Socialists drop suit against Lockheed • • • • • 7 TH£ CLUW lOth anniversary convention 10 Denial of rights in Boudin case 13

A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE VOL. 48/NO. 14 APRIL 20, 1984 -7SCENTS

- . New revelations on U.S. moves to escalate· Central.America war Socialists Sandinistas: urge untons• ·'biggest U.S. to oppose war offensive yet'

NEW YORK - Labor opposition to . BY MICHAEL BAUMANN Washington's Central America war drive is MANAGUA, Nicaragua - "At this being urged by the Socialist Workers Party . very moment, we are confronting the presidential ticket. biggest military offensive the United States In a statement issued by their national government has launched" since the vic­ campaign office here April tO, presidential tory of the revolution, Commander Daniel nominee Mel Mason and vice-presidential Ortega told a nationwide TV and radio au­ candidate Andrea Gonzalez call for the dience here April 6. union movement to take the lead in de­ "The United States has sent in thousands manding an immediate halt to the aggres­ of counterrevolutionaries from Hon­ sion against Nicaragua and an end to sup­ duras .... Also involved are counterrevo­ port for "a murderously repressive regime" lutionary forces in the south, based in in El Salvador. Costa Rica, where the United States has es­ The socialists pointed to the recent ad­ tablished camps and bases." mission by the Pentagon of contingency As part of the offensive, Ortega con­ plans to introduce U.S. troops into Central tinued, they are "mining our ports" and America as an ominous confirmation that "approved $21 million to continue financ­ Washington is dragging working people Funeral in Nicaragua for one of many victims of U.S.-backed war ing crime and terror against the Nicaraguan into a new Vietnam in Central America. people." The socialists demanded an end to the il­ Ortega, coordinator of the revolutionary legal mining of Nicaraguan waters, the dis­ government, estimated that more than banding of U.S. -organized and directed Vietnam condemns attacks 8,000 counterrevolutionaries are involved Nicaraguan counterrevolutionary invaders, in one or another aspect of the offensive, and U.S. reparations for dantage:,; already although not all are part of the invading inflicted. by Chinese, Thai troops force. "Equally important," they stressed, "is a "They are being supplied by helicopter," complete termination of Washington's he reported. He confirmed unofficial re­ reactionary intervention in the Salvadoran BY SANDI SHERMAN armed forces, with the assistance of Viet­ ports that there has been fighting in recent civil war. The people there are fighting a UNITED NATIONS -In a news brief­ namese army volunteers, punished the sab­ weeks in three of the. five northern prov- . ing here April6, Vietnam's Ambassador to just war to get a tryrannical government off oteurs, China, in chorus with Thailand, inces and in the province of Rio San Juan in their backs and to build a decent life. U.S. the United Nations Hoang Bich Son de­ concocted so-called 'Vietnamese viola­ the south. working people have much ·in common nounced the recent intense shelling of Viet­ tions of Thai sovereignty' and conducted In his televised remarks, Ortega called with them, and nothing in common with nam' s northern border area by Chinese fierce artillery shelling of Vietnam's bor­ particular attention to the U.S. mining of their oppressors." forces and Thai army artillery attacks der areas." the country's three major ports. "They are against Kampuch~an territory. He denied In late March, Kampuchean armed trying to blockade Nicaragua," he said. He . Mason and Gonzalez ·also called for the forces launched a major military operation pointed out that a number of ship owners dismantling of the military base that has against a base that the Pol Pot forces had were now refusing to allow their ships to been developed by the Pentagon in Hon­ Our correspondents Steve Clark and established inside Kampuchea, wiping out sail into the country's waters. .duras to wage war against the Nicaraguan Diane Wang visited the Chinese-Viet­ many enemy troops and seizing large quan­ "The mines have damaged seven foreign namese border in late February. Their and Salvadoran ~ople: tities of weapons and equipment. ships bringing goods to Nicaragua," story is on page 15. · The socialist candidates also urged total The Thai government-which backs the Ortega said. "This has led to other ships re­ nonconfidence in either Democrats or Re­ Pol Pot guerrillas who stage raids against fusing to enter Nicaragua, unloading their publicans to avert the U.S. war that now charges that Vietnamese troops had entered Kampuchea from bases along the Thai­ cargo instead at Puerto Caldera in Coast looms in Central America. Chinese and Thai territory. Kampucht;a border - has stepped up its Rica." "As the elections approach," they ob­ At the same time the ambassador was military aid to Pol Pot's forces. Bypassing Nicaragua's harbors greatly served, "a majority of the Senate votes a speaking, new fighting broke out along the Vietnam's foreign ministry has affects delivery time, employment in the 'nonbinding' resolution disapproving the Vietnam-China border. In what Vietnam explained that the Thai government's ports, and the overall cost of imports. Continued on Page 16 described as a "very serious act of war" claims that Vietnamese troops entered its Cargo unloaded at Caldera must be trucked Peking sent several battalions of infantry­ territory were made to divert world atten­ 250 miles overland to Managua. men to invade a Vietnamese province on tion from its own repeated violations of "The majority of ships scheduled to · April6. Local armed forces repelled the at­ Kampuchean territory. enter Nicaraguan ports have done so," Sales campaign tack. According to the Kampuchean News Ortega said, "but some ships were scared On April 2, Chinese armed forces fired Continued on Page 15 Continued on Page 9 launched some 4,000 artillery shells on eight places in the Vietnamese border provinces of Sales .of this issue of the Militant will Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Ha launch the special effort to sell 35,000 to Tuyen, and Lai Chau. Mason hits cop violence in Dallas 40,000 copies ·of the Militant and its Ambassador Bich Son charged that the Spanish-language sister publication, Per­ purpose of this attack was to undermine the BY LEE OLESON Last year Dallas police shot 29 people, spectiva Mundial, while campaigning for trend towards dialogue between the In­ DALLAS - Police violence against the killing 15. The big majority were Blacks the Socialist Workers Party ticket: Mel dochinese countries with other Southeast Black and Latino compmnities is on the up­ and Latinos. Mason and Andrea Gonzalez for president Asian countries that belong to ASEAN. swing here, and both the courts and city But the only charges brought in the wake and vice-president of the United States. The attacks are also meant to boost the government have given notice that they are of these killings were grand jury indict­ Initial reports from Militant and PM morale of the Pol Pot forces, upon whom going to do nothing to stop it. ments of three Black witnesses to ·one of readers around the country indicate that the Kampuchean army has inflicted mili­ In his four-day visit to Dallas, Socialist the killings. this sales drive is "just what is needed" to tary defeats recently. Workers Party presidential candidate Mel Brenda Lee Frost, the sister of one of the focus socialist campaigning during the Mason spoke with campaign supporters, victims; Lonnie Leyuas; and Victor A statement from Vietnam's foreign Black community leaders, and before a coming weeks. Aggressive plans are un­ ministry released ·at the news briefing Franklin, all 17 years old, were indicted derway to use the drive to reach out and in­ church meeting to explain that the increas­ noted that "whenever the Pol Pot remnants February 28 by a Dallas County grand jury troduce people to the Mason-Gonzalez ing racism and police brutality are part of a for "aggravated perjury." campaign alternative. Future articles will launched attacks from their sanctuaries in national pattern. report on the results of these campaigning Thailand into Kampuchean territories, "The people who run Dallas are seeing The three were among 14 witnesses to a Nov . 7, 1983, killing by Dallas cop Mel­ efforts and on the questions being dis­ China simul.taneously conducted artillery how far they can go with police violence," cussed out by people the socialist cam­ shellings to cause tension along the Sino- · Mason told a March 24 meeting of 35 cam­ vin Cozby. Cozby gunned down Michael paigners meet. Vietnamese border." paign supporters at the Martin Luther Frost, 20, after Frost. was stopped for driv­ We urge all readers to get involved in The statement goes on to explain that King, Jr., Center in South Dallas. ing the wrong way on a one-way street in this effort. If you would like to participate, "since the beginning of this year, the Mason spoke of the need for the Black South Dallas. contact the socialist campaign headquarters Chinese and Thai authorities have been try­ community to mobilize against the racist The killing by · Cozby caused an uproar nearest you, or call the Militant circulation ing to encourage the Pol Pot clique's sabo­ attacks, both to stop them in Dallas and to in Dallas' Black community. In his 13 office in New York City. tage activities, but when the Kampuchean help stop them nationally. Continued on Page 14 BY DON DAVIS socialists in 26 cities in the U.S. of the year, despite the cold, sell­ able to organize sales there every was selling for the fi_rst time at the Tens of thousands of steelwork­ and Canada ordered more than ing 7 to 13 papers each week, ac­ week, Salm Kolis reports that each Homestead works was momentar­ ers are laid off, and those still 1 ,000 copies of the pamphlet. All cording to John Votava. Door to team that goes there sells at least ily startled when a car pulled up working face demands from the SWP branches were encouraged to door teams were also organized in 10 papers and 10 pamphlets. and the man inside handed her his bosses for speedup and work-rule make a special effort to sell each South Chicago where many steel­ Regular teams now sell at the money, saying, "I think I'm in that changes. Giant steel mills have week at USW A-organized plants, workers live. Kennecott copper complex near issue." It was Ron Weisen, whose closed, turning boom towns into particularly the large basic-steel The SWP branch on the Iron Salt Lake City where the Militant campaign for USW A president ghost towns. facilities which form the heart of Range in northern Minnesota has a and PM became known over the was the subject of an article in the In view of this crisis, the the industry and union. goal of every member participat­ fall for their prominent coverage Militant that week. Socialist W ork~rs Party decided in It soon became clear that the ing each week in a sale at the iron of the Arizona copper miners Overall, the campaign intro­ December to step up its efforts to election was viewed by most steel­ ore mines, a goal which is fre­ strike. A typical team currently duced many steelworkers to get out socialist ideas to members workers as simply a tussle be­ quently being reached, says War­ sells four or five papers, according socialist ideas and won some new of the United . Steelworkers of tween two high union officials - ren Simons. to Kari Reddington. readers for our press. In addition America (USWA). Lynn Williams (who ·eventually The five regular teams average When U.S. Steel's big Fairfietd to maintaining these sales, It seemed an especially good won) and Frank McKee - with one or two papers sold per team. Works near Birmingham reopened socialists in several areas have time because an election campaign neither offering anything really When the Militant recently fea­ in January, socialists first had to begun bringing SWP candidates had begun for president of the new. These two USW A officials tured coverage of the British min­ fight a successful battle against the out to these plant gates to continue union which had the potential to kept Ron Weisen, a third candi­ ers strike, Simons said, the cops for the right to sell there. the discussion of socialist ideas. spur the ongoing discussion date, off the ballot. Weisen, who socialists jumped their steel teams Now they are wrestling, so far among steelworkers about how to is president of Local 1397, had a from five to nine, took along a big without much success, with how fend off the bosses' attacks. program that pointed in the direc­ sign saying "Support the British to slow down the fast-moving traf­ Socialists decided to increase tion of mobilizing the union's Miners," and sold 13 papers. fic, reports Marty Boyers. Going Steelworkers Under Attack their sales at the entrances of steel power for a real fight against the He estimated that at least 75 door to door, however, they sold How to fight bock and defend jobs mills and to make a special effort employer offensive, and the elec­ copies of the Steelworkers pam­ 28 Steelworkers pamphlets. by Geoff Mirelowitz, 95 cents, 40 pp. to sell the Pathfinder Press pam- tion generated little excitement phlet were sold at the mine en­ The stepped-up sales put In March 1983 the steel corporations im­ . phlet, Steelworkers Under Attack: among the membership after his trances or door to door. socialists in closer contact with posed big wage. benefit. and work rule con· cessions on steelworkers. ·Despite their How to Fight Back and Defend exclusion from the race. A number of areas organized USW A activists. One example is a claims. not a single job was saved by these Jobs, which lays out a strategy of But many steelworkers were in­ sales at major plants where they woman steelworker a:t Bethlehem givebacks. Steelworkers still face tough mobilizing the union ranks to terested in considering socialist had not sold regularly in the past. Steel's Sparrows Pointplant who times and signs are that they may get worse. solutions. While precise national Denver socialists, for example, helped re-establish the Baltimore In this pamphlet. Mirelowitz. a laid-off steel­ struggle against the bosses and worker. answers the employers' attempts to their government. It was decided totals are not available, it is clear drove the two hours to Pueblo to chapter of the Coalition of Labor blame workers for the economic crisis in the to offer the pamphlet for just 25 that several hundred pamphlets sell at the big CF&I complex. Union Women (CLUW) and now steel industry. This pamphlet proposes a cents to anyone who purchased a and even more papers were sold Slowing down cars with a big sign regularly buys the Militant either course for the steelworkers· union and the Militant or Perspectiva Mundial over the course of the campaign. advertising the Steelworkers pam­ at the plant gate or at the CLUW entire labor movement to fight back. for 75 cents. · In ChiCago, three Saturday af­ phlet, the first tlp"ee teams sold 48 chapter meeting. Order from Pathfinder Press, 410 West St. New York. NY 10014. Please include 75 Between December and the ternoon teams to basic-steel sites papers and 43 pamphlets. And a socialist who had re­ cents for postage March 29 USW A election, went out 10 of the first 12 weeks Although they have not been cently moved to Pittsburgh and Toledo workers strike against Sun Oil union-busting BY JOE CALLAHAN ity from motorists passing by the picket members from AP Parts were invited. AP OCA W picket lines, in spite of being told to TOLEDO - After working under ex­ lines than in the last strike in 1980, when Parts workers are facing an all~out union­ cross by the employers and their union rep­ tensions of their old contract since January there were more frequent incidences of busting drive by the company. And many resentatives. The company is trying to get a 15, workers at the Sun Oil refineries here people yelling hostile comments. This time of these workers attended the pot-luck din­ court injunction against picketing at this in Toledo and the Marcus Hook refinery the number of people honking and waving ner on only 24 hours' notice. After the din­ gate, which is separate from the one the near Philadelphia went on strike March 21 . and expressing support is much greater ner, the oil and auto workers picketed the OCAW members use. Sun is demanding major concessions, such than four years ago. Sun plant gate. A solidarity rally at nearby Navarre Park as $5-an-hour pay cuts for workers in some On April 8, the striking oil workers held Workers at Sun who are employed by is planned for April 28. The rally has been departments, the right to hire nonunion a pot-luck dinner at their union hall, to outside contractors and who are members endorsed by the Toledo Central Labor temporary workers for $6 an hour, and which United Auto Workers Local 14 of other unions have been honoring the Council. major restrictions on bidding rights. The Sun workers in Toledo are members of Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers (OCAW) Local7-912. During negotiations Machinists slow down FMC wage takebacks· prior to the strike, the workers held a number of picket lines on their lunch hour BY THERESA DELGADILLO like that recently imposed on lAM imd pany's real aim. 'to protest the company's bargaining SAN JOSE - At a meeting attended by UA W members at Boeing, Lockheed, and Moreover, the new agreement, while stance. They also held weekly union meet­ more than l ,400 of its 2,500 members here McDonald Douglas. Under the two-tier granting a I percent to 2 percent wage in­ ings and thoroughly discussed the situation March 31 , International Association of structure new hires' wages can be as low as crease to workers in the top three job clas­ they faced: the company's refusal to budge Machinists Lodge 562 voted to accept a 50 percent of current employees' pay, with sifications and a 1 percent increase to those. from its stand of demanding major conces­ new three-year contract· with the FMC no prospect of reaching parity. in the middle four classifications, grants sions. Ordnance Division. Opposition to such . a giveback ran so workers in the lowest three classifications Since January of this year, winning a de­ deep among the union membership that no raise at all, in effect, a cut in real wages. During the strike the company is con­ cent contract has been a big topic of discus­ company negotiators backed away from Because of these two aspects of the new tinuing to run the refinery using super­ sion among lAM members at FMC. this demand. The proposed contract voted agreement, about 10 percent of those at­ visors and office workers, chemists, and Contract negotiations between lAM on by the local did not contain this key tending the meeting voted to reject it. Even environmental engineers who are totally Lodge 562 and the company, which began company demand. among those who voted for the agreement, unfamiliar with the production equipment in February, took place against a backdrop Although the demand for a two-tier there was little sentiment in favor of these in the plant. This is very dangerous. There of recent giveback contracts negotiated in wage structure was abandoned, a new, two concessions.· Discussions on the con­ have been three fires in the plant since the tile aerospace and other industries. lower rate for new hires- in some cases as tract and the impact on our union will con­ strike began. A fire in an oil refinery can In a leaflet published by the union and low as 70 percent of full pay - was intro­ tinue. become a major disaster, threatening the distributed by shop stewards throughout duced along with an extension of the length lives of those in the area. The company has the plant during the negotiations, the com­ of time it will now take to reach full pay in Theresa Delgadillo works at FMC denied the existence of all three fires. pany's major demands were outlined. all 10 job classifications. This is seen by Ordnance Division. She is a member · of Many pickets report much more solidar- These included a two-tier wage structure many as a step in the direction of the com- JAM Lodge 562 . Follow the socialist presidential campaign­ The Militant Closing news date: April II, 1984 Subscribe to the 'Militant'! Editors: CINDY JAQUITH The major dailies routinely cover the news from across the country and around the world, the Mil­ DOUG JENNESS a big-business point of view. As supporters of itant brings you the information and analysis the Business Manager: big-business dailies work hard to cover up. LEE MARTINDALE capitalism, these papers slant their coverage to Editorial Staff: Connie Allen, William Gottlieb, Arthur make the system look good. You can't afford to miss a single issue. Hughes, Margaret Jayko, Malik Miah, Geoff But the Militant gives you the workers' side of Shouldn't you subscribe now? Mirelowitz, Mohammed - Oliver, Harry Ring, Larry the news every week. That's why it's the paper Seigle, Mary-Alice Waters. · you look to for coverage of the Socialist Workers ----~------~ ------Published weekly except two weeks in August, the last campaign of Mel Mason for president and Andrea week of December, and the first week of January by the Gonzalez for vice-president. While the other can­ D Enclosed is $3 for 12 weeks Militant (ISSN 0026-3885), 14 Charles Lane, New York, N.Y. 10014. Telephone: Editorial Office, (212) didates are campaigning to "dump Reagan," D Enclosed is $15 for 6 months D Enclosed is $24 for 1 year 243-6392; Business Office, (212) 929-3486. Mason and Gonzalez are campaigning to dump Correspon~ence concerning subscriptions or capitalism. While the Democrats and Republicans D Enclosed is a contribution of $ ___ changes of address should be addressed to The Mili­ campaign to make the system work better for big tant Business Office, 14 Charles Lane, New York, business, Mason and Gonzalez campaign for a Name N.Y. 10014. government run by workers and farmers. Second-class postage paid at New York, N.Y. POST~ Address MASTER: Send address changes to The Militant, 14 And that's the point of view a workers newspa­ City/State/Zip Charles Lane, New York, N.Y. 10014. Subscriptions: per like the Militant takes. Militant readers know U.S. $24.00 a year, outside U.S. $30.00. By first-class about the recent struggles of auto, steel, and cop­ Telephone mail: U.S., Canada, and Mexico: $60.00. Write for air.:. per workers to defend their unions. They know mail rates to all other countries. that in Cuba and Nicaragua workers and farmers Union/Organization Signed articles by contributors do not necessarily rep­ are improving their lives in revolutionary ways. resent the Militant's views. These are expressed in edito­ Send to Militant, 14 Charles Ln.,. New York, NY rials. With regular coverage of workers' struggles 10014 . .

2 The Militant Apri120, 1984 Coal miner· ruris against Rockefeller BY MICHAEL CARPER encouraged by the response to a working­ CHARLESTON, W.Va. -For the first class campaign, supporters of the SWP time in the history of this state Socialist ticket have been seizing every opportunity Workers candidates for president and vice­ to reach a broad layer of West Virginians president of the United States will appear with the socialist program. on the ballot. Young Socialist Alliance. At a newly opehed shopping mall in members and other supporters of Mel Charleston, campaigners were able to set Mason, the 1984 Socialist Workers Party · up in a booth inside the main entrance. presidential candidate, and Andrea Gon­ Signs were put up reading "Money for zalez, the SWP vice-presidential nominee, Jobs, Not for War" and "Put a Coal Miner are hard at work petitioning to put the on the Ballot in West Virginia." But the . names of Mason and Gonzalez on the bal­ one that got the best response read "Big lot. business owns the Democrats and Republi­ SWP campaign supporters are also cans - We need a Labor Party." gathering signatures to place the names of Many working-class shoppers ap­ Joan Radin, a coal miner who is the SWP proached the booth to find out what kind of candidate for Senate, and Dave Ferguson, people in this shiny new shopping mall the party's candidate for governor, on the were telling the truth about the Democrats ballot. Radin's opponent in the race is John and Republicans. They were happy to sign Rockefeller, IV. to place workers on the ballot in West Vir­ Ferguson, a laid-off miner from Mor­ gtma. Campaign supporters collected gantown, currently works in a shoe factory nearly 200 signatures during one weekday and is a member of the Amalgamated at the mall. ·• Clothing and Textile Workers Union. One fact that campaigners here all agree on is that <,tge, race, or appearance are no The idea of running working people for indication of who will sign a petition to office is one that meets with wide approval place socialists on the ballot. One of the in West Virginia- a state where coal min­ socialist campaigners told the Militant that ing and other heavy industries dominate the "You just can't tell by looking who might job market. sign, even people who are working good Campaign supporters who have been jobs and getting along well see the need for asking people to sign the petitions to place change." coal miner Radin on the ballot against Rock­ Nearly 7,500 signatures are needed to efeller have found two kinds of responses put the candidates on the ballot in West most common. One is that of miners and Virginja. In this first week supporters have their relatives, as well, as other workers, gathered nearly 6,000 signatures. "We are · who are excited by the thought of a coal determined not to slow down at all," said a miner running for office. The other re­ YSA member who has been working on the sponse is "I'll sign anything that's against petitioning drive. "We'll be getting as Rockefeller." many more signatures as we can to prove Determined to far exceed the number of the support our ·candidates have in this signatures required to get on the ballot and state." Militant/Eric Sampson. West Virginia campaigners working to put socialist Mel Mason (center), presidential candidate, on ballot. He will be on ballot along with coal miner Joan Radin, who is N.J. campaign calls for jobs program running against John Rockefeller. A lot of people say, "I'll sign anything that's against Rockefeller. :• ·

'Socialists? OK, l'll.sign that'

BY DAVID FRANKEL reported. "All of them signed, along with DETROIT - "Socialists? OK, I'll sign all but one of the women on the women's that." committee." .That was the response of one young Socialist workers at Detroit Cover, a Black worker when he was approached by shop that makes spare tire covers and jeep supporters of the Socialist Workers Party covers, signed up 20 of the 60 workers in campaign here in Michigan. After two the factory over their lunch hour. weeks of petitioning, campaign supporters One Black man, approached on the have collected more than 16,000 signatures street by petitioner John Keeler, said, toward the required 19,963 needed to put "OK, I'll sign, but this doesn't mean the SWP on the ballot in this major indus­ much." trial state. Teams of socialist petitioners are "Why don't you come to our campaign out daily, not only in Detroit, but also rally tonight and see how much it means," cities like Kalamazoo, Flint, Ann Arbor, Keeler shot back. Port Huron, and others across the state. "Well, maybe I will," was the reply. In the course of collecting these And he did come. thousands of signatures, Michigan A major boost to the petitioning effort socialists have sold hundreds of copies of was the three-day Michigan tour of Mel the Militant and built a successful rally for Mason, which culminated in a March 30 SWP presidential candidate Mel Mason. rally in Detroit that was attended by more U.S. senatorial candidate Priscilla Schenk (right), a sewing-machine operator. Not everybody has been as ready to sign than 90 people. as the worker quoted above. But petitioners Amjad Doumani, one of 16 auto workers BY WAYNE HIEBER nating all appropriations to the U.S. mili­ .have found a warm response when they ex­ from the big Jeep plant in nearby Toledo, NEW ARK - The campaign to put Mel tary; spending this money instead on mas­ plain that the Democrats and Republicans Ohio, told the Militant: ''I'm here because Mason and Andrea Gonzalez on the sive job-creating programs. Unemploy­ represent the rich, not working people, and the views I have align with those of SWP November ballot in New Jersey began here ment is a major problem in northern New that the problems facing the workers and candidate Mel Mason - on the Middle on Saturday, March 31 . The law requires Jersey, where many factories have closed farmers here at home cannot be solved if East, Central America, jobs, and many that 800 signatures of registered voters be since the mid-1970s. the government continues spending bil­ other issues." submitted on nominating petitions by April Petitioners met many working people lions on weapons of mass destruction and 26. The socialist campaign is aiming to get who were interested in finding out more on making war in Central America and the Also from Toledo were two members of .w ell over that amount to insure a ballot about the ideas and proposals of the Middle East. Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Local spot. socialist campaign. In Flemington, a small 7-912, which is currently on strike against In addition to petitioning on street cor­ the Sun Oil Co. At the same time the Socialist Workers farming community in central New Jersey, ners and at shopping centers, socialists campaign is gathering a similar number of over 200 people signed. Ten people also have taken the campaign to their fellow Other supporters of the SWP campaign signatures to place the name of Priscilla bought copies of the Militant and two workers. Janice Sams described the re­ came from Marine City, Michigan. Dori Schenk on the ballot for U.S. Senate. signed up to keep in touch with future cam­ sponse when she and Helen Meyers went to Hutton, a member of UAW Local 11 4 in Schenk is a sewing machine operator and a paign activities. a women's committee meeting of United Marine City, spoke in support of the cam­ member of the Amalgamated Clothing and . Throughout the state 55 signers bought Auto Workers Local 1200. Meyers is run­ paign at the rally, as did Naomi Craine of Textile Workers Union Local 63 of the copies of socialist newspapers and 22 ning for U.S. Senate on the SWP ticket. the Young Socialist Alliance, Helen New York Joint Board. people asked to be kept in regular contact She and Sams; who are currently on layoff, Meyers, and SWP congressional candidate In four hours 40 volunteers gathered to find out more about campaign events. work at the General Dynamics tank plant in Andrew Pulley. 3,000 signatures toward the goal of 4,800 "The response was much better than we Warren, Michigan, along with 1,800 other During his tour of Michigan, Mason also in Newark and 10 other towns. Petitioners had anticipated. We were hoping for about members of Local 1200. pegged tlleir request for support for the 2,000 signatures," said Schenk. "We are spoke to other meetings in Flint, Ann candidates around the socialists' opposi­ looking forward to successfully completing "There were about 10 people in the Arbor, and Detroit, and was interviewed tion to U.S. intervention in Central Ameri­ the drive, and meeting m~ny new cam­ union hall, including the president, vice­ by the Flint Journal and the Detroit Free ca. The socialist campaign calls for elimi- paign supporters while we are at it." president, and secretary-treasurer," Sams Press.

