· AUSTRALIA$3.00 · CANADA$2.50 · FRANCE FF10 · ICELAND KR200 · NEW ZEALAND $3.00 . SWEDEN KR15 . UK £1.00 . U.S. $1.50 INSIDE Meeting celebrates life of THE Priscilla Schenk - PAGEs s-9 A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE VOL. 65/NO. 43 NOVEMBER 12, 2001 U.S. assaults workers' rights, intensifies imperialist war First of 1,000 Afghan civilian Socialist in Miami wins support jailed in U.S. toll grows, U.S. in fight against political firing dies in prison steps up invasion BY MARTIN KOPPEL BY PATRICK O'NEILL On October 26 President George Bush The U.S. imperialists, backed by London, signed into law the "USA Patriot Act," a intensified their bombing ofAfghanistan this bipartisan measure that under the cover of week, leading to a rising civilian death toll fighting "terrorism" gives much wider lati­ in the country. As repeated bombardment tude to the FBI and other political police of the frontline Afghan government forces agencies to conduct spying and disruption failed to break their defenses, and the op­ operations against individuals and voluntary position Northern Alliance proved incapable associations, carry out arbitrary searches and of mounting an offensive, Washington and seizures in private homes and businesses, London are sending in larger numbers of and jail immigrants virtually indefinitely troops to prepare a wider ground war. with no charges. The FBI and the Immigra­ Protests in Pakistan against the war con­ tion and Naturalization Service (INS) have tinue to grow and encompass broader lay­ rounded up and imprisoned more than 1,000 ers of working people, in spite of severe individuals without charges since Septem- army and police repression. Around 8,000 Continued on Page 6 Continued on Page 6 Meeting defends Cubans framed up by U.S. gov 't Socialist candidate for Miami mayor Michael Italie, left, with supporter. BY ARGIRIS MALAPANIS Industries garment manufacturing plant here. Italie, a sewing machine operator BY JACOB PERASSO on Cuba (NNOC), the second held this year. MIAMI-"This is an attack on the right of all working people to express and the Socialist Workers candidate for FAIRFAX, California-A public forum The Network has several dozen affiliates their point of view, to think and discuss mayor of Miami, was fired a week ear­ in defense of five Cubans recently convicted across the United States that carry out work their ideas and opinions without fear of lier by the Goodwill bosses for his po­ in Miami on frame-up charges of conspiracy in opposition to Washington's policy to­ intimidation or oflosing their jobs," said litical views. At the well-attended media to commit espionage for the government of wards Cuba. During deliberations over the Michael Italie at an October 29 press event Italie described the support he is Cuba was held here October 20. weekend the NNOC adopted a resolution conference held outside the Goodwill The public event was the highlight of a condemning the U.S. government's war on Continued on Page 11 weekend meeting of the National Network Continued on Page 7

Books for working people and youth Strikers keep fighting imperialism and its war drive A01ana shut Che Guevara Thlks Capitalism's World Disorder: downinlowa to Young People Working-Class Politics at the Millennium Ernesto Che Guevara, drawing on his by Jack Barnes BY INEZ MARSH AMANA, Iowa-More than 1,000 strik­ experience as a leader of the Cuban The accelerating social devastation, police brutality, and mili­ ing workers here voted October 21 to tum revolution, talks as an equal with youth tary assaults are the inevitable forces unleashed by capitalism. of Cuba and the world. In English, and down, for the second time, concession de­ But the future capitalism has in store can be changed by the mands by Amana, a manufacturer of refrig­ Spanish. $12 (regular $14.95) united struggle of workers and farmers conscious of their eration appliances. power to transform the world. In French, English, and Spanish. $20 (Regular $23.95) Some 2,250 members of the International Malcolm X Thlks Association of Machinists (lAM) Locall526 to Young People New International no. 7 The ·changing' Face of went on strike September 23 to oppose the Includes Malcolm X's condemnation of mtsh.ington's Assault on ll'aq: U.S.Politics: Workbtg-£lass bosses' demands for imposition of a two-tier imperialist wars in the Congo, Vietnam, Opening Guns of World War IH Politics and the'Ji'ade Unions wage structure, increased mandatory over­ and elsewhere. $9 (regular price $10. 95) The U.S. government's murderous A handbook for .the newgeneration time, elimination ofa planned wage hike, and assault on Iraq heralded increasingly coming into tht factories, mines, and increased health insurance costs. The Struggle for a "sharp conflicts among imperialist mills as they react to the uncertain life, At an October 25 strike support rally, Proletarian Party powers, the rise of rightist and fascist ceaseless turmoil, and brutality of union member Ken Penn said the vote re­ forces, growing instability of interna­ jecting the contract was 980 to 243. "The By James P. Cannon capitalism today. In French, English, tional capitalism, and more wars. $12. and Spanish. $16 (Regular $19.95) company offered a slight decrease in yearly A founder of the mandatory overtime from 240 hours to 216," communist move­ Also by Jack Barnes The Working Class he said, "but it was not the decrease we were ment in the U.S. and and the 'lransformation looking for. Wages are not even the main leader of the Commu­ Cuba and the Comiltg American Revolution of Learning issue. But with the increase in insurance nist International costs, the wage increase offered is insignifi­ "Until society .is reorganized so that during Lenin's time Discusses the struggles in the imperialist cant." education is a human activity from the defends the proletar­ heartland and the example of Cuba that Allen Lord, who has worked at the plant time we are very young until the time ian program and revolution is not only necessary~it can for 26 years, most recently in the sheet metal we die, there will be no education party building norms be made. $10 (Regular $13.00) department, said the company "is not going of Bolshevism on the worthy of working, creating human­ to give us anything. We have to take it. That's ity." In French, English, Icelandic, eve of World War II. what this strike is about. I have never crossed See directory on page 12 Spanish, and Swedish. $3 $21.95 a picket line in my life and I'll hang in here. We are getting good support from the steel- Continued on Page 2 At N.Y. cleanup site workers fight for pay, union rights- page 4 Bosses use attack on World Trade Center to justify more layoffs BY ROGER CALERO here in August, but government officials are NEW YORK-Despite an undisputed claiming that 100,000 additional jobs were economic slowdown in the U.S. economy lost as a result of the attack on the World for nearly a year, the capitalist bosses and Trade Center. But as of September 26 only big-business media continue to use the so­ 10,800 people who filed for unemployment called fallout of the September 11 attacks assistance stated their layoff was due to the to justify massive layoffs across the coun­ attack's repercussions. try. In California, the Hotel Employees and While there has been at least a temporary Restaurant Employees International Union sharp decline in tourist travel, affecting (HERE) was recently involved in organiz­ workers in the airline, hotel, and entertain­ ing several relief centers. Union officials say ment industries, particularly in New York, nearly one-third of HERE members in the the downturn in the capitalist business cycle southern part of the state are out of work or has had a much more widespread and dev­ working only a few hours. Since most are astating impact on millions of working immigrants who are excluded from cover­ age under government programs, thousands people. The Labor Department reported Hotel and restaurant workers who lost their jobs near the World Trade attend October 5 that close to 200,000 jobs were are suddenly without any means of support. According to press reports, workers began meeting to get information about unemployment compensation and disaster relief ben­ cut nationwide from mid-August to mid­ efits. Downturn in capitalist business cycle has had much deeper impact on workers. September, not including the layoffs an­ lining up outside the new relief centers be­ nounced by the airline, hotel, and travel in­ fore they opened. dustries after September 11. The department The bipartisan assault on the social wage have applied for the program have already at the second Twin Towers Job Expo at said that factory employment dropped for has also severely reduced the percentage of been deni~d assistance by the Federal Emer­ Madison Square Garden, hoping to get an the 14th consecutive month, for a total cut unemployed workers receiving benefits. The gency Management Agency (FEMA). interview for one of the 13,000 jobs reported of 1.1 million jobs since July 2000. unemployment benefits system was created "Since the day of the tragedy I have only to be available from 250 companies repre­ Unemployment jumped to 5.8 percent in 193 5 as part of the Social Security Act received psychological help and $50," said sented there. An earlier session October 17 during a period of massive struggles by in­ Mariela Ronca) to the New York daily Hoy. was so mobbed that thousands of people left dustrial workers. But a growing number of "What good is therapy going to do ifl have standing outside were turned away. restrictions and technicalities are being used other problems that depress me, I don't have City authorities had reported that 4,368 Amana strike in Iowa by the government to deny people benefits. a job and my debts are getting bigger." "prospective hirings" were concluded Oc­ Continued from front page Roncal and 200 other workers and family tober 17, an announcement that helped spur workers and other unions." Declining number receive benefits members of victims of the attack protested the turnout October 25. But company The rejection of the contract by the strik­ Today only 39 percent of workers with­ the treatment received by undocumented spokespeople quickly disputed the figure. ing machinists brought a quick reaction out a job and looking for one receive an workers at a meeting in Manhattan attended "We said we had 10 openings. We did not from the company, which was recently pur­ unemployment check. This is down from 50 by representatives from FEMA and other say we were hiring 10 people to fill those chased by Maytag. Union members say they percent in 1975 and higher levels in previ­ relief organizations. openings," a representative of one of the received a letter implying that they could ous decades. Government unemployment Many of the displaced workers have been firms callously told the press. A third event be replaced with nonunion workers if they figures do not count workers who do not denied assistance because they lack proof is planned due to continued overcrowding. don't return to work. Iowa's Channel 11 report to unemployment offices, meaning from their employers. "The bosses know News reported October 27 that a Maytag the official number out of work is well be­ very well who their employees were, who letter stated the company will have do what low actual figures, especially given the survived and who are missing, but they don't Northwest profits rise is best for its customers and expressed growing number of immigrants excluded want to provide proof because they are "hope" the workers would come to a deci­ from the government program altogether. afraid assistance will be denied them for after federal subsidies sion based on their own "best interests." Government officials say that some 38,000 hiring workers without papers," said Joel Penn said that of the three letters Amana workers who are ineligible for'unemployment Magalhin, of Asociaci6n Tepeyac, a reli­ BY JACK WILLEY workers have received from Maytag during insurance-because they were self-em­ gious, community-based organization in­ Northwest Airlines has reported a tidy their five-week strike, this is the first to ployed, being paid under the table, or because volved in the fight to defend the rights of profit of $19 million for the third quarter threaten their jobs. lAM officials are sched­ bosses were not reporting deductions-are immigrant workers. after pocketing $158 million in federal sub­ uled to resume negotiations with Maytag expected to apply for a Disaster Unemploy­ Garment bosses here have laid off thou­ sidies in the aftermath of the September 11 October 29. ment Assistance Program. Hundreds who sands of workers or set short working weeks attacks. as a result of a drastic drop in orders from The government handed the airline bosses retailers and designers. The effects of the $15 billion in all as a way to shore up the weakening economy in the industry, the profits of airline companies that had already largest manufacturing sector in the city with been experiencing a months-long slide in a workforce of more than 78,000 people, passenger travel and revenues. were also already evident well before Sep­ The airline put 10,000 workers on the tember 11. street in September, part of what Northwest Union officials say that in Chinatown, chief executive officer Richard Anderson where there are 12,000 garment workers, said was an aggressive cost-cutting plan factories are operating at below 50 percent begun earlier in the year. The profit comes capacity. Some garment workers at shops even after the airline took $39 million in From the strikers at Amana in at the Bush Terminal complex in Brooklyn charges for aircraft write-downs and em­ Iowa to workers walking the picket report they have not received a paycheck in ployee severance packages. several weeks, with the bosses blaming the Congress is now working on legislation line at V& V Supremo Foods in economic situation caused by the World to give the airline industry an additional Chicago (at right), labor struggles Trade Center attack for the delay. $250 million, Bloomberg News reported. are the answer to the bosses' Long lines of unemployed waiting to be The reason given is to pay for installing interviewed are seen once again in the city. cockpit doors strong enough to withstand demands for wage cuts, mass Some 10,000 people showed up October 25 bullets and explosives. layoffs, increased health costs, and other assaults. The 'Militant' brings you coverage ofthe,se above address. By first-class (airmail), send $80. The Militant Asia: send $80 drawn on aU .S. bank to above battles every week. address. Vol. 65/No. 43 Canada: Send Canadian $75 for one-year Closing news date: October 31, 2001 subscription to Militant, 4613 St. Laurent, Editor: MARTIN KOPPEL Montreal, Quebec H2T I R2. SUBSCRIBE .TODAY! Business Manager: MAURICE WILLIAMS Britain, Ireland: £36 for one year by check Editorial Staff: Roger Calero, Greg McCartan, or international money order made out to Mili­ Maggie Trowe, Jack Willey, Brian Williams, and tant Distribution, 4 7 The Cut, London, SE I 8LL, NEW READERS Maurice Williams. England. Continental Europe, Africa, Middle Young Socialists column editor: ROMINA East: £40 for one year by check or international GREEN money order made out to Militant Distribution 0 $10 for 12 issues NAME Published weekly except for one week in June, at above address. August and December. 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2 The Militant November 12, 2001 End of Dairy Compact will hit farmers hard

BY TED LEONARD east Compact' authorized by the U.S. Con­ cessor and brand retailer in the United a press release he said, "The Northeast Dairy NORTH TROY, Vermont-"It will be gress and signed by the U.S. Secretary of States. In 2000 Suiza controlled 70 percent Compact cuts a special deal for one region's devastating. Most farmers still have a debt. Agriculture, we have had to increase our of the processing in New England. dairy farmers while hurting dairy farmers You will see a lot of farmers get disgusted milk prices. We hope this poses no incon­ Nationally, Suiza Dairy Group operates in the Upper Midwest.... The situation as it and give up. Others will have no choice and venience to anyone." more than 80 dairy processing plants that stands is fundamentally unfair to will be forced out of business," explained Echoing this hypocritical concern, Barney produce and distribute milk to 46 states. Its Minnesota's dairy producers. Congress Dexter Randall, a seventh-generation dairy Frank, a Massachusetts congressman who brands include Meadow Gold, Borden, ought to pass this bill for the sake of fair­ farmer in Vermont. opposed the compact, said in the recent de­ Elsie, Foremost, Oak Farms, Country Fresh, ness." Randall was referring to the effects of the bate, "We're talking about something poor Tuscan, Dairymens, Pet, Flav-o-Rich, In an interview Randall responded, "What September 30 expiration of the Northeast mothers buy for their poor children." Broughton, and Suiza Dairy. Earlier this I have always said is Wisconsin farmers Interstate Dairy Compact, a provision in the year Suiza announced a $1.5 billion merger shouldn't attack Vermont farmers because 1996 Federal Agricultural Improvement Where did price increase go? with Dean Foods, the number two milk pro­ we had the compact, but we should work Reform Act. According to a study released by the Food cessor in the United States. Dean reported together to extend the compact to all farm­ The compact covered dairy farmers in Marketing Center at the University of Con­ more than $4 billion in gross sales in 2000, ers across the country." Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New necticut in April of this year, consumer milk and earnings of $229 million. John McClaughry, president of the Ethan Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The prices have risen 29 cents per gallon since Randall pointed out the $16.94 per hun- Allen Institute, a Vermont-based anti-farmer measure aided farmers by setting a mini­ think tank, wrote in a syndicated column: mum price that milk processors---capitalist "Because of their dependence on cartel prof­ companies that put milk in bottles and car­ its, many Vermont farmers have shown little tons-must pay farmers for milk produced interest in strategies that could lower their in the six states. cost of production or increase their net farm Over the past several decades thousands income. These techniques include agri-tour­ of dairy farmers in the region have been ism, management-intensive grazing, on­ forced off the land. Randall said that when farm energy production from animal and he bought his first farm in 1973 there were crop wastes, better cow management.. .. more than 4,000 dairy farmers in Vermont "The end of the compact premium will alone. Today there are less than 1,400. bring unhappy consequences for many high­ In an editorial after the compact expired, cost farms and their hard-working farm the Boston Herald claimed the measure had families. It will also bring new opportuni­ been a "total failure" all along. The paper ties for the best managed and most profit­ cited figures showing that the number of able farms, who will take over the assets of dairy farmers going out of business in­ their weaker neighbors and make them more creased slightly since the legislation was productive even without the compact over­ enacted in 1997. order premium." The editorial also pointed out that the In a letter sent to the editor responding to average herd size per farm since 1992 in the McClaughry column, Randall wrote, New England has increased by more than "Agri-tourism can work for some farms, but one-third and the average production per not all farms. It's true my wife does have cow since 1993 has increased by 12 percent. some free time between 11:30 at night and "The smaller farmer was going to get 4:30 in the morning, but she does like to squeezed no matter what-and the squeeze rest her head on a pillow every now and then. was tightened by the fact that the compact I don't see her waking up at 2:30 in the helped farmers in direct proportion to their morning to get the milking done in time to production-that is, it helped the largest make breakfast for tourists." farms the most," the Globe wrote. "It's clear McClaughry has never been caught between the rock and hard place Working farmers back the compact Alice and Dexter Randall at their dairy farm in Vermont where farmers find themselves in this Although the Northeast Dairy Compact, economy," he stated. "Since when has farm­ which set prices above the rest of the coun­ the compact's implementation. dredweight for milk set by the compact in ing become a contest of survival of the fit­ try, most benefited the largest dairy farmers The study points out 4.5 cents of this in­ 1997 was supposed to be close to the cost test? To me farming means producing healthy in New England and tended to widen the crease was due to the compact, while the of production for farmers. But, he explained, foods for my community, providing for my gap between them and small family farm­ remaining 24.5 cents was due to other fac­ "In the last couple years costs rose for farm­ family, and taking care of the land for future ers, working farmers across the region sup­ tors, including an 11-cents-per-gallon in­ ers-fuel, fertilizer, insurance-and the generations. I'm not interested in 'taking over ported the legislation. crease in the profits of the region's milk pro­ compact price stayed the same." the assets' of my 'weaker' neighbor." In 1999, responding to congressional cessors and supermarket chains. In 1999, U.S. senator Paul Wellstone, a moves to end the compact, many working When the compact went into effect, Dal­ liberal Democrat from Minnesota, intro­ Ted Leonard is a packinghouse worker in farmers here organized to win an extension las-based Suiza was the leading dairy pro- duced legislation to repeal the compact. In Chelsea, Massachusetts. of the pact. "We all think that the compact is not the final answer for the dairy produc­ ers and consumers, but if we do lose the compact there will be a very rapid exit of Economic crisis devastates toilers in Zimbabwe small farmers from the business," Randall BY T.J. FIGUEROA ofland from capitalist farmers by thuggish pledge it has failed to keep. explained to the Militant at the time. A growing economic crisis is devastat­ supporters of his regime under the banner In a country where 6 million of the 12.5 The fight to win the compact began in ing the living conditions of working people of land reform, to bolster his increasingly million inhabitants are landless peasants, 1986, Randall said. Local farmers organized in Zimbabwe, which until recently had been shaky hold on power. this measure imposed by the wealthy farm­ rallies and milk-dumping protests in North hailed by imperialist financial institutions ers and their imperialist backers posed a Troy that led the local congressional repre­ as a model of their "structural adjustment" Imperialist demands serious problem. Today, 21 years after in­ sentative to initiate a bill for the compact. schemes. The downward spiral in the coun­ A decade ago the Mugabe government dependence, no agrarian reform has been In June 1997 the Northeast Dairy Com­ try is part of a wider crisis affecting the abruptly abandoned its socialist rhetoric and carried out to bring productive land into the pact Commission, which was formed to semicolonial countries in the region, which subscribed to an economic "structural ad­ hands of those who work it, making land oversee the compact, set the minimum price are buffeted by the long-term decline in the justment" plan administered by the Inter­ reform a central political question in the for beverage milk at $16.94 per hundred world capitalist system. national Monetary Fund. The measure com­ country. As well, manufacturing remains weight, where it stayed for the life of the In October, the United Nations News mitted the government to instituting belt­ largely in the hands of a few monopolies; program. Milk destined to be processed into Agency, published in Harare, reported that tightening measures that had a wide impact mining in particular is dominated by for­ cheese, butter, ice cream, etc. was not regu­ 2.5 million people in four southern prov­ on the population, in return for loans. eign capital. lated. On average only about half of a inces-about a fifth of the country's 12.5 Modest social gains registered after in­ Local newspapers and the opposition farmer's milk production was eligible for million people-had registered with the dependence were eroded as the imperialist Movement for Democratic Change inter­ the price support. government for food aid. Eighty percent of powers, through the IMP, tied the economy preted the price-control move as a ploy by While the compact was in force the price the population lives below the poverty line, ever more deeply into the prevailing trade ZANU-PF to win support leading up to a of milk averaged about $13.50 a hundred­ and inflation in September hit 86 percent. imbalances and anarchy of the world capi­ presidential election next year. weight, and farmers say the price of pro­ Between 600 and 700 companies have talist market. In 1999, the IMP pulled out "Mugabe has cunningly reintroduced duction for milk is around $18 a hundred­ closed shop and laid off workers in the past of Zimbabwe and has suspended loans to price controls in a last-ditch effort to split weight. Randall said that last year his farm year, bringing official unemployment close Harare. The government, meanwhile, has and throw into disarray the opposition's ur­ produced nearly 2 million gallons of milk to 60 percent. stopped paying the loans, and is now $53 ban stronghold ahead of next year's presi­ and he collected $22,000 from the compact. On October 11 the Zimbabwean govern­ million in arrears. dential ballot," wrote Abel Mutsakani in the His farm's income last year after costs was ment imposed price controls on basic com­ Untill980, a white-minority regime ruled October 18 Financial Gazette. $24,000. modities such as bread, cooking oil, maize what was then known as Rhodesia. A guer­ The capitalist landholders in Zimbabwe, Randall works the farm with his wife and meal, sugar, milk, soap, and some generic rilla struggle succeeded in defeating the mining bosses in South Africa, and the im­ two of their children. "Do the figures," stated drugs. The prices of these goods has put white-minority regime and winning inde­ perialist powers in London and Washington Randall and you will understand the role the them beyond the reach of many working pendence from Britain. The new govern­ are concerned about the capacity of the gov­ compact has played in his family farm's people over the last two years. · ment, headed by Mugabe's Zimbabwe Af­ ernment to keep working people in check survival. The international big-business press only rican National Union (ZANU, now ZANU­ as the crisis deepens, posing a problem for From June 1997 through December 2000, picked up on the story after October 14, when Patriotic Front), instituted some measures, their continued exploitation of the country the compact paid out $140 million. To stop Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe said such as free universal education, that ben­ and provoking unanticipated consequences the large capitalist farniers from collecting at a public rally that businesses opposed to efited the working class and peasantry. in the region. the lion's share ofthe price support, Randall the price controls should pack up and go, and But the British government, which was a One immediate effect of the price con­ explains, "There should be a cap on pay­ threatened to take over any that closed. "Af­ signer to the independence agreement, de­ trols has been the sudden disappearance of ments. Those guys don't need subsidies."· ter all," Mugabe said, "the assets belong to manded that any new government be pro­ goods from store shelves. Bakers say the From the beginning, owners of large su­ the people of this country. At last that social­ hibited from touching for at least a decade new price of bread is below their produc­ permarket chains lobbied in Congress and ism we wanted can start again." the holdings of 4,000 white capitalist farm­ tion costs, and have already put staffs on among shoppers against the compact. Mugabe, facing a presidential election in ers who controlled nearly all the productive reduced hours, said an October 18 dispatch Shortly after the initial compact was passed, 2002 amidst growing disaffection with his agricultural land in the country. The mea­ from AFP. Bread, sugar, cooking oil, and Stop & Shop, the biggest supermarket chain government among urban workers espe­ sure was written into the constitution of other basic foodstuffs immediately became inNew England with 274 stores, put a sign cially, has increased his radical demagogy Zimbabwe. In the accord, London promised rarities at grocers, as consumers stocked up over its dairy cases saying, "Due to the in­ over the past year. He has pushed a number it would help the new government purchase and suppliers warned they may not be able creased cost of milk caused by the 'North- of top-down measures, including seizures farm land on which to settle peasants, a to replenish supplies at the stores. November 12, 2001 The Militant 3 At N.Y. cleanup site workers fight for pay and union rights

BY ROGER CALERO EPA report says that the amount of toxic "We all need jobs, but we need protec­ chemicals and metals in the air and soil tion," said Javier Torres as he waited with around the World Trade Center have reached other workers in a morning shape-up area levels considerably over federal standards, to be hired for work in the cleaning and re­ posing long-term risks for hundreds of moval of debris from buildings around the workers at the site. World Trade Center site. Looking across to Among the chemicals listed that exceed the fence and police cordon around the work these exposure limits is benzene, a color­ site, Torres said, "This is another way of less liquid that evaporates and can cause exploiting workers." leukemia, bone marrow damage, and other Torres is a member of Asbestos/Lead diseases in long-term exposure. According Abatement Laborers Local 12A· and an ex­ to the Daily News, benzene level readings perienced asbestos worker. He was speak­ on October 2 from three spots around the Every morning hundreds of workers at "ground zero" line up outside the gate where ing about the fact that the companies con­ World Trade Center were at 42, 31, and 16 cops check their ID's, search them, and then escorted them into the site. tracted to clean up the area are refusing to times higher than the permissible exposure limits. Other readings have found the level hire many union members, and instead em­ tailed notes about who hired them, when sometimes they can go without work for days. ploy on a day-labor basis hundreds of work­ of lead in the air at nearly three times the EPA standard. they worked, and what pay levels were "But if it wasn't for this tragedy there would ers who are not given even basic safety pro­ promised. When they asked the contractor be more unemployment, and we would be at tection to wear. "There is no excuse for what I saw," read a consultant's report for the National Insti­ when they would be paid they were told re­ home with nothing to do," she said. From descriptions of Torres and other peatedly, "Tomorrow, tomorrow." The dangers faced by construction work­ workers over several mornings here, the way tute of Environmental Health Sciences is­ sued October 25 after a visit to the area. "It's As these facts began to be revealed in the ers in New York City are not limited to those at least this aspect of the cleanup work is media, the state attorney felt pressured to at the World Trade Center. On October 24 a being organized constitutes a further assault the worst site I've ever seen, extremely haz­ ardous. Very few of the workers were wear­ open an investigation. The federal and state 14-story-high scaffolding collapsed, result­ on the construction unions in the city. agencies, however, claim that they are not ing in the death of five workers and injur­ The day laborers, in their majority un­ ing even the most basic protective equip­ ment," said the consultants. responsible for the subcontractors hiring the ing 14 others. One of the injured workers documented immigrants, are told they will crews at the site, many of whom are nowhere said that he believed the scaffolding fell be paid $7.50 an hour by subcontractors to Unpaid wages to be found according to the workers. because of excess load. According to press work them in 8- to 12-hour shifts without a Gloria Perez, who is laid off from her job reports several of the victims of the disaster contract or overtime pay. Once the work Employees of the New York Committee for Occupational Safety visited the work site with a cleaning company, and who comes were buried in a three-story pile of twisted crews are put together, they join a line of here every day looking for a job, described metal and splintered wooden planks. City workers outside the heavily guarded gate. in mid-October to talk with workers about safety procedures. Instead, they reported how a whole crew was fired when one of authorities said that the scaffold had been They must show identification to police and the workers demanded payment of their erected without a permit and that the dis­ submit to searches before being escorted by they got an "earful" from the cleaning crews, some of whom had not been paid for up to wages and threatened to file a complaint. trict attorney has opened a criminal investi­ the cops to the work site. Dozens of others "Things are bad;' she said referring to how gation. are hired each day to clean offices and busi­ two weeks. They said workers had kept de- nesses in the areas that were shut down af­ ter the attack. "The contractors say the workers are Workers keep up picket at tank plant 'only' cleaning," said Torres, who pointed to the companies' disregard for safety when BY EVA BRAIMAN main battle tank, at the factory. The plant gave the thumbs-up as they drove by. "We've they send in workers without the necessary LIMA, Ohio-Striking workers at Gen­ also refurbishes older-model M1A1 Abrams gotten a lot of support and only a few nega­ protection. "There is asbestos in the dust eral Dynamics plants in three states cast tanks, produces a mobile combat bridge­ tive gestures," reported one striker. All 4 70 here that people cleaning up are breathing," ballots last week on a proposed contract deploying vehicle known as the Wolverine, UAW members at the plant have honored the he added. A cleaning worker added that settlement. In Ohio union members are and has begun work on a new eight-wheeled picket line, along with some retirees who many times the work crews had to ask the keeping the picket line up until the outcome assault vehicle. The strike affects this plant, have come down to help out. Red Cross staff for dust masks, since they of the vote is known. a planning facility in Sterling Heights, During the strike the government has were not provided with one by the recruit­ "There's got to be a point where you say Michigan, and a parts plant employing 130 been constructing facilities at the plant to ers. "If they are lucky, all they get is one of enough is enough," said Robert Woodruff, in Eynon, Pennsylvania, which makes sus­ house Ohio National Guardsmen who are those 99-cents-a-box dust masks, that don't 49, about the strike by the United Auto pension components for the Abrams. to be posted there. A spokesman for the army protect you from anything," said another Workers (UAW) union against General Dy­ With a flurry of recent new military con­ tank plant claimed the stationing ofNational experienced asbestos worker. namics Land Systems. Woodruff, a me­ tracts "the company is making more money Guard troops at the plant is not related to Torres said that many of the union mem­ chanic with 20 years in the plant, says the now than ever and should not try to take the strike. bers have not worked for several weeks, since walkout is "not about money." Referring to away our retirement benefits. We made con­ the bosses prefer not to pay the $18 to $22 a lifetime cap the company is trying to im­ cessions when they were hurting and now Eva Braiman is a meat packer and is the an hour asbestos workers make. "And if you pose on health benefits, he noted, "we have it's time for them to return it," said Joe Socialist Workers Party candidate for mayor go with them," he said of the recruiters, "there union brothers and sisters facing cancer and Petaway, 51, a machinist who has worked ofCleveland. Ilona Gersh contributed to this is no guarantee that you will get paid." other health problems and the cap is really in the plant since 1981. article. Another description of the conditions that going to hurt them; I can't accept that." Surrounded by a sprawling oil refinery exist at the World Trade Center site was pro­ The Lima plant, located in Northwest owned by Clark and British Petroleum that vided by the New York Daily News in are­ Ohio, is owned by the U.S. government and is organized by the Paper, Allied, and Chemi­ port on documents obtained from the Envi­ run by General Dynamics. The company cal Employees union (PACE), many work­ BY ILONA GERSH ronmental Protection Agency (EPA). The produces the M1A2 Abrams, the army's ers and local residents honked their horns and DETROIT-Members of the UnitedAuto Workers (UAW) who have been on strike against General Dynamics Land Systems for 14 days returned to work today after approv­ Volunteers needed for pathfinderpress.com ing a new four-year contract. The new contract was ratified by 76 per­ BY LAUREL KELLY real boost for anyone wanting to purchase a keep Pathfinder's more than 350 titles in cent of the hourly production and mainte­ SAN FRANCISCO-Revolutionary­ Pathfinder title on-line. The on-line store print. Before the project began, all of nance workers, 85 percent of the salaried minded workers, farmers, and young will also save time for the Pathfinder staff Pathfinder's reprints of books had to go technical and engineering members of the people around the world will soon be able that processes the orders in New York and through a time-consuming and expensive UAW, and 90 percent of the salaried office to order books and pamphlets from Path­ the volunteers who ship the books to the pre-press process to produce film and plates and clerical workers organized by the union. finder Press's new on-line bookstore: publishing house's customers. that would go on the presses. With the in­ In addition to those actively employed by pathfinderpress.com.An international team The biggest challenge in constructing the troduction of new computer-to-plate tech­ the company, the contract covers 3,100 re­ of volunteers from the Pathfinder Reprint web site is producing high-quality scans of nology in Pathfinder's printshop in late tirees. Project are now working to replace the "Un­ each book cover. Pathfinder's editors and 1998, the volunteers stepped up our efforts Current retirees, including all those who der Construction" sign currently displayed designers put a lot ofthought and effort into to produce digital files of the reprints of retired after July 1997 with no health care, on that web site to one that reads on Jan. 1, producing colorful, eye-catching covers for Pathfinder books on CD-ROM's. To date, will get Blue Cross/Blue Shield medical 2002, "Up and Running." every publication. Displaying these covers volunteers in the South Pacific, North coverage. The company will contribute up Great progress in this direction has al­ will make the books and pamphlets more America, and Europe have scanned, proof­ to $350 every month for retirees, and $700 ready been made. Pat Smith in New York attractive to anyone visiting Pathfinder's read, formatted, indexed, and reproduced for a family plan. This is identical to full­ has prepared the new web site and book page web site. the covers on more than 170 digital, ready­ time employee health benefits. Future retir­ designs, and some 15 Pathfinder Reprint The San Francisco based Reprint Project to-print Pathfinder titles in English, Span- · ees-, however, will have to pay 15 percent of Project volunteers are now entering all the Steering Committee has made the comple­ ish, French, Swedish, and Icelandic. Over the monthly insurance premium. The information from the printed Pathfinder tion of pathfinderpress.com a top priority the past year, the reprint project volunteers copayments by UAW members have been catalog and order form for each title. Once and has put out a call for help to supporters. have also taken on the responsibility for cut in half, and the lifetime maximum pay­ the catalog database has been completed and Especially needed are volunteers with the proofreading and formatting Pathfinder's ment has been doubled to $500,000 for each checked for accuracy, this information will computer resources necessary to reproduce new books and pamphlets. individual. be transferred to individual book pages for the covers: a scanner, knowledge of To volunteer for scanning covers or en­ In addition to a cost ofliving allowance, placement on the Pathfinder web site. Each PhotoShop, and some graphics experience. tering data for the new Pathfinder catalog, UAW members will receive a 3 percent Pathfinder title will then have its own page. Whether contributing two or 20 hours a or other work in the Pathfinder Reprint wage increase over the next three years and Most pages will include an image of the week, the efforts of every volunteer will help Project, you can contact Ruth Cheney at a 3.5 percent increase in 2004. cover of the book. These will be cross-ref­ make Pathfinder's arsenal accessible world­ [email protected]. erenced and linked by subject, author, and wide. Ilona Gersh is a member ofUAWLoca/17 4, theme. The Pathfinder Reprint Project is an or­ Laurel Kelly is a member ofthe Pathfinder and works at Textron Automotive in Ordering will be simple and direct and a ganization of volunteers formed in 1998 to Reprint Project Steering Committee. Westland, Michigan. 4 The Militant November 12,2001 'Militant' target week to step up sales drive

