. Two dozen school bus drivers from Continued on page 9 Continued on page 5 “They read about the history of Boston, members of the Steelworkers Continued on page 3 union, made the 200-mile trip to the Washington, UN Security Council Egypt: Two years after Mubarak, tighten sanctions on North Korea BY SetH GALINSKY ther launches that use ballistic missile workers continue fight for rights The U.N. Security Council unani- technology.” The day of the launch mously approved tighter sanctions on the White House released a statement North Korea Jan. 22 in retaliation for from the National Security Council launching a satellite into space Dec. calling it “a highly provocative act 12. that threatens regional security … The Security Council demanded and undermines the global non-pro- that Pyongyang “not conduct any fur- liferation regime.” The governments that voted for the resolution know that “ballistic mis- ‘Volunteers sile technology is the only means for launching a satellite,” the Foreign welcome to help Ministry of the Democratic People’s Continued on page 9 get socialists on Omaha ballot’ Also Inside: BY JOE SWANSON OMAHA, Neb.—The sun was shin- Women and Revolution: Living ing. More volunteers, more Militant Example of Cuban Revolution 2 AP photo Jan. 28 funeral protest in Port Said for those killed as anti-government protests rocked city. subscriptions sold, more sales of books on revolutionary working-class North Chicago coroner: BY SetH GALINSKY struggle by working people there. politics and more working people Hanna died from cop beating 4 Two years after the ouster of Thousands demonstrated in Tahrir signed up here to place on the ballot Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak and Square Jan. 25 as part of nation- Maura DeLuca for mayor and Jacob Tokyo steps up use of military almost eight months after Muslim wide protests against Morsi and the Perasso for City Council District 4. strengthens US, other alliances 6 Brotherhood leader Mohammed Brotherhood, the largest capitalist Four hundred eighty-three people Morsi was elected president, Egypt’s party in Egypt, and against recent signed petitions for DeLuca and 69 Sankara: ‘Malian soldiers no capitalist rulers are still unable to measures restricting democratic, la- for Perasso over the Feb. 2-3 week- longer prisoners, but brothers’ 8 close down political space won in Continued on page 6 Continued on page 4 ‘Women and Revolution: Living LA port trucker: ‘We did it, you guys can do it, too!’ example of Cuban Revolution’ Talks in Havana enrich politics of ‘Women in Cuba’ book Women and Revolution: The Living book about the Cuban Revolution. It is Example of the Cuban Revolution by about the millions of working people— Asela de los Santos, Mary-Alice Waters, men and women, of all ages—who have Arelys Santana and Leira Sánchez. 59 made that socialist revolution, and how pages. Pathfinder Press, 2013. their actions transformed them as they fought to transform their world.” BY emma JOHnsoN De los Santos was a combatant in Women and Revolution both merits the Cuban revolutionary movement be- its own reading and serves as a strong fore the 1959 victorious overthrow of complement to Women in Cuba: The the U.S.-backed tyranny of Fulgencio Making of a Revolution Within the Batista. “We did it. You guys can do it too, brother,” Panni Hunt, right, a Toll Group Revolution, published by Pathfinder Talking about the first section of driver in the Port of Los Angeles, tells a fellow truck driver. The screen shot Press last year. Women in Cuba, she summarizes the above is from a video posted to YouTube in which Hunt and his coworkers value of the struggle before the revolu- leaflet other truckers along the terminal lines to spread the word about their IN REVIEW tionary victory. “In the mountains and recent union victory. in the underground groups, equality On Dec. 30, members of Teamsters Local 848 ratified an agreement with The new 59-page book helps draw out and fraternity, solidarity and friendship, Toll Group after a two-year fight. The contract secures wage increases of $6 an the most important political lessons of truth and justice, work, generosity, and hour plus 50 cents an hour annual raise during the three-year contract, over- Women in Cuba and helps the reader see respect for human dignity prevailed time pay, lower health care costs, paid holidays, sick days, personal days, vaca- its relevance for working-class struggle over the mediocrity, pettiness, selfish- tion time and enrollment in Teamsters Western Conference Pension Trust Fund. today. ness, and prejudices of all types that “I’ve been passing out pamphlets for about an hour and everybody wants to Women and Revolution contains were imposed by the times of slavery, fight,” Hunt tells viewers at the end of the video. “They want to do the same four talks on Women in Cuba given rooted in mind and behavior by centu- thing that the Toll drivers did. They can do it. I’m here to encourage them so at the launching of the book at the ries of colonial rule.” they can fight for something better for themselves and their families.” 2012 Havana International Book Through the contributions of Sánchez The video can be viewed at the following link: http://youtu.be/r-2xAq511mA Fair. Speakers included Asela de los and Santana, you get a feel for the im- —EMMA JOHNSON Santos, a historic leader of the Cuban portance for revolutionaries in Cuba— Revolution; Leira Sánchez, a mem- from all generations—of studying the ber of the National Bureau of Cuba’s rich lessons of the Cuban Revolution needs to be known,” said Waters, “be- The organizational structures, includ- Union of Young Communists; Mary- from those who made it. cause working people everywhere, ing the Federation of Cuban Women it- Alice Waters, president of Pathfinder Waters explains why Pathfinder pub- sooner or later, are being pushed toward self, “grew out of the goals” of the revo- Press and editor of the book; and lished the book and “why it is important revolutionary action.” This record, she lution “and above all were the product of Arelys Santana, second secretary in the United States and elsewhere out- said, “is indispensable to the revolution- deeds leading to the accomplishment of of the Federation of Cuban Women side Cuba to the increasing numbers of ary continuity of the working class.” those goals,” Waters says. Leaders led (FMC), who introduced the panel. workers who are searching for ways to Waters stresses why “the Cuban in practice and action, everything began The booklet also reprints the intro- effectively resist. … Revolution is distinguished from all pre- with deeds. duction to Women in Cuba by Waters.