April 20, 1984 The Militant 3 Olympics: behind U.S. 'security" buildup

BY MOHAMMED OLIVER Among these groups are the Weather tivity in support of the struggles of workers preparing legislation as part of this cam­ The largest single expense of the Los Underground and organizations of Puerto and farmers abroad. paign to improve U.S . capabilities for pre-· Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee Rican nationalists. Also earmarked for cop The 1984 Olympics offers the U.S. ventive and retaliatory attacks against so­ isn't sports. Organizers of the 1984 Sum­ harassment are the Palestine Liberation Or" capitalist class a convenient excuse for called terrorist groups. mer Games, which will be held in Los ganization, Irish Republican Army, and beefing up its secret police apparatus. In a thinly veiled threat of war, the Angeles, say the big-ticket item in their revolutionary organizations · in Central The employers' spy network is interna­ White House has stressed in recent months · $497.7 million budget is "security." They America such as the Farabundo Martf Na­ tional in scope. Using the pretext of the that the U.S. government will hold certain · plan to spend $100 million on these meas­ tional Liberation Front of El Salvador. Olympics security, U.S. and Mexican offi­ nations responsible for what Washington ures, which form part of the Reagan ad­ The police dragnet, however, is much cials, for example, agreed to intensify re­ considers terrorist activity. U.S. govern­ ministration's increasing attacks on the broader than this. It includes all supporters pressive measures on both sides of the bor­ ment officials cite Syria, Iran, and Libya as democratic rights of working people. Con­ ofthe Palestinian struggle for self-determi­ der between Baja California and the United examples. The Reagan administration has gress laid out another $50 million for fed­ nation, the Irish freedom struggle, and the States. Mexican police·have increased their also charged Cuba, Nicaragua, and the eral cop costs. advancing socialist revolution in Central harassment of activists in the Central Soviet Union with sponsoring "terrorism" The Olympic and government officials America. America Solidarity movement, arresting in Central America. are organizing a special force of 17,000 The U.S. ruling class plans to unleash its several in recent weeks in Tijuana for One of the preventive measures being cops to head off an alleged threat of "ter­ secret police to try to block the develop­ painting slogans on walls. discussed by U.S. officials is the establish­ rorism" at the games. Los Angeles cops­ ment of an organized working-class fight­ But.this police repression threatens more ment of U.S. death squads. These units with the help of the CIA and FBI - have back against the employers' driving down than increased arrests- as bad as that is. · could strike against "terrorist" groups or been spying on dozens of groups in the wages and the standard of living of work­ The employers' "antiterrorist" campaign is their "sponsor" nations with "active meas­ United States and abroad that they consider ing people. The bosses and their govern­ an integral part of their war against work­ ures," a euphemism for assassination. "terrorist" threats. ment also hope to undermine solidarity ac- ing people. The Reagan administration is While Reagan issued an executive order in 1981 barring U.S. government employees or their agents from being involved in as­ sassination plots, this ban can be easily cir­ cumvented by calling assassinations some­ SWP, CP debate Strategy in elections thing else. ' Meanwhile, the Pentagon already has BY BILL WATSON politically, independent of the two bosses' political spectrum. "The perspective of the one special "antiterrorist" unit, which is INDIANAPOLIS - An exchange of · parties. To form a labor party, based on the campaigns we run doesn't start from the in­ known as "Delta Force." This is the unit views between the Communist Party and organizations of the working class, the ternal squabbles in the bosses' parties. We that got stuck in the Iranian desert in an un­ Socialist Workers Party on the 1984 elec­ unions. To form a Black party, based on start from the objective, rotten-ripe need successful ·attempt to free U.S . hostages in tions took place here April 5. The CP and the oppressed minority within the exploited for working people to s·peak for themselves 1980. Its activity since has been kept SWP spokespeople participated in a panel majority." in politics." largely secret, although it is known to have discussion on the topic "Third Parties During the question and answer period, The CP ·and SWP spokespeople agreed participated in the U.S . invasion of Gre­ U.S.A." The panel was sponsored by the Bayer was asked why the CP was running on one important point: the need to oppose nada. · Progressive Student Union at the Indiana its own candidates, considering that it says undemocratic election Jaws. Between the Pentagon officials say they are prepared University-Purdue University (IUPUI), In­ "the number one priority" is defeating 1980 and 1984 elections~ the Indiana legis­ now to launch preventive or retaliatory dianapolis campus. It was attended by 25 Reagan. Bayer responded, "to make a lature quadrupled the number of signatures strikes. "You have to have targeting done IUPUI students. unique contribution. The CP role in elec­ required to qualify an independent party's in advance, with a menu of targets avail­ Mike Bayer, industrial editor of the tions is similar to Jesse Jackson's role in candidates for the statewide ballot. The able," one Pentagon official told the Wall Daily World newspaper, represented the the Democratic Party. The CP is the 'left number required in 1984 is 35,000. The Street Journal. "We should be prepared to CP' s presidential ticket of Gus Hall and anchor' of the political spectrum." Citizens' Party and Libertarian Party respond quickly," he continued. "That's Angela Davis. He told the audience that Warrick emphasized that the SWP panelists also agreed with the need to op­ what the Israelis do. That's what we ought "the defeat of Ronald Reagan is probably doesn't consider itself part of the capitalist pose undemocratic election laws. to do." the most important thing that can happen to insure the continued existence of the . world." Bayer argued that "the Reagan ad­ ministration represents a coup d'etat by a Milw. antiwar protest hits FBI harassment far-right section of the employing class." Bayer devoted his entire presentation to · BY GEORGE O'NEILL Jim Moody; and Curry First, cooperating into possession of. an attack on the record of the Reagan ad­ MILWAUKEE- "We in the solidarity attorney with the WCLU. In the discussion period, Frank Wilkin­ ministration. He made no mention of the movement will not be intimidated by the The forum took place in response to a son mentioned that this sort of FBI harass­ fact that bipartisan support of White House FBI. Our tecent encounter with them has campaign of harassment and··intimidation ment is taking place in several cities around legislation in Congress is what·allowed the made clear the connection between work­ that the FBI has been carrying out against the country. · · · "Reagan agenda" to be implemented since ing for a just foreign policy and the defense CASC. As Elzinga described it in her Elzinga responded to the lies and insinua­ 1981 . He said nothing about how to ad­ of our democratic rights at home." speech, the FBI nas visited at least nine tions of the FBI in her speech. To the vance the struggles for Black and women's Debi Elzinga, a member of the steering members of CASC since last December. charge that CASC is raising money to sup­ rights. . committee of the Milwaukee Central The FBI agents _involved have insinuated port and finance terrorism, she said .that Bill Warrick, 1983 candidate for mayor America Solidarity Coalition (CASC), was that CASC has been connected with illegal CASC is proud of the fact that over the last of Indianapolis, spoke for SWP candidates summing up the feelings of CASC mem­ activities, including bombings that took four years, it has sent almost 1 million dol­ Mel Mason and Andrea Gonzalez. "Saying bers. She was speaking at a public forum place in New York and Washington, D.C., lars in medical aid to Nicaragua. that no progressive struggles can succeed entitled "Who'sWatching You in 1984?­ last winter. The FBI has provided rio evi­ She explained that the FBI liarassment unless' we 'dump Reagan' in 1984 is Targets of Government Surveillance. in dence to back this up. has nothing to do with any bombings in After a discussion with CASC' s lawyer, baloney," Warrick said. "Working people Milwaukee," sponsored by CASC and the New York or Washington. It is politi<;ally advance their interests by struggling for Wisconsin Civil Liberties Union (WCLU) the FBI said they had finished their investi­ and ideologically motivated, as part of the their rights, not by voting for this or that on March 25. gation, but it soon became apparent they U.S. government's drive toward war in millionaire for president." Also speaking at the forum were Frank were lying. They continued to visit at least Central America. CASC considers that ac­ Warrick described how organizing the Wilkinson, executive director emeritus of one CASC member at home and work. tions like the bombings are counterproduc­ industrial unions in the 1930s was a giant the National Committee Against Repres­ They told her that CASC was associated tive to the work of building a broad antiwar step forward for working people. "The next sive Legislation; Erwin Knoll, editor of the with communists and showed her copies of movement, she explained. giant step," he said, "will be to organize Progressive magazine; U.S. Congressman cancelled CASC checks that they had coine Elzinga warned that a public response to the FBI is crucial, since the lack of re­ sponse will only embolden them. Iowans petition to put socialists on ballot The_meeting discussed how the attacks on democratic rights could be stopped, but BY BILLARTH meeting at the union hall held to discuss especially liked the idea of a labor party. did not arrive at any consensus. WATERLOO, Iowa - The 1984 further protest activities. She angrily said of the political strategy of Curry First advocated taking the FBI to Socialist Workers Party presidential ticket A campaign team spent April 6 at the the union officialdom, "Have you tried tell­ court. But several in the audience ques­ of Mel Mason and Andrea Gonzalez got a University of Northern Iowa (UNI), a ing that to ~he UA W? All you ever hear tioned the use of this tactic, especially at a big response from workers, farmers, and school attended by many young workers from them is 'Democrat!'" time when the court system is one of the students here and in Cedar Falls on the and farmers. In addition to getting a large The United Auto Workers organizes main weapons the employers are using to weekend of April 6-8. In two days of cam­ number of signatures, the campaign team thousands of workers at John Deere ag­ attack democratic rights. paigning, supporters of the socialist cam­ also distributed a number of buttons, ricultural machinery plants in the Waterloo Irwin Knoll noted that anticommunism paign gathered more than 1, 700 signatures socialist books and pamphlets, and the Mil- area, many of whom are on layoff. ,. is a tool in the attack on democratic rights, to put Mason and Gonzalez on Iowa's itant. · The weekend closed with a campaign ac­ and that it is essential to defend the rights November ballot. tivity at a community center in Waterloo's of socialists and communists in order to A teacher at UNI invited the campaign­ protect the rights of all. Iowa law requires 1,000 signatures to ers to speak to his class'. A lively discus­ Black community. The event was chaired obtain ballot status. by Jim Sprau, a teacher in Cedar Falls who Knoll also pointed out that it is not just sion followed, focusing on the socialist the Reagan administration and Republicans program for farmers and the question of announced the plans for Mason-Gonzalez A highlight of the two-day effort in the who have a bad record on democratic imperialist war. campaign activities in Des Moines the fol­ Cedar Falls-Waterloo area was the re­ lowing weekend. rights, but that the Democrats are equally sponse to the campaign by workers at the On April 7 socialist campaign teams The featured speaker was Joe Swanson, responsible. Rath.Pork plant. The company recently de­ · fanned out across Cedar Falls and Waterloo a member of the United Transportation This . panel discussion was the last in a clared bankruptcy to get out of its union for a Saturday of petitioning. They re­ Union for 24 years and a spokesperson for series of activities sponsored by CASC for contract, in spite of the fact that the work­ ceived a positive response, gathering more the Mason and Gonzalez campaign. Swan­ Central America Week, March 18-25. ers allegedly "own" tha plant through an than 1,200 signatures by the end of the son, drawing on his discussions with Rath These included a March 16 benefit that net­ Employee Stock Option Plan. day. Thirty copies of the Militant were also Pork workers, expressed his campaign's ted $400; a March 18 panel discussion on Several workers protesting an unjust dis­ sold. support for their struggle. the issue of "Runaway Shops arid U.S. Pol­ ciplinary action were evicted from "their" One campaigner said, "People signed A statement 1:1y Swanson was aired on icy in Central America," co-sponsored plant by the police on April 5. The next day the petition because· they liked our ideas. Channel 7 TV, the local NBC affiliate. with Local 64 of the Amalgamated Cloth­ an informational picket was up to protest After they signed it was easy to convince A South African student at UNI who at­ ing and Textile Workers Union; a March the company's attacks on the union, the them to buy the campaign newspaper, the tended the rally expressed his excitement at 22 press conference denouncing "FBI United Food and Commercial Workers. -Militant." running into the socialist campaign. He harassment; and a March 23 picket line at Socialist campaigners got a number of Another campaigner reported a favor­ said, "You don't get the chance to hear this the Federal Building that drew over 100 signatures at a shift change as well as at a able response from a clerk at K-Mart. She very often." people.

4 The Militant April 20, 1984 Hart, JFK: what liberals stand· for BY GEOFF MIRELOWITZ both in his foreign and domestic policy. He In his campaign for the Democratic was also a war-monger and an ardent anti­ Party presidential nomination, Gary Hart communist. has made a big effort to put himself for­ Let's take Hart's advice and look at how ward as an antiwar candidate. Hart made Kennedy "understood the positive leader­ his proclaimed opposition to another Viet­ ship role," that the United States rulers can nam-style war in Central America one of supposedly play throughout the world. ­ the key themes of his effort to win the re­ This requires setting aside some of the cent New York primary. popular myths about Kennedy's presi­ While Walter Mondale and Jesse Jack­ dency. son have also presented themselves as peace candidates, Hart in particular has re­ JFK and Vietnam cently emphasized his so-called antiwar Many people believe that direct U.S. credentials. military intervention in Vietnam was Closer examination of his views But a launched by Pres. Lyndon Johnson. This is and those of his self-proclaimed mentor, not true. Johnson continued (and escalated John Kennedy, reveals that Hart has no substantially) what Kennedy had done. new ideas to offer working people. The truth of the matter is that in many re­ Colorado Senator Hart on U.S. aircraft carrier America: the Democratic presiden­ Procapitalist spects Kennedy's rhetoric wfien he ran for president in 1960 sounded much like tial hopeful wants to bolster imperialist domination worldwide, proposing to Hart is one of three liberals in the presi­ Reagan's today. Kennedy campaigned for strengthen U.S. military might. dential contest, along with Mondale and a huge increase in U.S. arms spending. Jackson. All say their policies would be Like Reagan, he claimed the United States grown to 16,000. the Cuban workers and farmers despite the substantially different from those of had to "catch up" with the Soviet Union. Gary Hart contends that he, like Ken­ fact that at Kennedy's direction the U.S. Ronald Reagan, who is labeled a conserva­ Theodore Sorensen was a key Kennedy nedy, understands that communism is not government financed, trained, and armed tive. aide. Listen to what he says about what the source of the problems facing the op­ the Cuban counterrevolutionaries who in­ These labels, however, mask more than Kennedy did once elected: pressed peoples of Central America today. vaded. U.S. boats carried the invaders. they reveal. Despite tactical differences be­ "In three years Kennedy's buildup ofthe But that was not Kennedy's view. U.S. planes bombed Cuba. U.S. forces tween liberals and conservatives, all Dem­ most powerful military force in human his­ While campaigning for the presidency in died in the invasion. ocratic and Republican candidates today tory - the largest and swiftest buildup in September 1960, Kennedy told a meeting In response to this unrelenting hostility share the same class outlook. That is, they this country's peacetime history ... pro­ at the Mormon Tabernacle, "The enemy is to Cuba and the fact that the U.S. govern­ are all capitalist politicians, representatives vided him, as he put it, with a versatile ar­ the communist system itself- implacable, ment did not hesit~te to use force to attempt of the two capitalist parties, which jointly senal 'ranging from the most massive de­ insatiable, unceasing in its drive for world to impose its will on the Cuban people, the run the country in the interests of the hand­ terrents to the most subtle influences.'" domination. For this is not a struggle for Soviet Union agreed to station nuclear ful of super-wealthy families that own the Kennedy didn't hesitate to use this mili­ the supremacy of arms alone - it is also a weapons in Cuba. It was an elementary ac­ factories and banks. tary arsenal. In the spring of 1961 he sent struggle for supremacy between two con­ tion to defend the Cuban revolution in the As supporters of the private-profit sys­ 400 U.S. Green Berets to fight in Vietnam. flicting ideologies: freedom under god ver­ face of imperialist violence against it. tem, all four candidates are also proim­ The same year the U.S. government began sus ruthless, godless tyranny." Kennedy brought the world to the brink perialist. That is, they favor the interna­ spraying chemical defoliants like Agent This is the approach Hart points to as a of nuclear war between the United States tional system of capitalist exploitation Orange on the Vietnamese countryside. model for today. and the Soviet Union over this. He whereby the owners of the giant corpora­ At the end of the year Kennedy began threatened to interdict Soviet ships travel- tions exploit and oppress working people the _process of sending large numbers of Kennedy and Cuba ing to Cuba. _ throughout the world. U.S. combat troops to Vietnam, under the These are among the many examples of And all four, as · president, would face Kennedy also evidenced the bitter hatred guise of helping with flood relief. By the "a leadership that does not _hesitate to use the same problem ~ Throughout the colonial for the Cuban revolution that was prevalent end of 1962, 9,865 U.S. troops were in military force when it is justified," that world - in Latin America, Asia, and Af­ in U.S. ruling circles and remains so today. Vietnam. By the time Kennedy was assas­ Gary Hart proposes to emulate. rica- workers and farmers are challeng­ Hart does not use the :>arne ·language (it sinated ih November 1963, the total had The relevant point is not that there will ing the U.S. government and corporate would make him sound indistinguishable be a precise identity between Gary Hart's bosses it defends, as they fight for political from Reagan) but he proclaims that he actions, if elected president, and those of shares Kennedy's approach to "social un­ independence, land reform, trade union Kennedy. rights, and a better way of life. rest" in Central America - actually the spread of the socialist revolution in the The world is adifferent place now than it was 20-odd years ago. The Vietnamese Advancing social r-evolution Americas. At his first presidential news conference people dealt U.S. imperialism a big defeat This struggle is most advanced in Cen­ Kennedy said in response to a question on in ·1975. The Cuban revolution has de­ tral America. In 1979 Nicaraguan workers Cuba, "What we are ... concerned about is veloped further and it has been joined by a and peasants took the most important step when these movements are seized by exter­ successful revolution in Nicaragua. All of since the Cuban revolution 20 years earlier nal forces and directed, not to improving these events, and others, have had a big when they made a revolution and estab­ the welfare of the people involved, but to­ impact on workers in the United States, lished a government of workers and farm­ wards imposing an ideology which is alien whose rights and living standards are under ers that has begun to end capitalist exploi­ to this hemisphere," (emphasis added). attack by the same employers whose profits . tation and ·imperialist domination. In El Kennedy initiated the economic block­ the Pentagon is defending in Central Amer­ Salvador, the working people are fighting ade of Cuba that continues to this day to ica. to accomplish the same thing. deny needed goods to the Cuban people If elected, Hart-will face more resistance Any of the four capitalist candidates, and helps prevent U.S. workers from learn­ to his moves to escalate the new Vietnam than Kennedy did~ but escalate he must. from Hart to Reagan, if elected president, Pres. John F. Kennedy and FBI Director ing of the real accomplishments of socialist must defend the system of economic rela­ J. Edgar Hoover. Hart seeks to emulate policies there. Kennedy used other means to attempt to tions they support - imperialism - Kennedy's anticommunist_and prowar Kennedy ordered the April 1961 Bay of undercut the example of the Cuban revolu- against this advancing social revolution. stance. Pigs invasion of Cuba. This was crushed by Continued on Page 17 For all of them Cuba and Nicaragua do pose a threat: not a mili~ threat, as Washington lyingly claims, but a political threat, because these revolutions are an ex­ ample for working people everywhere that Iron Range socialists launch campaign there is another kind of social system that can begin to end oppression and exploita­ BY ARGIRIS HARAS tories could be built. member of the Young Socialist Alliance tion. VIRGINIA, Minn. - Steelworkers on "Instead of sending massive amounts of who chaired the event, projected the oppor­ That's why no matter who is elected in the Iron Range now have a working-class military aid to U.S. -backed dictatorships tunities. facing this campaign. _"We have November, the U.S. war in Central Amer­ alternative in the race for the 8th Congres­ such as in El Salvador, my campaign de­ very exciting prospects to take this cam­ ica will continue and expand. sional District. David Salner, laid-off from mands that steel and other construction ma­ paign to steelworkers, Native Americans the iron-ore taconite mines like 8,000 other terials be sent to such countries as Vietnam on the reservations, Blacks in Duluth, and Gary Hart and JFK steelworkers, announced his candidacy on and Nicaragua to help rebuild their war­ prisoners." the Socialist Workers Party ticket here shattered economies." "Not since John F. Kennedy;" said Hart Already one Native American student at March 23. Over 20 percent of Iron Range These and other proposals are in the in­ in a series of full-page advertisements he a community college recently joined the workers are unemployed. terests of working people, youth, women, took out in the New York papers prior to YSA. Salner formerly worked at Minntac and Blacks and Native Americans, and all the the April 3 primary, "have we had a Presi­ Eveleth taconite mines. He currently works oppressed, Salner explained. The media coverage and campaign rally dent who _understood the positive leader­ in a garment factory and is a member of "A fight for these proposals by the labor capped off two weeks of extensive cam­ , ship role that America and her people can Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Work­ movement and its allies," Salner con­ paigning all over the Iron Range and in· play throughout the world .. We need tore­ ers Union Local 512. tinued, "will pose the need for working Duluth. Campaign supporters leafleted and store that role," he argued. At a news conference Salner explained people to mobilize in their interests and act distributed the Militant at eight mines, Another Hart ad identified his policy on that "the labor movement should demand politically to change the government." went door to door in steelworker towns, nuclear weapons with that of Kennedy. that the steel industry be nationalized and The Duluth News and Tribune covered and publicized the campaign event at a "John Kennedy's initiative proved," managed by a board elected by the public the announcement, as well as one radio and congressional hearing on the steel crisis claimed Hart, "that we can break the nu­ and closely watched by the unions and con­ three television stations. and an International Women's Day film clear stalemate." sumer and environmental groups." Campaign supporters from several Iron showing. _ Hart often compares himself to Kennedy He pointed to the extensive need for Range towns, along with one North Dakota In the months ahead, Salner will be cam­ as a way to argue that if he were elected, steel in this country and around the world: activist, participated in the campaign kick­ paigning with the other SWP candidates in things really would be different on the for­ "Instead of closing plants and throwing off rally held in Virginia, site of the giant Minnesota: Ellie Garcia for U.S. Senate, eign policy front. thousands of steelworkers on tlie streets, Minntac mine. · and Pete Brandli for the 5th Congressional· Kennedy, too, was a capitalist liberal, new schools, hospitals, bridges, and fac- Kathy Wheeler, a National Committee District.