BY MAURICE WILLIAMS wrote Francisco Picado in St. Paul, Minnesota. "Last week article 'U.S. Imperialism Has Lost the Cold War."' Campaigners for the Militant and Perspectiva Mundial we sold 10 Militant subscriptions, two of them by going "A couple of us are on layoff this week, so we have some have met numbers of working people, students, and others door-to-door in working-class districts in St. Paul and Min­ more special teams planned, including returning to the over the past few weeks who are interested in reading the neapolis. Three people who came to their first Militant La­ paperworkers' strike in Brevard, North Carolina, and a union truth about imperialism and its war against the people of bor Forum also bought Militant subscriptions." conference in Raleigh, North Carolina," she added. Afghanistan and the capitalist rulers' deepening assaults Picado said two of his co-workers purchased subscrip- · Supporters of the Militant in northeastern Pennsylvania on democratic rights. Now is a good time to get back to tions at the meatpacking plant where he works. ''A couple visited the picket line and strike headquarters ofUnitedAuto them and step up efforts to reach out to others with the of days after purchasing a subscription, one of them de­ Workers Local 1193 where a strike was in progress against special target week planned for November 3 through No­ cided to buy New International no. 7, with the feature ar­ General Dynamics' Land Systems division plant in Eynon, vember 11. ticle "Opening Guns of World War III: Washington's As­ Pennsylvania. Participants in the international circulation drive to win sault on Iraq." The other one, from Eritrea, has experience "At the picket line, the strikers were glad to see the front new readers to the two publications are organizing a day- in that country's struggle for independence. He explained page article on their strike," they wrote. "This opened a how the U.S. government cannot be trusted in serious discussion about the past fights they had been what it says. He also noted how the U.S. media through and why they were striking now. One worker com­ is not covering the news truthfully." mented that the company was to blame for trying to cut In Houston, Jacquie Henderson wrote, "We retiree benefits while making millions, saying they had to have a lot of names of people who have ex­ strike now because the contract was up. pressed an interest in buying subscriptions and ''Another striker saw the Militant's headline opposing the Pathfinder books. So we should be able to move war in Afghanistan and immediately asked, 'Is there oil ahead with the target week with our plans to there?' Others talked about their experience in Vietnam and get out to Paris, Texas, where members of the the Gulf War. They agreed that like those wars, there was United Food and Commercial Workers are more to this war than what the U.S. government was say­ locked out by the Campbell Soup company. ing. "We are starting to gain momentum selling "After a half hour of discussion, four strikers wanted the New International. We sold NI no. 7 this copies of the Militant. They dug into their pockets, and came past weekend on a literature table we set up in up with $8 for the four papers. We sold another paper at the the workers district where the Pathfinder book­ strike headquarters and two strikers are considering get- store is located," Henderson said, noting that ting subscriptions." · NIno. 7 is their top seller so far. They sold a copy at the film showing of Lumumba, as well as two copies of Nouvelle Internationale. "Three people we met at the movie came to the Militant Labor Militant/Perspectiva· Mundial· Forum and said they planned to come subscription campaign-week 5 back next week to buy copies of the NI to study." .. . Sept. 22-Nov. 18 Use election campaign to win readers In several areas where socialist work­ Militant PM Nl ers are candidates for public office, par­ Country Goal Sold o/o Goal Sold Goal Sold tisans of the Militant are planning a final Sweden* 18 15 83% 4 3 12 9 flurry of activities for the last days of the Australia 16 10 63% 3 0 16 9 election campaign to win subscribers. Canada · "Last week was our best of sales in the Vancouver 15 11 73% 3 4 20 6 subscription drive," wrote Argiris Montreal 12 7 58% 5 2 20 7 Malapanis. "This was partly a result of Toronto 17 8 47% 5 1 17 8 our election campaign activities, espe­ Canada total 44 26 59% 13 7 57 21 cially the fight against the political firing United Kingdom 35 17 49% 10 5 20 12 of Michael Italie, Socialist Workers can­ United States didate for mayor of Miami. We have sent Tucson you by express mail six more new Mili­ 7 6 86% 1 1 6 1 Twin Cities* tant subscriptions and two to PM." 45 30 67% 20 21 30 13 Miami 20 13 65% 20 6 25 12 Militant/Patrick O'Neill Naomi Craine from Charlotte, North Houston Participants at memorial meeting in New York celebrating life of Carolina, said she helped staff an ail-day 30 19 63% 15 3 45 11 Seattle 25 15 Priscilla Schenk snap up Pathfinder books and pamphlets. More than literature table at the University of South 60% 10 4 25 16 Boston 27 $600 worth ofliterature was sold at event at discount price reflecting Carolina in Columbia "where we sold two 15 56% 11 5 25 0 Des Moines 16 thirst for political understanding of imperialist epoch. Militant subscriptions, about a dozen cop- 30 53% 20 8 15 7 Western Colorado 30 16 53% 4 ies of the paper, several copies of the In­ 8 15 4 Los Angeles 50 25 50% 11 ternational Social Review that was printed in a recent 30 25 20 by-day plan of special sales teams and other sales activities Upper Manhattan 65 31 48% 19 issue of the Militant, and some pamphlets by com­ 50 40 14 as part of a concentrated effort to meet all the goals of the Newark 45 21 47% munist leaders V.I. Lenin and Frederick Engels." 30 6 30 8 campaign. The pace of the target week will need to be kept Detroit 35 16 46% 10 1 30 "One of us dropped by a newsstand/bookstore that 9 up through November 18-the end of the drive-in order Chicago 45 20 44% 30 7 35 11 had taken a few Pathfinder titles last year," Craine to meet all of the international goals. The response to the San Francisco 50 21 42% 25 14 40 15 wrote. "They're getting out of the book business due Militant among workers and young people across the coun­ Philadelphia 25 10 40% 10 3 20 2 to competition from Barnes and Noble, but are ex­ try show that success is attainable. Atlanta 36 14 39% 15 2 35 7 panding their magazines. The buyer ordered three "Please increase our Militant bundle for the target week NY Garment Dist. 100 38 38% 50 18 55 29 copies of New International no. 11 that features the and send it overnight along with some subscription blanks," Omaha 11 4 36% 15 3 10 9 Cleveland 25 9 36% 4 4 20 11 Brooklyn 60 19 32% 30 16 70 29 Charlotte 16 5 31 o/o 6 1 25 6 1948 massacre ofKoreans is exposed Birmingham 20 6 30% 3 5 20 0 Washington 25 6 24% 20 2 10 3 BY PATRICK O'NEILL Korean infiltrators." History textbooks, he noted, still Allentown 25 5 20% 5 3 10 3 Pittsburgh 40 8 20% 5 0 25 4 A massacre of at least 30,000 people some 50 years ago give the massacre only "cursory mention." Eighty-year-old Kim Hyoung Choe, who survived Tampa 12 2 17% 5 3 14 10 on the Korean island of Jeju by the U.S.-backed regime has U.S. total 899 390 43% 448 170 700 254 begun to be brought to light due to efforts by residents and the massacre, and who today shows visitors the kill­ ing sites, said, "I feel very frustrated and angry even New Zealand their supporters. Auckland now. Those who were killed were never even offi­ 10 3 30% 1 1 8 4 The island lies on the southern tip of the Korean penin­ Christchurch 7 3 43% 1 0 3 1 sula, which was divided in two by Washington with the cially identified .... It makes me feel horrible to real­ N.Z. total 17 6 35% 2 1 11 5 agreement of Moscow at the end ofWorld War II. The U.S. ize that people could have disappeared like this with­ Iceland 8 2 25% 2 0 imperialists, having defeated their Japanese rivals and with out leaving even a trace of themselves." lnt'l totals 1037 46"6 42% 482 186 737 310 their eyes on China, the "great prize" of the war, main­ In September 2000 "the government began to in­ tained a military presence south of the demilitarized zone. vestigate this incident for the first time," said Yang Jo Goal/Should be 1100 682 62% 500 310 800 496 By 1948 a deepening revolution by workers and peas­ Hoon, who heads the committee collecting ~stimony IN THE UNIONS ants was sweeping the north, and there was widespread about the killings. The Times reported that Mr. Yang, Militant PM Nl social unrest in the south. Washington urged its puppet re­ who was born on Jeju, "believes with many Goal Sold o/o Goal Sold Goal Sold gime in Seoul to have an election in May 1948, which was others ... that the Americans must have known of, and Australia to supposedly showcase the "democratic" nature of the perhaps even ordered, the crackdown." AM lEU 3 2 67% 1 0 government there. A team of south Korean researchers is currently in MUA* 2 0 Oo/o 5 3 Total 5 2 40% People in two districts on Jeju boycotted the election, the United States, seeking information about the in­ apparently to demonstrate their opposition to the heavy­ volvement of U.S. officers and forces stationed in United States Korea at the time. UAW 5 3 60% 4 1 handed administration of the island by the government. UFCW 55 24 44% ''All along," saidYang, "the government has known 55 33 70 27 ''American commanders in Korea were furious, and after a UNITE 35 3 9% 35 5 3 that thousands of innocent people were killed, and series of incidents their South Korean counterparts em­ UMWA 20 1 that's why they made a lot of noise about a commu­ 5% 2 0 15 1 barked on a campaign to cleanse the island of supposed Total 110 31 28% 92 38 85 31 Communist agitators," reported Howard French in the Oc­ nist threat. People were threatened with jail for so much as mentioning the matter. Relatives of the dead New Zealand tober 24 New York Times. NDU 2 1 50% were afraid of being labeled Communists too." 1 0 By October police and army units declared that any part MWU 2 0 Oo/o 2 0 of Jeju more than three miles from the coastline was en­ Two years after the massacre Washington and its Total 4 1 25% 3 0 emy territory. They began burning scores of villages and allies poured hundreds of thousands of troops into Canada carrying out summary executions and widespread torture. the peninsula during the Korean war, a failed attempt UFCW 5 1 20% 1 0 8 4 By February 1949 around 30,000 people, one-tenth of the to establish a pro-imperialist government across the UNITE 5 0 Oo/o 2 1 3 0 island's population, had been killed, according to estimates. whole country in which several million Koreans died. Total 10 1 1 Oo/o 3 1 11 4 "Until a decade ago," wrote French, "the Jeju massacres Today the U.S. government maintains 37,000 troops raised goal * were ascribed both officially and in textbooks to North and 40 military installations in south Korea.

~()Vember l2, 200.1 The Militant .5 Washington escalates war in Afghanistan Continued from front page never welcome them with flowers. They will people marched to the Afghan border Oc­ receive a tougher lesson than that of their tober 27, planning to join the fight against Russian predecessors." the invaders. "I cannot tolerate the bomb­ The bombing has accomplished no "sig­ ing and the cruelty ofAmericans. I must go," nificant achievement that the Pentagon said 18-year-old volunteer Mamoor Shah. wished to achieve, except the genocide of A group of 4,000 armed men blocked the Afghanistan people," said the Afghan am­ Karakora Highway from Pakistan to China, bassador to Pakistan, Abdul Salam Zaeef. the former silk road trading route, and seized an abandoned air strip, demanding that CIA assassinations President Pervaz Musharaff step down. The Rumsfeld asserted the right of the U.S. military ruler, who has provided bases to government to target individuals for execu­ imperialist troops and warplanes being used tion, declaring '"You bet your life' when in the daily assault, said October 26 that al­ asked if American might assassinate terror­ though his government is "part of the coali­ ist bad guys," according to the Nf?'>i' York Post. tion," military action must be "brought to On October 26 the British government an­ an end as soon as possible." nounced that it will base 200 commandos, The Pentagon reported that 70 jets took many of whom have received special train­ part in the bombing on October 29, the 23rd ing in arctic and mountain warfare, on war­ day of the assault, aiming at front-line ships off the coast of Pakistan, and place Taliban positions in the north for the ninth another 400 on standby in the United King­ straight day. The following day, reported the dom. Special forces already operating in­ New York Times, 80 percent of the bombing side Afghanistan will have their numbers missions targeted military posts. The mount­ Red Cross warehouse facility in Kabul burns after being hit by U.S. bombs strengthe.ned. ing toll of civilian casualties from the con­ The Australian government is among the tinual bombardment-1,000, according to the capital on October 28. of attacks during Ramadan. few who have committed forces to the com­ Afghan government estimates-is helping Spokespeople for the U.S. government "Let's not go there yet,:' said President ing ground war. New York Times columnist to fuel protests in the region and nervous­ refuse to divulge the civilian casualties of Bush's chief of staff, Andrew Card when Thomas Friedman commented on ness among those governments which have their bombing campaign. Defense Secretary asked about plans for a larger troop deploy­ Washington's lack of a broader coalition. backed the war. Donald Rumsfeld accused Taliban ment. The U.S. command has not admitted "My fellow Americans," he wrote, "I hate "As long as the Americans are hitting ci­ spokespeople of manipulating the news. to any more raids of the type carried out on to say this, but except for the good old Brits, vilians, things will become more and more "When there's a bomb that goes down, they October 19 against offices of prominent we're all alone .... With the money Japan complicated," said Yemen's minister of in­ grab some women and children and pretend Taliban figure Mullah Muhammad Omar. paid, we actually made a profit on the gulf formation. Some 30,000 people demon­ the bomb hit women and children," he said. "The limited value of the intelligence col­ war.... This time we'll have to pay our own strated in the Yemeni town ofAmran against One administration official indicated the lected-as well as what the raid showed way, and for others." the war and the government's crackdown on lower value the warmakers feel they can about the Taliban's continued ability and The imperialist powers are negotiating in dissent on October 20. place on Afghan lives when he commented willingness to resist-may be part of what the United Nations and with the former Af­ Some officials of the United Nations have on the publicity given victims of anthrax in led Bush administration officials to make ghan king, other Afghan figures, and re­ sought to distance themselves from the as­ the United States. "The lesson we're learn­ gloomier assessments about the pace of the gional governments to give shape to the pro­ sault as civilian casualties grow. "Airstrikes ing" from the controversy, he said, "is that war," the New York Times reported. tectorate they want to impose in Kabul. have to be focused, in a specific way, to you can bomb the wrong place in Afghani­ Omar told the Algerian newspaper El United Nations diplomats have announced bring down terrorist camps, and to bring stan and not take much heat for it. But don't Youm that the Afghan forces have not yet a plan for an "interim administration made .down those supporting them in the Taliban mess up at the post office." begun the "real war against the Americans up of 12 Afghan ministers who would hold leadership," Ruud Lubbers, the UN high One "wrong place" was the Red Cross because of their technological power." Once a rotating, figurehead presidency for one commissioner for refugees, said October 30. building in Kabul, hit by U.S. bombs for a the ground war begins, he said, "We will month each," reported the Financial Times. "We need to get self restraint." second time in 10 days on October 26. The U.S. central command blamed "a human er­ Use of cluster bombs ror in the targeting process" for the attacks The cluster bombs Washington is using in by Navy fighter-bombers and B-52s Octo­ First of 1,000 jailed dies in prison the raids have proven particularly devastat­ ber 26, which demolished warehouses stor­ Continued from front page of the new law, and how the Justice Depart­ ing. "Each cluster bomb contains 200 smaller ing tons of food and blankets for civilians. ber 11 in connection with Washington's ment will use every possible existing law, bombs, full of metal shards able to pierce Another U.S. bomb hit a village in North­ ongoing war campaign. even for minor infractions or applying ob­ armor," reported correspondents in Pakistan ernAlliance-held territory the next day, kill­ Three days earlier, a 55-year-old restau­ scure statutes, to lock up immigrants and andAfghanistan for Granma, the Cuban daily ing one person and wounding eig4t others. rant worker in Queens, New York, became others it deems "suspected terrorists" or newspaper. Each bomb let explodes indepen­ Northern Alliance largely ineffective the first of those 1,000 detainees to die in "associates of terrorism." dently, spewing red-hot metal shards at the police custody. Muhammad Rafiq Butt, a He declared that his model was Democrat speed of a bullet. Those bombs "that do not The alliance's commanders have ap­ Pakistani immigrant, died in Hudson County Robert F. Kennedy, who as President John F. explode ... can mutilate and kill civilians years plauded the increased U.S. strikes on Taliban jail inKearny, New Jersey, after being im­ Kennedy's attorney general in the early 1960s later," wrote the Cuban paper. lines. In spite of the bombing support, how­ prisoned for three weeks. Officials attrib­ said he would arrest alleged mobsters for The Associated Press reported on Octo­ ever, "the alliance lost ground earlier this uted his death to a "heart condition." "spitting on the sidewalk." It "will be the ber 24 that unexploded bomblets have week around Mazar-i-Sharif, a city the alli­ "They didn't find anything against him policy of this Department of Justice to use trapped residents of the village of Shaker ance was thought to have had a good chance except that his status expired," said the same aggressive arrest and detention tac­ Qala in their homes. "The villagers have a of taking," reported the October 29 New York Ahsanullah "Bobby" Khan of the Pakistani tics in the war on terror," Ashcroft stated. lot to be afraid of because these bomb lets, Times, concluding that the alliance "appears Community Center in Brooklyn, New York, Announcing that "we will defend civili­ if they did not explode, are very dangerous," increasingly to be a largely ineffective po­ reported Newsday. "The people of the zation" against "barbarians," the top cop said Daniel Kelly, a UN mine removal ex­ litical and military force." United States should raise their voice that it said, "Let the terrorists among us be warned: pert in Afghanistan. Washington is dropping weapons and is not fair what's going on." If you overstay your visa-even by one U.S. bombs hit a bus terminal in Kandahar supplies to alliance troops, and has sent in U.S. officials have kept secret the names day-we will arrest you. If you violate a on October 25, reported Granma. The city's Special Operations forces. Rumsfeld said of most of the detained immigrants, whom local law, you will be put in jail and kept in electricity supply has already been knocked they are helping to establish supply routes, they brand as "terrorism suspects." Most are custody as long as possible." out. Twenty people died in the village oflshaq improve communications, and target Taliban being held for minor immigration infrac­ In addition to the new anti-working-class Sulaiman, near the city ofHerat, when it came positions for air strikes. tions that previously would not have resulted legislation, government officials are con­ under attack on the same day. "U.S. eyes Afghan foothold," read aNew in detention. Civil liberties groups say that tinuing their moves to militarize the coun­ "In this, the first month of winter," read York Post story reporting Pentagon plans to many have been denied access to lawyers try. Taking advantage of a warning by fed­ the newspaper, "the U.S. bombardment has set up a "forward base inside Afghanistan and that some are being kept .in solitary con­ eral officials about impending terrorist at­ forced the exodus of hundreds of thousands as a staging area for helicopter attacks and finement. The government has yet to file tacks, state governments have beefed up the of Afghan people." UN figures show that commando raids." The paper speculated that charges against anyone in relation to the deployment ofNational Guard troops. More "23 million Afghans face food shortages, the base might be located near Mazar-i­ September 11 attacks in Washington and than 1,500 troops and almost 500 state 7.5 million of them need help desperately." Sharif. Alliance forces have also reportedly New York. troopers are now deployed in and around Forced out of her Kabul house by bomb­ began preparing a gravel airstrip near Kabul. One of those caught up in the "antiterror­ New York City, at train stations, airports, ing raids on October 18, 20-year-old Mahtab Sen. John McCain added his voice to the ist" raids was a 20-year-old New York stu­ bridges, and tunnels. New York governor continuing chorus of politicians, academics, joined many others who fled to Pakistan's dent, about to begin his new semester at La George Pataki ordered an extension of the border city of Peshawar. The New York Times and media commentators calling for larger­ Guardia College, who was dragged off a Guardsmen's active duty to 90 days and pro­ reported, "When she is told that the United scale commitment of U.S. troops. "The im­ Greyhound bus by INS agents September 18 vided some with heavier weapons. States is trying to minimize civilian casual­ mediate problem needs to be addressed with on his"way back to New York from visiting Vice president Richard Cheney warned ties, she answers with a list of neighbor­ all the might of the United States' military relatives in Houston. The INS locked him up October 25 that many of these measures hoods where innocents have been killed: power," he said on October 27. He called for in Wiggins, Mississippi, where guards stood were not temporary but "will become per­ Khuja Bughra, Maidan Hawai and others." a "very, very significant" force, large enough by as he was beaten bloody by three white manent inAmerican life." A New York Times U.S. attacks killed at least 13 civilians in to hold territory, and opposed any cessation inmates who called him "bin Laden." The headline declared, "Security Heightens, and cops refused to let him inform relatives by Giuliani Advises: Get Used to It," referring From Pathfinder: New Internationals: phone that he had been beaten, according to to Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. No.11 the October 3-9 New York Village Voice. One example of the emboldened police Imperialism: The Highest and military presence that working people Stage of capitalism U.S. Imperialism Has Lost the Cold War Law will accelerate attacks in New York are supposed to "get used to" by Jack Barnes. Also The Communist Strategy Since 1996, when then-President William was the brutalization of Gustavo Pefiuela and V.I. LENIN "I trust that this pamphlet will of Party Building Today by Mary-Alice Waters. Clinton signed a series of"antiterrorist" and Deyanira Herrera, a Queens couple who were help the reader to understand the fundamen­ Two programmatic documents of the Socialist immigration laws, the number of people arrested by cops at their home, handcuffed tal economic question, that of the economic Workers Party. $14.00 jailed by the INS has skyrocketed, making in front of their neighbors, and jailed for nine essence of imperialism," Lenin wrote in 1917. immigrants the fastest-growing segment of days on false cocaine possession charges. "For unless this is studied, it will be impossible No.10 the exploding U.S. prison population. The A judge finally released them after deter­ to understand and appraise modern war and Imperialism's March Towards Fascism new law will be used to accelerate the at­ mining that a package cops claimed was modern politics." $3.95 and War by Jack Barnes. Also •What the 1987 tacks on foreign-born workers, as well as cocaine was actually therapeutic plaster send Stock Market Crash Foretold. •Defending Cuba, Defending Cuba's Socialist Revolution by Mary­ other working people. by relatives in Colombia for medical treat­ Available from Pathfinder bookstores Alice Waters. •The Curve of Capitalist In an Qctober 25 speech, U.S. attorney ment. "They were jailed for nine days for listed on page 12. Development by Leon Trotsky $14.00 general John Ashcroft bragged about the no reason--only because they are Colom- large-scale detentions, the sweeping nature Continued on Page 14 6 The Militant November 12, 2001 Meeting defends framed-up Cubans Continued from front page ami to "discover and report on terrorist plans Afghanistan. hatched against our people" in Florida by Nearly 100 people attended the speakout counterrevolutionary opponents of the Cu­ for the Miami 5, as the Cubans are now ban Revolution. Cuban leaders have orga­ known. They have been in jail since their nized a campaign to win the release of the arrest over a year ago, mostly in solitary five, including widespread coverage in the confinement. Several panelists at the meet­ Cuban press. ing spoke out not only in defense of these imprisoned Cubans but also in opposition Targeting workers' rights to Washington's war on the people of Af­ In addition to targeting revolutionary ghanistan as well as the cynical "anti-ter­ Cuba, the U.S. government investigation, rorism" campaign the government is using multiple arrests, and eventual trial of the five to whip up pro-imperialist patriotism and were riddled with violations of workers' support for the war. rights in the United States. The prosecution · The forum panel included Maggie did not present any evidence that the defen­ Becker, the companion ofAntonio Guerrero, dants stole or transmitted to Cuba any U.S. one of the Miami 5; Walter Turner, presi­ military secrets. The FBI violated the Fourth dent of the Board of Directors of Global Amendment right of the defendants to pro­ Rally in Havana October 6 commemorating 25th anniversary of hijacking and bomb­ Exchange, and a leader of the Black Radi­ tection from illegal search and seizure by ing of Cuban airliner off coast of Barbados that resulted in deaths of all 73 people on cal Congress as well as the Jericho Move­ repeatedly breaking into their houses over board. Terrorist assault was organized by counterrevolutionary groups operating in ment; Gloria La Riva, representing the Na­ a three-year period prior to their arrests. The the United States with support from Washington. tional Free the Miami 5 Committee; Art evidence presented by the prosecution was Heitzer of the National Lawyers Guild Cuba based on electronic files FBI agents claimed international conference that has been called Malapanis announced plans by the Mi­ Subcommittee;Argiris Malapanis represent­ they copied from computers of the defen­ by the Organization of Solidarity of the ami Coalition to End the U.S. Embargo of ing the Miami Coalition to End the U.S. dants during these break-ins. Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America Cuba to organize a public forum in Miami Embargo of Cuba; and Fernando Garcia, The judge refused a defense motion to for March 2002. He urged participants to to coincide with the sentencing date in De­ First Secretary of the Cuban Interests Sec­ move the trial out of Miami, even after sev­ build the international conference, noting cember. It will build on a successful confer­ tion in Washington. eral potential jurors--Cuban Americans and that the Miami 5 case as well as defense of ence that took place in that city September Becker pointed to some ofthe important Latinos in particular-disqualified them­ Puerto Rican independence activists incar­ 22 and seek to broaden support for the Mi­ facts around the conviction of the five Cu­ selves for fear of recriminations if they voted cerated by the United States and other U.S. ami 5. Working people resisting assaults by bans in Miami, and their courage and integ­ "not guilty." political prisoners like Leonard Peltier and the employers and their government-like rity in confronting the frame-up despite the Gloria La Riva spoke of the support work MumiaAbu-Jamal will be part of its agenda. the Charleston Five dockworkers fighting a enormous U.S. government pressure that organized by the National Free the Miami 5 "The frame-up of the Miami 5 is not only cop frame-up for defending their picket was brought to bear in an attempt to break Committee, which is sponsored by dozens an attempt to smear the Cuban Revolution lines, and others fighting police brutality­ each of the defendants. She and Roberto of organizations across the United States, but an attack on the rights of working people are among the most important potential al­ Maestas of the La Raza Cultural Center in many of them affiliates of the NNOC. She here in the United States," said Argiris lies of the Miami 5, Malapanis said. He Seattle read several poems written by Anto­ urged participants to organize meetings to Malapanis. The gross violations of the urged all participants to organize similar nio Guerrero. defend the five and send information about Fourth Amendment rights of the Miami 5, meetings across the United States in the On June 8, a federal court in Miami con­ these activities to the defendants for whom he pointed out, are of a piece with the de­ coming months. victed three Cuban citizens-Gerardo knowledge ofthe campaign being waged on tentions of nearly 800 people-many of Hernandez, Ramon Labafiino, and Antonio behalf of their freedom is so essential. She them immigrant workers-by the federal Attacks on Cuban Revolution Guerrero--of "conspiracy to commit espio­ also denounced the ongoing investigation government in connection with the Septem­ Fernando Garcia, First Secretary of the nage," and "conspiracy to act as an unregis­ by the FBI and arrests of other Cubans on ber 11 bombings of the World Trade Center Cuban Interests Section, was the final tered foreign agent." They could face life in similar charges, including that ofAna Belen and Pentagon. Many of them are being held speaker. He thanked the meeting participants prison. Two others, Fernando Gonzcilez and Montes, a senior analyst for the U.S. De­ indefinitely, in blatant violation of consti­ for their work to get out the truth about the Rene Gonzalez, were convicted of "con­ fense Intelligence Agency, for allegedly pro­ tutional protections, and there is a virtual Miami 5 as well as other efforts opposing spiracy to act as an unregistered foreign viding classified information to the Cuban blackout in the big-business media about U.S. government policies directed against agent." government. FBI break~ins into Montes's what is happening to them. "These round­ the people of Cuba. He pointed to the 40- Hernandez was also convicted on unprec­ apartment and electronic eavesdropping are ups are part of the increased cop harassment year-long record of terrorist attacks against edented charges of "conspiracy to commit also featured in government actions against and arbitrary searches of working people at the Cuban Revolution, including the 1976 murder," in which the prosecution claimed her. ports, bus terminals, and train stations," hijacking and bombing of a CubanaAirlines he was responsible for the deaths of four Walter Turner spoke primarily about an Malapanis noted. Continued on Page 12 pilots who were members of the rightist Cuban-American group, Brothers to the Rescue. The pilots were shot down by the Cuban air force in 1996, after repeated and provocative violations of Cuban air space, 'We condemn the war waged against Afghanistan' despite warnings. The prosecution justified The following resolution was adopted waged today by the U.S. government against recently, it has also included terrorist attacks the charges by claiming Hernandez had pro­ by the National Network on Cuba at its the people ofAfghanistan under the pretext against tourist facilities in Cuba. It contin­ vided the Cuban government with flight in­ October 20-21 meeting. of a war on terrorism. We condemn the Sept. ues to provide immunity and safe-haven to formation about the Brothers to the Rescue 11 attack on the WTC [World Trade Cen­ the perpetrators of violent; terrorist acts operation. The sentencing of the five, origi­ The National Network on Cuba is part of ter] and the Pentagon which caused the against Cuba, most notoriously in the case nally set for early fall, is now scheduled for a U.S.-based movement that is opposed to deaths of thousands of innocent men, of Orlando Bosch, a man so known for his mid-December. war and political, military and economic women, and children and share the grief of propensity for terrorist actions that the U.S. As a June 20 statement by the Cuban gov­ intervention abroad. their families. But the shock and insecurity Attorney General urged that he be deported ernment pointed out, the five were in Mi- The NNOC condemns the war being felt by the U.S. people in the wake of those lest the United States' credibility and secu­ actions has been cynically orchestrated by rity be compromised. the U.S. government in a calculated cam­ Orlando Bosch is the perpetrator of a 197 6 MILITANT AND PERSPECTWA paign to broaden support for U.S. war aims bombing of a Cubana airplane carrying sev­ MUNDIAL TAX REFUND which have nothing to do with combating enty-three civilians. This was the world's first terrorism. terrorist action involving the bombing of a The Bush administration has stated it will civilian airliner. Orlando Bosch was recruited, growing number of supporters who Thrn your federal income tax not limit its attacks to Afghanistan, but will trained, and supported by the CIA. He was refund into something the have made a contribution. Send the expand it to other nations, including in the then pardoned by the previous Bush admin­ Democrats and Republicans amount you would like to contrib­ Western Hemisphere. We condemn this ex­ istration, and to this day walks freely through never planned on: a way to ute to: themilitant@compuserve pansion. the streets of Miami. deepen the struggle and edu­ .com or send in the coupon below. Nor is this war limited to peoples abroad . We condemn the terrorist acts against cation of working people People living in the United States are also Cuba which have occurred over the last against capitalist exploitation 0 YEs! I WANT TO SEND MY TAX REFUND TO its victims. Racial profiling and attacks on forty-two years. We oppose all U.S. poli­ and oppression and widen THE MILITANT AND PERSPECTIVA MUNDIAL. immigrants,have been intensified. The gov­ cies that have sponsored U.S.-based terror­ a working-class campaign 0 I PLEDGE$ FROM MY TAX REFUND. ernment has persuaded Congress to permit ism against Cuba. We also condemn the U.S.· against imperialism and war. serious restrictions of our basic Constitu­ government history of targeting opponents tional rights and civil liberties. We reject the of these policies. idea that the United States has the right to The Militant and Perspectiva The National Network on Cuba demands NAME decide what is a terrorist nation. that the U.S. government stop supporting Mundial urge every reader to con­ The fact that the U.S. State Department and acquiescing in acts of terrorism against tribute their federal tax refund as ADDRESS has long included Cuba on its self-described Cuba organized, financed and often carried part of the campaign to get out the list of"terrorist nations" is a clear example out from U.S. soil. We demand that the truth and help to finance a fighting STATE of the illegitimacy of this policy and prac­ United States government investigate and working-class voice in face of tice. prosecute U.S.-based anti-Cuban terrorists. ZIP PHONE Washington's escalating war. The Cuban Revolution has never engaged We appeal to all Americans to join us in . Clip and send to the Militant, 410 West in nor backed terrorist actions. On the con­ opposing the prosecution and incarceration Every contribution, large or small, St., New York, NY 10014. Make checks trary, for four decades its people have been of the five Cubans imprisoned in Miami, will be put to good use in giving payable to the Militant. the victims ofU.S.-sponsored terrorism. By whose only crime has been to monitor and workers, farmers, working people in its own admission, and as reported by U.S. attempt to prevent this U.S.-based terrorism uniform, and youth a socialist per­ Number of pledges:106 Congressional committees, the United against the Cuban people. At a time when spective as U.S. imperialism deep­ States has supported or condoned hundreds the American people have been made par­ ens its assault against working Amount received: •$22,220 of violent acts, including plane hijackings, ticularly sensitive to the human toll of such people at home and abroad. Join a biological warfare, sabotage, murders, and terrorist acts, those who have fought against attempted assassinations since the Cuban such acts should be viewed as heroes, not Revolution came to power in 1959. Most as criminals. November 12, 2001 The Militant 7 Meeting celebrates life of Priscil Three decades of political activity as a cadre of the SWP and participant in van