April 20, 1984 The Militant s· '--.L. Uh'ITT..O STATES COVU!o:)ti:!'IT , .. · ·· . • Judge stalls in · Me1norandu1n . ., .· aAT&: 1/1~'6:0 _-I !£1tSONAL A'ITENrJOi1, •• l:;_:.C SWP vs. FBI suit, ,, "IIJ-= SOCIALIST l.'OltE1tS PAJa't' - NATIOIW. .Mm!!!e•t !15 FtSiLZEI P tiff ,t:;z- aiiil * . -~ no ruling 3 years :. . . IOCIALtsr \o'OR~ PAiln - l£W '!Or.IC LOCAL , ....._: ,. ::- t .. ~ ;:; &- f .• 0 • • · ea 7/11/60. -=ac~ ... -... widl ..c: •. · .:;-. woo,...au.;:. . • since trial...... te -.terial lecatetl ia aatioaal headquarter• of the StJP ..w · 'With. C:::. ~wbo bas --·· to Nterial loc&tecl" in the. office of· BY HARRY RING They were still angry over how the gov­ the He~ Yo~ f:Ocal•, SWP. lleth at:· ~6 ~i'Yers1t7 Place• Hew York Cit7. April 2 marked the third anniversary of ernment had dragooned working people 0- 0 ,. • 0 0 0 the opening of the trial in the case of the into the Vietnam War. • . · Approdlllatel7 IS .pbotosrapbs wua ~~ .. acl.utin; ~ 1-. u ·the iol.Jgoelaa: .. . · . · Socialist Workers Party against the govern­ This anger and distrust of government ment for illegal political victimization. was fueled by the secret Pentagon Papers. Testimony in the trial ended B weeks Released to the media by former govern­ ct.=='- .1)' ~~~eo:. .. SWP later, on June 25, 1981. · ment employees Daniel Ellsberg and An­ alMt1a ...... fad. . ···, .. ::=:. ·~· _. 0 : • •••:: • •• ·:-::~~' . • • • In the two years and nine months that thony Russo, the papers told the inside . story of how the government step by step 2) J.a~ utaJ.l 1 sh~·c . triP, ce ...... 117 ·SWP luller have elapsed since then, the presiding fed­ FABt.L-. eral judge in the case, Thomas P. Griesa, involved the country in Vietnam's civil war - 0 has refused to hand down a decision. on the side of the tyrannical South Viet­ FBI memo reporting on burglary of a Socialist Workers Party headquarters by FBI No explanation has been offered for this namese dictatorship. And it was workers, agents. Revelations of crimes like this were obtained in SWP suit despite endless gov· extreme delay. particularly Blacks, who died in the war. ernment stonewalling. Judge in case refuses to rule years after trial ended. The SWP suit was filed back in 1973, and there were eight years of pretrial litiga­ Watergate stench tion before it came to trial. Is the Supreme prevent their being successful by institut­ The Watergate revelations added to the The DIS is delegated by the Pentagon to Court supposed to wait an additional eight gmwing questioning in the working class ing disruptive practices or any other legal issue - or revoke - the "security clear­ years- or even longer- before there is a [!] means permissible." and population at large. ances" required by the thousands of work­ It was on the basis of such evidence and decision? There were the disclosures about ers employed by companies which have In addition to seeking $70 million dam­ more, that the SWP pressed for a court "Tricky Dick" Nixon's secret tape record­ contracts with the Pentagon. ages, the socialists presented a motion that order prohibiting all such patently illegal ings. The plotting against those on the DIS agents are charged with ferreting the court issue a permanent injunction secret police ·activity. White House "enemies list." The out "security risks." The term is not a against governmental abuses of its demo­ This demand is not limited to the FBI, burglaries and wiretapping, the planning of euphemism for spy. The DIS targets are cratic rights. but all federal agencies engaging in secret provocations against peace demonstrators, political dissidents. People who may be police activity. The outcome of this case· will affect not and a good deal more. militant unionists and/or opponents of U.S. - For instance, during the trial it .was es­ only the SWP but all organizations and in­ Such revelations, coupled with those re­ foreign policy. They may, for instance, be tablished that the Immigration and dividuals talc,ing a stand against war, ra­ sulting from the SWP suit, encouraged workers opposed to Washington's inter­ Naturalization Service spies on and seeks cism, sexism, economic injustice, and de­ similar legal action by others who had been vention in Central America. Or think that to deport immigrants, again on the sole fending the rights and interests of working victimized. socialism is better than capitalism. basis of their holding "undesirable" ideas. people against the owners of industries and Chicago Black Panthers, victims of a In a number of plants, members and sup­ During the period of the Watergate reve­ banks. murderous federal-local police attack, de­ porters of the SWP - real and alleged - lations and the SWP trial, the FBI and Because of these stakes, the government manded damages. The National Lawyers have been victimized by the DIS. Two cur­ other agencies curbed some of their illegal throughout the history of ·the case has Guild and other organizations did likewise. rent cases illustrate this. activity against the SWP - that is, they thrown up obstacle after obstacle to derail Suits were filed by prominent individuals One is that of Thomas Tomasko. He's a conducted it more furtively. it. Judge Griesa's delaying actions are con­ like Jane Fonda. Local police departments machinist at the Lockheed Missiles and sistent with this pattern of stonewalling. were the target of additional court actions. But since the close of the trial, there has Space Company in northern California. The .important questions raised by this been a sharp escalation of government-in­ The other is Sally Goodman who works case remain to be answered: Responding to these mounting revela­ itiated or inspired attacks on the rights of as an electrician at the Martin Marietta Do the constitutionally guaranteed rights tions, growing working-class distrust, and working people - attempts to undermine plant in Denver. of free speech, press, and assembly apply consequent political blows it was suffer­ voting rights, to reverse afflllllative action Tomasko has been subjected to DIS to everyone ·without exception? Are all ing, the government decided to clean up its gains, bust unions through bankruptcy harassment and interrogation since shortly ideas - including revolutionary ideas like public image - but not its act. laws, and to push back abortion rights. after the SWP trial ended in 1981. those of the SWP- secured by the Bill of The Cointelpro program was falsely and The turning point was formally marked The questions directed to Tomasko have Rights? hypocritically declared to .be the unau­ with the March 1983 announcement by the revolved around his political ideas, his as­ Do FBI agents and other federal cops thorized work of an overzealous FBI, not Justice Department that the Levi guidelines sociation with the SWP, and his distribu­ have the right to infiltrate a legal political the capitalist government which is the real were being scrapped and replaced with tion of the Militant. There has been no pcuty, disrupt it, create provocations, and source of the threats to our basic liberties. ones assertedly needed to conduct question of any illegal activity on his part. victimize its members on the sole ground The late J. Edgar Hoover, sire of the pro­ "Domestic Securityfferrorism Investiga­ Solely on the basis of his beliefs arid as­ that it sees the organization's ideas as "sub­ gram, declared it had been ordered ended. tions." sociations, the DIS has advised the De­ versive"? In 1976, then Attorney General Edward The switch to a hard-cop approach was fense Department it cannot vouch that To­ Levi issued a set of guidelines assertedly not simply an initiative by right-wing masko's continued employment is consis­ · Background to case designed to ensure that the FBI would no Reaganites. The scrapping of the Levi tent with "national seturity." longer trample on constitutional rights. Back in 1971, unknown individuals en­ guidelines was a bipartisan move, enjoying His job, therefore, is in jeopardy. The Cointelpro days, the government and the support of the key leaders of both major The case of Sally Goodman is essentially tered an FBI office in Media, Pennsyl­ media insisted, were over. vania, and removed secret files that were parties. the same - with lesbian-baiting as an then passed on to the press. These files re­ But it was sheer folly to believe that the It was a product of the steadily develop­ added attack. government's political ·police, the FBI, vealed the story of "Cointelpro" (Counter­ ing two-sided crisis of U.S. capitalism. could self-reform itself. That's what the Goodman case intelligence Program), the FBI's ongoing One side is the inexorable drive toward SWP trial proved to be a totalhoax. program for illegally victimizing a broad war, toward direct troop involvement in El Goodman came under scrutiny in 1982 From documents and from the mouths of array of organizations - labor, Black, Salvador's civil war and against the Nica­ when she supported a coworker who was witnesses - including FBI "street agents" Latino, women's, peace, civil liberties, raguan revolution. the Colorado SWP candidate for the U.S. and top Justice Department officials - it left-wing, and more. The converse side is the continuing, es­ Senate. was firmly established that Cointelpro was The SWP was prominent among those calating employer drive against the living Again, the interrogation of Goodman not an operation . conducted behind the targeted for Cointelpro treatment, It re­ standards of working people in this coun­ has focused on her political views and rela­ backs -of higher government authorities. sponded to these revelations by filing its try. Ultimately the survival of the profit tions with the SWP. ~or was it, as officials had argued, a tem­ landmark suit against the FBI, CIA, De­ system is contingent on the success <>f the The DIS has also .sought to grill Good­ porary going astray. partment of Defense, Immigration and war drive abroad and the antilabor offen­ man about the most intimate details of her Naturalization Service and other federal sive at home. personal life, focusing on possible lesbian agencies. Standard procedure In that kind of a fight, it becomes neces­ relationships. sary that <;urbs on democratic rights be in­ In pretrial litigation, the SWP obtained Instead, the SWP established, Cointel­ In the course of its probe, the DIS inad­ tens of thousands of pages of previously pro was nothing more than a particular ver­ creased, and an atmosphere of intimidation vertently provided Goodman with a docu­ secret government documents detailing an sion of a body of illegal practices which created aimed at muzzling dissenting ment authored either by the Department of voices. incredible range of illegal activities -di­ had been going on at least since the 1930s, Defense or Justice Department. · rected against it and others by federal polit­ and likely since the FBI's inception. These While conceding that membership in the ical cops. activities, it was proven, were conducted Make it legal SWP is not legal grounds for disqualifying It was disclosed that the FBI had ar­ with the knowledge of each successive The Levi guidelines purported to curb il­ a worker for security clearance, the docu­ ranged for socialists to be illegally fired president and his aides. In fact they origi­ legal political activity. The new "antiter­ ment then simply asserts that the DIS does from their jobs. FBI agents composed and nated in the very highest levels of govern- rorist" guidelines have the function of mak­ have the right, and obligation, to investi­ mailed anonymous red-baiting letters in the ment. · ing the illegal activities "legal." gate individuals who are members of sup­ name of "concerned parents" to school au­ Government officials were forced to In fact, Attorney General William porters of the party! thorities demanding action against socialist confirm from the witness stand that the FBI French Smith asserted that a function of the It was precisely to expose such outrage­ teachers. Poisonous smear articles against and other agencies systematically infil­ new guidelines was "to help to eliminate ously illegal, undemocratic practices that socialist candidates were planted in the trated organizations to disrupt and, if possi­ any perception that actual or imminent the SWP took the government and its polit­ media. ble, destroy them, with the sole justifica­ commission of a violent crime is a pre­ ical police to court. The party's phones were tapped, its of­ tion that such organizations espoused "sub­ requisite to investigation." Griesa's refusal to rule on the important fices bugged and files burglarized. Mail versive" ideas. Or, to put it more plainly, people and or­ questions in this case is further evidence was opened, and garbage scrutinized. One such witness was Raymond Wan­ ganizations can be targeted for their ideas. that the democratic rights of workers and Publicity about _· the SWP dossiers came nail, a former assistant director ofthe Intel­ One of the crassest recent examples of farmers will only be fully protected when in the context of the Pentagon Papers and ligence Division of the FBI. such illegal political victimization has been , the . minority rule of the capitalists and all Watergate revelations. Working people "The goals in counterintelligence," he the activity of the Defense Investigative their tools - cops, courts, media, two­ began questioning the activities of the sec­ testified, "are simply to know who they Service (DIS) of the Department of De­ party system - are replaced by the politi­ ret political police. are, to know what they are doing, and to fense . cal rule of working people.

. 6 The Militant April 20, 1984 ...- ;;. . : • • < ·I• • Socialists drop suit in ~ockheed firings Case won support against company spying but labor officials defaulted on fight

BY GEOFF MIRELOWITZ This campaign was not aimed only at de­ In late 1980 and early 1981 , 14 members priving socialist workers of their right to of the International Association of make a living and voice their ideas. It was Machinists at Lockheed Corp.'s giant intended to weaken the lAM. The socialist Marietta, Georgia, plant were fired. Lock­ workers were active union builders. By heed's pretext was the charge that the getting rid of them Lockheed hoped to in­ workers had falsified their employment ap­ timidate other workers from speaking out. plications. The real reason was that all 14 It also aimed at preventing radical ideas on were active union builders and socialists­ how the unions can fight back against the members and supporters of the Socialist employer assault from getting a hearing. Workers Party. By fighting against Lockheed's violation On Sept. 20, 1982, these workers filed a of democratic rights the fired workers set $3.4 million lawsuit against Lockheed de­ an example for others. Their fight also ex­ manding damages and reinstatement. posed some of the details of the daily con­ On March 1, 1984, the socialist workers spiracy by the employers and the govern­ agreed to a dismissal of the suit. In fighting ment to undermine union rights - espe­ the case the workers and their supporters in cially of the millions of workers employed the Political Rights Defense Fund (PRDF) by bosses who hold Pentagon contracts. made an important contributi9n to expos­ The lawsuit filed by the fired workers ing employer and government violations of detailed some of the ways that company · the democratic rights of workers and their cops broke the law. It explained that the unions. However, the dismissal of the case cops and their informers "entered onto resi­ represents a setback for this fight. dential property . . . where they tampered The fired Lockheed workers and PRDF with . .. plaintiffs' mail boxes, and re­ won encouraging support from workers moved and examined letters." Iitant/Holbrook Mahn and other supporters of civil liberties who On at least one occasion they used "an Fired Lockheed worker Jean Savage (second from left) explains suit at 1982 Wash­ learned of the case. But in the courtroom electronic listening device . . . to intercept ington, D.C., antiwar protest. Victims of Lockheed witch-hunt got broad support they faced constant obstacles. Lockheed conversations between plaintiffs." -· from trade unionists and civil libertarians. Suit set example in defending workers' enjoyed an enormous advantage in finan­ The-firedsocialists had been open with rights against company attacks. But victims couldn't go it alone and win in the ab­ cial resources. Most important, while some their fellow workers about their political sence of the officialdom waking up to threat .,Osed by Lockheed. support for the case was obtained inside the views and activities. Through their fight labor movement, neither the lAM, other they brought to workers' attention the less America and elsewhere. its violation of democratic rights was not unions, nor the AFL-CIO officialdom were than open antiunion spying carried out by The bosses and their government aim to successful. Why? willing to take the case on and provide the the_employers . prevent a fightback from developing in the necessary resources to win it. This default The courts are never the most •favorable unions against this. Part of their strategy is made it impossible for the socialists alone arena for the defense of workers' -rights - Defense Investigative Service to crack down on the democratic rights of as the recent spate of antilabor deCisions, to win the type of support necessary to beat workers on the job. They recognize that a back Lockheedand the U.S. government. The case spotlighted the role of a little including the Supreme Court bankruptcy work force that has been intimidated is less A retreat became necessary. known government spy agency - the De­ ruling, testifies. Lockheed had plenty of fense Investigative Service. This outfit likely to fight on any issue. lawyers and plenty of money which they maintains an office at Lockheed's Marietta Of course the 1980s are not the 1950s · used to resist the socialists' legal efforts. The facts in the case plant-as it does on the premises of many when such attacks were commonplace and The court allowed the company to get away The socialist workers were first singled plants that make war materiel. when the leaderships of many unions were with this. · out by the company in October 1980. The This cozy setup with the employers al­ openly complicit with the drive against An important example of this occurred lAM was involved in a contract fight with lows DIS to more easily investigate and democratic rights carried out under the during "discovery" ~the period of time in Lockheed. Five of the workers distributed spy on workers it considers suspicious. guise of "fighting communism." a legal suit when each side solicits informa­ This can include any union militant. tion from the other to bolster its arguments. a Socialist Workers election campaign Nevertheless, the fired wm:kers ex-. Loclchecd' s own €ops consulted the DIS committee leaflet outside a '; meetiri~ ';of · plained, if Lockheed can fire workers for The fired\iVorkers requested information lAM Lodge 709. office at the plant when they began their in­ their socialist political views and union ac­ concerning the methods used by the com­ vestigation of the socialist workers. FBI The leaflet pointed out that the entire tivity, other employers will be emboldened pany and its cops against workers and the union movement was under attack from the Bob also sought out the aid of his former to do the same. It would be foolish to think union. employers at FBI offices in four different · Lockheed refused to provide this infor­ corporations and the government. It that these efforts would only affect cities. mation. It countered with demands for full suggested that the labor movement should socialists. If successful the employers will In the fight to win their jobs back the personal histories of the individual workers act to form its own political party, a labor add other union militants to their hit lists. socialist workers and PRDF helped educate - which had nothing to do with the case. party, to help lead a fightback. others as to why these violations of civil As they publicized their own case, the The court took no action to break this Lockheed had sent a spy to the union liberties and union rights are a growing fired workers learned to what extent this deadlock. Then, following two Supreme meeting. The next day this informer gave danger to the labor movement. The work­ was already true. Many other workers the company a full report - including the Court decisions, the judge in the Lockheed ers and their supporters traveled through­ came forward to explain how they too had case ruled that major portions of the fired · socialist campaign leaflet. out the country speaking to unionists, been victimized by the employers for their workers' suit were moot - no longer rele- Company cops went into action. Robert Black activists, women's rights supporters, ideas and political activity. Black workers . vant. Lang, a Lockheed "security" investigator and others. who had spoken out against racist discrimi­ The .fi red workers faced a prospect of a - an ex-FBI file clerk known to many In their presentations the fired workers nation on the · job were among the most legal fight that could have been dragged workers as "FBI Bob" - launched a "Na­ noted that the employers have launched a prominent examples. out for years, at tremendous expense. tional Loyalty" investigation of the entire deepening attack on the standard of living Despite the friendly response the fired Most important, the official leadership work force aimed at identifying the and union rights of U.S. workers. The workers received, their effort to win . of the labor movement did not act to help socialists and getting rid of them. U.S. government is going to war in Central reinstatement and make Lockheed pa:y for the fired workers win. This was not simply because the workers were socialists. The current union leadership is unprepared and unwilling to do what is necessary to win Striking Las Vegas workers call hotel boycott most of the battles with the employers today- from the 1981 air traffic control­ comment that he reacted "in horror" to Striking hotel and casino workers in Las lers strike, to the 1983 Greyhound strike, what he saw of it on TV. "I thought the Hil­ Vegas have issued an appeal for an interna­ to the now nine-month-long strike by tional labor boycott of three major union­ ton Hotel security guards acted like labor Arizona copper workers. goons in the 1920s," he said. "It was grue­ busters there - Hilton, Holiday Inns, and The failure to take the attack pn demo­ Ramada Inns. some to see." cratic rights at Lockheed seriously and re-· Led by the powerful Hilton Hotel Corp., A representative of the AFL-CIO af­ spond to it as a challenge to the rights of all the Nevada Resort Association has· con­ filiated Hotel Employees and Restaurant workers, is part of this broader problem. fronted the workers with a series of obvi­ Employees International Union , parent or­ The fight to defend democratic rights is ously unacceptable, union-busting de­ ganization of the striking culinery workers part of the effort to rearm the union move­ mands. They want to rewrite union con­ locals, declared April 7, "This strike has ment and win it to a strategy that will make tracts so that instead of being guaranteed become of critical importance for all of or­ the old labor slogan, "an injury to one is an · 40 hours a week, workers would be assured ganized labor." injury to all," a reality. The union announced plans to distR.bute of only as little as 20 hours. leaflets at Hilton hotels and the other They also want the unionists to pay an Effort will continue chains urging unionists and the public gen­ even greater share of health insurance cost-s erally not to patronize them because of and are offering only a five percent wage The campaign of the fired Lockheed their antiunion stand and their use of brut­ increase. workers made a valuable contribution· to this goal. Although it was not carried to a ality against pickets. Wages run as low as under $300 a week. -­ In theJast fiscal year, operators' revenue successful conClusion, the fight itself made More than 17,000 workers have been on was $2.7 billion from gambling alone. The a difference. It educated other workers and strike since April 2 at the Flamingo Hilton, Hilton chain reportedly derives more than it served notice on Lockheed, other em­ the Las Vegas Hilton, Caesars Palace, and 60 percent of its total revenue from its two ployers, and the government that they other casino-hotel operations. The strikers' Las Vegas hotel-casinos. must, at a minimum, contend with a fight ranks include maids, waiters and waitres­ A dozen casinos and hotels, including when they attack democratic rights. ses, change-makers, bellhops, bartenders, several major ones like the Riviera, have A Caesars Palace security guard tries to Other battles around similar issues are musicians, and stagehands. settled with the union. kill hotel and restaurant employees taking place elsewhere. Some will be more The strikers have been the target of The union is urging its members and union picket with his car. Federal judge successful than the Lockheed case in actu­ physical attack by hotel "security guard" others to boycott the union-busting hotels seeing employer violence on TV re­ ally winning justice for the workers in­ thugs and antiunion court injunctions. and casinos. Labor solidarity, including an marked "security guards acted like volved. All contribute to the necessary task Violence by company goons has been so effective boycott, could force the employ-· - labor goons in the 1920s. It was grue­ of preparing the labor movement for the open that a federal judge was moved to ers to come to terms. some to see." bigger battles that are coming.

April 20, 1984 The Militant 7 Conrail sale will be bad news .for workers· BY JIM GOTESKY stumping the country with representatives • cies in compliance with NERSA, despite NEW YORK - Conrail is up for sale of the Wall Street brokerage firm long strikes in New York, northern New after eight years of federal government Goldman, Sachs & Co. to find a buyer. As Jersey, and Philadelphia, the Reagan ad­ ownership and control through the United a result, the CSX and the Norfolk/Southern ministration imposed major takebacks on States Railway Association (USRA). The are studying the matter. Allegeny Corp. the striking unions. The government and sale, required by the Northeast Rail Ser­ has made a tenative offer. The new interest the rail bosses want to force similar conces­ vices Act (NERSA) of 1981 , threatens big in Conrail promises to drag the purchase sions on Conrail freight workers. If the new cuts in rail service and rail workers' process out past the June I, 1984, dead­ Conrail freight workers can be dealt new wages,'work rules·, and benefits. line. blows, the carriers' position will be Conrail was formed by an act of Con­ One fly in the ointment from the govern­ strengthened in negotiations with other gress in 1976 following the bankruptcy of ment's point of view is a purchase offer freight rail workers. Penn Central railroad. The Penn Central made by the Rail Labor Executive Associ­ bankruptcy was the largest in U.S. history. ation (RLEA), which is a coordinating or­ ESOP'S fable The Republican administration stepped in ganization for 17 rail unions. Unfortunately, the RLEA's ESOP plan to bail GUt. the railroad owners. Five north­ Faced with an angry union membership, offers rail workers no protection from 'the eastern railroads were merged into Conrail. the prosi>ects of further layoffs, and new government's attacks and the rail bosses' The federal government rebuilt the main cuts in service through cherry picking, the drive for more profits. It is primarily a de­ lines in the northeast rail corridor, drasti­ RLEA has offered to buy Conrail through vice to cover the RLEA's refusal to or­ cally cut rail service to small businesses an Employee Stock Option Plan, ESOP. ganize and lead a fight under the rubric that and farmers, and launched arelentless at­ The RLEA set up a five member task force RLEA ownership of Conrail will give rail tack on rail unions. to draw up the purchase plan. workers a greater say over what happens on Rebuilding the northeast corridor cost The RLEA plans to acquire Conrail with the railroad, thus avoiding new cuts in ser­ nearly $7 billion in tax money. Conrail has 'money from 3 sources: 1) loans from vari­ vice and wages. eliminated more than 2,000 track miles ous investment -banks, 2) the value of the However, under the RLEA's ESOP rail since 1981. Two-thirds of Conrail's work 12 percent wages deferred to Conrail in workers will have no say at all over Con­ force is now unemployed. 1981, and 3) existing workers' shares in rail. The real owners of Conrail will be the Pressure applied by the federal govern­ .Conrail stock. The lions share of the pur­ banks that front the money to buy Conrail. ment and congress in April 1981 forced chase price would come from the banks. They will call the tune - or call in their Conrail workers to sign union contracts The RLEA projected acquiring a majority loans. The bankers will be interested in breaking them away from the national of Conrail stock. more profits for their investment, not in freight contract, deferring 12 percent of The Reagan administration has resisted bettering the wages and working condi­ their wages until June I, 1984, and sub­ the RLEA' s offer. Department of Trans­ tions of Conrail workers. stantially reducing pension benefits. portation officials consider the unions' The Reagan administration is fully offer an essentially cashless offer since the aware of the window dressing nature of the Immediately following the 1981 wage 12 percent deferred wages are part of the RLEA's proposal, so refusing to sell Con­ giveback agreement, Congress passed purchase offer. rail to the RLEA has the RLEA over a bar­ NERSA. NERSA mandated the transfer of Conrail management is backing the gov­ rel. If-Conrail is sold to another railroad or Conrail commuter lines to local transit ernment position. They say the 12 percent sold in pieces, cuts in wages and rail ser­ manageiD&nts by Jan. I, 1983, and the wage deferral was, in fact, a wage vice are guaranteed. Yet, in order for the public sale of Conrail freight lines after giveback by the unions. RLEA to purchase Conrail, it must guaran­ June I, 1983. The RLEA has filed suit against Conrail tee those very same cuts. Under NERSA if Conrail freight lines under the Freedom of Information Act to To pressure the Reagan administration met certain profit requirements by June I , gain access to Conrail's records of the 1981 and Conrail management to accept its 1983, Conrail would have to be sold as one deferment to prove the 12 percent was not a offer, the RLEA has threatened to demand Militant/Salm Kolis unit. If Conrail did not meet the NERSA giveback. But the federal courts have ruled full repayment of the 12 percent wage de­ Part of April 29, 1981, Washington, profit standards by June I, it r;:ould be sold against the RLEA, claiming that Conrail ferral this June when the current union con­ D.C., demonstration against attacks on in pieces, resulting in the most profitable does not fall under the jurisdiction of the tract expires. rail unions; lines being "cherry picked" while the less Freedom of Information Act. Without the But the demand for repayment of the profitable lines would be abandoned. As 12 percent as part of the purchase plan, the wage deferral is just a threat. The RLEA the RLEA will lead to new setbacks, more well, if no buyers could be found by June RLEA' s ESOP proposal has little chance of has at the same time offered to modify the layoffs, and wage givebacks. I, 1984, Conrail could be sold in pieces. being approved by Congress. ESOP proposal to guarantee. that the 12 The ke)ltlfactor behind govern~ent op­ per~ent deferral would. continue indefi­ Jim Gotesky is a former Conrail electrician Conrail turns a profit position to the RLEA's proposal is its drive nitely and would be coupled with future now employed by Metro North Commuter concessions still to be negotiated. According to Stephen Berger, USRA for further concessions from rail labor. Railroad. He is a member of International chairman, Conrail has met the NERSA In January 1982 when Conrail commuter .The bottom line for Conrail workers is Brotherhood of Electrical Workers' Union profitability requirements. The 12 percent lines were turned over to city transit agen- that the strategy of the top union officials in Local817. wage deferral and the drastic cuts in jobs and service has turned Conrail into a money maker. In fact, Conrail has set. re~ cord profits in 1982 and 1983. Net income Hon(luran workers hit repression, U.S. bases in 1982 was $174.2 million and in 1983 profits were $313 million. Not bad when MANAGUA, Nicaragua - Some ernment-owned power company the week­ galpa took place despite a half-hour rain compared to industry giants like the CSX 35,000 people took to the streets of the end before when STENEE Pres. Rolando and hail storm, and defied a show of force whose '83 profits were $271.3 million. ·Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, demand­ Yindel was kidnapped in .the streets of and constant harassment by Honduran ing the withdrawal of U.S. troops. The Tegucigalpa. The United Workers Federa­ -military forces armed with M-16 rifles. However, Berger is still unhappy. He march, held April 5, was reported by the tion of Honduras (FUTH), to which At least once in the course of the demon­ thinks the NERSA profit guidelines are too Spanish wire service Acan-EFE to be the STENEE is affiliated, declared that Yin­ stration, soldiers let loose bursts of narrow. Why? Because, according to biggest demonstration in the last 10 years in del's kidnapping "could not have been car­ machine gun fire, making men, women, Berger, "I believe we are about to enter Honduras. ried out without the participation of the and children participants scatter in all di­ another very exciting round of national rail state's security forces." rections. Fortunately, no serious injuries Lasting more than two hours, the march reconfiguration [i.e., new mergers]:" STENEE responded by calling a five­ were reported. was made up primarily of workers, stu­ Conrail would be a more attractive pur­ hour strike on March 21 to protest the kid­ In San Pedro Sula, according to the dents, and teachers. It was called by the chase prospect as a final link in one of the napping of their union president. The na­ Tegucigalpa daily Tiempo, some 500 United Workers Federation of Honduras large merged rail systems. This would re­ tional strike by electrical workers was lim­ workers massed in front of the city hall (FUTH) and the general federation of quire more time than is provided by ited to an administrative work stoppage and holding a banner that read: "We demand workers, trade schools, associations, and NERSA for Conrail's sale. did not halt electrical services. Union lead­ freedom for Rolando Vindel! The army What would happen if Conrail's sale student fronts . . ers made it clear that the action was not a won't let us work!" could be delayed past the NERSA dead­ In addition to demanding the removal of general strike aimed at overthrowing the FUTH Pres. Napoleon Acevedo spoke at lines? Business Week spells out the think­ U.S. soldiers "who are occupying our government, but simply demanded Yin­ the Tegucigalpa demonstration, saying that ing of insiders at the USRA: "They would country," demonstrators demanded free­ del's release. if the STENEE unionists are· not freed, like to see the status quo maintained for dom for hundreds of political prisoners, more energetic action would be underta­ another two years to allow L. Stanley In the eyes of the Honduran government, "greater freedom, an end to the repression, however, the strike was "sedition." The ken. "The trade union movement will show Crane, Conrail chairman, time to abandon the government its strength," he said. moderation in labor conflicts, more justice, army was mobilized and about 500 electri~ 1,000 more miles of track and get rid of an reappearance of 'disappeared' leaders, less additional 10,000 employees." cal workers were captured in raids on The Sindicato de Trabajadores de Ia Tela bureaucracy, more democracy, and a .re ­ work-places. Most, with the exception of Railroad Company (SITRATERCO), rep­ Berger's estimate of the interest in Con­ duction of taxes.'.' rail on the part of other railroads is roughly union leaders charged officially with sedi­ resenting 9,000 banana workers in Hon­ accurate. As recently as February only the Protesters also demanded the dismantl­ tion, were later released. The power com­ duras and about to enter into contract Santa Fe Railroad expres.sed interest in ing of the Regional Center of Military pany's seven regional centers remain in the negotiations itself, made a special point of buying Conrail. The Santa Fe backed out in Training in Puerto Castilla, where 120 hands of the military. stating its condemnation of Yindel's kid­ U.S. military advisers are training 3,000 order to pursue a merger with the Southern ·According to news reports reaching Nic­ napping and its solidarity with STENEE. Pacific Railroad, which, if successful, will Salvadoran soldiers in counterinsurgency The situation facing the workers move­ tactics. aragua, the demonstration of 15,000 mar­ result in the first transcontinental railroad. chers in Tegucigalpa on March 23 was ment in Honduras in the aftermath of these Since then, John Riley, head of the Fed­ called by the· FUTH and a broad array of events was summed up by an editorial -in eral Railway Administration, has been BY ANiBAL v ANEz othei: labor organizations in solidarity wth Tiempo: ''The persecution of the trade MANAGUA - Thousands of workers, STENEE. They not only demanded a halt union movement has now taken on the di­ peasants, teachers, and students marched mensions of a war without quarter." Barricada lntemacional, the weekly to repression against the trade union move­ through the streets of Tegucigalpa, capital ment, but also urged the Honduran govern­ Meanwhile, travelers arriving in Man­ official voice of the Sandinista National of Honduras, and of San Pedro Sula, that Liberation Front. is now available in ment to address the problems of unemploy­ agua from Honduras report that the whole country's main industrial city, on March ment; the lack of health care, housing, and country is being subjected to a vast military Spanish and English. The price is 6 23. They were demanding freedom for months for $12. education; and the poverty that are produc­ operation with the arrival of hundreds of jailed trade union leaders and protesting ing ever more violent clashes between the U.S. Marines. The Honduran army is seen Send check or money order to: army repression against the Workers Union Honduran capitalists and their armed forces everywhere on the streets of Tegucigalpa, Barricada lnternacional . of the National Electricity Co. (STENEE). on the one hand, and the workers and po<)r and main highways leading into the capital Apdo. No. 576 The electrical workers were in the mid­ peasants, on the other. are clogged with long lines of cars being Managua. Nicaragua. dle of contract negoti.ations with the gov- · The march through downtown Teguci- forced to stop at military checkpoints.