BY BRIAN WILLIAMS with those who came before and will come NEW YORK-"Priscilla Schenk began afterward. That effort cannot be accom­ absorbing communist politics as soon as she plished as an individual-you need to be joined the Young Socialist Alliance. She part of a communist organization. applied this understanding of working-class Communism "is not just a good idea," politics very effectively over her three de­ Barnes stated. "What happens to the hu­ cades of political activity as a cadre of the man race depends upon whether such a Socialist Workers Party and as a partici­ · movement can be consciously organized." pant in the vanguard struggles of workers In 1973 Schenk and a friend moved to and farmers," said Socialist Workers Party Lebanon, Fitzgerald recounted. In Beirut leader Norton Sandler. she volunteered at an office set up to de­ Sandler was speaking at a public meet­ fend Palestinian rights, and witnessed first­ ing of 140 people, held here October 28 at hand the determined fight by Palestinians Columbia University to celebrate the life living in Lebanon to win the right to return and political work of Priscilla Schenk, who to their homeland. That year the Israeli re­ died October 16 after a long battle with a gime launched a war against Egypt, Syria, debilitating illness. and other nations in the region. She also Schenk was part of the communist traveled through France and Greece, at a movement's tum to the industrial working time when huge demonstrations by work­ class beginning in the late 1970s, first as a ing people toppled the Greek military dic­ garment worker in the New York area and tatorship. later as a worker in a United Auto Work­ After returning to the United States the ers-organized factory in Des Moines, Iowa. following year, Schenk rejoined the YSA She ran as the SWP's candidate for public and transferred to Denver, where she joined I J , "It office three times-in Denver in 1976; in Millllalltiabo''e: Frank Lord, inset: Nebbia the Socialist Workers Party. was here Newark, New Jersey, in 1984; and in Des Rally in Denver in September 1974 in that she became a.disciplined soldier of the Moines in 1991. Over the course of a num­ support of Chicano rights. Inset: Farm­ party," Sandler stated in his presentation. ber of years· she took on various national ers protest at state capitol in Des Moines, "Denver was one of the centers of the responsibilities: as a member of the Mili- Iowa, April 1995. Chicano struggle," Sandler noted. "There . tant staff, in the party's national office, and were struggles for bilingual education, in Pathfinder's printshop. against the deportation of Mexican activ­ Attractive displays set up around the meet­ to become a political person and live her The YSA had been involved in an im­ ists, and the emergence of a Chicano po­ ing room highlighted some of the major life as a disciplined revolutionary in the portant struggle at Bloomington. Several litical party, the Raza Unida Party. Labor political developments, from the 1960s to working-class movement. years earlier, in May 1963, three students struggles led by the United Farm Workers the present, that Schenk was influenced by Schenk, born in 1949, grew up on a fam­ who were YSA members at the University union were also at their peak." and actively participated in together with ily farm near Evansville in southern Indi­ of Indiana had been indicted under the In March 1973, more than 200 Denver other cadres of the Socialist Workers Party. ana. One of 13 children, she went to Catho­ state's Communism Act, a 1951 "anti-sub­ cops mounted an attack on the Escuela These included the mass movement against lic grade school and then attended an all­ versive" law. The young socialists were Tlatelolco, a school run by the Crusade for the war in Vietnam; the struggle for Chicano girls boarding school run by Benedictine accused of meeting "for the purpose of ad­ Justice; a Chicano rights group. In the rights; fights against government frame-ups nuns in nearby Ferdinand. Like many oth­ vocating or teaching that the government course of this attack, a school dormitory and attacks on workers' rights by the politi­ ers of her generation, she was affected by of the United States, or of the State of In­ was blown up and a Crusade activist killed. cal police; the campaign against the big social and political changes in the diana, should be overthrown by force, vio­ More than 100 other Chicano activists were Washington's war on Iraq; farmers' struggles world, which were creating an upheaval lence, or any unlawful means." arrested on various frame-up charges. The against foreclosures; and the pattern of work­ within the Catholic Church. At that time it It took a nearly four-year defense cam­ following year, in May 197 4, bombs placed ing-class resistance today. was not uncommon for the-older daughters paign that won broad support to finally in cars by right-wingers took the lives of Those attending the October 28 meeting, in Catholic families to be encouraged to force the state pr.osecutor to drop the six activists in Boulder, Colorado. which was hosted by the SWP branches in become nuns, but Priscilla rejected that idea. charges against the Bloomington 3, as the Sandler explained that "the SWP branch New York and New Jersey and the New York She left the boarding school and returned to case became known, in December 1966. was involved in the protests against police finish high school in her home town. harassment of the Chicano movement," in­ Young Socialists, came from throughout the Grounded in Marxist politics New York and New Jersey area. They also Graduating from high school in 1968, cluding a march of 3,000 people in March arrived from Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Schenk was profoundly affected by big As part of their revolutionary political 1974. "Party members threw themselves Allentown, Pennsylvania; Boston; Washing­ events in the United States and the world, work, Schenk and her fellow YSA members into these events. Like the rest of the pagy ton, D.C.; Cleveland; Detroit; Miami; At­ from the rebellions in Black communities at Bloomington recruited a group of five stu­ nationally, comrades in Denver were also lanta; Chicago; Montreal; and other cities. around the nation after the 1968 assassina­ dents who were members of a radical col­ involved in defending Black youth in Bos­ The event was chaired by Jack Barnes, So­ tion of Martin Luther King to the. move­ lective. The group, active in the fight against ton under attack by rightists trying to pre­ cialist Workers Party national secretary. ment for women's liberation and the grow­ the Vietnam war, had previously looked to vent the implementation of desegregation Kathleen Fitzgerald, a garment worker ing movement against Washington's war on the Stalinist leadership of China under Mao of the schools, as well as defending a in Pittsburgh who collaborated with Schenk Vietnam. Schenk enrolled at St. Joseph's Tse-tung for political guidance. One of the woman's right to abortion and the Equal when they were both members of the New­ College and then the University of Indiana events that exposed Mao's class-collabora­ Rights Amendment," he noted. ark branch of the SWP in the 1990s and in Bloomington. She joined the Young So­ tionist course was his welcome ofU.S. presi­ who worked closely with her in the last few cialist Alliance and became actively in­ dent Richard Nixon to China as Washing­ Fight against FBI spying, disruption months of her life, described· some of the volved in building the Student Mobiliza­ ton was savagely bombing Vietnam. In 1976 Schenk ran as the Socialist events taking place in the world when tion Committee against the War in Vietnam In his remarks, Barnes pointed out that Workers candidate for U.S. Congress in the Priscilla was a young woman that led her (SMC) at the Bloomington campus. what enabled the YSA members to recruit Denver area. On July 7 of that year, the these students was not that they were the SWP offices were burglarized and party best builders of the Student Mobilization files, membership lists, and financial Committee and the antiwar movement. records were removed. In response to this Rather, it was the ability ofYSA members and other instances of harassment, SWP to effectively discuss and argue a commu­ candidate Schenk issued a statement un­ nist explanation of world and U.S. politics. derlining th~ fact that the "FBI had admit­ They explained the counterrevolutionary ted to similar cloak and dagger-type break­ role of Stalinism on a world scale, from ins. Did they engineer this black-bag job Moscow to Beijing, and pointed to the pro­ as well?" letarian leadership that was needed, draw­ At first the FBI claimed it had no knowl­ ing on the lessons of the communist move­ edge of the break-in, but within weeks the ment over several decades, from the Octo­ spy agency was forced to admit that the ber 1"917 Bolshevik-led Russian Revolution burglary was carried out by Timothy to the Cuban Revolution today. Redfearn, an FBI informer who had joined Schenk and other YSAers were well­ the YSA. The cops picked up Redfearn on grounded in Marxism from systematically a charge of stealing furniture from the house reading, studying, and applying communist of a neighbor, at which time they found the politics together with SWP members. One material he had stolen from the SWP. of the five who were recruited to the YSA John Studer, a leader of the SWP in at that time sent a message to the meeting Philadelphia who worked with Schenk over commenting that "Priscilla knew her stuff." the years, told the meeting that in 1973 the "There are three steps involved in be­ SWP and YSA filed a lawsuit against the coming a communist," Barnes stated. The FBI, CIA, Immigration and Naturalization first is knowing what you're rebelling Service (INS), and other federal police Over the October 27-28 weekend nearly 20 volunteers pitched in at Path­ against, but that is not sufficient. The sec­ agencies for decades of spying and disrup­ finder building in New York to help reorganize a section of Pathfinder's printshop. ond is figuring out what you're for. While tion against the two socialist organizations. In the area that used to be a bindery, volunteers cleared out machines that are this is more important than simply what To win broad support and raise funds for being sold, opening up space for a bigger shipping area and paper storage. you're against, it's as far as many who call the case the Political Rights Defense Fund Crews set up a larger and well-equipped lunch room, and organized a section of themselves socialists get, he noted. The (PRDF) was organized. the pick-and-pack operation for the books and pamphlets published by Path­ third is realizing the need to advance along "This case was unique," said Studer, who finder. Another similar project is scheduled for Saturday, November 3. the line of march of the working class, served as executive director of PRDF dur­ which involves figuring out how to link up ing this fight. Instead of the government

8 The Militant November 12, 2001 la Schenk guard struggles of working people

putting socialists on trial, "We were the As part of her· work in the labor move­ plaintiffs. We put them on trial." Through ment, Schenk took on important responsi­ this case, tens of thousands of previously bilities in the Mark Curtis Defense Com­ secret FBI documents detailing the govern­ mittee that was established. The defense ment finks' spying, burglaries, black-bag campaign, carried out among working jobs, and other attempts to disrupt the SWP people and other supporters of democratic and YSA were made public. In 1986 fed­ rights throughout the country, was also in­ eral judge Thomas Griesa ruled in favor of ternational. In 1991 Schenk took part in a the SWP and YSA and awarded them weeklong trip to Mexico, winning the en­ $264,000 in damages. Two years later the dorsement of the electrical workers and government finally withdrew its appeal of garment workers unions as well as auto, the ruling, bringing the 15-year fight to a airline, and other workers. After an eight­ successful conclusion. year fight Curtis won parole and was re­ Priscilla Schenk doing bookkeeping in the "At the trial in 1981 ," Studer noted, leased from prison in 1996. Pathfinder printshop, November 1998. In­ "Priscilla testified about the SWP's expe­ Schenk got a job making brake liners at set: Schenk, a garment worker, petitioning rience in Denver with government harass­ an Emco plant, organized by the United to get on ballot as SWP candidate for U.S. ment" and detailed the role of FBI snoop Auto Workers. As an active unionist, she Senate in New Jersey in 1984. "Priscilla Redfearn. helped organize a speaking tour of farm­ never saw an iota of difference between At that time the Socialist Workers Party ing areas in the state for New Zealand farm what she was doing in the party apparatus was also involved in struggles to defend activist Denis Hiestand. She also took part and the work she was carrying out in the immigrant workers, winning some to its in the fight of Iowa farmer Harold Newark branch," stated SWP leader ranks in the course of these battles. One Dunkelberger against the government's sei­ Norton Sandler at meeting. was Hector Marroquin, a Mexican-born zure of his land, and wrote about this fight youth who had fled to the United States in for the Militant. the early 1980s, Schenk joined the recently would be ill, and even hospitalized for a day 1974 because of frame-up charges by Mexi­ When cops beat Larry Milton, a 35-year­ launched effort to build the party's trade or two, but being ill was never her frame­ can authorities for his political activities. old Black man in Des Moines, she joined union fraction in the garment industry. She work; it was a fact of life she had to deal many protests for justice organized around took on the task of learning to sew and, with in order to keep doing the political work the slogan "No excuse." being fluent in Spanish, was all the more that was so important to her," Husk said. effective in reaching out to Spanish-speak­ Jacob Perasso, the organizer of the Young 'Effective in winning farmers, workers' ing workers. As a garment worker, she ran Socialists National Executive Committee, Barnes and other speakers noted that 29 · for U.S. Senate from New Jersey on the spoke about the example that a worker­ messages were sent to the meeting by indi­ Socialist Workers ticket in 1984. bolshevik like Schenk set for young people viduals who had worked with Schenk over coming toward the communist movement. the years, including messages from both Absorbed the importance of 'we' Building the Young Socialists and the So­ Marroquin and Curtis. Messages were also As the party became rooted in the in­ cialist Workers Party is all the more impor­ received from the leaderships of Commu­ dustrial working class and its unions, it tant today as Washington intensifies its war nist Leagues in several countries. began to study more systematically the against Afghanistan and steps up its assault From Carlisle, Iowa, Hazel Zimmerman, writings of Marx, Engels, and Lenin. on working people at home, including the the former secretary of the Mark Curtis Barnes noted that he had discussions with current INS detention without charges of Defense Committee, wrote, "Because ofher Schenk about the Theses on Feuerbach some 1,000 immigrants in the United States farm background, her varied experiences written by the young Marx in 1845, which branded as "terrorist suspects," Perasso said. as an industrial worker, and her ability to she had studied carefully. In this article Barnes quoted from a message sent by communicate in both English and Spanish, Marx said the essence of humans "is no Bobbi Negron that highlighted the role Priscilla was very effective in winning abstraction inherent in each single indi­ Schenk played in helping to recruit her to farmers, co-workers, and a broad spectrum vidual. In its reality it is the ensemble of the Young Socialists in 1998. "Priscilla was of other people who shared her goals of the social relations." always the one who would call about fo­ social and economic justice. She had a pro­ Schenk absorbed the importance of"we," rums and to discuss articles in the Militant," found effect on the development of my per­ Barnes noted. "We can do more than a col­ Negron wrote. "She and Maurice would in­ sonal development as an activist and sup­ lection of I's, and only by doing that can vite me over to dinner and talk," she added, porter of the SWP." working people defeat the power, wealth, referring to Maurice Williams, Schenk's Julia Terrell, the committee's treasurer, and domination of the capitalist ruling companion. "I felt very welcome, not only said that Schenk's life was "so well spent, class." to her home, but to the movement. I was a life of so much value." She added, "As I Barnes explained that as a disciplined just astonished by all these books." interacted with Priscilla I became aware of communist worker, Schenk focused on car­ Barnes described the prolonged battle her love of justice and her dedicated advo­ rying through any challenging task to the Schenk waged against her illness, a blood­ Militant/Shirley Peiia cacy for the working class-my people." end. Then "she easily relaxed when the clotting disorder. "She fought to maximize Protest in Des Moines, Iowa, in Febru­ In January 1991, shortly after Washing­ task was over. She had the kind of fun you the possibility of doing what she loved so ary 1992 against cop beating of Larry ton began its bombing of Iraq, the person­ have after accomplishing something big. much to do, and this gained the admiration Milton, a 35-year-old Black man. Dem­ nel manager at Emco informed Schenk, the And Priscilla was great fun." of a group of doctors," Barnes said. She was onstrators chanted, "No excuse." Socialist Workers candidate for school board Amy Husk, the organizer of the Newark eventually admitted to the University of at the time, that two "gentlemen" were wait­ branch of the SWP today, described Pittsburgh's Thomas E. Starzl Transplanta­ Marroquin got a job at a Coca-Cola plant ing to talk to her in the front office. "They Schenk's recent political contributions in tion Institute and put under the care of one in Houston, where he participated in a turned out to be not gentlemen but agents helping to strengthen the party unit there of the leading physicians in the field. She union-organizing drive. He soon met and from the U.S. Secret Service and the Iowa and help root it in a workers district in the decided to have an operation that had never joined the SWP. Bureau of Criminal Investigation," Studer city. Schenk was elected and served as the yet been accomplished successfully, and that The INS sought to deport Marroquin back said. They claimed to have received an branch organizer from January to April of in the end did not succeed. The doctor came to Mexico where his life was in jeopardy. anonymous phone call saying that Schenk this year. "During some of this time she Continued on page 12 The Hector Marroquin Defense Committee and another worker in the plant had been waged an 11-year fight in his defense, and overheard threatening to kill then-president eventually he won the right to legal resi­ George Bush and the governor of Iowa. dence. Schenk was a leading participant and An experienced working-class militant, spokesperson for this committee, "which Schenk said this claim was nonsense and Participants give $3,700 took this fight to workers from one end of refused to talk to them. She asked if she the country to another," Studer stated. was under arrest. When the agents replied no, Schenk said she had nothing to say to boost to Pathfinder Fund Struggles by meat packers in Iowa the two political police. She demanded an In 1988 Schenk moved to Des Moines attorney, which the cops refused. She then BY ROG£R CALERO world are organizing to win new pledges to join her party's political work there as insisted that her union steward be present. Participants in the meeting celebrat­ and contributions to the fund, including an industrial worker and unionist. In the The agents finally gave in to this demand, ing the life and work of Priscilla Schenk holding local fund meetings over the mid- and late- 1980s, a wave of struggles and when the steward defended Schenk's responded to the fund appeal at the coming weeks. So far, pledges add up to by meat packers had erupted in the Mid­ right to refuse to answer questions, they had event by contributing $2,400 on the spot $44,000. west, and the Socialist Workers Party joined to let her go. to the Pathfinder Fund. A total of$3;755 In Seattle and Los Angeles, for ex­ these fights, establishing branches in Des They then proceeded to call in Schenk's in pledges was made, including by a ample, Pathfinder supporters have sched­ Moines and other cities in the region. co-worker, Harold Searcy, for interrogation. number of people who increased their uled fund-raising meetings with Ma'mud On March 1, 1988, INS cops raided the A few days later, speaking at a Militant La­ pledges by a total of $1,595. Shirvani, Pathfinder's Farsi-language edi­ Swift packinghouse in Des Moines, arrest­ bor Forum in Des Moines, Searcy said, Socialist Workers Party leader tor. The events will feature a talk by ing 17 immigrant workers. Other workers "Over the past few weeks I read a lot in the Norton Sandler explained the fund will Shirvani on '"Afghanistan and the Silk organized protests in their defense. Amang papers about how people in this country had make it possible for Pathfinder to pub­ Road: 200 Years of the Struggle Against them was Mark Curtis, a meatpacker at to beware ofterrorists from the Middle East. lish a number of new titles over the Imperialism." The meetings will be an Swift and member of the United Food and It turned out the only people I have been coming· months, expanding the wide opportunity to discuss the revolutionary Commercial Workers union and also of the harassed by showed up at Emco, and they range of revolutionary books and pam­ struggles in that region over the pastcen­ SWP. On March 4, Curtis was arrested and were from the government." He joined the phlets already distributed by the pub­ tury against imperialist domination, the framed up on charges of raping a 15-year­ YSA that evening. Schenk wrote a Union lishing house. The $125,000 fund runs example set by the Russian Revolution in old Black girl. As the cops beat Curtis in Talk column in the Militant entitled "Unions through December 15. 1917, and Washington's war agairist Af­ the station, they called him a "Mexican­ should oppose cop interrogation at work." Supporters of Pathfinder around the ghanistan today. lover, just like you love those coloreds." As a member of the Newark branch in

November 12, 2001 The Militant 9 Lenin offered help to Afghan struggle against Britain

BY PATRICK O'NEILL injustice done by the former government In November 1919 V.I. Lenin, the head of the Russian tsars ... by adjusting the of the Soviet republic that had been forged Soviet-Afghan frontier so as to add to the in the Russian Revolution two years earlier, territory of Afghanistan at the expense of wrote to Amanullah Khan, the emir, or ruler, Russia. of Afghanistan. Amanullah had written to Lenin in April, "At present," he wrote, offering an alliance between the two gov­ flourishing Afghanistan is the only inde­ ernments and stating, "I am neither a com­ pendent Muslim state in the world, and munist, nor a socialist, but my political pro­ fate sends the Afghan people the great gram entails the expulsion of the British historic task of uniting about itself all en­ from Asia. I am an implacable foe of the slaved Mohammedan peoples and lead­ capitalization of Asia by Europe, the prin­ ing them on the road to freedom and in­ cipal representatives of which are the Brit­ dependence. ish. In this I approximate to the communists, The Workers' and Peasants' Govern­ and in this respect we are natural allies." ment of Russia instructs its embassy in The new emir had come to power in Af­ Afghanistan to engage in discussions with the government of the Afghan people with ghanistan after the February 1919 assassi­ Cartoon from satirical British magazine Punch in 1878 depicts "Great Game"-the a view to the conclusion of trade and other nation of his father. He had broken with his competition over Afghanistan-between czarist bear and lion of British colonialism. friendly agreements, the purpose of which father by siding with the Young Afghan is not only the buttressing of good neigh­ movement, which called for independence borly relations in the best interests of both from Britain. power that had "taken the Afghan indepen­ British withdrew from Kabul. Conflicts were nations, but together withAfghanistan the The Russian Revolution gave a mighty dence would not surrender [its] rights eas­ confined to border skirmishes until 1877, joint struggle against the most rapacious impulse to the struggle of oppressed ily without war." Working people, when Afghanistan's Emir Sher Ali broke imperialist government on earth-Great peoples, particularly those who had been tribespeople, and layers of the middle with previous policy, rebuffed British rep­ Britain, the intrigues of which, as you under the· boot of the czarist government. classes enthusiastically greeted the resentatives, and welcomed a Russian mis­ correctly point out in your letter, have hith­ government's call for a struggle against sion into Kabul, inflaming the rivalry be­ erto disturbed the peaceful and unhindered · One month after the triumph of the October insurrection, the Bolshevik government Great Britain, "the traditional foe ofAfghan tween the tsarist regime and the British gov­ development of the Afghan people and independence." ernment. The next year London organized separated it from its closest neighbors. published many secret documents from the In a conference with your extraordinary czar's ministry offoreign affairs, including In April Amanullah requested assistance an invasion and fighting lasted until 1881. ambassador, the worthy Mohammed Wali agreements with London and Paris allocat­ from Lenin, and the following month Af­ This second Afghan war ended with the Khan, I learned that you are prepared to ing areas of influence in the Middle East ghan troops engaged British forces based forcible imposition of a pro-British policy. enter into negotiations in Kabul on the and Asia. in India, at the time a British colony, which question of a treaty of friendship and also included present-day Pakistan. The Third Russian Revolution: impact and example that the Afghan people wishes to receive 1919 war against Britain Afghan war, as the conflict is known, lasted As Lenin's letter shows, the communist military aid against England from the Rus­ The emir proclaimed the country's full a month, and included aerial bombing by leadership of the revolutionary government sian people. The Workers' and Peasants' the Royal Air Force ofKabul and Jalalabad. in Russia recognized the significance of the Government is inclined to grant such as­ independence. According to government member Shah Wali Khan, the Afghans pre­ Although the military outcome of the fight­ events in Afghanistan. They reached out to sistance on the widest scale to the Afghan ing was not decisive, the combination of the peoples oppressed by czarism who had nation, and, what is more, to repair the pared for war in the knowledge that the ongoing Afghan resistance with anticolonial been inspired by the events of 1917 to step struggles in the British-dominated territo­ up their anti-imperialist struggle~ ries of Ireland, Egypt, Iraq, and India had In September 1920 the Communist In­ V& V Supremo strikers stay strong stretched British forces thin, persuading ternational, formed under the leadership and London to withdraw from the conflict and example of the Russian Revolution, orga­ BY MARCELINA PEDRAZA they too can organize themselves into a formally recognize the country's indepen­ nized the First Congress of the Peoples of CHICAGO-"It is important that we union." The workers are on the picket lines dence. the East, in Baku, Azerbaijan. Meeting one win," says Marcelino De La Rosa, a mem­ demanding their first union contract and The victory was the fruit not just of the year after Lenin's letter to Amanullah, the ber of Teamsters Local 703 on strike against believe the outcome of their struggle will widespread rebellions and unrest against congress adopted a Manifesto to Peoples of V&V Supremo Foods, Inc. "It would be an encourage other immigrant workers in their British colonial rule, but also of decades of the East, which asked, "What is Britain do­ example for many Latinos who tolerate mis­ predominantly Mexican neighborhood to struggle and resistance inside Afghanistan. ing to Afghanistan? By bribing the emir's treatment and low pay. They will see that also fight. government it has kept the people in subju­ Around 100 workers have been on strike Struggles of the 19th century gation, poverty, and ignorance, trying to for five months. Since the walkout began Afghanistan had long been disputed stra­ reduce this country to a desert, in order that the company has used office workers and tegic territory in the competition between this desert may guard India, which Britain Workers walk out at hired strikebreakers to keep producing the the British rulers and the Russian czars for oppresses, from any contact with the out­ high-priced Mexican-style cheese and domination of Central Asia known as the side world." military contractor chorizo. "Great Game." In 1838 the British East In­ The document declared that "the peoples A negotiating session was held October dia Company's Army of the Indus pushed of the East have long stagnated in the dark­ BY JOE FEENEY 22, but company representatives walked out into Afghanistan, eventually setting up camp ness of ignorance under the despotic yoke TAMPA, Florida-The constant honking after receiving a ruling from the National in Kabul the following year. of their own tyrant rulers and of foreign of horns in support of workers on strike at Labor Relations Board. This ruling upheld Their victory proved short-lived. In 1841 capitalist conquerors. But they have been Group Technologies here provides the back­ the union's right'to represent production Afghan forces united, counterattacked, and awakened by the roar of the World War and drop to a picket line set up October 19 at workers at the factory, along with warehouse forced, according to one British account, the thunder of the Russian workers' revolu­ the military contractor. workers and truck drivers. This is an impor­ "the most terrible retreat in the history of tion, which has released the people of Rus­ Workers at the plant assemble electronic tant victory for the workers since the bosses, British arms." The retreating column which sia, an Eastern people, from the century-old circuit boards used in missiles, and military in an attempt to divide the workforce, main­ left Kabul in January 1842 numbered 17,000 chains of capitalist slavery." communication and encryption devices. tained that the union could represent only in all, including 700 European infantry and The Congress called on the peoples of the Union members prepared for the strike by the warehouse workers and truck drivers. cavalry forces, some 3,800 Indian sepoy sol­ East to wage a "holy war" against "the com­ holding a "practice picket" outside the plant The following day union representatives diers, and 12,000 others, including camp fol­ mon enemy, imperialist Britain." three weeks before the walkout. The picket met with officials of the Jewel supermarket lowers and European and Indian family "This is a holy war for the liberation of lines are mostly made up of women. chain, asking them not to carry Supremo members. Targeted by constant attack, and the peoples of the East, for the ending of Jim Cocke, president and chief executive products. According to workers at the picket falling victim to frostbite and exposure, the the division of humanity into oppressor officer of Group Technologies, responded line, Jewel officials told them they would majority of the company was wiped out. peoples and oppressed peoples, for complete to the walkout by stating the company "will give an answer in two weeks. One survivor reached British-garrisoned equality of all peoples and races, whatever not allow anything to get in the way ofkeep­ The union decided to continue picketing Jalalabad, the march's destination, on a language they may speak, whatever the color ing our commitments." He threatened to hire at the Supremo warehouse but not the fac­ horse provided by a wounded Indian. Some of their skin, and whatever the religion they workers recently laid off from other local tory after an attack last July on the work­ 122 soldiers, officers, and civilians were profess," the document stated. electronics firms. "We have products that ers' picket line. In that assault, strikebreak­ taken prisoner and survived, and around are very important and we know they are ers demolished the strikers' water station 2,000 people, many crippled from frostbite, being used" in the U.S. war againstAfghani­ and literature table, vandalized several cars, made it back to Kabul, where they were re­ ...... Boku, 1920- duced to begging in the streets. stan, he said. and threatened pickets themselves with vio­ First congress of the Peoples of the East According to members of Teamsters Lo­ lence. The company and the police are also Stung by the humiliating defeat, the Brit­ cal 79, the issues are insurance premium harassing the strikers. The police arrested ish government mounted a punitive expedi­ How can peasants deductions, wages, and vacation time. The one worker on trumped-up charges of threat­ tion inAugust of the same year. Two armies and workers in the company wants to double paycheck deduc­ ening to bomb a strikebreaker's car and pro­ drove toward Kabul, relieving the garrisons colonial world at Kandahar and Jalalabad, and venting their achieve freedom tions for health insurance within two years, hibited him from participating in the picket from imperialist costing workers up to $145 per month. Their line and other strike activities. fury on Afghan villages. "The Europeans exploitation? By what wage offer, 43 cents an hour increase over "We are forced to work up to 16 hours a and Indians extracted a heavy vengeance in means can working two years, comes after a five-year wage day, six days a week, and so we went on blood and property from the people in the people overcome freeze. Group Technologies also wants to strike," production worker Marcos Nava told area," reports one history book. "Many divisions incited by their national ruling take back one holiday, and one week of va­ the Militant. "The company does not want atrocities were committed by the vengeful classes and act cation from the workers with the highest to negotiate with the union, but they have British soldiers," states another. On reach­ together for their seniority, who now get four weeks off. to, there is no alternative. We will not step ing Kabul, General Pollock, one of the two common class About 200 union members work in the back, come snow or whatever. We must commanding generals, ordered the destruc­ interests? These questions were military manufacturing section of the plant. win." tion of the city's great central bazaar. It took addressed by 2,000 delegates to the 1920 Another 200 work in the civilian products two days for his engineers to finish the job Congress of the Peoples of the East. $19.95 · section at the same location. They are also Marcelina Pedraza is a member ofthe Young with explosives. Meanwhile, the British members of Local 79 and their contract ex­ Socialists and International Brotherhood of troops embarked on an orgy of looting. Available from Path~nder. From bookstores, including those listed on page 12 pires next year. Electrical Workers Local I 34 in Chicago. Having accomplished their mission, the 10 The Militant November 12, 2001 Socialist fights political firing in Miami Continued from front Page firmative action measures. The socialist can­ winning from co-workers, defenders of didate demands full cost-of-living protec­ democratic rights, and others in the fight to tion in wages and retirement benefits to pro­ reverse the firing. tect working people from inflation, and gov­ Goodwill bosses openly say they dis­ ernment-guaranteed lifetime health, pen­ missed Italic for speaking out against the sion, and disability benefits for all. U.S. government's war on the people of The socialist candidate is discussing with Afghanistan and its simultaneous attacks on fellow workers the need to demand a halt to workers' rights at home during his mayoral farm foreclosures, and having the govern­ campaign. As an article in the October 29 ment guarantee cheap credit and a living Miami Herald put it, "Of the 10 mayoral income for small farmers. His campaign also candidates, Italic stands alone in support­ calls for cancellation of the foreign debt of ing the 1959 Cuban revolution and in op­ the semicolonial countries and for lifting all posing the war against the Taliban govern­ tariffs and other obstacles to trade and travel ment in Afghanistan." erected by the U.S. rulers, including those "We cannot have anyone who is attempt­ in Miami. Italic's main campaign brochure ing to subvert the United States ofAmerica," states that these demands are aimed at build­ Goodwill's chief executive officer Dennis ing solidarity and to ,unite workers and farn1- Pastrana told the Miami Herald in an inter­ ers internationally. view published October 30. "His political "These demands cannot be won in Mi­ beliefs are those of a communist who would ami alone," Italic said. "They are part of like to destroy private ownership of Ameri­ building a revolutionary movement to take can enterprises and install a communist re­ power out of the hands of the capitalists, to gime in the United States." establish a workers and farmers government, In a televised interview aired October 30, Michael Italie, socialist candidate for mayor of Miami, spoke with the press in front of and to join the worldwide struggle for so­ Pastrana further stated that Goodwill's at­ the empty parking lot of the garment factory he was fired from. The company sent cialism." torneys had advised him that advocacy of · workers home early to "protect them from the dangerous communist." As part of the fight to reverse the firing political views is not a protected right for and defend workers' rights, Italic has filed those who work for a private employer. posed the firing or agreed with Italic's views, Italic's campaign, told the press at the Oc­ a complaint with the American Civil Liber­ Goodwill is a major contractor of the U.S. to condemn the mayor's attack and urge tober 29 news conference. "This can back­ ties Union charging that Goodwill violated government, producing military uniforms Carollo to withdraw his statement. fire. Many will