8 The Mili~nt April 20, 1984 Nicaragua challenges U.S. in World Court BY HARRY RING conditions under which they may fight. The decision of the Nicaraguan govern­ They said plans were being mapped so ment to bring the United States before the that combat forces could respond quickly World Court will help mobilize world to a presidential order. opinion against Washington's nakedly il­ legal - and escalating - aggression True war aim against Nicaragua. All the patently lying propaganda jus­ The Nicaraguan announcement of the ti-fying Washington's aggression in Central legal action came on the heels of open dis­ America is designed to cover up their true closure by the Reagan administration that war aim - to make the region safe for the CIA was directly involved in the illegal U.S. capitalist investors. The people of mining of Nicaraguan harbors, coupled Nicaragua ·are working heroically to re­ with the added disclosure that the Pentagon build their society on a truly democratic is mapping plans for direct involvement of basis, one which puts human needs before U.S. combat troops in El Salvador' s civil profits. The Salvadoran rebels are fighting war and in an invasion of Nicaragua. Barricada/Brack against U.S. domination to achieve the These facts were brazenly laid out April February 1984 demonstration in Bluefields, Nicaragua, against counterrevolutionary same goal. 8 in two front -page articles in theNew York attacks and harbor mines. Sign reads "We condemn cowardly attack" and protests This is what Washington and Wall Street Times. · destruction of fishing vessel. are determined to stamp out, by any means necessary. New Vietnam Staving off social revolution in Central lion in aid as part of an omnibus spending years, $I billion has been allocated for the The purpose of these hard-nosed revela­ America is a totally bipartisan objective. bill! Salvadoran civil war - voted for by both tions is to condition the people of this Reagan could not possibly have Congresspeople claim they didn't know parties. country for a new Vietnam. The idea is to achieved the Central American escalation it was the CIA that was mining Nicaraguan The congressional Democrats may not convince people that the war machine is already registered without the active par- harbors, and complain they should have appreciate the contempt Reagan expresses moving into high gear despite public op­ ticipation of both parties in Congress. . been consulted. But the House Intelligence for them, but they share his counterrevolu­ position. It was this opposition that led the And he knows in advance he'll have Committee was informed at least two tionary aims in Central America and, Senate on April I 0 to p~ss a nonbinding congressional support for further escala­ weeks ago and its Senate counterpart ap­ rhetoric to the contrary, they are totally resolution against U.S. financing of the tion. The officials who talked to the New parently even earlier. complicit in this dirty game. mining of Nicaragua's harbors (see edito­ York Times noted that sending GI's to fight The two capitalist parties are compelled rial on page I8). in Central America would require congres­ 'Limited' war to. escalate the aggression because of the The signal for this propaganda escaJa­ sional approval under the War Powers Act. setbacks they have suffered. tion came in an April 6 speech, where "But," the paper reports, "they con­ Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Demo­ . With all the advisers, the backup sup­ Reagan brazenly declared: tended that few members of Congress crat, postures as one of the harsher critics port, the ultra-modem weapons - the "Military force, either direct or indirect, would be willing to abandon Central Amer­ · of administration policy in Central Ameri­ whole billion dollars worth - the despotic must remain an available part of America's ica to Communist rule." ca. Salvadoran government has not been·able foreign policy." . For sure. Leahy is a member of the intelligence to crush the rebel forces, which have the At the same time that the admissions are With the administration decision to go committee that was informed about the backing of the Salvadoran workers and being leaked to the press, the administra­ public about the Nicaraguan mining opera­ CIA role in the mining. peasants. tion finds itself in the box of trying to tion, congressional Democrats assert this After a public discosure, he pontificated: And with all the millions given to the squirm out of the World Court proceed­ means the House will not approve the $2I "When you substitute covert activity for Nicaraguan counterrevolutionaries they ings. Stripped of all the crooked legalese, million in new aid to Nicaragua counterrev­ a foreign policy, you run into exactly this haven't succeeded in establishing a base on the reason why Washington doesn't want olutionary exiles already okayed by the problem. Nicaraguan territory. the case to come before the court is plain Senate - with a majority of Democrats "Covert activities should be used only on The failure of the Nicaraguan counter­ enough. It knows full well that any court voting infavor. a limited scale for very specific purposes." revolutionaries to win any meaningful sup­ that isn't IOO percent stacked in its favor But twice in the past year, the House How limited? Two Nicaraguan harbors port from the Nicaraguan people is pre­ would have no choice except to find it voted to end financing of the counterrevo­ instead of three? 'cisely why Washington finds it necessary ,gyiJty, p.ffl.l'Jgtaot ,vio~tiqn . of inte~JWtional lutionaric:s, only to then approve $24 mil- , . Leahy points out that over the past three to mine Nicaraguan ports. law.

Powerful indictment While the World Court, the principal Sandinistas: biggest U.S. offensive judicial body of the UN, has no enforce­ ment powers, Washington recognizes that Continued from front page horror that the mining of Nicaragua's ports the very presentation of Nicaragua's case napped March 29 from Sandy Bay, an iso­ off and sailed on to Costa Rica. Other ships means that women, children, and the disin­ will prove a powerful indictment. lated port on the northern Atlantic Coast. that were scheduled to bring us goods from In an April 9 statement, Nicaragua said herited of Nicaragua are going to be dep­ Broadcast over radio stations in Hon­ other countries have refused to load the rived of food and medicine provided by in­ its suit will establish that "the U.S. govern­ duras, where the ·kidnap victims were cargo, out of fear of the mines." But "most ment is training, supplying, and directing ternational humanitarian aid (some ship­ taken, and over the U.S. propaganda out­ ships," he repeated, "are continuing to ments of which, including some from military and paramilitary actions against Jet, Voice of America, claimed the Mis­ enter." the peoples and government of Nicaragua, Europe, have been canceled or sent else­ kitos voluntarily "fled" Nicaragua. where) .... resulting in extensive loss of lives and Nicaragua is not alone in protesting this However, eyewitnesses who escaped "I am committing a great indiscretion," property." escalation of the United States' undeclared told how the kidnapping had been carried Cheysson said. The French official then The purpose of this aggression, the suit · war. Ortega cited the recent vote in the out by some 300 to 400 heavily armed will assert, is to "overthrow or destabilize United Nations Security Council, where 13 asked the Colombian president the follow­ counterrevolutionaries. Four of the 27 mi­ ing question: the government of Nicaragua." of the I5 members voted to condemn the litia members defending the town were mining of Nicaragua's harbors. "Would you be prepared, either alone, killed, and I9 were wounded in a battle It calls upon the World Court to order or along with the heads of friendly govern­ that lasted nearly 12 hours before the town Washington to cease and desist this viola­ He also cited the possibility that some ments, to denounce publicly and solemnly was taken. tion of international law and to pay repara­ foreign governments might provide techni­ .. . the blockade of a country that is not in Prior to the kidnapping, the invading tions for the loss of lives and property and cal means, such as minesweepers, to help a state of extreme war?" force went to the houses of two known for economic disruption. Nicaragua to protect its waters. "We have Such a denunciation, Cheysson Miskito supporters of the Sandinista Na­ . The charges by Nicaragua are fully con­ openly requested such aid," Ortega said, suggested could then be used as the basis tional Liberation front (FSLN). Both were firmed by Washington's planted leaks in "and we are prepared to accept it," if it is "for taking rapid measures . . . aimed at machine-gunned to death in front of their the New York Times. · offered. reestablishing and maintaining free access families. Administration officials and members of The Social Democratic government of to all of Nicaragua's ports." In Costa Rica, the Monge government is Congress told the paper the mining of Nic­ France has indicated that, in certain cir­ For its part, "France cannot remain deaf trying to explain away a damning piece of araguan waters is being done from a CIA cumstances, it would be willing to provide to the requests being made by the govern­ evidence that its "neutrality" in the U.S. vessel off the Nicaraguan coast. such aid. France voted against the United ment in Managua," Cheysson concluded. war is a charade. From this larger ship, a team of Latin States in the UN Security Council. France "It does not want to intervene alone ... . It In the northern part of Costa Rica, just American commandos, trained by the CIA, also offered, in a Jetter to Colombian Pres ~ is, however, prepared to act jointly with 12 miles from the Nicaraguan border, peas­ is dispatched in small, high~ speed boats to Belisario Betancur, to "contribute to opera­ one or another friendly European power to ants discovered the remains· of a DC-3 plant the mines in the harbors. tions aimed at removing the mines." (Col­ contribute to operations aimed at removing cargo plane, loaded with arms and ammun­ Three Nicaraguan harbors have been ombia is a leading member of the four-gov­ the mines." ition. The plane, identical with one shot mined since March I , and vessels from half ernment Contadora Group that is seeking a The French diplomatic note caused quite down in northern Nicaragua in October, a dozen countries have been damaged. negotiated solution to the conflict in Cen­ a stir in Latin America and, to judge from apparently crashed in late March while on a Discussing the plans for combat troops tral America.) the reaction, in Washington as well. U.S. mission to resupply counterrevolutionaries to Latin America, the officials explained The Jetter, from French Foreign Minister State Department spokesman John who had infiltrated across the border. that Granadero I, the military exercise now Claude Cheysson, was clearly intended as Hughes, initially expressed "regret" over Four of the seven bodies discovered in under way in Honduras, and Ocean Ven­ confidential. It was released publicly in France's offer of aid to Nicaragua. "We the wreckage were reported to be U.S. citi­ ture '84, the slated Caribbean naval exer­ Bogota April 4 after excerpts had been would not favor any nation's contributing zens, presumably employees of the CIA. cise, are part of the war preparations. widely quoted in the Latin American press. to Nicaragua's ability to export revolution All identification markings on the plane The massive Honduran training maneu­ It is the most blunt criticism so far by one with impunity," Hughes said. had been covered with a coat of dark paint. vers, they said, will develop a military of Washington's imperialist allies. When reporters pointed out that such a Costa Rican officials claimed they learn­ cadre familiar with the terrain, climate, and In the Jetter, Cheysson states the French statement amounted to tacit acknowledge­ ed about the crash from news accounts. But government's "enormous concern" with ment that the United States had planted the the San Jose, Costa Rica, daily Prensa the "obstacles to free navigation represen­ mines in the first place, no further com­ Libre reports that U.S. and Costa Rican of­ ted by the mining of three Nicaraguan ments were issued. ficials had been combing the area looking Subscribe to ports." Meanwhile, on the battlefront, the U.S. for the plane for days. Peasants in the crash "At issue, without doubt, is a blockade, war continues claiming more civilian vic­ area told Prensa Libre there were an aver­ the Militant undertaken in peacetime, against a small tims. Nicaragua's Ministry of Interior re­ age of four such supply flights a week in country. . . . It is correct to observe with ports that 700 Miskito Indians were kid- that sector.

April 20, 1984 The Militant . 9 Convention marks CLUW's lOth year Union women discuss '84 elections, affirmative action, Central America

BY MARGARET JAYKO the ranks of labor to fight for the rights of Also present · were contingents from "It was on March 22, 1974 when 3,000 CHICAGO - The lOth anniversary women, Blacks, and all working people­ United Auto Workers (UA W); Interna­ union women startled the media and labor convention of the Coalition of Labor Union in the United States and around the world tional Union of Electrical Workers (IUE); union officials by responding to a call by a Women (CLUW) brought together more . - and rejecting both the Democratic and International Ladies' Garment Workers' committee of women union officers and than I ,200 women unionists from across Republican parties and forming a union­ Union (ILGWU); Amalgamated Clothing top staff to form an organization that would the country. They arrived in this city - the based labor party. and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU); speak to the issues union women cared birthplace of CLUW - on the weekend of These ideas struck a responsive chord in United Food and Commercial Workers about. For some time union women had March 22-25 to assess CLUW's decade of many conference participants (see story (UFCW); American Federation of been looking for a special kind of feminist existence and to discuss the organization's elsewhere on page). Teachers (AFT); American Postal Workers organization." tasks. Union (APWU); Service Employees Inter­ Working women at the conference were AFSCME delegation largest national Union (SEIU); and International Founding goals reaffirmed conscious that they 'were meeting at a time Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT). Convention delegates are elected both The release also reported: when the labor movement and women's "At the first convention most delegates rights struggle are under sharp attack from by unions that have members in CLUW 'Skeptics said it couldn't be done' and by CLUW chapters. Chapters are paid their own expenses and travel. Al­ the employers and the government. Participants pointed to the fact that though many of the delegates traveling to The framework for the discussions on based on geographical areas and must in­ clude members of at least five different CLUW has survived as an important this year's anniversary convention will be how to respond to the ruling-class attacks accomplishment in and of itself. authorized 'by their unions, they're not was limited almost exclusively to getting unions in order to be chartered. Of the I ,209 convention participants: CLUW executive vice-president and one ready to chalk up any victories." out the vote for one of the Democratic CLUW's original four goals were reaf- Party presidential candidates. Most con­ 565 were union delegates; 133 were of its founding leaders, Addie Wyatt of the CLUW chapter delegates; 421 were UFCW, voiced a common sentiment when firmed at the convention. They are: vention. participants, however, were not • Organizing unorganized women. convinced that electing Walter Mondale, CLUW members who were not delegates; she told the convention's lOth anniversary and 90 were non-CLUW observers and rally: "When we came together in 1974, • Affirmative action in the workplace. Gary Hart, or Jesse Jackson - despite the • Political action and legislation. fact that almost everyone there intended to special guests. with the challenge to found the Coalition of Labor Union Women, the skeptics said it • Participation of women within their vote for one of them - would solve the Forty-nine different unions and 41 unions. . burning problems of sex and race discrimi­ CLUW chapters were represented. couldn't be done, but we did it. nation, unemployment, union-busting, and Roughly half the participants were Black. "There were those who said it wouldn't last, but it has ." CLUW: feminist, multinational the new Vietnam that's underway in Cen­ Many rank-and-file workers, as well as tral America. union officials and staff people, attended. A convention press release reviewed the The convention was a gathering of unior CLUW members who support the The biggest delegation came from the origins of CLUW in the rise of the feminists who saw the goals of labor and o Socialist Workers Party presidential ticket American Federation of State, County and women's liberation movement and the ur­ women as intertwined, with union wome1 of Mel Mason and Andrea Gonzalez pro­ Municipal Employees (AFSCME), whose gent need felt by union women to involve playing an important role ·in the fight fo posed an alternative strategy of mobilizing ranks are heavily Black and female. labor in the fight for equality: both. Dorothy Haener from the UA W re minded the convention that this view wa by no means a universal one in the !abo movement when CLUW was founded ocialist campaign sparks interest "AIIof us know," she said, "that we wer· told for many years that you will never ge the women's movement to support you BY ELLEN HAYWOOD with Reagan and they wouldn't end with CLUW came to the reception with a co­ That they only represent a little elite grour CHICAGO - Socialist Workers Party the election of a Democrat. "The second­ 'worker. They reported there was very little of professional women .... " · candidates for U.S. president and vice­ class status of women has deep roots in this enthusiasm for Mondale in their local of Underscoring the unity of purpose be­ president - Mel Mason and Andrea Gon­ class-divided society," they said. The the International Association of tween 'labor and women, National Organi­ zalez- participated in the lOth anniver­ capitalist system is defended by both the Machinists, despite the. uoion official­ zation for Women Pres. Judy G9ld§Ill_ith sary convention of the Coalition of Labor Democratic and Republican parties. Mason dom's endorsement. They 'felt that building told the convention to loud applause, "We Union Women (CLUW) which took place and Gonzalez are fighting for a socialist so­ working-class solidarity was the only alter­ are more than just allies, we are sister or here on March 22-25. ' ciety. native to Reagan's union-busting. Solidar­ ganizations with a common agenda . . .. " In explaining his support for CLUW, Gonzalez attended an international ity is what the socialist campaign stands From its inception, a strength of CLUV Mason said, "Women's rights are under at­ women's conference in Managua, Nicara­ for, which is why they are both going to has been its truly multinational character tack by the government and the employers. gua, last year. She talked to CLUW con­ vote socialist. with Black women playing a leading rol· CLUW represents the women w~o suffer vention participants about the advances At the reception, Gonzalez hit the anti­ on all levels. most from sexist discrimination- Black, women have made in countries like Nicara­ woman ·propaganda offensive around the Latina, and working women. These sisters gua and Cuba that bave workers and farmers trial and conviction of four men in a brutal Accomplishments gang rape in New Bedford, Massachusetts. can help lead a fighting women's liberation governments. CLUW Pres. Joyce Miller, an ACTWl "The defense and media tried to make movement which is what we need to fight Gonzalez also participated in workshops vice-president and the first woman membe1 the victim into a criminal, dragging out the for women's equality today." and informal discussions with Latina of the AFL-CIO Executive Council, re­ Gonzalez, a CLUW member and laid­ CLUW sisters who were working to edu­ timeworn stereotype of women- 'we're all tramps who secretly want to be raped,'" viewed CLUW's accomplishments in th<: off steelworker, added that CLUW "has cate CLUW members on the importance of last lO years. helped educate the entire union movement Gonzalez said. "The conviction of the four defending undocumented and immigrant These include its role in getting the !abo on women's rights. With more of us in the workers from the racist discrimination by is a victory for women's rights and all movement involved in the fight for tht work force and active in our unions, we employers and the U.S . government. working people." A young machinist from Chicago also Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and pa) can bring our unions into the fight for af­ Mason and Gonzalez participated in a came to the reception and decided to help equity for women and getting more womer firmative action, abortion rights, pay spirited picket line organized by CLUW equity, the Equal Rights Amendment, and get the socialist campaign known on her elected to union offices. during the convention in solidarity with job. Miller reported that today CLUW ha~ childcare." striking General Dynamics workers. In a workshop on Reagan and affirma­ More than 125 copies of the Militant, the more than 18,000 members in 59 uniom tive action, Mason took the floor during the Following the picket line, several socialist campaign . newspaper, were and 73 chapters spanning 32 states. discussion to express his view that women, CLUW members sponsored a well-at­ bought by CLUW members during the con­ More than seven million women belon~ Blacks, and unionists need to mobilize a tended reception for Mason and Gonzalez. vention. Hundreds of pieces of campaign to unions today, which means only 14 per­ united campaign today to defend and ex­ A campaign supporter from Cincinnati literature were also distributed. cent of the 48 million women workers ir. tend affirmative action. this country are union members. Womer A CLUW sister who is Black rose to are 33 percent of the unions' membershii state her agreement with the need for an in­ and are the largest block of new unior. creased union fightback. "Where were the members. unions when the Civil Rights Commission Convention speakers touched on the was being disbanded?" It is not enough to myriad of problems facing women work- issue statements, she said. "We should be . ers: cuts in social services and education out on every street comer." low pay ,-sexual .harassment, and lack o Mason added that rather than support the child-care facilities; attacks on affirmativ< Democratic nominee in the 1984 elections, action and pay equity; and the lack of !ega as proposed by workshop panelists, equality. CLUW should urge the labor movement to "Poor women, above all those who art run its own candidates on a working-class Blacks or other minorities," declared Mi; program defending women and Blacks. ler, "have long been singled out for speci:: This would be a step toward the formation oppression by the denial of Medicaid pay of a labor party. ments for abortion." Socialist campaigners discussed these ideas with many conference participants, 'Modest goals' most of whom were planning to vote for "Our goals are modest," Milkr said, one of the Democratic Party candidates "jobs, quality child care, quality education with the objective of "dumping Reagan." for our children, the right to a job without Many supporters of Jesse Jackson, mostly our race or sex being taken into considera­ Black and younger women, were particu­ tion ." larly interested in thesoc.ialists' program. To win these things, said Miller, CLUW In a statement distributed at the confer­ Militant/Nancy Cole should focus on registering women to vote ence, Mason and Gonzalez explained that Socialist Workers Party candidates for president and vice-president, Mel Mason and against Reagan in 1984. Though CLUW is the attacks on women's rights didn't begin Andrea Gonzalez, at CLUW convention picketline against General Dynamics. formally nonpartisan, the top leadership's