identify this firing as an at­ his right to freedom of speech as guaran­ and flags used in burial ofU.S. servicemen. tempt at thought control." teed by the First Amendment. ACLU local The company is viciously antiunion and Attempt to keep co-workers away Outside the plant gate the next day, nearly president Lida Rodriguez-Taseff told the often pays well below the minimum wage, Italie and his supporters scheduled the 70 workers took campaign literature from press the civil liberties organization is look­ numerous workers at the plant report. Italic news conference to coincide with the end Italic, including a fact sheet on his firing, and ing into the matter. "If it is determined that talked about the need to organize a union of the workday in order to talk with as many some purchased copies of the Militant and Goodwill gets government funding, he with his co-workers in order to improve co-workers as possible. In one news spot Perspectiva Mundial. A number of co-work­ might have a case," she stated. conditions in the plant, win wage increases, covering the press conference, TV Channel ers smiled at seeing Italic there and wished Italic's October 29 press conference, at­ and establish a level of dignity for workers 4 showed a CBS reporter approaching the· him success in his fight against the firing. tended by reporters from local CBS and on the job. gate of the Goodwill plant only to find it Only one employee told others to stay away Univision affiliates along with the Miami "Goodwill Industries and other employ­ shut down. A security guard told CBS that from the socialists, without much success. Herald, received wide media coverage here. ers don't want workers to be able to discuss, the company was not allowing any media In discussions with the socialist candi­ The next day, a reporter from the local NBC. organize, and fight to improve our condi­ into the plant. date, a number of workers agreed with Italie TV channel interviewed Italie at his cam­ tions," Italic said in an interview with the It turned out that the company halted pro­ that the company's decision to fire him is paign headquarters, which shares space with Militant. "This political firing is aimed at duction at the plant and sent all400 work­ part of the intensified assault by the ruling the Pathfinder bookstore in Miami's Little my co-workers, and tens of thousands like ers home two hours early, with full pay, to class on workers' rights. Italic pledged to Haiti. Other television stations picked up them in the Miami area who are fighting to try to prevent them from meeting and talk­ continue the fight to protest his firing, re­ stories on the news conference. The local defend their unions, or win them for the first ing with Italie or the press. According to gardless of whether he can mount a legal affiliate of National Public Radio and other time, as they resist the offensive by the em­ several workers interviewed by the Militant, challenge, "just like public workers in Min­ radio stations have also covered the story. ployers against our working conditions, bosses told workers to punch out at 3:00 nesota went on strike despite being told by wages, and safety on the job." p.m. rather than the 4:~0 p.m. regular end­ the governor there they were unpatriotic, and Italie wins support ing time because "Mike the communist despite the governor using the National "Veye Yo, a longtime grassroots organi­ 'Treasonous views' would be out there talking to the media." Guard to undermine their fight." zation, denounces the unjust firing of So­ The socialist candidate blasted statements They were also told by the company that no Italic is campaigning for a shorter work­ cialist Worker Michaelltalie for his demo­ by Mayor Joseph Carollo to the Miami Her­ one was to stay outside to wait for the press week without a cut in pay and for a massive cratic views on the war againstAfghanistan;' ald. Carollo backed Goodwill's decision to conference. government-funded public works program said Tony Jeanthenor, a leader of the Hai­ fire Italic, and said that he considered the "This is an attempt to silence Mike and to build housing, schools, hospitals, and tian rights organization, in a statement socialist candidate's views to be "treason­ cut him off from his co-workers," Sydney other much needed infrastructure in order distributed to the press October 29. "This ous." Carollo added he thought Italic "would Royal, a retired health service worker who to create jobs. He calls for a substantial in­ terror against workers' rights must be have made Benedict Arnold seem like a pa­ is African American and a supporter of crease in the minimum wage and other af- Continued on Page 12 triot." Benedict Arnold was a general in the .,. American revolutionary war who turned traitor and became a spy for the British. "The week before my firing," Italie said, 'This is an attack on all workers,' socialist "Carollo, myself, and other candidates were speaking at a debate. Carollo twice de­ manded the moderator prevent me from stat­ candidate for mayor ofMiami tells press ing my views about the U.S. government's assault on workers' rights and their brutal The following artiCle was published in have been violated, chapter president Lida "I think the man has treasonous points of imperialist assault on the people ofAfghani­ the Miami Herald of Oct. 30, 2001, under Rodriguez-Taseff said. view," Carollo said. "I think he would have stan. The moderator refused the mayor's the title, "Socialist candidate fired from "If it is determined that Goodwill gets made Benedict Arnold seem like a patriot." attempt to squash freedom of speech, allow­ Goodwill job." government funding, he might have a case," Italie said he is aware of Miami's power­ ing me to continue to present my views." she said. ful anticommunist stance, which is strength­ "Carollo's actions and statement to the BY OSCAR CORRAL William Amlong, a prominent Fort Lau­ ened by large numbers of Cuban exiles­ Herald help shed light on the fact that the The head of Goodwill Industries of South derdale labor attorney, said he doesn't be­ including Pastrana-who fled Fidel Castro's U.S. ruling class and their political Florida has fired Miami mayoral candidate lieve Italic has much of a legal case. regime. But Italie believes he is represent­ spokespeople do consider opposition to their Michael Italie, a member of the Socialist "I think it's an outrageous, but probably ing the rights of all workers. wars, to employer assaults, to racism, and Workers Party, because he is a "subversive" a legal move," saidAmlong, who added that "I was not asked for my political point of other outrages of capitalism to be treason­ presence in the company. by firing Italie, Pastrana may have given him view when I was hired," Italie said. ous," Italie noted. "With his statement the Dennis Pastrana, chief executive officer a popularity boost. "This guy has gone from He said Goodwill officials began asking mayor takes my firing a big step beyond the of the nonprofit organization, had ltalie fired being a very minor mayoral candidate to a him about his beliefs the day after the tele­ action taken by the bosses at Goodwill. Oct. 22 after reading campaign pamphlets martyr. Anybody who would have given a vised MDCC debate. Three days later, they Carollo too is threatening workers' rights. that supported Cuba's communist revolution socialist a snowball's chance in hell in the told him that "because of your views on the "Workers and farmers have fought since and criticized the United States for its pres­ Miami election would need to have his head U.S. government, you are a disruptive force the American Revolution for the right to ence in Afghanistan. examined." • and cannot work here any longer. Get your speak our views and even advocate a revo­ "We cannot have anyone who is attempt­ Pastrana said he researched the matter and things and go," Italic said. lutionary change in government as a right ing to subvert the United States ofAmerica," fired Italic after receiving legal advice from Pastrana said Italic's views are not com­ under the U.S. constitution," Italic said. Pastrana said. "His political beliefs are those lawyers he knows. He said he realizes he patible with Goodwill's mission. "This is how the Bill of Rights-including of a communist who would like to destroy can't fire someone based on gender, race, Goodwill of South Florida has a multi­ the freedom of speech and expression-be­ private ownership of American enterprises religion or sexual orientation, but that fir­ million-dollar contract with the United came enshrined in the constitution. Work­ and install a communist regime in the United ing someone for political views is legal. States government to produce clothes for the ers and farmers have fought and shed their States." Italic is one of nine candidates running military and flags that will be used to adorn blood defending these liberties and attempts Italic, an obscure candidate for mayor for mayor of Miami against incumbent Joe the coffins of soldiers killed in action, by the capitalists and their government to who moved to Miami 18 months ago from Carollo. Pastrana said. roll them back." Atlanta, says. Pastrana is discriminating He seldom attends forums and debates, "Goodwill will not allow anyone to bring Italie pointed out that the SWP took the against him. but when he does, he stirs controversy be­ dishonor to such an important symbol," government to court in 1973 in what became Italic had a minimum-wage job sewing cause of his political stance. Pastrana said. a 15-year battle against FBI and secret po­ jackets for the military. He worked at He is an outspoken supporter of the Cu­ Amlong said that while it may not be il­ lice harassment, spying, and disruption tar­ Goodwill's Allapattah factory for seven ban revolution and critic of the U.S. war on legal to fire an employee based on political geting the party. In the end, a federal judge months. terrorism. views, it sets a dangerous precedent of sti­ ruled the SWP's advocacy of the need to "This is an attack on all workers who At one debate at Miami-Dade Community fling political discourse in the wake of the replace the capitalist government with one should not have to fear the loss of their jobs College's Wolfson campus the week before Sept. II attacks. of workers and farmers to be constitution­ for having an opinion," Italic said. he was fired, Italic butted heads with Carollo "I find it kind of ironic that a company ally protected activity. The Miami branch of the American Civil over the U.S. campaign against Afghanistan. making American flags is firing somebody The garment worker urged other candi­ Liberties Union was contacted by Italie and Carollo had few sympathetic words for for having diverse points of view," Amlong dates for mayor, whether or not they op- is investigating whether his civil rights may Italic when he heard that he had been fired. said. November 12 , 2001 The Militant 11 Socialist wins support ~MILITANT LABOR FORUMS-- King Center and a presentation to a class at NEW JERSEY 10, 7:30p.m. Dinner at 6:00p.m. 3437 14th Continued from Page 11 St. NW. Tel: (202) 387-1590. stopped or someone must come out and tell MDCC's North campus October 31, and Newark the world that there is martial law in the U.S. another candidate's debate sponsored by a End Imperialism's War on Afghanistan. and the democratic rights of everyone are number of organizations in the Black com­ Stop Assault on Workers' Rights. Speaker: AUSTRALIA Kari Sachs, Socialist Workers candidate for suspended." munity November 1. Sydney The Militant Labor Forum will host a governor of New Jersey. Sat., Nov. 3, 7:30 Danny Couch, deacon in the Church of p.m. Dinner at 6:30p.m. 506 Springfield Ave, The Battle ofAlgiers: Film and Discussion. the Body of Jesus Christ and the only Afri­ speakout against Italie's firing November 3. 3rd Floor. Donation: $5 dinner, $5 program. Sun., Nov. II, 4:00p.m. can American among the 10 candidates in The panel of speakers include Tony Tel: (973) 643-3341. Capitalism's March to War and Depres­ Miami's mayoral race, also sent a statement. Jeanthenor ofVeye Yo, Ramon Gomez rep­ sion: What the November 10 Elections "I support your effort to freely speak your resenting the Miami Coalition to End the Reveal. Speaker: Ron Poulsen, Socialist beliefs and to exercise your rights as an U.S. Embargo of Cuba, Heather Page, and WASHINGTON, D.C. Workers candidate for House of Representa­ American," Couch wrote to Italie. "As an Michelle Beer, a philosophy professor at Afghanistan and the Silk Road: t;;o Years tives district of Watson. Sun., Nov. 18, 4:00 African American I know all too well what FlU South. of Struggle against Colonialism and Im­ p.m. Both events at level 1, 31281-287 Beamish St, Campsie. Donation: $4. Tel: (02) you are going through and I must, as you perialism. Speaker: Ma'mud Shirvani, Farsi language editor of Pathfinder Press. Sat., Nov. 9718 9698. must, continue to fight for your self-respect." Argiris Malapanis is a meat packer. in Ft. Two youth who took part in an October Lauderdale, Florida. 18 mayoral debate at Miami-Dade Commu­ nity College (MDCC) and have become sup­ porters of Italie's campaign also attended the news conference and brought handmade Meeting celebrates life of Priscilla Schenk signs reading: "Defend workers' rights! Pro­ test the firing of Mike Italie." It was after Continued from Page 9 the fact that party cadres like Schenk have Sandler continued. "She would have that event, which received media coverage, to admire Schenk, Barnes noted. "I've never absorbed communist politics is what quali­ laughed at any suggestion to the contrary." that supervisors began inquiring about known a famous surgeon to spend the en­ fies them for such assignments that require Schenk took great pride in the progress Italie's campaign and what seemed to have tire night in the recovery room. What they trust, confidentiality, discipline, and atten­ being made in the party's printshop with the sparked his firing. did they did together: the world-class doc­ tion to detail. introduction of time-saving and cost-effi­ "The First Amendment to the U.S. Con­ tor and Priscilla the dedicated revolution­ "In 1995 Priscilla transferred back to New cient computer-to-plate equipment that al­ stitution gives us the right to think and feel ist," said Barnes. York from Des Moines to take an assign­ lowed the shop to eliminate its entire pre­ what we will," said Heather Page, 19, one ment in the party's printshop," Sandler said. press department in the late 1990s and the of these youth who spoke at the October 29 Responsibilities in party center "She didn't think twice about quitting her project undertaken by supporters of Path­ news conference. Over the years Schenk took on a number job to take a national party assignment. She finder Press around the world to convert to "It's unjust to fire someone for their po­ of national responsibilities in the party's considered it an honor." digital form the publisher's more than 350 litical beliefs," saidAldo Nahem, 24, who is center in New York. She was a copy editor "Priscilla never saw an iota of difference books and pamphlets, Sandler pointed out. a student at MDCC and was assigned to cover for the Militant from 1978 to 1981. She between what she was doing in the party She would often ask supporters questions the October 18 mayoral debate for the cam­ served on the party's control commission apparatus and the work she was carrying out about the books they were working on at pus student newspaper Metropolis. He also in the mid-1990s. in the Newark branch-selling Pathfinder the time. took part in the press conference outside the In the mid-1980s Schenk worked as a books and the Militant, participating in Mili­ A collection for the Pathfinder Fund at Goodwill plant. "Fighting this firing is part secretary in the SWP national office and on tant Labor Forums, winning workers and the October 28 meeting brought in $2,500. of the struggle to change society." national party finances. Sandler noted that young people to the communist movement," Before and at the end of the meeting, a Path­ Since the firing, Italie has received nu­ finder book table offering "supersaver" dis­ merous invitations for campaign speaking counts was swamped with customers. Many engagements. New York City participants left with large stacks of books He spoke at a philosophy class at Florida and pamphlets sold at bargain basement International University (FlU) South cam­ Free The Miami Five! prices of$1 or $2. Some 650 revolutionary pus October 30. Other engagements include Cuban Political Prisoners Unjustly Jailed in U.S. Prisons for titles were sold. a candidate's forum at the Martin Luther Defending Cuba from U.S.-Based Right-Wing Terrorists -CALENDAR- Teach-in on Saturday. November 10. 6:00p.m. Fra01ed-up St. Mary•s Episcopal Church at 521 W. 126th Street NEW YORK (Amsterdam & 126th, St. Mary's Place, Take A or D traif) to 125th) Garment District Socialist class series. Sundays at I 0:30a.m. Nov. Cubans Suggested donation: $5 (no one turned away for lack of funds) 4: "What the 1987 Stock Market Crash Foretold," Continued from Page 7 from New International no. 10. 545 8th Ave., 14th Floor. Tel: (212) 695-7358. flight off the coast of Barbados, organized Sponsored by New York City Free The Five Committee by counterrevolutionary groups operating in Upper Manhattan for more information call: (212) 633-6646 or (212) 926-5757 Socialist class series on New International no. the United States with support from Wash­ e-mail: [email protected] ington. The perpetrators and masterminds 7. Sundays at 4:30p.m. Nov. 4: "Washington's Third Militarization Drive" by Mary-Alice Wa­ of that terrorist attack, which resulted in the ters. 540 W. 165 St. Tel: (212) 740-4611. deaths of all 73 people on board, worked for the CIA. One of them, Orlando Bosch who is widely credited with planning the -If YOU LIKE THIS PAPER, LOOK US UP attack, walks free in the streets of Miami to this day. Where to find Pathfinder books and MINNESOTA: St. Paul: 113 Bernard St., Box K879, Haymarket, NSW 1240. Tel: (02) Closing the evening's program was Bos­ distributors of the Militant, Perspectiva West St. Paul. Zip: 55118. Tel: (651) 644- 9718 9698. ton poet Richard Cambridge, who per­ Mundial, New International, Nouvelle 6325. E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] formed a much appreciated reading of a Internationale, Nueva Internacional and NEW JERSEY: Newark: 506 Springfield BRITAIN number ofhis poems based on observations . Ny International. Ave. 3rd floor. Zip: 07103. Mailing address: of life in Cuba and the effects of the U.S. Riverfront Plaza, P.O. Box 200117. Zip: London: 4 7 The Cut. Postal code: SE 1 8LL. government policies towards the people of UNITED STATES 07102-0302. Tel: (973) 643-3341. Tel: 020-7928-7993. E-mail: 10 [email protected] that country. ALABAMA: Birmingham: 1356 Hueytown E-mail: [email protected] The NNOC meeting, in which some 75 Road, Hueytown. Zip: 35023. Tel: (205) 497- CANADA activists around the country participated, 6088. E-mail: [email protected] NEW YORK: Brooklyn: 372A 53rd St. many of them representing local coalitions (at 4th Ave.) Mailing address: PMB 106.4814 Montreal: 4613 St. Laurent. Postal code: and other organizations working to end U.S. CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles: 4229 S. 4th Ave. Zip: 11220. Tel: (718) 567-8014. E­ H2T IR2. Tel: (514) 284-7369. E-mail: government attempts to overturn the Cuban Central Ave. Zip: 90011. Tel: (323) 233-9372. mail: [email protected] Garment [email protected] Revolution, discussed the numerous cam­ E-mail: [email protected] District, 545 8th Ave. Mailing address: P.O. Toronto: 2761 Dundas St., Postal code: paigns its affiliates are involved in. The San Francisco: 3926 Mission St. Zip: 94112. Box 30. Zip:l0018. Tel: (212) 695-7358. M6P 1Y4. Tel: (416) 767-3705. meeting also discussed and adopted a reso­ Tel: (415) 584-2135. E-mail:sfswp E-m ai I: s wp ny gd@ a ttg I o b a 1. net; E-mail: [email protected] @hotmail.com lution in response to the U.S. government's Upper Manhattan: 540 W. 165 St. Mailing Vancouver: #202D-4806 Main St. Postal war against the people of Afghanistan and COLORADO: Craig: P.O. Box 1539. Zip: address: 4049 Broadway #275. code: V5V 3R8. Tel: (604) 872-8343. E-mail: Zip: 10032. Tel: (212) 740-4611. E-mail: accelerating "anti-terrorism" campaign fol­ 81626. E-mail: westerncoloradoswp@ya­ [email protected] [email protected]; lowing the September 11 attack on the World hoo.com FRANCE Trade Center and Pentagon. 