10 The Militant April 20, 1984 visions in the labor movement. She pointed to Roybal's call for beefing up the border cops as a direct attack on workers forced to come here because U.S. employer domination has kept their coun­ tries impoverished. Rachel Knapik from the lAM in Cincin­ nati said the Roybal bill would close U.S. borders even tighter to the thousands of Salvadoran refugees who are fleeing their homeland to escape U.S .-sponsored vio­ lence there. Most delegates, however, felt that the Roybal bill represented a step toward jus­ tice for the undocumented and the resolu­ tion passed. One measure of the solidarity with un­ , Cole documented workers at the convention was More than 1,000 unionists attended convention marking CLUW's first decade. Leadership projected supporting a Democrat the broad support given to the case of Hec­ against Reagan as the way to solve the problems facing women and all working people. SWP campaign supporters were only tor Marroquin, a Mexican-born socialist CLUW members to pose alternative strategy of mobilizing labor's ranks against both Democratic and Republican parties. who is fighting U.S. government attempts to deport him (see story on page 20). message to "vote for Mondale" came Solidarity among women workers in women and others to support the strike. through loud and clear in a thousand differ­ backing up sisters who are the victims of Three women from the women's auxiliary 'Mondale's fight is our fight' ent ways. harassment was repeatedly pointed to as in Safford attended the convention, as did An indication of the recognition CLUW key to combating such mistreatment. Anna O'Leary, whose husband, Dr. Jorge has won within the union movement was Panelists stressed that sexual harassment is O'Leary, 'has been victimized by Phelps Affirmative action the number of top union officials who ad­ illegal and that harassment victims should Dodge for supporting the strike. dressed the conVention. The first day of the convention was de­ utilize their unions to fight for them. Kansas City CLUW, which recently or­ For the first time ever, the president of voted to affirmative action. Several women described unsuccessful ganized a strike-support tour in their area, the AFL-CIO, Lane Kirkland, addressed a· The keynote address was given by attempts to get their locals to deal seriously gav~ their table to the Arizona women to CLUW convention. Six international union Althea Simmons, director of the Washing­ with cases of harassment. This led to some use to distribute literature on the strike. presidents also spoke, including the heads ton, D.C., Bureau of NAACP. discussion on the need to educate union Auxiliary member Virginia Ruiz de­ of AFSCME, USWA, UFCW, and Simmons stressed the need for unity be­ brothers on how the bosses initiate and fos­ scribed the "multitude of injustices'; that APWU. All paid tribute to the role of tween the women's rights movement and ter sexual harassment as a way to weaken the strikers had to contend with, including women in the labor movement, and the civil rights movement in the face of the unions and divide and discipline the attacks by the cops and National Guard. pledged their backing for CLUW and the government and employer efforts to tum work force. O'Leary ended her remarks to the conven­ fight for women's equality. these two oppressed groups against each The need to elect union officials who are tion with a thought from Mexican revo­ The focus of Kirkland's speech, -how­ other. This kind of unity is easier to more responsive to the needs of women lutionist Emiliano Zapata: "We would. ever, was justifying the AFL-CIO's en­ achieve, Simmons indicated, "in the com­ was also raised. Several women pointed to rather die standing up than to live on our dorsement of Mondale. pany of labor union women." the special problems of women who work knees ." Kirkland blamed the Reagan administra­ Responding to Reagan administration at­ in predominantly male jobs. Delegates then hit the mikes, to pledge tion for all the problems facing working tacks on affirmative action, Simmons de­ money and support. United Farm Workers people, and claimed that a Mondale admin­ fended the use of numerical goals, which Grenada Vice-pres. Dolores Huerta denounced istration would solve all those problems. Phelps Dodge's racism against the major­ have the force of law behind them, that is, B)andina R~fre;z., a former member of The AFL-CIO asks Mondale, said Kirk­ . quotas;· 'in order to begin to remedy 'file' ef­ the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights who ity Latino strikers and · reported on the land, to "defend our country against all fects of discrimination. was firedby Reagan, was the guest speaker UFW's donations of food and money. enemies - internal and external." Refer­ She also defended the use of separate at the affirmative action luncheon. About $2,000 was raised at the convention. ring to Mondale, Kirkland concluded, "his seniority lists for Blacks and women and There was also an excellent slide show Unionists on strike against Continental fight is our fight." other modifications of seniority. She moti­ by Alarie Mack on the role of Black Airlines also addressed the gathering. . Kirkland's flag-waving, jingoistic en~ vated these as a way to break the vicious women in 19th century struggles for the ·on Friday, ·500 convention participants thusiasm for Mondale's program con­ cycle of "last hired, first fired," which rights of Blacks and women. Mack began demonstrated at the downtown Chicago trasted with the more skeptical and militant damages gains made by women and op­ with the 18Q I slave revolt that established headquarters of a subsidiary of General mood of many women at the convention - pressed nationalities in hiring and promo­ the independent Black republic of Haiti. Dynamics Corp. (GD), the largest contrac­ including many who intended to vote for tion. She pointed out that the U.S. ruling class at tor with t~e Pentagon .. The UA W has Mondale themselves. that time was fearful of the example that targeted GD as a notorious union-buster. The tendency of every speaker to blame AFL-CIO opposes modifying seniority this set for Black slaves in the United The demonstration was a show of solidarity all the problems facing women and work­ States, just as the U.S. invasion of Grenada with the 2,200 UA W members on strike ing people on Reagan the individual re­ In the workshop titled "Affirmative Ac- · against GD in Groton, Connecticut, as well tion Within Our Unions," William Pollard, was carried out, in part, because of Wash­ Continued on Page 12 ington's fears of the example the Grenada as a protest of its gross discrimination director of the AFL-CIO Civil Rights De­ against women workers. partment, took issue with Simmons' talk. revolution set for Blacks today. Though this was the only mention of the He spoke against modifying seniority as Roybal bill: 'lesser evil' part of affirmative action plans. It's the events in Grenada from the podium during employers, not the union, he said, who re­ the convention, socialists who are mem­ This CLUW convention also saw a con­ fuse to hire women and Blacks and who lay bers of CLUW had many discussions about tinuation of the discussion, began at the them off. the Grenada revolution and the U.S. inva­ 1979 convention, on the need for the union But that sidesteps the fact that the unions sion with convention-goers who stopped movement to vigorously defend the rights have won some control over who gets laid by the socialist literature table. A book and of undocume11ted workers. off first - through seniority systems a pamphlet by Pathfinder Press containing CLUW members active in defense of the negotiated into contracts. The unions, speeches by Grenada's murdered Prime ·undocumented including several therefore, are responsible for fighting for Minister Maurice Bishop were brisk sel­ Latinas - wanted CLUW to go on record seniority systems that strengthen the unity lers. against the anti-immigrant Simpson-Maz~ of the union by preventing discriminatory zoli Bill, which is currently before Con­ layoffs, which reduce the percentages of Arizona copper strike gress. Instead of educating about why Blacks and women on the job. In an inspiring display of working-class CLUW should oppose any restrictions on Pollard also stressed that the AFL-CIO solidarity, the convention gave representa- . workers without papers, that is, an open officialdom supports only voluntary af­ tives of the striking copper miners in border, these activists proposed that firmative action programs, thus opposing Arizona an enthusiastic response. CLUW's CLUW back a bill recently introduced by mandatory quotas for hiring Blacks and Organizing the Unorganized conference Rep. Edward Roybal (D.-Calif.). women. last year had sent a message of support to While this bill purports to eliminate This workshop, like others, discussed the striking copper miners. some of the worst features of Simpson­ the need for unions to es.tablish women's The strike representatives were origi­ Mazzoli, its declared aim is the same: to committees, as well as the need for CLUW nally slated to speak at noon on Sunday, curb immigration. And that means more chapters to play a direct role in defending when rnany participants would have al­ border cops and continuing the pariah cate­ women workers on the job. ready left . On Saturday, delegate Kathleen gory of "illegals." Kelley from International Association of Supporters of the Roybal bill argued that . 'No one asks to be sexually harassed' Machinists (lAM) Local 79 in Seattle took while it wasn't "perfect" it wasn't as bad as The workshop on sexual harassment was the floor to propose a change in the agenda Simpson-Mazzoli and it would bring some a real give-and-take discussion on what so that the Arizona women could address benefits to immigrant workers. sexual harassment is and how to get the the plenary on Saturday. Delegates wel­ Other supporters of the undocumented unions to fight it. comed her proposal and two of the women disagreed with this approach. Panelist Priscilla Young from the U AW spoke. Willie Reid of the International Brother­ explained that it's essential to overcome The United Steelworkers (USW A) and hood of Electrical Workers Local 66 in Militant/Nancy Cole the idea that it's a woman's fault when 12 other unions have been on strike against Houston said that backing the "lesser of Women's auxiliary member Virginia Ruiz · she's harassed. No one ever "asks" to be Phelps Dodge for nine months. The com­ two evils" meant backing an evil that tells CLUW convention about Arizona gov­ sexually harassed, affirmed Young, just pany is out to break the unions. Women's would worsen the plight of the un­ ernment's attacks on striking copper miners. like no one ever "asks" to be raped. auxiliaries have been formed to mobilize documented and intensify boss-created di- Delegates donated $2,000 to strikers.

April 20, 1984 The Militant 11 . CLUW convention marks lOth·anniversary

people were outraged to see that it had little America, has given the commission our en­ resemblance to an antiwar resolution. dorsement. That commission's conclusions did not oppose intervention in Central Slander of Nicaragua beat back America. In fact, it supported increased aid of all kinds. I would just hope that brother In talking about "undemocratic regimes" Kirkland would. be persuaded by the depth that suppress union activities in Central of our convictions and our arguments on America and the Caribbean, the resolution this issue to rescind his support for the Kis­ lumped together the bloody Salvadoran singer commission." government with the prounion Nicaraguan No one spoke against the resolution and government. it was adopted. It did this by including the following sentence: Weak South Africa resolution "In Nicaragua, seven dockworker union leaders have been jailed for actions taken The convention also debated what posi~ on behalf of their members, which is a vio­ tion CLUW should take on the role of U.S. lation of their trade union rights." This is a employers in South Africa. The resolutions lie, not a fact. committee put forward a resolution that The resolution also demanded an "im­ condemned the racist apartheid govern­ mediate end to military intervention by the ment, its repression of Black trade union­ United States, or any other outside power ists, and the profiteering by U.S. employ­ in the affairs of Central America, and the ers at the expense ofBlack workers. Caribbean, including Grenada" (emphasis The resolution called on CLUW to "sup­ added). This gives credence to Washing­ port all efforts to divest any public or pri­ ton's main justification for intervention: vate funds of any investments" in South the need to counter alleged Soviet and Africa. However, the resolution also gave Militant/Nancy Cole Cuban intervention. credence to the false idea that U.S. corpo­ "Peace, Jobs, and Disarmament" workshop. Discussion on U.S. aggression in El Sal­ rations and the U.S. government - which vador, Nicaragua, and Grenada showed depth of union women's opposition to new The resolution also didn't call for an end to U.S. economic aid to El Salvador. But it are collaborating with and backing the Vietnam. Many have begun to learn about the gains of women and workers under apartheid regime - can be a force for Nicaragua's Sandinista government. is precisely such aid that allows that mur­ derous government to stay in pciwer. In progress in South Africa. An attempt to fact, the . resolution proposed sending strengthen the resolution by deleting a sec­ tion that condoned the presence of U.S. the next day. He reviewed the policies of "humanitarian" aid, a formula for con­ Continued from Page 11 businesses in South Africa was defeated, suited in a refusal by the assembled offi­ his administration since he was elected last tinued support to the U.S. -backed govern­ and the resolution passed unamended. cials to face up to the real depths of the year and urged workers to "march to the ment. polls" to get rid of Reagan. - The resolution calls for support for "free crisis facing working people. Building CLUW Any honest look at the blows being dealt labor unions." These are the standard to women and the unions would show, not Antiwar and freeze resolutions codewords for the AFL-CIO officialdom's A concern of convention participants only that they are the result of bipartisan­ reactionary aid to CIA efforts to crush mil­ was the question of building CLUW as a Resolutions against U.S. intervention in ship, but also that fai more than casting a itant unions and replace them with proim­ large and strong organization. In the El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Grenada were vote on Election Day is required to begin to perialist house-broken ones in countries USWA and ACfWU caucus meetings, submitted to the convention by CLUW defend working people. The idea of around the globe. there was some discussion about the small chapters and leaders. They reflected the mobilizing the power of the ranks of labor Questions about the resolution were number of rank-and- file union members in­ widespread antiwar sentiment among - in strike action, in solidarity with other raised in the ACTWU caucus meeting and volved in CLUW and the need to tum that union women, the discussion in the labor strikers, in demonstrations for jobs and elsewhere. Activists from AFSCME, around. Currently, the core of active mem­ movement about what position to take on­ against U.S. wars, in struggles against ra- SEIU, lAM, and other unions also raised bers in most CLUW ch~pters are union U.S. policy in this region, and the antiwar . cism and sexism, - in on-the-job fights objections. By the next morning, a new staff members and officials. and ~olidarity activities that some CLUW against speed-up and sexual harassment - version of the resolution ' was distributed, The need to build CLUW chapters came chapters have been involved in. - with the slanderous sentence on Nicaragua was absent from the podium. up in a debate over a proposal to amend th~ They indicated a different sentiment Joan Mondale, Walter Mondale's wife, deleted. Nobody spoke in favor of the orig­ constitution to change the ratio of conven­ from the poisonous chauvinism of Joan also addressed the convention. inal version or criticized Nicaragua during tion delegates from CLUW chapters from .I Mondale-' s speech. She hit hard on the reactionary "America the floor discussiOihi.)Jl the resolution. per 'e\tety' 25'' tneltr'be't'S"to' f ~'{ 'e\iery A layer of unionists came to the conven­ ··m first" theiJle that has been the hallmark of No amendments· ~ere proposed either members - the same ratio as for delegates tion with the goal of getting CLUW on re­ Mondale's campaign. She said Mondale that would have strengthened the resolu­ from unions. After some discussion, the cord against Washington's aggression in would be a president"who will stand up for tion's opposition to U.S. policy. amendment passed over the objections of Central America. Ameri~an businesses, American workers, the resolutions committee. At the 1982 convention, the ·cLUW and American farmers." U.S. subverts popular government The constitution was also amended, at leadership attempted to prevent a discus­ A Teamster was the first person to speak the initiative of the CLUW leadership, to Speech by Charles Hayes sion on Central America under the guise add a category of CLUW "associate mem­ that foreign policy is not a woman's issue. in favor of the resolution. She reported on a bership" which would allow women who The most well-received speaker at the This year there was an official workshop visit she and other unionists made to Nica­ are not union members to be active in convention was Rep. Charles Hayes (D­ on "Peace, jobs, and· nuclear disarma­ ragua in January. "We met with union CLUW. Ill.). At the time he was elected in 1983, ment." leaders from different political persua­ Hayes was a vice-president of the UFCW About 100 women attended the work­ sions, including the unions that are sym­ and a leader of the Coalition of Black shop. While the focus was support for a pathetic to the government as well as the Trade Unionists. He was the first top trade bilateral freeze on nuclear weapons, there unions that are not," she began. Union women support union official elected to Congress in dec­ was some discussion from the floor on the One thing all the unionists they met with Marroquin's fight ades, and he emphasized that it was the war in Central America. agreed on, she sajd, was oppOsition to U.S. power of the organized labor movement in Some delegates spoke on the convention military intervention and U.S. aid to the against deportation support of his campaign that allowed him to floor against a resolution putting CLUW on rightist counterrevolutionaries. "Millions be elected. record in support of a nuclear freeze. of our tax dollars are being used to subvert Continued from back page a popular government in Nicaragua and to Hayes was the only speaker who advo­ should fight first and then pray," another Mindy Brudno from the ILGWU in Mil­ support an unpopular one in El Salvador. cated support for Jackson, motivating it as added. waukee explained that it's the U.S. govern­ "Ronald Reagan doesn't support the a way to raise the "problems of poor "It is with the kind of solidarity that you ment, not the Soviet Union, that is respon­ American workers and he does not speak people" and as a way for working people to have shown at this convention that I can sible for the proliferation of nuclear for the workers in Nicaragua." · put some of their "planks in the platform" weapons and the wars going on in the win my case," Marroquin said. of the Democratic Party. As the meeting ended people took mater­ world. She was booed by many delegates UAW opposes intervention While Hayes' program is in the same when she pointed to the fact that the United ial and petitions on Marroquin's case and procapitalist framework as Mondale and States is the only country that has ever used The next speaker was Jo-Ann Della­ exchanged ideas and experiences on how to Kirkland, he was perceived as more mili­ nuclear weapons. She was referring to the Giustina from the UAW in Chicago. She present resolutions to their unions and or­ tant. An attempt by a small number of bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki dur­ read from the recent issue of the UAW's ganizations in support of Marroquin's ' white delegates to start a chant of "Moo­ ing World War II. Ammo magazine, which is titled "Why are fight. dale, Mondale" when he finished speaking U.S. troops in Central America?" The freeze resolution passed with only a was drowned out by thunderous applause "Central America is at risk of exploding JERSEY CITY, N.J. - Upon my return few dissenting votes. and the singing of "Solidarity Forever" led ' into a regional war," warned Ammo. ·home I was invited to address a chapter by Blacks. When the resolutions committee's ver­ "Throughout Mexico, Columbia and Ven­ meeting of North Jersey CLUW on my While not originally on the agenda, sion of a Central America resolution was ezuela, young unemployed people already husband's case. The response was inspir­ Chicago Mayor Harold Washington spoke distributed to delegates on Saturday, some are talking of forming brigades to join the ing. One member denounced U.S. immi­ Sandinistas in the case of outright conflict. gration policy as "racist" and "discriminat­ So the stage is set for jobless U.S. boys to ory against women" as well as Blacks and Speech by Nicaraguan die in the mountains of Central America Latinos. fighting jobless youths from all over Latin A · member of the executive board of A Commander America." Communications Workers of America Strategy Della-Giustina also quoted from the re­ Local 1033 volunteered to present a resolu­ to Tomas Borge Fight cent UAW convention resolution which tion on behalf of Marroquin before her next Back called for "the cutoff of U.S. military and board meeting. She then proposed and, Women and the economic assistance to the oppressive re­ along with two other CLUW members, gime of El Salvador" and which opposed drafted a resolution that North Jersey Nicaraguan "covert or overt U.S. aid to overthrow the CLUW go on record "in support of Hector government of Nicaragua" and urged "a Marroquin in his fight for political asylum withdrawal of CIA and military involve­ and permanent residence." It was adopted Revolution ment in Honduras aimed at harassment of unanimously. Nicargua." . 38pp., $.95 30pp., $.75 An lAM member from Connecticut Priscilla Schenk is the Socialist Workers Order from Pathfinder press, 410 West St, New York, N.Y. 10014. Please include 75 cents for post­ pointed out that "Lane Kirkland, in serving Party candidate for U.S. Senate from New age and handling. on the Kissinger commission on Central Jersey.

12 The Mllitant April 20, 1984 Denial of rights·in Boudin case must be brought to light

The following article is by George . tive measures by law enforcement offi­ Boudin, as a pretrial detainee, is not to be Novack, a longtime · leader of the cials. Boudin; her attorneys; and her par­ punished." She was transferred to a state Socialist Workers Party. Novack has ents, Leonard and Jean Boudin, have con­ prison where her codefendants were, in­ been active in civil liberties cases dating ducted a tireless struggle simply to secure cluding her husband, and was permitted to back to the 1930s, when lie was involved minimally tolerable conditions for her in play with · her son when he visited. Even in the fight to free jailed labor leaders prison and to safeguard her legal rights. then, it took a fight to get her housed with Tom Mooney and Warren K. Billings, They have initiated motions and lawsuits the general prison population, instead of and in the campaign against the racist attacking the harsh conditions in four jails being held in isolation. frame-up trial of nine Black youth in where she has been incarcerated. They The most flagrant recent episode in her Scottsboro, Alabama. have forced the severance of trials and two· harassment occurred early this year. On the Novack was national secretary of the changes in location, because of adverse evening of February 3, Boudin was illeg­ Civil Rights Defense Committee, which publicity marked by media hostility de­ ally removed from the Orange County Jail defended Minneapolis Teamsters and manding retaliation for the pollee deaths. · and hustled back to the Rockland County Kathy Boudin. Government is provoca­ SWP leaders framed up on sedition The circumstances of the case and the ar­ Jail. This was in defiance of a state appel­ tively violating her rights as a defendant charges on the eve of World War II. He tificially stirred-up hysteria have tended to late court ruling moving her out of Rock­ in order to set precedent for broader at­ headed the Kutcher Civil Rights Com­ deter objections to the abusive treatment of land because of its punitive atmosphere. tack on rights of others victimized by mittee, which defended legless veteran Boudin, the gross violations of legal proce­ Rockland is on~ of the worst jails in the courts, cops, and prisons. James Kutcher when the government dures, and the denial of her democratic state. tried to fire him from his job during the rights. They have pushed into the eack­ The appellate court had ruled that Boudin's next transfer should be to the jail to keep her behind bars for the rest of her McCarthy period because of his mem~ ground and obscured the civil liberties is­ days. bership in the SWP. sues at stake in the case. in Westchester County, where her trial is taking place. From the Rockland jail, she In the 1960s, Novack was actively in~ Gov't denies politics involved volved in the campaign to defend three Brutal treatment · has to travel a total of an hour and a half members of the Young Socialist Alliance each day to and from the court, seriously Throughout the case the government has What, specifically, have the authorities framed up on charges of conspiring to impeding adequate preparation of her de­ denied that politics has anything to do with done against Boudin? Although she has not overthrow the government of the state of fense. Not a single state official has op­ its treatment of Boudin. District Attorney been convicted of any crime, she has been Indiana. posed this illegal transfer, which has even Kenneth Gribetz, the prosecutor in the For the last 11 years, Novack has been consistently denied bail arid has been kept elicited protest from the pages of the New case, recently said, "we never mentioned in jail for two and a half years. The courts active in organizing support for the York Times. radical, or terrorist, or the Weather Under­ have refused to separate her trial from that SWP's federal lawsuit against FBI spy­ ground, or anything political in the first of Samuel Brown, another Brink's defen­ ing and government harassment. He is Deliberate, provocative attacks Brink's trial and we don't intend to in this dant who turned government informer in one." treasurer of the Socialist Workers Presi­ Why have the prisons, courts, and dential Campaign Committee. the case. . But the trial, and the years of persecu­ For almost three months· after her arrest, elected officials so deliberately and. pro­ vocatively attacked Boudin's rights? They tion of Boudin and her codefendants, is po­ BY GEORGE NOVACK Boudin was in solitary confinement at the litical down to the last detail. Manhattan Correctional Institute. She was aim to take advantage of the pariah status To someone like myself, who has been they have imposed on her - · and the lack Boudin is a well~known radical activist actively engaged in many civil liberties not allowed to touch her 15-month-old from the 1960s generation. Whatever dis­ baby, Chesa, on the pretext of "security" of vocal support on her behalf - to estab­ causes over the past 50 years, it is disturb­ lish precedents that can be used more agreements one may have with the course ing to note that forces on the left have given considerations. The authorities said her she chose in becoming part of the Weather baby might be carrying a weapon con­ broadly to take away the democratic rights so little attention to the trial of Kathy of other indicted individuals. And they are Underground, no serious person on the left Boudin now being staged at the Westches­ cealed in his Pampers. can fail to see the stakes in her case for the In January 1982, Federal Judge Kevin banking on the intimidating atmosphere ter County Courthouse in White Plains, generated by the media to get away with workers movement as a whole. The gov­ New York. Duffy ruled that her constitutional rights ernment vendetta against her is more were being denied and held that "Ms. such arbitrary acts. Boudin is charged with robbery and broadly directed atBlack liberation fight­ m~rper in connection with the holdup of a In the 1950s, the case of Julius and Ethel ers, unionists, socialists, and opponents of Bonk's armored truck in 1981 , during Rosenberg was used by the government in U.S. intervention in Central America. · which two policemen and a Brink's guard a similar manner. Boudin's association with Black militants .,vere . ~illed., ,. ,Her. husband,, Oavid .GUQe.rt .• On top of restricting . .Bopdin's legal alone. has .llingled her out for automatic and two other defendants were sentenced rights even to the point of breaking their abuse by racist officials. last year to 75 years to life on similar own laws and regulations, the authorities The vendetta against Kathy Boudin is charges. are taking exorbitant and costly measures also aimed at her father, Leonard Boudin. Boudin was arrested shortly after the designed to brainwash potential jurors and He is general counsel of the National robbery. She was not armed, according to depict her as aterrorist menace, though she Emergency Civil Liberties Committee and police. No eyewitness at the scene of the has harmed no one. They are enforcing the is one of the most eminent U.S. constitu­ holdup has identified her as a participant. most elaborate security precautions ever tional attorneys. He has represented oppo­ Boudin was arrested shortly after the seen in White Plains on the pretext of anti­ nents of the Vietnam War, such as Dr. robbery. She was not armed, according to cipated trouble from radical sympathizers, Benjamin Spock, Daniel Ellsberg, and de­ the police, and she is not accused of shoot­ although there are too few in the court­ fendants in the Harrisburg 7 case and a host ing anyone. No eyewitness at the scene of Militant/Harry room. The courthouse has been converted of other victims of the government and the the holdup has identified her as a partici­ Leonard Boudin. Powers that be are into an armed fortress guarded by police courts. At the present time, he handles the pant. using trial of his daughter Kathy to dogs. legal affairs in this country of the Cubari Nonetheless, for two and a half years she strike a vengeful blow· against him for All this is a setup for a kangaroo court and Angolan governments and of the Cen­ has been unremittingly subjected to vindic- his decades of defense of civil liberties. and a railroaded trial. The prosecutors hope tral Bank of Iran. For more than two decades, Boudin has been counsel in major cases associated with the Socialist Workers Party and Atlanta socialist office attacked again Young Socialist Alliance, ranging from the BY RICK CONGRESS attacks. Williams pointed out that their son campaign, accompanied Williams in "sedition" indictment against three YSA ATLANTA - The Socialist Workers failure to speak out and act served as an in­ an attempt to meet with the mayor. The leaders at Indiana University in the 1960s, campaign headquarters here was attacked centive to racist and right-wing elements to mayor's aide said that he was "in confer­ to the landmark lawsuit of the SWP and for the third time in a month when the front continue such violence. ence" all day and could not be reached. But YSA against the FBI, to the current battle window was broken in on Saturday even­ Williams also explained that the SWP Williams and Beasley did have a chance to to prevent the deportation of Hector Marro­ ing, April7. On the weekends of March 10 campaign will not be intimidated by these meet with the police chief. quin, an SWP leader. and March 18 pellet gun shots were fired attacks. It will continue to publicly speak The Atlanta Operation PUSH chapter All this has made Leonard Boudin an through the front window (see Militants of out in defense of workers' rights and has offered to turn its April 14 meeting into anathema to the powers that be. They have March 23 and 30). · against racist attacks and the U.S. govern­ a protest rally against the attacks on the seized on his daughter's case as a long­ After the March 18 attack, Maurice Wil­ ment's move to create a new Vietnam in , SWP offices. T):le meeting will be at 10 a~aited opportunity to damage !:tis reputa­ liams, 5th Congressional District candidate Central America. a.m. at Tabernacle Baptist Church, 475 tion and strike a vengeful blow against for the SWP, held a news conference, On Monday morning, April9, Joe Beas­ Boulevard Ave. For more information call him . which was widely covered by the local ley, deputy state director of the Jesse Jack- (404) 577-4065. media. Williams demanded that the city Silence must be broken and state governments and cops arrest and The issues in the prosecution of Kathy prosecute those responsible for the terrorist Boudin go beyond the personalities, ideas, attacks. and activities of the individuals directly in­ The Socialist Workers campaign also volved. They should be of concern to every began a drive to get support for its demo­ defender of civil liberties. The violations of cratic right to function free from rightist at­ democratic rights and dangerous prece­ tacks. Efforts were stepped up to get dents being set must be exposed and op­ Mayor Andrew Young and Georgia Gov. posed. Joe Frank Harris to condemn this attack If they are passed over by default, as­ publicly and to take some action. Several saults on the Bill of Rights will gain a fur­ community activists supported this effort, ther boost. Other radicals, unionists, Black but neither Young nor Harris responded to liberation fighters, and antiwar activists this appeal. will increasingly be victims of similar When the latest attack took place, TV abuses by the courts and prison system. and radio stations gave coverage to Wil­ For these reasons the silence that has liams, who spoke for the SWP campaign at surrounded the proceedings in the West- · a news conference held April 8 at the cam­ chester County Courthouse must be bro­ paign offices. He announced that a delega­ . Militant ken. The denial of democratic rights in the tion would visit the mayor and governor to Socialist Workers congressional candidate Maurice Williams (right) and U.s~ Senate Boudin case must be brought to light and demand that action be taken to stop these candidate Susan Winsten, show reporters damage done to their headquarters. condemned. ·

April 20, 1984 The Militant 13 N.D . .farmers force FmHA to move officials BY ERLING SANNES fog to get here on time," she told Shuman. BISMARCK, N.D.- Over 600 riled, Shuman had r:o comment to her asser­ angry, and desperate fanners, supported by tion that if the event had been a $1 00-a­ several small businessmen and workers, plate fund-raising event for the Republican gathered in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, Party he would have found a way to get March 24 expecting to directly confront there. Fanners Home Administration (FmHA) Other fanners said they didn't think Shu­ National Director Charles Shuman with man wanted to meet with them. When one their complaints. suggested that the fanners would be willing Their grievances include a backlog of to come to Grand Forks in a tractorcade, unprocessed loan applications, callous and Shuman hastily recalled an important indifferent treatment they receive at FmHA Saturday night commitment back in Wash- offices, and a pervasive lack of support ingto_n. _ ,from insensitive officials in several FmHA Anger ran even higher when Tracy offices in northwestern Minnesota. Bjorke reminded the crowd that Agricul­ The fanners fear that they and thousands ture Secretary John Block has made several of their fellow fanners throughout the speeches recently where he has declared country are going to lose their farms unless that from 15 percent to 17 percent of the they get immediate help in the form of ur­ farmers in the United States "have to go." gently needed loans for spring planting. "Before that happens, Block will be re­ . The March 24 meeting was an outgrowth moved from office," Bjorke told the group of a demonstration February 22, when 100 of cheering farmers. angry fanners staged a first-ever successful "Farmers all over the United States have blockade of the FmHA office in Thief got to organize. We've got to have a na­ River Falls on the North Dakota border. tional effort. We have to strike, we have to Part of March 13 tractorcade in Jamestown, North Dakota, which called for using air That day-long blockade ended only after picket, we must stand up for our rights," force bombers to transport food to hungry nations around the world. . certain very specific demands were met. Bjorke told the Militant in a telephone in­ The fanners demanded the removal of terview. Bjorke calls for establishing a new and three federal farm lending institutions two FmHA officials from the Crookston, "I've been getting telephone calls from nationwide organization, the Fanners Po­ in that city. Minnesota, district office. They also de­ farmers all over the Upited States asking for advice on how to organize tractorcades, litical Action Committee to Feed the At that time, the farmers issued a state­ manded that Shuman personally come to ment of principles that calls for a 25 per­ Minnesota to see and hear first hand the blockades, and demonstrations. We're not World. The emphasis on the committee's goal to "feed the world" is an outgrowth of cent reduction in the U.S. war budget and terrible plight of hundreds of fanners in going to stop until we have a farmers or­ a two-day tractorcade by 200 fanners at establishment of an "Agricultural Products northwestern Minnesota. ganization in every county in the United Jamestown, North Dakota, March dur- Reserve" to assist in exporting food to hun­ After the February 22 protest, the FmHA States so we can shut down every road and· 13; . ing which the farmers successfully block­ gry nations around the world utilizing air only reluctantly yielded to the demands of highway anywhere in the country," Bjork e aded the offices-of several private banks force bombers to transport-the food. the fanners and transferred District Direc­ said. tor John Friederichs and his assistant, Paul Dornfeld, from the Crookston office when it finally became evident to FmHA that ' there ·was genuine dissatisfaction over the MasOn addresses Dallas Black church way these two individuals ran the district office. BY KATHY RETTIG society to meet human needs." Mason also was the keynote speaker at a While not satisfying all their demands, DALLAS - A highlight of presidential After the church service, Mason and Socialist Workers campaign rally held the the fanners were nevertheless encouraged candidate Mel Mason's March visit here campaign supporters spoke to and distri­ first evening of his Dallas visit. Also that their prolonged complaints brought re­ was his speech at Sunday services of the buted campaign literature _to almost all speaking at the rally were Beverley Andal­ sults. It has encouraged them to demand all-Black congregation of St. Luke's Com­ those at the service. Many wished him luck ora, socialist candidate for U.S. Senate; the removal of other officials who will not munity United Methodist Church. and said he had their votes. One church Steve Iverson, socialist candidate for 24th listen to concerns of the fanner. "We in­ During the collection the pastor, Rev. member had lived in Seaside when Mason Congressional District; Jerry Messick, a tend to go after several others, one by Zan Holmes, introduced Mason as a former was elected to the city council. campaign supporter and antiwar activist one," Tracy Bjorke, a fanner-activist, told city councilman from. Seaside, California, The chairperson of the church'-s s9cial from Norman, O,klahoma; and Patty San­ the Militant. "This is just a start." who is running for president on the concerns committee invited Mason back . chez, who had j~st completed a tour of the As the fanners began to assemble for the Socialist Workers Party ticket. Later in tht? evening, Mason ~as warmly Rio Grande Valley with vice-presidential Saturday meeting with Shuman, one of "Two brothers are running for president, received at the Cotton Candy Club in the candidate Gonzalez. them said to Willard Brunelle, organizer of and this brother is deserving of our support Black community. A campaign supporter A local Black radio station ran· clips the Northwestern Minnesota Emergency for his right to run for office," Holmes told who is a member of the club introduced from an interview with Mason for an entire Action Committee, "We've got to get a ·the 300 church members present. Mason to his friends and associates by say­ week and plans to air Mason's comments ·microphone set up or we are going to have ing, ''I'd like you to meet Mel MasOn, the before the Texas Democratic Party primary Before the benediction, Mason was in­ a riot." real presidential candidate." Many p_eople in May. Mason also received coverage on Emotions ran even higher when the vited to address the congregation from the left the club wearing "Mason for President" local TV, one local newspaper, and other fanners were told Shuman would not ap­ pulpit. He talked about the need for a Black buttons. Dallas radio stations. pear because fog had prevented his plane party and a union-based labor party to con­ from landing at Thief River Falls. When front and tum around the attacks on Black Shuman finally arrived at the Grand Forks, people in the United States. North Dakota, airport, he attempted to talk "We have to stop counting on the Dem­ Mason hits.Dallas cop_violence to the group by conference telephone. That ocratic Party to represent our interests. plan was quickly abandoned, however, They pretend to be concerned about Black . Continued from front page Mason told the group. Mason's talk met when it became apparent tension among people while taking their orders from the years as a cop, Cozby previously shot with rousing applause. · the disgusted fanners was reaching the rich families and corporations that control seven people, three of whom died. At the meeting Mason also met with boiling-point because Shuman decided not this country," he said. Mason explained The grand jury that indicted the three Dallas Jackson, chairman of the commit­ that a party of working people couLd de­ to travel by car to Thief River Falls. witnesses to Cozby's latest killing also tee, who has called the indictment of the The fanners cheered and roared their ap­ mand an end to U.S >sponsored wars cleared him of ~ny wrongdoing. witnesses "Ku Klux Klan treatment." against workers and farmers in other coun­ proval when Debbie Bjorke, from Good­ A defense fund has been started for the Mason also spoke with AI Lipscomb, a . tries, a~d could defend all civil rights and rich, Minnesota, told Shuman over the three indicted witnesses. The charges Black Democratic Party candidate for women's rights. phone, "We are not interested in talking to against them carry a prison sentence of 2 to County Commissioner. Lipscomb said he you over the telephone. If you can't come " It could put across a clear program on 10 years'. has been threatened with a lawsuit by the here and talk to us, we'll find another way hgw we, as Blacks, with other working During his tour in Dallas, Mason paid a Dallas Police Association because of pub­ of being heard. We think you ought to be people, can attain political power in this visit to a meeting of the Citizens Police/ lic comments he made about officer Melvin able to get here," she said, "because sev­ country and replace the government we Paramedic Complaint Committee, a com­ Cozby. eral fanners left their homes as early as 3 now have, whose only concern is profits, munity-based group that has been collect- The Dallas Police Association has called a.m. to drive 250 or 300 miles through the with a government that would reorganize ~ ing complaints of police violence and in­ for the disbanding of the Dallas Citizens/ justice. Police Relations Board, _an official, city­ In a five-minute address to the commit­ sponsored body that has made no criticisms 'Farm crisis deeper than a year ago' tee, Mason explained how mobilizations of the spree of killings by Dallas police. by the Black community in Phoenix and in A week before Mason's visit to Dallas BY JOHN STAGGS After hearing area reports, the meeting's Seaside, California, have been used to tum the city-sponsored board issued a report of­ DES MOINES, Iowa - Farm activists assessment was that the crisis is much back cop injustices. ii.cially clearing the police in all of the 29 from nine Midwest states met here March deeper and hitting a broader layer of fann­ "In Seaside we were fortunate enough shootings in 1983. The board rec~m­ 15- 17 to discuss the deepening farm crisis ers than a year ago. not to have any Brothers killed because of mended that carrying of handguns by Dal­ and how to respond to it. The meeting was The NAPA steering committee proposed police brutality," Mason said. "Neverthe­ las citizens - not police - be proh i bite~. called by the North American Farm Al­ reaching out to all the farm groups to unite less, mobilizations by our independent In a statement issued in resPQnse to the liance (NAPA). in coordinated actions to fight the effects of committee resulted in firing and discipli­ city board report, the 1984 Texas Soc i ~ i s{ Several farmers explained that areas hit the crisis. It proposed organizing coalitions nary actions that turned around the pattern Workers campaign of Beverley Andal{n:a, hardest by last year's drought are the scene around the theme "Common Ground - A of police brutality." candidate for U.S. Senate, and Steve l:"er­ of hundreds of foreclosures this spring. rural movement for economic justice." The Mason urged the Dallas citizens com­ son, candidate for Congress, called the re­ The difficulties of farmers is made worse purpose is to organize demonstrations, ral­ mittee, which is composed entirely of port a" whitewash." by the refusal of banks and f-ederal agen­ lies, etc.; win a consensus for a 1985 farm Blacks, to reach out to Latinos and whites The indictments of witnesses to the kill­ cies to make production loans. In this wor­ bill; screen candidates and register voters; and other allies in the struggle against ing by Cozby and the whitewash report sening credit climate, most grain elevators fight for emergency legislation, debt fore­ police violence. have been organized because Dallas city and stockyards are issuing payment checks closure moratoriums and minimum pricing Mason spoke of the importance of tum- officials want "to stop Blacks from coming to farmers with their bank's name listed as bills; and raise ideas for a long term solu­ . ing back the wave of cop violence in Dal­ forward and accusing cops of brutality and a necessary coendorser. This means the tion. They will try to get national and local las. "If they can get away with it in Dallas murder," the campaign statement said. fanner has to check with his loan officer sponsors for this movement from church, as well as Miami and Phoenix, then the The socialists are demanding "cops out before he can get paid for selling any of his union, and political organizations as well kind of police violence we have seen here of the Black community, drop the indict­ commodities. as farm groups. will be extended throughout the country," ments!"

14 The Militant April 20, 1984 Above, Anise processing plant in Lang Son, Vietnam, was destroyed in 1979 in­ vasion. Vietnamese do not rebuild it for fear of another Peking invasion. Right, Lam Binh Phuong (left) talks to Lang Son residents who are rebuilding their ·'-' home. Militant photos by Diane Wang U.S.-China war against Vietnamese people

BY STEVE CLARK der town to Hanoi. Pass. The border crossing got its name dur­ authorities even send kites and balloons over AND DIANE WANG "I'll give you some examples of what ing the long period when the Chinese and the border with candies and anti-Vietnam LANG SON, Vietnam Vietnam they did, barbarous crimes," the provincial Vietnamese worked together closely in the leaflets attached. looked very different as we drove north leader said. "They killed more than 500 struggle against"the French and U.S. im­ Despite these problems Lang Son tries to from Hanoi. Instead of rice plains there people and wounded more than 200 others. perialists. rebuild. Local people pointed with pride to were steep mountains; the weather was They arrested more than 800, incluc;ling old Our guide pointed to a hill where the the electrical and telephone posts that have cold and wet. People with light brown hair, people and children. They destroyed 30 Chinese have set up a radar station. "That been set back up. A number of people have bright blue tunics, or gold earrings - schools, 5 district hospitals, 72 infant actually is Vietnamese territory," he said. brick kilns in their yards, and houses are Nung, Tay, Dao, and other national houses, and 26 industrial sites and bridges. But the Chinese government has seized being repaired or constructed. minorities__:_ predominate here. They destroyed a big part of the housing in points within Vietnam at 10 places at least. "We restored the schools very quickly," There were more somber differences this town, and as they retreated they tore "They take the hills. Then they shoot down Phi Long said. "If we count people who too. We passed long rows of huts with down the electric.and telephone posts. .into the valleys to terrorize people," he study in their spare time, one-third of our bamboo matting for walls. "Those are for "They left behind many mines, and even said. The sporadic attacks disrupt daily people are students." The previous secon­ refugees from the Chinese attack," our after the Chinese withdrawal those mines life, especially during planting and harvest dary school was destroyed, but a new one guide explained. "We haven't been able to have caused more than 100 casualties." seasons. ha·s been built. Clinics and hospitals were a rebuild enough housing yet." In this area, it was the provincial militia A few days later Tran Cong Man, editor priority in the reconstruction effort. While in most of Vietnam the worst de­ that fought back against the invasion. Lam of the Vietnamese army daily, told us that "We would like to have peace because bris from the French and U.S. wars has Binh Phuong, a former school teacher who Peking maintains 10 divisions and 5 army we've suffered the consequences of war," been cleared away, in the far north there had been part of the militia's resistance ef­ corps, about a half-million troops, along Phi Long emphasized. "We need peace to are still rubble and skeletons of buildings fort, told us it took the Chinese 17 days to the border. In the past, when China as­ finally rebuild and restabilize. destroyed by Peking's invasion in 1979. travel 17 kilometers (about 11 miles) from sisted Vietnam, there were no military "Our government has often proposed "The Chinese blew up that anise proc­ the border to Lang Son. After taking the troops along that 1,000-mile border, bpt normalization of relations with China, to essing plant just before they left," a local city of Lang Son, the Chinese withdrew a now it is one of two areas where Peking restore the traditional friendship between man said as he pointed out a deserted few days later. concentrates its armed forces. the two countries. That fits the desires of . frame. "We don't rebuild it because we're Since 1979 the Peking regime has con­ The Chinese government carries on eco­ both the Vietnamese and Chinese people. so close to the border. If the Chinese attack tinued its hostilities. We drove to the bor­ nomic sabotage, too. It also starts rumor We would like to strengthen our ties with again it's just one more target." der, or as close as was deemed safe, one campaigns in the northern areas of Viet­ other countries so that we can help each Many other buildings were in ruins or mile from the crossing called Friendship nam. Local residents report that Chinese other and build a better life." only partially rebuilt: the main market building, the school, the former provincial offices and headquarters of the Vietnamese Communist Party. One church was in two 'Militant' reporters visit Vietnall1, Kall1puchea piles of rubble. Half had been destroyed by U.S. bombing; the rest was blown up by "El Salvador is Spanish for Vietnam" the invading Chinese troops. reads one popular antiwar button these In January 1979 Chinese leader Deng days. The Militant wanted to probe the coil­ Xiao Peng visited President Carter to so­ tent of that slogan. What has happened to licit U.S. aid and investment to modernize Indochina since its hard-fought victory China. They struck a deal. Only a few over U.S. imperialism? What were the weeks !liter, China sent 600,000 troops to consequences of the U.S. war there? invade Vietnam. The bureaucratic mislead­ The Militant sent correspondents Steve ers of the Chinese workers state were eager Clark and Diane Wang to Vietnam and to show what a reliable ally they could be Kampuchea to record the progress and for U.S. imperialism. They willingly problems those revolutions face. They placed themselves in the front ranks of spent 20 days in Vietnam and 10 days in Washington's attempts to "punish" Viet­ Kampuchea. Ram and hold back the extension of the In Vietnam Clark and Wang visited socialist revolution in Indochina. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Lang Son Peking waged a month-long assault near the Chinese border, the textile center against all six Vietnamese provinces that . Militant/Diane Wang Militant/Lou Howort Steve Clark Diane Wang of Nam Oinh, the coal fields of Hon Gai, share a border with China. "But in Lang the area devastated by U.S. chemical war­ Son province they used one-third of their fare in Dong Nai, a new economic zone, force, 20()',000 troops," Mr. Phi Long, a factories, hospitals, and schools. They in­ provincial leader, told us. It is only four 'IP' to print Castro interview - terviewed leaders of the Vietnamese gov­ hours by highway from this strategic bor- ernment and mass organizations, as well as Readers of the Militant will want to be lutionary Government (PRG) of Grenada workers and people who are rebuilding .that certain to get the upcoming April 30 issue ·headed by slain Prime Minister Maurice country. Attack on Vietnam of Intercontinental Press. The biweekly Bishop and the subsequent U.S. invasion In Kampuchea Clark and Wang visite.d socialist news magazine will carry the full of that country last October. Phnom Penh, Kompong Chnang, and vil­ Continued from front page text of an interview with Cuban leader Turning to the U.S. war ~gainst the lages in Kanda! province. They visited sev­ Agency (SPK), in the second two weeks of Fidel Castro. A portion of the interview peoples of El Salvador and Nicaragua, eral khrom samaki (agricultural' solidarity March the Thai army carried out 127 artil­ was run in the January 9 issue of News­ Castro explains how he sees the revolution­ groups), hospitals, schools, and factories. lery attacks against Kampuchea territory; week. The February 10 issue of the Cuban ary process unfolding in the region. He in­ They viewed the evidence of Pol Pot's the Thai air force violated Kampuchea's air magazine Bohemia published the entire dicates that U.S. imperialism will pay a crimes. They interviewed several leaders space 36 times; and Thai naval vessels in­ text, which IP has translated. Bohemia, a high price if it invades Central America, as of the Peoples Republic of Kampuchea. truded in Kampuchean waters 128 times. weekly, is widely circulated and read in it is preparing to do. In coming weeks the Militant and Inter- " · · A Hanoi statement pointed out that "the Cuba. continental Press will carry Clark and Socialist Republic of Vietnam categori­ In the interview the Cuban revolutionary The Cuban head of state also talks about Wang's reports on Indochina. cally rejects the slanderous accusations of leader takes up the achievements of the Cuba's role in fighting U.S. imperialism If you missed earlier coverage from the the Thai authorities. While it firmly sup­ Cuban revolution and puts the lie to U.S. elsewhere in Latin America and Africa. trip - articles about Kampuchean women, ports the Kampuchean people and revolu­ claims that the revolution lacks popular Another article of interest in this issue Vietnam's efforts to deal with the conse­ tionary armed forces in exercising their ' support. Castro talks about the Cuban gov­ will be an interview witlt Kenrick Radix, a quences of Agent Orange, interviews with legitimate right to self-defense to punish ernment's proposal to normalize relations former minister in the PRG under Bishop. Mi.nister Vo Dong Giang of Vietnam's for­ the Pol Pot genocidal clique, the Socialist with Washington and what concessions Single copies of IP are available for eign ministry and with Kampuchean Depu­ Republic of Vietnam once again reaffirms Cuba will make and not make. $1.25. To subscribe, send $12.50 for six ty Foreign Minister Kong Korm- write to its consistent policy of respect for the inde­ Castro also discusses the events leading months to Intercontinental Press, 410 West the Militant and Intercontinental Press for pendence and sovereignty of Thailand." up to the overthrow of the People's Revo- St., New York, N.Y. 10014. copies of recent issues.

April 20, 1984 The Militant 15 -·THE GREAT SOCIE

Progress report ST. through the containers in the day­ elections, reported back that while touch. The centerpieces for theta­ Ethics Dep't (II) - The above LOUIS, March 29 (UPI)- Poor time. he couldn't say if the elections bles were live, caged doves. item affords us the opportunity to people crowded into City Hall were honest, "I will say that they recall the old wheeze about the Digestive test? - A 4-pound today and won a victory from the made more effort to conduct fair youngster doing his civics home­ chicken fired from an air gun with Board of Aldermen, who agreed to Think you're crazy? - Sam elections than we do in the state of work and asking his father, "Pop, an impact of 600 mph caused only Cohen, inventor of the neutron Alabama." what's ethics?" The father, a shoe small cracks in the windshield of a bomb, favors defending Israel's store partner, reflects and ex­ recently developed F-4 jet fighter. borders with a "nuclear wall" cre­ plains, "A man buys a $50 pair of Us too - Cristina Ferrare, Must have been one, of the Col­ ating a kind of radiation sufficient · shoes, gives me $100 and leaves spouse of automaker John DeLo­ onel's tender finger lickin' spe­ to kill anyone in minutes. For in­ withou\ his change. There I have a rean, now being tried for drug cials. surance, it would be backed by problem in ethics . . .. Do I tell my dealing conspiracy, says, "Now I mines, barbed wire, and tank Ethics Dep't (I) - After a partner?" have to think twice about buying a Harry traps. He assures a down wind highway construction firm $160 pair of shoes." Ring would be no problem, and ob­ pleaded guilty to bid rigging, a serves, "Good fences make good federal judge ordered it to contrib­ Don't forget your lifejacket­ neighbors." The proposal ap­ We goofed- We recently re­ ute $1.475 million to endow an Yacht magazine is on the stands peared in the magazine, Reason. ported about the Washington soci­ ethics professorship at the Univer­ this month at $5 a copy. Explains change a proposed ordinance that ety luncheon where powder room sity of Nebraska. The federal gov­ the publisher, "There will be no would have banned scavenging in Quite an endorsement- Sen. attendants sprinkled carnation pet­ ernme.nt is appealing the decision, how-to articles . . . we're going to trash containers. The measure was Jeremiah Denton, (R-Ala.), an ob­ als in the toilet bowls. But we demanding it get the dough in­ treat yachts and boats the way amended to permit rummaging server of the recent Salvadoran failed to report an added aesthetic stead. Penthouse treats women."

-CALENDAR------~------~------ALABAMA side City Council. Translation to Spanish. Fri. , Louisiana Hector Marroquin Defense Commit­ Pittsburgh Birmingham April20, 7 p.m. 1184 Broadway. Donation: $2. tee. For mor:e information call (504) 891-5956. Democratic and Republican Parties: No An­ Ausp: Militant Forunf. For more information swer for Working People. Speaker: AI Dun­ El Salvador-Phony Elections and Growing call (408) 394-1855. MICHIGAN U.S. War. Speaker: Andy Rose, Socialist can, Socialist Workers Party candidate for 14th Workers Party National Committee. Sat., April Detroit Congressional District, member United Mine 14, 7:30p.m. 205 18 St. S. Donation requested. The Middle East: Fight for Liberation Today Workers of America Local 2350. Sat., April Ausp: Militant Forum Series. For more infor­ INDIANA - What Road Forward for the PLO? 14, 7 p.m. 141 S Highland Ave., 3rd floor. Do­ mation call (205) 323-3079. Indianapolis Speaker: Dave Frankel, Socialist Workers Party nation requested. Ausp: Militant Labor Forum. U.S. War Drive in Central America. Will National Committee, former managing editor of For more information call (412) 362-6767. Dumping Reagan in '84 Lead to Peace? Intercontinental Press. Translation to Spanish. Grenada Under U.S. Occupation: Eyewit­ Speakers: Dave Ellis, Socialist Workers Party Sat., April 14, 8 p.m. 7146 W McNichols. Do­ ness Report. Speaker: August Nimtz, Socialist candidate for Congress; Dave Young, toured nation: $2. Ausp: Militan! Labor Forum. For Workers Party, recently returned from fact­ CALIFORNIA more information call (313) 862-7755. Los Angeles Nicaragua in 1983 as member of U.S. antiwar finding tour of !Jrenada and other Caribbean is­ delegation. Sat., April 14, 7 p.m. 4850 N Col­ lands; slide show. Sat., April 28, 7 p.m. 141 S An Afro-American's View of Cuba: The Highland Ave. , 3rd floor. Donation requested, Gains. of Blacks 25 Years After the Revolu­ lege Ave. Ausp: Socialist Workers '84 Cam­ paign Committee. For more information call Ausp: Militant Labor Forum. For more infor­ tion. Speaker: Ron Wilkins, member of Ad Hoc mation call (412) 362-6767. Grenada Coalition, recently traveled to Cuba (213) 283-6149. MISSOURI with group of Black activists to discuss Grenada St. Louis events with Cuban leadership; slide show. Bi-state Rally for Socialist Workers Cam­ WASHINGTON Translation to Spanish. Sat., April 14, 7:30 KENTUCKY paign. Speakers: }\ndrea Gonzalez, Socialist p.m. 2546 W Pico Blvd. Donation: $2. For Workers Party candidate for U.S. vice-presi­ Seattle more information call (213) 380-9460. Louisville dent; Nelson Gonzalez, SWP candidate for Eyewitness Reports From Nicaragua. Seattle An Eyewitness Report: Life in Nicaragua U.S. Senate from Illinois; announcing SWP antiwar activists return from helping with cotton Oakland Today. Speaker: Dave Welters, Socialist and coffee harvests. Speakers: Paula Gooding, . Truth Crushed to the Earth Will Rise Again. candidate for governor of Missouri. Sat., April Workers Party candidate for U.S. Senate, re­ 14. Dinner, 6:30-7:30 p.m. ; rally, 8 p.m. Salad participant in Maura Clark Brigade; Tom Videotape interview with Don Rojas, press sec­ cently returned from Nicaragua. Slide show Leahey, participant in coffee harvest; Dean retary to Grenada's slain Prime Minister Bowl Restaurant, 3949 Lindell Blvd. Donation: presentation. Sun., April 15; 7 p.m. 809 E Dinner and rally , $7; rally only, $2. Ausp: SWP Peoples, participant in Maura Clark . Brigade, Maurice Bishop. Translation to Spanish. Fri., Broadway. Ausp: Militant Forum. For more in­ member of Socialist Workers Party; slide show . April20, 7 p.m. 3808 E 14th St. Ausp: Militant Campaign '84. For more information call (314) · formation call (502) 587-8418. 772-4410. Sat. , April 14, 7:30p.m. 5517 Rainier Ave. S. Labor Forum. For more information call (415) Donation: $2.-Ausp: Militant Labor Forum. For 261-3014. more information call (206) 725~3246. San Diego How "Buy American" Campaigns Hurt U.S. LOUISIANA NEW YORK WEST VIRGINIA Workers. Speakers to be announced. Transla­ New Orleans Albany tion to Spanish. Sat. , April 14, 7:30p.m. 1053 Rally to Stop the Deportation of Hector Mar­ Charleston 15 St. Donation: $2. Ausp: Socialist Workers The Irish Freedom Struggle Today. Speakers: roquin and All Other Refugees. Speakers: Paul Murray , coordinator, Capital District Irish Socialism: A Future Worth Fighting For. Campaign. For more information call (619) Hector Marroquin, Mexican-born socialist Speaker, Joan Radin, Socialist Workers candi­ 234-4630. Northern Aid; Chris Miller, member Noraid and fighting deportation; Rev. S. L. Harvey, presi­ visited Northern Ireland in 1982; David Wall, date for U.S. Senate, member of United Mine Seaside dent, Louisiana Southern Christian Leadership Young Socialist Alliance and member of Workers of America Local 2271. Sat. , April Eyewitness Report of Hotel and Restaurant Conference; Ron Chisom, community or­ Brotherhood of Railway and· Airline Clerks 21,.7:30p.m. 1584-A Washington St. E. Dona­ Workers Strike in Las Vegas. Speaker: Ken ganizer. Sat. , Aprill4, 7 p.m. St. Mark's Com­ Lodge 861. Translation to Spanish. Thurs., tion: $2. Ausp: SWP Campaign, Young Collins, Socialist Workers candidate for Sea- munity Center, 1130 N Ramparts. Ausp: April l9, 8 p.m. 23 Central Ave. Donation: $2. Socialist Alliance. For more information call Ausp: Militant Labor Forum. For more infor- . (304) 345-3040. mation call (518) 434-3247 . Support the British Coal Miners' Strike: Manhattan Eyewitness Account. Speaker: Bruce Kimball, Socialists oppose U.S. war Public Enemy ·# 1. Videotape program about member · United Mine Workers of America journalist Wilfred Burchett. Fri., April 13, 8 Local 2295, recently returned from reporting p.m. Downtown Community TV Center, 87 for Militant on British miners' strike. Sun., Continued from front page In urging labor opposition to the aggres­ Lafayette St. (south of Canal) Ausp: Tribute to April29, 2 p.m. 1584-A Washington St. E. Do­ illegal mining of Nicaraguan ports. But on sion in Central America, Mason and Gon­ Wilfred Burchett Committee. For niore infor­ nation: $2. Ausp: Militant Labor Forum. For the binding votes, they persistently ap­ zalez pointed' to the stand taken by the mation call (212) 624-8173. more information call (304) 345-3040. prove funds for overt and covert operations Ynited Auto Workers (UAW) as an exam­ Forum on the U.S. Military Intervention in against the Nicaraguan and Salvadoran ple for all labor. Central America. Presentation on platform for people. Like previous 'peace' votes, this The eurrent issue of UA W Ammo is de­ a provisional government in El Salvador and re­ Striking British miner one is a total sham. It is designed to throw voted to the question, "Why are U.S. sults ·of the past elections. Speakers: Salvador J sand in people's eyes while both parties troops in Central America?" Sanabria, representative, Farabundo Marti Na­ wants military medal continue to press the war drive." tional Liberation Front- Revolutionary Demo­ It reviews-the history of U.S. military cratic Front; Bob Armstrong, North American ·'melted down' Committee on Latin America; John Wilkings , and political interventions in the region, Gordon Jones has been a South York­ and demonstrates that these have all been Committee in Solidarity With the People of El Judge overturns law Salvador. Sat. , Aprill4, 7 p.m. Bertold Brecht shire miner for 10 years and is a de­ conducted to safeguard the profits of U.S. velopment worker at South Kirkby. He businessmen at the expense of the Auditorium, 15 1 W 19th St., 7th floor. Ausp: Continued from back page Roque Dalton Salvadoran Committee. For more is one of thousands of British miners on superexploited people. Shouldn't they have the right to work and information call (2 12) 391-8732. strike against mine closures. Jones was still take a reasonable time off . . . have The magazine recalls the resolution of also a soldier in the British armed children and come back in the work force?" the 1983 UAW conve-ntion, which de- • forces, stationed in Northern Ireland. Mamie Delaney, president of Los clared, "We strongly urge the cutoff of OHIO For that he received a medal. He re­ Angeles NOW, pointed out that society as U.S. military and economic assistance to Cincinnati turned that medal to Buckingham a whole, not individual women, should be the oppressive regime in El Salvador. .. . Turning the Victim Into the Criminal: New Palace with the following letter, which responsible for bearing the cost of We strongly oppose covert or overt U.S. Bedford Rape Trials. Speakers: Karen Moser, was reprinted in the March 23 Morning childbirth. She said this was part of a aid to overthrow the government of Nicara­ president of Cincinnati National Organization Telegraph. whole series of attacks on women's rights. gua . . . . " for Women; Nancy Rube, associate director of Most women must work to support Mason and Gonzalez declared, "That's Women Helping Women; Valery Libby, Your Majesty, for some years I was themselves and their families. Women ­ the direction in which all labor should go. Socialist Workers Party; Patricia Hamer, Na­ member of your services, namely a proud concentrated in low-paying, unskilled jobs We urge rank-and-file unionists across the tional Black Independent Political Party. Sun., member of the Coldstream Guards. I now, April 15, 7:30 p.m. 4945 Paddock Rd. Dona­ without union protection - often face de­ country to press to involve their organiza­ however, feel that the service medal :r e­ tion: $2. Ausp: Militant Labor Forum. For more motions, loss of seniority rights, layoffs, tions in opposition to this criminal drive to­ information call (513) 242-7161 . . ceived for duties in Ireland no longer holds and firings when they become pregnant. ward a new Vietnam." any value for me . Maternity leave laws don't discriminate The socialist nominees added that Wash­ I am now a Yorkshire miner and I feel against men - they protect women. ington's Central American war drive was PENNSYLVANIA that, at the age of 31, I may soon be one of Women's rights fighters and unionists have not only an issue of paramount concern for Philadelphia the forgotten masses. In other words I was also demanded paid paternity leaves so that U.S. workers, but equally a central interna­ Iraqi War Against Iran. Speaker: Cindy good enough to be a Yorkshire bully-boy fathers, as well as mothers, can choose to 'tional issue. Jaquith, editor of Militant and eyewitness to fighting in Ireland, but not for my job. stay home with a newborn. "Workers in all countries," they de­ 1979 Iranian revolution. Sat., April 14, 7:30 I therefore return my medal to the coun­ Both the labOr movement and women's clared, "must be mobilized to oppose p.m. 2744 Germantown Ave. Donation: $2. try, as I feel it may be better employed rights organizations need to respond to this washington, s illegal, immoral, and unjust Ausp: Militant Labor Forum. For more infor­ melted down to help the unemployed, of attack on women's rights. aggression." mation call (215) 225-0213 . whom I may soon be one .

16 The Militant April 20, 1984 British gov't ..'privatizes' state· forests·

BY DOUG JENNESS the end. The Forestry Act places no limit · ing. Under this pressure leading members ers. Already some $2.8 billion worth has For the past three years "Keep Out" on how much land can be sold, giving of the Agricultural and Allied Workers and been sold. And the government has pro- , .signs have been appearing on. what had Thatcher a free hand to sell more. the Civil Service Union, both of which or­ posed increasing this over the next four been, until recently, state-owned forests in The land sales to private owners de­ ganize forest workers, held a protest and years. Among the industries targeted are .. - Britain. The no trespassing notices are crease the amount of forests that are open news conference last November at 10 Telecom and British Airways. In addition being put up by private landlords who have to the public for recreational purposes. Downing Street, the prime minister's resi­ to reestablishing private control over key been able to buy the lands as . a result of Under pressure from the labor movement, dence. industries, one of the goals of this re­ Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's policy forests managed by the Forestry Commis­ privatization is to deal a blow to the trade of selling state-owned forests. sion have in recent years been made in­ . The labor party also opposes the sale of unions in government-owned industries ._ creasingly accessible to millions of people. public lands. According to the Land­ Reversing a 64--year-old policy, the worker, Bob Hughes, the Labor Party's ag­ Thatcher administration pushed· through The Forestry Commission is also the largest supplier of timber to the wood proc­ riculture spokesman, told a protest meeting the 1981 Forestry Act enabling the govern­ of union leaders and members of parlia­ ment to sell some of its forest lands. Since essing industry. But today timber sales are down and the commission is cutting back ment that "the Labor Party is committed to this law was adopted, more than $100 mil­ a repeal of the 1981 Factory Act." He lion worth of land has been sold. on planting. It has slashed its work force from 16,000 to just over 6,000. stated that "when we return to power, we The sale of forests to private owners is will repossess that land taken over by pri­ According to a report in the December vate landlords to make speculative gains." 1983 issue of Landworker, newspaper of also leading to cutbacks. Many of the new .Britain's Agricultural and Allied Workers landlords are investing in the forest lands The sale of state'-owned forests is part of Union, Thatcher initially proposed selling for speculative reasons, to obtain tax shel­ a general policy of the Thatcher govern­ about $50 million worth of land. But she ters, or to establish private recreational re­ ment to dispose of public property. Since has progressively increased her demands, treats. 1979 it has been on a campaign to tum Brit­ and the $100 million of sales may not be Anger among forestry workers is mount- ain's. state industries over to private own- Backers of free Puerto Rico sentenced

BY ROBERTO KOPEC in 1898 . all of them residents of the United States, NEW YORK - ·Two leaders of Puerto At a packed pre-sentencing hearing have fallen victim to this Grand Jury . Five Rico's independence movement were sen­ April6, in Brooklyn Federal Court, several of them began serving three year prison tenced here April 9 to two years in jail each prominent Puerto Ricans testified on the sentences on AprillO. Silvia Baraldini and on criminal contempt charges stemming political motives behind Noya and Cin­ Shelley Miller will be sentenced April 16. from their refusal to testify before a Grand tron's refusal to collaborate with the Grand And . the last person so far to be sub­ Jury. Jury. poenaed, Pamela Fadem, who lives in Au­ Included among those testifying were stin, Texas, is scheduled to go on trial for Federico Cintron Fiallo and Carlos Noya Ruben Berrios, head of the Puerto Rican criminal contempt on May 21. None of Murati, both residents of Puerto Rico, had Independence Party (PIP) and currently a these activists have been directly accused been called to testify in Brooklyn before a candidate for the Puerto Rican Senate; of belonging to the F ALN, nor of having Federal Grand Jury allegedly investigating Bishop Antulio Parrilla Bonilla; and Luis committed any terrorist acts. They are a series of bombings in the New York area Camacho, a former member of the Puerto being railroaded to prison for their open, claimed by the Puerto Rican Armed Forces British Prime Minister Margaret Rican Senate and former president of the declared support of· independence for of National Liberation (FALN). Thatcher is busy turning over public Puerto Rican Bar Association. Puerto Rico, and their refusal to cooperate forests to become recreation retreats· Cintron and Noya are both members of Eight other proindependence activists, ·with the U.S. government. and tax shelters for the rich. the Puerto Rican United Committee Against Repression (CUCRE); Noya is also a leader of the Puerto Rican Socialist League, a proindependence organization. Hart and Kennedy: what liberals stand for Like many other Puerto Ricans, they stand on the principle of refusing to collaborate Continued from Page 5 The imperialist setup, which the Al­ This was Kennedy's policy, as well as with the U.S, judicial system, whose juris­ tion and prevent it from being emulated by liance for Progress was designed to bolster, that of all presidents, Republican and Dem­ diction ill_Puerto .Rico they qq .not recog-, workers and faimers elsewhere in Latin cannot provide the "social justice which the ocrat alike, who followed him. nize, having been imposed on the Puerto America; Chief among these was the mis­ masses demand," because it is based on big Rican people by U.S. military occupation named "Alliance for Progress." Today Hart profits for the few at the expense of the in­ In 1964 liberal p~esidential candidate forces after the U.S. invasion of the island proposes more such programs as his an­ terests of the vast majority. Thus, it inevit­ Lyndon Johnson pledged not to send swer to the example of Cuba and Nicara­ ably leads to more bloody repression, as in "American boys" to do a job "Asian bQys gua. El Salvador today, and more wars such as should do for themselves" in Southeast The Alliance for Progress was intended the one the U.S. government is waging in Asia. When Johnson ordered his first major SUBSCRIBE TO as the capitalist answer to the tremendous Central America. escalation of the Vietnam War, some who advances made by Cuba through land re­ Hart, like his model Kennedy, will at­ had mistakenly voted for him as a peace 'PERSPECTIVA MUNDIAL' form, economic planning, and other meas­ tempt to sound "progressive" while taking candidate felt betrayed. They claimed ures. Johnson was implementing the policy pro­ Biweekly, Spanish-language sis­ whatever steps are necessary to stop the ex­ Kennedy explained, "Our unfulfilled posed by his opponent in the 1964 election, ter publication of the Militant. tension of the socialist revolution in the task is to demonstrate that our democratic, Americas. Barry Goldwater. Rates: $2.50 for 6 issues, $8.00 capitalistic, free enterprise system is better The deepening U.S. war in Central But that was wishful thinking. Johnson for 6 months, or $16.00 for one for underdeveloped countries than the to­ America is not the creation of Ronald wasn't following Goldwater's policy. year. Send name, address, and talitarian systems; that it will provide the Reagan or a band of conservative or right­ Johnson was following Johnson's policy payment to Perspectiva Mundial, social justice which the masses demand." wing politicians in Congress. It is the in­ -the foreign policy of the capitalist class. 408 West St., New York, NY But that task- an impossible one-re­ evitable result of a bipartisan foreign policy Based on his own campaign rhetoric, Gary 10014. mains unfulfilled. The Alliance for Prog­ that seeks to preserve imperialist domina­ Hart, like the other liberals, can be ex­ ress was a miserable failure. tion at all costs. pected to do the same. -IF YOU LIKE THIS PAPER, LOOK US UP------Where to find the Socialist Worker-S Party, Michigan Ave. Zip: 60616. Tel: (312) 326- #22. Zip: 63118. Tel: (314) 772-4410. Box 261, Annex Station. Zip: 02901. Young Socialist Alliance, and socialist books 5853 or 326-5453. NEBRASKA: Lincoln: YSA, P.O. Box TEXAS: Austin: YSA, c/o Mike Rose, 7409 and pamphlets INDIANA: Bloomington: YSA, Activities 80238 . Zip: 68501 . Tel: (402) 464-8933 . Berkman Dr. Zip: 78752. Tel. (512) 452-3923 . ALABAMA: Birmingham: SWP, YSA, Desk, Indiana Memorial Union. Zip: 47405 . NEW JERSEY: Newark: SWP, YSA, 141 Dallas: SWP, YSA, 2817 Live Oak. Zip: 205 18th St. S. Zip: 35233. Tel: (205) 323- Indianapolis: SWP, YSA, 4850 N. College. Halsey. Zip: 07102. Tel: (201) 643-3341. 75204. Tel: (214) 826-4711. Houston: SWP, 3079. Zip: 46205 . Tel: (317) 283-6149. NEW MEXICO: Albuquerque: SWP, YSA, 4806 Almeda. Zip: 77004. Tel: (713) ARIZONA: Phoenix: SWP, YSA, 17 E. IOWA: Des Moines: YSA, P.O. Box 1165. YSA, 1417 Central Ave. NE. Zip: 87106. Tel: 522-8054. San Antonio: SWP, YSA, 2811 Southern Ave. (Central and Southern). Zip: Zip: 50311. (505) 842-0954. Guadalupe, #100. Zip: 78207. Tel: (512) 432- 85040. Tel: (602) 268-3369. Tucson: SWP, KENTUCKY: Louisville: SWP, YSA, 809 NEW YORK: Capital District (Albany): 7394. YSA, 2960 W. St. Tropaz. Zip: 85713. Tel: E. Broadway. Zip: 40204. Tel: (502) 587-8418 . SWP, YSA, 23 Central Ave . Zip: 12210. Tel: UTAH: Price: SWP, YSA , 23 S. Carbon (602) 622-3880. LOUISIANA: New Orleans: SWP, YSA , (518) 434-3247. New York: SWP, YSA, 79 Ave., Suite 19, P.O. Box 758 . Zip: 84501. Tel: CALIFORNIA: Bay Area District: 3808 3207 Dublin St. Zip: 70118. Tel: (504) 486- Leonard . Zip: 10013. Tel: (212) 226-8445 or (801) 637-6294. Salt Lake City: SWP, YSA, E 14th St., Oakland. Zip: 94601. Tel: (415) 8048. . 925-1668. 677 S. 7th East, 2nd Floor. Zip: 84102. Tel: 534-1242. Los Angeles: SWP, YSA, 2546 MARYLAND: Baltimore: SWP, YSA, NORTH CAROLINA: Piedmont: SWP, (801) 355-1124. W. Pico Blvd. Zip: 90006. Tel: (213) 380- 2913 Greenmount Ave . Zip: 21218. Tel: (301) YSA, 301 S. Elm St., Suite 522 . Greensboro. VIRGINIA: Tidewater Area (Newport 9460. Oakland: SWP, YSA , 3808 E 14th St. 235-0013 . Baltimore-Washington District: Zip: 27401. Tel: (919) 272-5996 . . News): SWP, YSA, 5412 Jefferson Ave., Zip Zip: 94601. Tel: (415) 261-3014. San Diego: 2913 Greenmount Ave . Zip: 2l218. Tel: (301) OIDO: Cincinnati: SWP, YSA, 4945 Pad­ 23605 . Tel: (804) 380-0133. SWP, YSA, 1053 15th St. Zip: 92101 . Tel: 235-0013. dock Rd. Zip: 45237. Tel: (513) 242-7161. WASHINGTON, D.C.: SWP, YSA, 3106 (619) 234-4630. San Francisco: SWP, YSA, MASSACHUSETTS: Boston: SWP, YSA , Cleveland: SWP, YSA, 15105 St. Clair Ave . Mt. Pleasant St. NW . Zip: 20010. Tel: (202) 32&4 23rd St. Zip: 94110. Tel: (415) 282-6255 . 510 Commonwealth Ave., 4th Floor. Zip: Zip: 44110. Tel: (216) 451-6150. Toledo: 797-7699. Baltimore-Washington District: San Jose: SWP, YSA, 46 112 Race St. Zip: 02215. Tel: (617) 262-4621. SWP, YSA, 2120 Dorr St. Zip: 43607. Tel: 2913 Greenmount Ave., Baltimore, Md . Zip: 95126. Tel: (408) 998-4007. Seaside: SWP, MICIDGAN: Detroiti SWP, YSA , 7146 (419) 536-0:383. 21218 . Tel: (301) 235-0013 . · YSA, 1184 Broadway. Zip: 93955 . Tel: (408) W. McNichols. Zip: 48221. Tel: (313) 862- OREGON: Portland: SWP, YSA, 711 NW WASIDNGTON: Seattle: SWP, YSA, 394-1855. 7755 . Everett. Zip: 97209. Tel: (503) 222-7225. 5517 Rainier Ave . South. Zip: 98118. Tel: COLORADO: Denver: SWP, YSA, 126 MINNESOTA: Mesabi Iron Range: SWP, PENNSYLVANIA: Edinboro: YSA, Edin­ (206) 723-5330. W. 12th Ave . Zip: 80204. Tel: (303) 534-8954. YSA, 112 Chestnut St. , Virginia, Minn . 55792. boro State College. Zip: 16444. Tel: (814) 734- WEST VIRGINIA: Charleston: SWP, FLORIDA: Miami: SWP, YSA, 663 Martin Send mail to P.O. Box 1287. Zip: 55792. Tel: 4.415 . Philadelphia: SWP, YSA, 2744 Ger­ YSA, 1584 A Washington St. East. Zip: 25311. Luther King Blvd. (NW 62nd St.) Zip: 33150. (218) 749-6327 . Twin Cities: SWP, YSA, 508 mantown Ave . Zip: 19133. Tel: (215) 225- Tel: (304) 345-3040. Morgantown; SWP, Tel: (305) 756-1020. N. Snelling Ave., St. Paul. Zip: 55104. Tel: 0213. Pittsburgh: SWP, YSA, 141 S. High­ YSA, 957 S. University Ave. Zip: 26505. Tel: GEORGIA: Atlanta: SWP, YSA, 504 Flat (612) 644-6325. . land Ave. Zip: 15206. Tel: (412) 362-6767. (304) 296-0055 . Shoals Ave. SE. Zip: 30316. Tel: (404) 577- MISSOURI: Kansas City: SWP, YSA, State College: YSA, P.O. Box 464, Bel­ WISCONSIN: Milwaukee: SWP, YSA, 4065. 4715A Troost. Zip: 64110. Tel: (816) 753- lefonte. Zip: 16823 . Tel: (814)238-3296. 4707 W. Lisbon Ave. Zip: 53208. Tel: (414) lLLINOIS: Chicago: SWP, YSA, 3455 S 0404. St. Louis: SWP, YSA, 3109 S. Grand, RHODE ISLAND: Providence: YSA, P.O. 445-2076. . '"

April 20, 1984 The Militant 17 -EDITORIALS-____;__---.,.-----:------Kennedy's attempt· to isolate the .Senate Nicaragua motion a fraud Cuban revolution -An "Inter-American Economic and Social Confer­ "The Senate took a first step to halt President Reagan's nonbinding resolution that the U.S. accept World Court ence" was sponsored by the Organization of Ameri­ secret war in Nicaragua," declared Sen. Edward Ken­ jurisdiction in disputes over (:entral America. Nicaragua can States (OAS) in August 1961 at Punta del Este, nedy after the Senate voted 84-12 for a nonbinding reso­ has moved to bring Washington before the World Court Uruguay. There the chief U.S. delegate of the Ken­ lution opposing the use of federal funds for mining Nic­ for its illegal mining of Nicaraguan waters. nedy administration, Secretary of the Treasury C. araguan waters. Kennedy cooperatively withdrew the World.Court res­ Douglas Dillon, presented the U.S. plan called the There's not a single word of truth in Kennedy's state­ olution and the one on mining sailed through. It was pure "Alliance for Progress." This was a series of economic ment. charade. · programs aimed at posing a capitalist alternative to The very fact that the April 10 vote was nonbinding It's worth recalling that last July the House voted 228- the example of economic progress being set by the should make clear that its purpose is not to slow down the 195 to end covert aid to the counterrevolutionary exiles Cuban revolution. It was also an effort to repair U.S. war drive but to better adapt to the wide popular concern conducting murderous raids into Nicaragua. prestige in Latin America in the wake of the failed evoked by the steady military escalation. Four months later, in November, House and Senate U.S.-sponsored invasion at Playa Giron (Bay of Pigs) No one should believe this vote will stop the mining. earlier that year. conferees agreed on providing $24 million· for such Open, committed support~rs of Reagan's policies were The conference occurred six months before the covert aid •. among the 42 Republicans, including the Senate majority U.S. government succeeded in obtaining Cuba's ex­ leader, and 42 Democrats that voted for the resolution. It can be safely predicted that the same pattern will pulsion from the OAS as part of its effort to ostracize Furthermore, it was reported that a White House aide again prevail - talk of peace while making sure the war and isolate the Cuban revolution. Thus a Cuban dele­ told reporters that the White House "would not have a is well-funded. gation participated, led by Che Guevara. problem if the first Kennedy amendment went through:" This underlines the need for U.S. working people to Below are excerpts from Guevara's balance sheet of That is, Reagan could live with the no-more-mining oppose Washington's criminal aggression against Nica­ the conference. It originally appeared in the February resolution if Kennedy would agree to withdraw another ragua. 1962 issue of World Marxist Review and was re­ printed in tlle Pathfinder Press .book 'Che Guevara Speaks (available from Pathfinder, 410 West St., New York, N.Y. for $4.95 and $.75 postage) under the title "Cuba and tt,e Kennedy Plan." U.S. government bars Ungo visit Unable to strangle the revolution, the United States set out to isolate Cuba in order to make short shrift of it later. The Inter-American Economic and Social Conference, U.S. capitalists are intensifying their war in Central visits Ungo spoke_before antiwar rallies, teach-ins, and held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, in August 1961 was also America, and that means curbing democratic rights here. other public gatherings. The Salvadoran leader aiso met One of the rights under attack from the bosses is freedom with members of the U .S. Congress to, according to a of speech. And one way that right is under attack is that FOR spokesperson, "find a political settlement to the working people are being denied the right to hear and dis­ conflict" in El Salvador. OUR cuss the views of Central American leaders who oppose In a similar move last November, the State Department Washington's bellicose policies. denied a visa to Tomas Borge, Nicaragua's minister of REVOLUTIONARY The April 5 announcement by the U.S. State Depart­ the interior. At the time, one White House spokesperson ment that it had revoked the entry visa of Guillermo Ungo baldly admitted that the government didn't want to pro­ HERITAGE is a case in point. State Department officals told Ungo he vide the Nicaraguans "a propaganda platform" in the was being barred entry to the United States because he United States. used previous visits to raise money for Salvadoran guer­ subordinated to this end. The U .S. propaganda line was rillas of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front The employers and their government are afraid. Afraid that Cuba need not be reckoned with, that the Cuban de­ (FMLN). Ungo heads the Revolutionary Democratic that if U.S. working people hear the views of the San­ legation had arrived at the session only to sabotage it and, Front (FOR), a broad coalition of Salvadoran forces op­ dinista and Salvadoran rebel leaders firsthand; it would acting "on orders from Moscow," to prevent the North posed to the U.S.-backed military dictatorship. deepen already widespread opposition ·to U.S. interven­ Americans from granting "generous" loans to the Latin The actual reason for the ban is to further limit oppor­ tion in Central America. American countries. . . . ·· tunities for U.S. workers to hear opposing views on the They're right. And that makes it doubly important to In a way [Dillon's] speech reflected new trends in U .S. U.S. ruling class' foreign policy. protest these visa denials and all other attempts to prevent . policy, the striving to make some readjustments in the Ungo has visited the United States often, including us from hearing what Central American working people machinery through which U.S . imperialism exploits the trips in February and another last October. During those and their leaders have to say about Washington's war. Latin American peoples and to rely not only on the feudal reactionaries but also on some sections of the local bourgeoisie. U.S. imperialism aims at lessening internal discontent in the Latin American countries by making minor concessions to the public and to the national bourgeoisie on the condition that these countries subordi­ Reagan's poison gas 'ban' nate themselves completely to U .S. interests and re­ nounce their own independent path of development. This President Reagan plans to send Vice-pres. Bush to Moreover, Tass continued, the Reagan plan was tendency found expression in the so-called Kennedy Geneva later this month to present a U.S. proposal that merely "a propaganda trick" aimed at obscuring Wash­ Plan, grandiloquently christened by the U.S. president as would· supposedly ban chemical weapons. In fact, ington's buildup of chemical arms. the "Alliance for Progress." Reagan's draft "treaty" is nothing more than an attempt The truthfulness of this statement is shown by the It cannot be said, however, that the new trends wholly to cover up the actual buildup of the U.S. chemical arse­ Reagan administration's 1985 budget request. The White determine U.S. Latin American policy. The U.S. nal, which forms part of Washington's massive stockpile House has asked for $ 1 . I billion from Congress to main­ capitalists still consider' the old method of exploitation of conventional and nuclear weapons. tain existing chemical weapons and to develop new artil­ the most reliable method; they have thoroughly tested it The 1925 Geneva Protocol, which the U.S. govern­ lery shells for their delivery. About $930 million would in practice and are none to anxious to go in for "innova­ ment refused to sign until 1975, prohibits the use of go to the army -_an increase of $138 million. tions" which, though camouflaged, pursue the same aim poisonous gases and biological weapons in warfare. Pos­ of plunder. session of biological weapons was outlawed by the By making a proposal that is obviously unacceptable , After analyzing the four key items on the agenda, the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972. President Reagan hopes to portray the Soviet Union - Cuban delegation set forth its views in detail, showing Both Democratic and Republican administrations have instead of Washington-as the obstacle to banning chem­ why it considered that the present Inter-American Eco­ stockpiled chemical weapons, claiming that the Geneva ical weapons. At the news conference where he unveiled nomic and Social Conference was political in character accord doesn't ban possession, but only use of the . his "treaty," Reagan reiterated the false charges that and aimed, ultimately, at isolating Cuba. We read out weapons. peoples in Afghanistan, Laos, and Kampuchea had been parts of two secret U.S. documents, which we had re­ Est!mates of the size of the U.S. stockpiles vary, with subjected to chemical weapons by the Soviet Union and ceived through our friends and which now are known to figures as high as 150,000 tons of poisonous gas. its allies. the whole world. One of them revealed the plans of the Since 1978 a United Nations Committee on Disarma­ Reagan claimed he was making this proposal in re­ imperialist forces and their disdain for the Latin Ameri­ ment has been meeting periodically to try to adopt a total sponse to Iraq's use of chemical warfare against Iran. But can governments and peoples. ban on chemical weapons. The committee, which has 40 Washington isn't concerned about atrocities committed The second document was an official State Department member nations, will hold another conference later this against the Iranian people or their government, which the analysis of the situation on the continent after the debacle month in Geneva. U.S . ruling class !las sought to overturn since it came to of Playa Giron. As a secret imperialist document it is ob­ At an earlier conference the Soviet Union's govern­ power in 1979. Reagan raises Iraq's use of chemical jective enough and reflects some truths basic to an under­ ment said it would agree to permanent on-site verification weapons in the Iran-Iraq war as a cover for Washington's standing of the subsequent course of events. Admitting of the destruction of its chemical-weapon stocks. This buildup of deadly arms. ,that Cuba could not be an aggressor, its authors concede offer followed a proposal from the Warsaw Pact, an al­ . It's the employers and their greed for more profits that that Cuba's purely defensive military preparations in liance of the Soviet Union and Eastern European workers threaten to blanket the world in clouds of poisonous vap­ anticipation of possible aggression presented no danger states, that the imperialist North Atlantic Treaty Or­ ors. It was the imperialist powers that fought in World to other countries. What is dangerous is the example of ganization (NATO) bloc join it in banning chemical War I to reapportion the world between them. They used Cuba, Castro's ability to demonstrate the superiority of weapons from Europe. millions of working people as cannon fodder and dropped the Cuban regiine . ... The Reagan proposal demands verification of destruc­ tons of mustard and other lethal gases. The document clearly reveals the details of imperialist tion of chemical arms stockpiles at "undeclared" sites as Between 1961-1971, during Washington's war machinations: At present the tactical objective is com­ well ·as declared sites. The U.S. government demands against the Vietnamese people, U .S. forces dropped 72 plete isolation of Cuba since its example presents the that the Soviet Union submit to "mandatory inspections" million liters of defoliants - Agent Orange, Agent greatest danger to the imperialists . . . . of chemical weapons production sites that have 'been de­ White, and Agent Blue - on South Vietnam. In the year How does Cuba evaluate the results of the Punta del clared to exist, and give U.S. military officials the "right between February 1982 and 1983, U.S . veterans made Este conference? What did it give Latin America? Al­ to look at suspected undeclared production sites." 369,000 visits to Veterans Administration hospitals for though the meeting was by no means a complete disap­ Washington is demanding , in effect, the unrestricted treatment of diseases thought to be related to exposure to pointment to us, neither can it be said that the Latin right to spy throughout the USSR. Thus it was no surprise Agent Orange and other defoliants containing the cancer­ American peoples gained much by it. that on April 5, the Kremlin rejected the Reagan plan. causing chemical dioxin. The human toll on the Vietnam­ The point is that the U.S. imperialists set out to per­ Tass, the Soviet government's news agency, correctly ese people was far greater still. suade the participants that Cuba is incapable of living at pointed out that "by making patently unacceptable condi­ Chemical and biological weapons should be outlawed. peace with the rest of the Americas and maintaining rela­ tions for ' verification' and 'enforcement'" the Reagan But working people will never be free from the threat of tions with them within the framework of the Organization administration's real intention was to block agreement on chemical warfare until we've buried the capitalist system of American States. The attempt was a failure, however, a ban of chemical weapons. along with the poisonous chemicals it has c_reated . and in this sense the U.S. imperialists lostthe battle. 18 The Militant April 20, 1984 Jackson's vote: flexing Black political muscle?

That the great majority of Blacks who voted, voted for ing to parlay this support into a bargaining chip in his more political power, but they're open to other ideas­ Jesse Jackson in the April 3 New York Democratic pri­ dealings with the U.S. ruling rich. He hopes that by very open. mary came as no surpris-e. This has been true in virtually amassing a substantial number of Black votes he can That's been the experience of the Socialist Workers every primary so far. force concessions from the Democratic Party. In particu­ Party before and after Jackson announced his campaign. Besides, if you're Black and still caught in the lar Jackson is looking to translate his support into a suc­ Ed Warren, SWP mayoral candidate in Chicago in 1983, framework of voting for capitalist politicians, Jackson cessful bid for office by local Black Democrats. received a warm reception from Blacks in that city. They seems a good choice. Of the three Democratic Party can­ Referring to the recent election of Black mayors in were glad to see another brother running for office and didates Jackson sounds the most radical - even though Chicago and Philadelphia, Jackson said on April 3, wanted to know what Warren's ideas were on racist cop there isn't any substantial difference between them. Jack- "Chicago had its time. Philadelphia had its time. New terror, racial discrimination in housing and employment, York, your time has come. poor education, increasing joblessness, and other issues. "New York City politics will never be the ·same Warren's socialist solutions to the problems spawned by again," said Jackson. "We want more in '84 and we will capitalism got a wide hearing from Blacks and other be Hve, real live, in '85 in New York City." workers. The most receptive were Washington support­ BYANYMEANS Jackson's optimism was buoyed by .the massive tum­ ers. out of Black voters backing his candidacy. In some dis­ Mel Mason, 1984 SWP presidential candidate, is tricts in New York City 90 percent of registered Black meeting a similar response. Across the country Mason NECESSARY voters went to the polls. Eighty-seven percent of those and his campaign supporters have noted the openness of Blacks voted for Jackson. Blacks and other working people to the candidate's Mohammed Oliver Among younger Blacks - between 18-29 years old socialist program. These workers want to discuss how to -Jackson garnered 92 percent of the vote, and 34 per­ win more political power, and they see socialists as a cent of the Latinos who voted cast their ballots for the legitimate part of the discussion. son's history of involvement in the civil rights movement Black Democrat. And 66 percent of "first time" voters, At a support rally for Jackson in Harlem April 1, SWP adds to his prestige as a "nontraditional" politician. including a number of whites, voted for Jackson. campaigners distributed hundreds of pieces of campaign And, of course, Jackson is Black. The deepgoing Jackson crushed both Mondale and Hart in the major­ literature. They engaged in numerous discussions with nationalist sentiment in the Black community finds a dis­ ity Black districts such as Brooklyn's lith and 12th and rally participants and sold-a good deal of socialist litera­ torted reflection in the high Black vote totals for Jackson. Manhattan's 16th congressional districts. Several local ture, including all five copies of Maurice Bishop Speaks Blacks-especially young Black workers- are search­ Black and Latino Democrats want to channel Jackson's they had with them. ing for a way to gain more political representation. They strong showing into support for their 1985 campaigns. The great significance of Jackson's Black vote is not understand that political power would be a mighty There's also increased talk of running a Black or that he got it, but why. It's primarily a protest vote, and weapon in the fight against racial oppression and their Latino for mayor in 1985 against the racist incumbent while Jackson wants to keep that protest in the safe con­ class exploitation as workers. Most Black workers view mayor, Edward Koch. These capitalist politicians hope to fines of the Democratic Party, revolutionary socialists voting for Jackson as one way to achieve more political duplicate the election victories of Harold Washington in want to help lead it in an independent working-class di­ power - perhaps not as president in 1984, but through Chicago and Wilson Goode in Philadelphia. rection - toward Blacks and other working people tak­ the election and appointment of more Blacks to high city, But Blacks are looking. for more than a few more ing political power. Intervening in the discussion around state, and federal positions. "Black faces in high places." They want real power. the Jackson campaign can help win new forces to this Jackson is very conscious of this objective. He is try- They see the Jackson campaign as one way of winning anticapitalist perspective. -LETTERS-_------

Copper strikes ees International Union, National capitalists produce weapons to be Two women from the Safford Education Association, Postal sold and used abroad by neo-Fas­ Women's Copper Strikers Auxil­ Workers Union, Latin American cist regimes in their bloody wars iary completed a successful four­ Commi{tee for Labor Advance­ against the real defenders of day tour of Kansas City March 18 . ment, National Organization for Truth, Freedom, and Justice. It was sponsored by the Coalition Women, and the Southern Chris­ We must send Reagan from the of Labor Union Women here. tian Leadership Conference. White House back to G.E. .. 11 SAID iHl W~STL WAS ~~~~~ 'MANA6£0. u'"\CH MlANT INJlCTLO UN()I.R61\0VND . Over $2,000 was raised for the Michelle Fields Playhouse at the end of 1984. Be­ SOMlTIMlS OVlR DR INfO TWll.».fLRTABLt. strikers. Kansas City, Missouri cause only the corporate capitalists BUT f~IS DIDN'T KILL M( " The tour included two union can ever profit from his economic meetings, radio talk shows, a In memory and foreign policies. lunchtime meeting with union lead­ A prisoner ers of the Central Labor Council, a I've enclosed a donation made press conference, and a united by family members in memory of The letters column is an open labor rally. my mother, Margaret. forum for all viewpoints on sub­ Despite an ice storm, about 100 Though not someone I would jects of general interest to our people attended the rally. Bonita consider a "supporter" of the Mili­ readers. Please keep your letters Webster, president of the auxiliary, tant, she subscribed for many · brief. Where necessary they will and Pat Starr, vice-president, re­ years and grew to depend on it for be abridged. Please indicate if ceived a sympathetic ·response an analysis of the complex events you prefer that your initials be when they described the hardships she always tried to grapple with used rather than your full name. the strikers suffered in the nine and undt(rstand. months of the strike against Phelps Sometimes she would dispute a Dodge Corp. stand the Militant had taken. But Webster related that in July just as often she would exclaim 'We are being denied our constitutional rights' 1983, the month the miners went with satisfaction that she had read My name is Bruce Hawkins sions myself and other com­ being denied our constitutional out, scabs were hired by Phelps that week's issue from cover to and I am a kn'own political ac­ rades have witnessed the core rights and equal protection by Dodge to break the strike. In Au­ cover and had enjoyed it im­ tivist who struggles constantly rection officers eating some law because of our political gust the National Guard, local mensely. within the prison system to help food from other inmates' pack- · views and struggle against ra­ police, and tanks were brought in to Barbara Mutnick stop racist oppression. Myself ages. cism and harassment, which physically force the strikers back to Jersey City, N.J. and other comrades housed in They don't have one Black goes on in the prison system. work. Attica's Special Housing Unit or Hispanic correction officer We ask that you print this let~ However, she said, police and Iranian radio (Box), the disciplinary confine­ in this unit. The officers are ter with our names and num­ guns were not the only weapons In a recent broadcast of the ment unit, would like to bring white racists known for assault­ bers. We ask for any political that Phelps Dodge had on its side. Voice of the Islamic Republic of to your attention the inhuman, ing inmates in Attica. support that we can get from Strikers were evicted from their Iran, the Iranian government racist, dreadful treatment we We are not allowed personal the outside. company-owned homes, denied slammed U.S. mining of Nicara­ receive from corrections offi­ soap, deo

April 20, 1984 The Militant 19 THE MILITANT Union women back justice for Marroquin . . Activists to take antideportation fight to unions, CLUW chapters

BY PRISCILLA SCHENK promised their help in presenting resolu- . CHICAGO- An outpouring of solidar­ tions on Marroquin's behalf before their ity- greeted Hector Marroquin at the na­ union locals and CLUW chapters. tional convention of the Coalition of Labor Joycelyn Thompson, an outgoing Union Women (CLUW) Match 22-25. CLUW vice-president and a member of the Marroquin attended the convention as part International Association of Machinists, of an emergency campaign to stop govern­ and Wino Newman, CLUW's general ment efforts to deport him. Many conven­ counsel, endorsed Marroquin's case. Also tion participants saw his fight against this endorsing were Susan Gzesh, immigration injustice as a powerful example of how the director for the National Lawyers Guild; labor movement can organize to defend the Patricia Powell-Hook of the Omaha Feder­ rights of the millions of undocumented ation of Labor; Sean MacDonald of New workers in this country. York AFSCME District Council 37, and The 1,200 convention participants re­ Ferline Buie o( the IBT. ceived an open letter from Kathy Andrade, A highlight of the . convention was a education director of International Ladies' workshop . on undocumented workers, Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) Local which drew nearly 100 participants. Pack­ 23-25, and myself, a delegate from North ets distributed at the workshop included in­ Jersey CLUW and a member of Amalga­ formation on Marroquin's case. mated Clothing and Textile Workers' A panel of labor and immigration-rights Union (ACTWU) Local 63. The letter activists spoke on the growing attacks on asked for support for my husband's fight the rights of foreign-born workers. An­ for political asylum and for permanent resi­ drade pointed to the connection between dence based on our marriage. immigration policies in this country and the "Today a fellow trade unionist and polit­ policy of war against the people of Central ical activist from Mexico, Hector Marro­ America. "Unfortunately, the U.S. gov­ Militant quin, faces the threat of immediate depor­ ernment is on the wrong side of history in Hector Marroquin (left) speaks with Teamster members at reception. Government tation," the letter said. "Marroquin has pre­ Central America," she said. "What it is wants to deport Marroquin "because he's a troublemaker like us," said one. sented overwhelming evidence that his life doing there is against the will of the and freedom would be in grave danger if people." mobilize our strength to fight to defend A lively discussion followed a presenta­ forced to return to Mexico. He needs the Tens of thousands of refugees from El these rights." tion by Marroquin. "Why do they want to help and solidarity of the labor movement Salvador have come here to escape the Muzaffar Chishti, immigration director deport you?" a Black woman from the to win his right to live and work in this U.S.-sponsored war in their country. Most for ILGWU Local 23-25 and a panelist at Teamsters asked. "Because he's a troub­ country." are ordere~ deported. the workshop, said that "Marroquin is a lemaker like us," her companion offered. The appeal for support comes at a criti­ "It is a tradition of CLUW to defend the very well-known student and union leader cal stage in Marroquin's fight for political rights of_women and, of course, the un­ from Mexico. His case is an extremely im­ "Yes," Marroquin explained, "they asylum. In a matter of weeks the U.S. Su­ documented," Andrade continued. "The portant one that will affect the outcome of don't like my ideas. They don't like that preme Court is expected to decide his case. case of Hector Marrgquin is one that we many others seeking asylum in the United I'm a socialist. And they sure don't like If the Immigration and Naturalization Ser­ must stand by and pitch in to help." States." that I'm going around the country speaking vice's (INS) order of deportation is upheld, After the presentations, Marroquin A meeting was held at the convention for out for the rights of immigrants, Blacks, Marroquin will have 48 hours to leave the spoke. "I feel inspired by the discus.sion we CLUW activists to discuss how to take women, and all working people." country. are having here at this convention on the Marroquin's case back to their locals and "Well , how can you fight back?" a The open letter explained that Marro­ rights of our brothers and sisters who come CLUW chapters to win support. Fifty woman from AFSCME asked. "He'll have quin is being "victimized for his political here from other countries. What we need people attended the meeting from unions to pray," someone suggested. "I think he beliefs and activities in this country, where today is for the labor movement to across the country. Continued on Page 12 he has been speaking out in defense of the rights of immigrants and all working people. "There is a lot at stake for the labor movement in the outcome of Marroquin's Judge overturns Calif. maternity law fight," it continued. "If the government succeeds in deporting him it would be a BY GLOVA SCOTT and all working people and can help pave U.S. District Judge Manuel Real was blow to the democratic and political rights LOS ANGELES - A federal judge here the way for further setbacks. It means that ruling on the case of Lillian Garland, a of all labor activists as well as all immi­ recently ruled "null, void, invalid and in­ many women will have to choose between Black woman receptionist who filed a com­ grants and refugees in the U.S." operative" California's law that women re­ having children or keeping their jobs. And plaint against her employer, California In response to this call, hundreds at the turning to their jobs after maternity leaves it lends credence to the reactionary and Federal Savings and Loan Association, be­ convention signed petitions demanding the must be reinstated to their "same or simi­ false notion that progressive laws passed as cause it took California Federal lO months INS stop Marroquin's deportation. Activ­ lar" jobs. a result of the fight for women's equality to give Garland a job after she returned ists from the American Federation of State, The reason? discriminate against men. from a pregnancy leave. County and Municipal Employees The law allegedly discriminates against The rationale for the decision was that California Federal got an injunction to (AFSCME); ILGWU; United Auto Work­ men because men don't get pregnant. because maternity leaves were the only dis­ block a court hearing on Garland's com­ ers; International Brotherhood of While it might sound ridiculous, this ruling ability covered by the law' the law dis· plaint and challenged the maternity law in Teamsters (IBT); and several other unions is a serious setback for the rights of women criminated against men. federal court. The State Chamber of Com­ merce and the Merchants and Manufactur­ ers Association backed California Federal. French steelworkers organize general strike Lou Custrini, vice-president of the Mer­ chants and Manufacturers Association, was delighted with the court ruling. He BY HERMAN CHAUKA The intensified resistance to the cut­ the losses of steel companies that become Enraged French steelworkers staged a backs comes in the face of a decade of unprofitable. said the decision will inspire employers to_ militant general strike in steel towns April steady slashing away at steel employment. Meanwhile, the government is also in­ challenge other state disability laws that benefit both men and women. 4.protesting a government-ordered plan for In these past 10 years the number of steel vesting $2 billion in building several new Liberal San Francisco Mayor Diane heavy new cuts in steel jobs. jobs has plunged from 160,000 to 85,000. electrified plants, which will use two­ Feinstein praised Real's decision. The job Workers by the thousands in the Lor­ The latest cuts ordered by the French thirds less workers. market, she said, should .. not have to raine region of France, heartland of the government would chop off an estimated Further fuel for the workers' anger is the "accommodate itself to women having steel industry, virtually cut the area off 27,000 of those remaining 85,000 jobs. fact that the onslaught against their jobs is from the rest of the country. That's the government's estimate. Union­ being conducted by the Socialist Party- led children." Women's rights groups and unions were ists insist the loss would be even higher. government of Pres. Fran~ois Mitterrand. Huge marches and demonstrations When elected in 1981 , Mitterrand' s plat­ outraged by the ruling. Various meetings brought street traffic to a halt. Telephone Earlier cutbacks were also met by pro­ form had included a pledge to expand the were held with state and local politicians to lines were cut. Highways were blocked and tests and strike action. But the big new pro­ steel industry. seek an appeal. rail traffic came to ·a halt as workers burned posed slash sparked a heavy explosion be-. Now he is demonstrating that while oc­ A spokesperson for the California piles of rubber tires and piled up heavy ob­ cause it comes at a time when the prospects casionally paying lip service to the idea of Teachers Association noted that the deci­ stacles of coiled steel. for alternate employment are becoming socialism, his government, as with previ­ sion could invalidate maternity benefits in . In the town of Longwy, where half the rapidly slimmer. France's jobless rate has ous governments, is devoted to the defense union contracts. 6,000 steelworkers there would be thrown climbed to 9. 9 percent, and in some indus­ of French capitalism. The Mitterrand gov­ Sandra Fahra, president of the California out, the workers stormed public buildings. trial regions it's as high as 15 percent. ernment has consistently put the employ­ National Organization for Women (NOW) , Riot cops were greeted with rocks and bot­ During this past decade, French steel ers' profits before the needs ofthe workers said the decision was based on "the as­ tles of acid. production ·has dropped from 27 million and farmers. sumption that women will always have Workers from throughout the Lorraine tons to 16 million, and the government Demonstrating steelworkers have re­ someone to take care of them. Women will region were slated to stage a march on plan is now to cut it by another one-third. · sponded with banners declaring, "Thanks, always be the ones to bear childien. Paris April 13 . The government has been subsidizing Fran~ois" and "Mitterrand resign." Continued on Page 16

20 .. The Militant April 20, 1984