0 HI0: Cleveland: 11 0 18 Lorain Ave. Zip: FLORIDA: Miami: 8365 NE 2nd Ave. Paris: Centre MBE 175, 23 rue Lecourbe. The resolution adopted by the NNOC in­ #206 Zip: 33138. Tel: (305) 751-7076. E-mail: 44111, Tel: (216) 688-1190. E-mail: [email protected] Postal code: 75015. Tel: (01) 47-26-58-21. E­ cluded an "appeal to all Americans to join [email protected] Tampa: P.O. Box mail: [email protected] us in opposing the prosecution and incar­ 16002. Zip: 33687. E-mail: PENNSYLVANIA: Philadelphia: 5237N. ceration of the five Cubans imprisoned in TOC [email protected] 5th St. Zip: 19120. Tel: (215) 324-7020. E­ ICELAND Miami, whose only crime has been to moni­ mail: [email protected] Reykjavik: Skolavordustig 6B. Mailing tor and attempt to prevent this U.S.-based GEORGIA: Atlanta: 465 Boulevard, Suite 214. Zip: 30312. Tel: (404) 622-8917. Pittsburgh: 5907 Penn Ave. Suite 225. Zip. address: P. Box 0233, IS 121 Reykjavik. Tel: terrorism against the Cuban people. At a E-mail: [email protected] 15206. Tel: (412) 365-1090. 552 5502. E-mail: [email protected] time when the American people have been E-mail: [email protected] made particularly sensitive to the human toll ILLINOIS: Chicago: 1212 N. Ashland NEW ZEALAND Suite 201. Zip: 60622. Tel: (773) 342-1780. TEXAS: Houston: 619 West 8th St. Zip: of such terrorist acts, those who have fought 77007. Tel: (713) 869-6550. E-mail: Auckland: Suite 3, 7 MasonAve., Otahuhu. E-mail: [email protected] against such acts should be viewed as he­ [email protected] Postal address: P.O. Box 3025. Tel: (9) 276- roes, not as criminals." [See full text of reso­ IOWA: Des Moines: 3720 6th Ave. Zip: 8885. lution on page7.] 50313. Tel: (515) 288-2970. E-mail: WASHINGTON, D.C.: 3437 14th St. NW E-mail: [email protected] Zip: 20010. Tel: (202) 387-1590. E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] Christchurch: Gloucester Arcade, 129 Jacob Perasso is a member of the Young Gloucester St. Postal address: P.O. Box 13- MASSACHUSETTS: Boston: P.O. Box Socialists. 969. Tel: (3) 365-6055. 702. Zip: 02124. Tel: (617) 4 70-2620 E-mail: WASHINGTON: Seattle: 5418 Rainier E-mail: [email protected] I [email protected] Avenue South. Zip: 98118-2439. Tel: (206) 323-1755. E-mail: [email protected] THE MILITANT MICHIGAN: Detroit: 4208 W. Vernor St. SWEDEN Mailing address: P.O. Box 441580 AUSTRALIA Stockholm: Domargriind 16 (T-bana vvvvvv. themilitant.com Zip: 48244. Tel: (313) 554-0504. Sydney: 1st Fir, 3/281-287 Beamish St., Viistertorp) Postal code: S-129 04. Tel: (08) 31 E-mail: 104127 [email protected] Campsie, NSW 2194. Mailing address: P.O. 69 33.E-mail: [email protected] 12 The Militant November 12, 2001 -GREAT SOCIE1Y------Smug as a bug-In Portland, Or­ tives will leave the automaker in the apology for letting the president get jection room, a wine cellar, hair The bacteria can be killed by thor­ egon, 1,700 people applied for 150 third shuffle since July, as Chief Ex­ momentarily out of focus. Appar­ salon, gym, sauna, pool, spa and ough cooking, but many people do flipper jobs at a newly opening area ecutive Jacques Nasser tries to tum ently the camera person got jostled. guest house. It was on the market not cook foods long enough to pre­ hamburger chain. Wages, $6.50 to around declining sales and for nearly two years, with an ask­ vent infection. An estimated 1.4 mil­ profit."-News item. The well society-More than 1 ing price of$23 million. Finally an lion cases of food poisoning caused million children in California will heir to Sam Walton, founder ofWal­ by salmonella occur in the United Expert wishers?-Assessing the suffer emotional or behavioral dis­ Mart, bought the place, beating the States every year."-News item. impact of September 11 on jurors, orders this year, a state panel re­ price down to $20 million. the Los Angeles Times opined that ported. More than 600,000 of them Can it really be that disgust­ jury selection professionals now will not receive adequate treatment. Not to spook you, but-"One in ing?-Avon Products has kicked off see it this way: "Experts say pan­ Many will be jailed or warehoused five samples of ground meat pur­ its drive to sell cosmetics, perfumes elists might trust police witnesses in mental hospitals. chased in supermarkets was con­ to teen adults and by teen adults. more, be less sympathetic in per­ taminated with salmonella bacteria Believe it or not, the sales workers sonal injury cases, and go easier on Things are tough all over­ a new study has found, and most of will be known as LittleAvon Ladies. $9 an hour. Declared the general corporate misdeeds." Freddy DeMann, former manager the bacteria isolated were resistant manager, "We're pretty much in the of Madonna, has finally unloaded to at least one antibiotic. More than Get mad and better than even­ driver's seat now." Clear enough?-A New England his home in Bel Air, a somewhat half the bacteria were resistant to We know we've said it before, but reader dropped us a note that at a spiffy Los Angeles bedroom com­ at least three antibiotics, making it's such a wonderful book: From Entry level flipper career?­ Bush press conference, a CNN munity. The house features a 2,000- them particularly dangerous if they Pathfinder, Cosmetics, Fashions "Five top Ford Motor Co. execu- newscaster made a carefully worded . square-foot master suite, plus a pro- cause an infection in humans. and the Exploitation ofWomen. Indiana glass strikers fight attack on seniority rights BY ARRIN HAWKINS limiting to four the number of pickets at the DUNKIRK, Indiana-Facing threats of plant's main gate, and to two the pickets at plant closure and concession demands by Indiana Glass outlet stores in Muncie and the bosses, 400 workers went on strike here Dunkirk, and stating that the unionists must October 8, shutting down the Indiana Glass refrain from "harassing and intimidating" Company. the bosses and traffic coming in and out of Members of the two locals of the Ameri­ the plant. can Flint Glass Workers Union (AFGWU) Commenting on President George Bush's at the plant rejected a contract offer 263-63 instruction to law enforcement authorities after the company proposed a five-year pact nationwide to be on "high alert" in antici­ which would freeze wages for two years, pation of more terrorist attacks, Jay County's followed by increases totaling only 4.5 per­ chief deputy sheriff said that his officers had cent over the subsequent three years. been on high alert since the strike started at "Despite management's threat to moth­ Indiana Glass. "With this strike, we are ball the plant in the event of a strike," union about as high as you can get for being on officials said in a statement, "our members alert," he said. The letter issued by the com­ recognized that the contract was concession­ pany also referred to the September 11 at­ ary in all major areas, and that working un­ tack on the World Trade Center and the Pen­ der it would have been intolerable." tagon: "We have a plant that is running well On the picket line workers said two of below· any possibility of profit, and has been the main issues are the company's attack on since February of 2001. The slowdown of seniority rights and its demand that bosses the economy, begun before terrorism attacks be allowed to schedule mandatory overtime made Americans even more cautious about for up to eight hours a day. One female discretionary spending, put lis in a very dif­ striker who had worked in the plant for more ficult position, as well." Noting how the company has used the than 20 years said many of the workers in Members ofAmerican Flint Glass Workers Union picket Indiana Glass Co. "We want attacks to further push its antiunion drive, a the plant were single parents and at least half a place to work, but we want to be treated like human beings too," said one worker. of the workforce is women. For most work­ striker said, "they try to blame it on bin ers, she said, the overtime demands would Laden. But he doesn't have anything to do make it very difficult to arrange child care to create a "bonus system rewarding team­ They are trying to bust the union." No one with this place." at the whim of the company and with no work and group success." A picket explained has crossed the picket line, effectively shut­ notice. this was the company's attempt"to manipu­ ting down production. The company is ship­ Arrin Hawkins is a meat packer in Chicago Sonny Poor, president ofAFGWU Local late people and move them around, double ping material produced before the strike. and member of the United Food and Com­ 50 I, is a 27 -year veteran worker at Indiana your work, and cut your pay." Indiana Glass quickly won a court order mercial Workers union. Glass. "They're calling for up to eight hours AFGWU Locals 501 and 151 had been mandatory overtime," he told the Muncie on strike for about a month in 197 4 and 1992 Star Press. "On any given day you could against Indiana Glass Company. The com­ work 16 hours. Low man in a department pany has cut the workforce from 1,000 in -25 AND 50 YEARS AGO could wind up working over every day if 1974 to 400 today. "Where before there :MClNl$ the need arises. And if you work in the hot were four workers doing a job, there are now end-the temperature is ungodly during the one or two," a worker on the picket line ex­ TH£ MILITANT THE MILITANT PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE WORKING PEOPLE peak of summer-it could be a major safety plained. "If you are doing the job of two or. NEW YORK, N.Y FIVE (S) CENTS A SOCIAliST NEWSWEULV/PUIUSHW IN THE ~TEa£SlS Of tH( WOaKING :P£01>l£ issue. Hot, tired, fatigue factors, you could three people by the time you leave the plant get hurt. We want a place to work, but we you are dragging." November 12, 1976 November 12, 1951 want to be treated like human beings too." The company has received several tax abatements from the city of Dunkirk, but LOS ANGELES-More than 150 Los NEW YORK, Nov. 8-After listening po­ 'Unlimited interchangeability' strikers say there has been little investment Angeles-area steelworkers gathered here litely to speeches by the top [government In its assault on seniority rights the com­ in new machinery in the plant, which is over October 1 7 to hear Ed Sadlowski and Korean war] mobilization officials, the Thir­ pany is seeking "unlimited interchangeabil­ 100 years old. On October 10 the Star Press Ignacio "Nash" Rodriguez, insurgent can­ teenth Constitutional Convention of the CIO ity within departments," according to the re­ wrote that "there was speculation that Indi­ didates for president and secretary of the bitterly assailed the mobilization set-up and jected contract. Wage rates, job descriptions, ana Glass's parent company, Lancaster United Steelworkers of America. resolved that "we shall never submit to dis­ and job evaluations could be changed by the Colony, might shut down the Dunkirk plant Many local officials were there in anini­ criminatory wage freezes or unfair policies company at any time. In a letter to the glass within 18 months." Three weeks before the tial demonstration of support to the Steel­ of any other kind which threaten the stan­ workers the Indiana Glass Company ex­ end of the contract, the company moved workers Fight Back slate. dard of living and the hard-won collective plained that "in order to better compete" it machinery to the sister plant in Oklahoma. More than half of those at the Sadlowski bargaining advances of free American la­ needed greater "flexibility in assigning Despite possible plant closure, workers meeting were Chicanos, a reflection of the bor.... " people efficiently within the plant," and the steadfastly refuse to accept the mandatory largely Chicano composition of District 38 The outspoken attacks of all the CIO lead­ ability to fill needed jobs and positions due overtime and attacks on seniority, safety, and steelworkers. ers on the policies of the Wage Stabiliza­ to unplanned absences and last minute needs working conditions. "We have everything It was Sadlowski's first public rally in this tion Board were the opening barrage in the of customers. to lose with this strike," one striker said, "but area. After a brief presentation outlining his campaign of the CIO Steelworkers union for In place of seniority, the company wanted it's better to fight than die on your knees. basic platform for union democracy, he an­ "substantial wage increases" in the coming swered questions for almost two hours. negotiations with the steel magnates. Sadlowski also stressed the need to cre­ Every protest by CIO leaders against the French unions strike against layoffs; ate a new consciousness within the union mobilization set-up was prefaced by breast­ so that there could never again be a no-strike beating declarations of support to the bosses squeal about 'lack ofpatriotism' deal in any steel contract. government's program for war. The speeches One questioner asked about the consent of the many government officials addressing BY NAT LONDON _ Marseille, Lyon, Lille, and several other decree, an agreement between the govern­ the convention started from the same premise PARIS-More than 40,000 workers, ac­ major cities. ment, the basic steel companies, and the and drew the logical conclusion, namely, if cording to police estimates, demonstrated Only one union confederation, the French union for a weak affirmative-action program you support the war program you must sac­ in Paris and other French cities October 16 Democratic Labor Federation (CFDT), did for women and minorities. Sadlowski said rifice wage demands, you must use "self-re­ against layoffs and attacks on the social not join the action, saying that it was inap­ the consent decree doesn't go nearly far straint and self-control." The tone of the wage. The national day of action was called propriate considering the "current interna­ enough to eliminate discrimination and job whole convention was as flag-waving as an by four of the principal French union con­ tional crisis." Calling the action "indecent," tracking. American Legion conclave. federations: the General Confederation of the Movement of French Enterprises, the A young steelworker asked if Sadlowski A strong Civil Rights Resolution was Labor (CGT), Workers Force (FO), the Gen­ employers federation, attacked the unions supported the strict constitutional require­ passed. It called for a Federal FEPC, an anti­ eral Confederation of Administrative and for their lack of "social patriotism" and de­ ments to run for local union office, includ­ lynch law, an end of poll taxes and federal Technical Employees (CGC), and the manded a new law to limit public service ing attendance at at least one-half of the and state Civil Rights Laws. French Confederation of Christian Workers workers' right to strike. union meetings held during the three years A separate resolution was passed con­ (CFTC). Railroad workers struck for 24 Bernard Thibault, leader of the CGT, said period to candidacy. demning racial discrimination in the Panama hours throughout the country, as did bus, that there "would not be any moratorium Sadlowski said he favors eliminating this Canal Zone which is based on the federal subway, and tramway workers in many cit­ on strikes since there was no moratorium restriction, which is aimed at younger union­ government's pay differentials for white and ies. Mass transit was completely tied up in on layoffs." ists. colored workers doing the same jobs. November 12, 2001 The Militant 13 -EDITORIALS------First of 1,000 Fight political firing in Miami detainees dies The fight by socialist candidate and garment worker people defending themselves against the employers and Continued from Page 6 Michael Italie against the political firing by bosses at Good­ their government. bian," said the couple's attorney, Robert Spergel. The two will Industries in Miami is one all working people and the Goodwill Industries is nonunion and the bosses want have filed a civil rights suit against the police. unions should support. Goodwill is taking aim at the right to keep it that way. They don't like workers like Italie of working people to express their views and organize in who let other garment workers know why organizing a 'USA Patriot Act' their own class interests. The company is targeting the union would help them fight for better wages, improved The USA Patriot Act was adopted by a bipartisan vote of unions and the broader labor movement, as well as the First working conditions, and dignity on the job. They don't 357-66 in the House of Representatives and 98-1 in the Amendment rights to freedom of speech and expression. like workers like Italie who challenge the prerogatives of Senate. The law builds on the 1996 Antiterrorism and Ef­ The company firing of Italie is part and parcel of the the bosses and their government to do as they like­ fective Death Penalty Act, the 1996 Illegal Immigration government and employer assault on the rights of working whether it is paying sub-minimum wages or going to war Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, the 1996 Eco­ people in the United States. It goes hand in hand with the against workers and peasants in Afghanistan. nomic Espionage Act, and other measures adopted by the cop roundups, longer imprisonment at the whim of the Like all bosses under capitalism today, Goodwill is Clinton administration. It also concentrates greater powers government, expansion of the ability of the police to wire­ getting the backing of the city's mayor, who upped the in the hands of the attorney general and secretary of state. tap and conduct electronic eavesdropping, and other attacks. ante for the labor movement and all defenders of demo­ The law includes the following provisions: It is part of their attempt to whip up patriotic attitudes in cratic rights when he called Ita lie's opposition to • Police can sneak into someone's home or office and order to get workers to accept concession contracts, ero­ Washington's brutal war "treasonous." Italie is not letting search the premises without telling the owner-a viola­ sion of safety on the job, and rising unemployment. this attack go unanswered, as the idea that a person's po­ tion of the Fourth Amendment guarantee against arbitrary The superwealthy ruling class knows it cannot take on litical views should be treated as a high crime against the search and seizure. and defeat the unions head on, nor simply roll back hard­ state strikes at the heart of the Bill of Rights. • Cops are granted expanded authority to wiretap won conquests of the civil rights movement, labor battles, The Miami Socialist Workers campaign has done an ef­ and struggles to extend and defend democratic rights. In­ fective job in winning initial backing for Italie's reinstate­ phones, personal e-mail, and the Internet, supervised by stead, they start with a section of the working class or ment. As the socialist candidate pointed out, answering the special courts granting secret authorization. Agents can individuals they deem easier targets, and see how far they attack with the widest possible protest is the most impor­ use roving wiretaps to monitor any phone used by an in­ can extend their assaults. They hope to slowly divide and tant response in defending the workers at the plant and dividual instead of requiring separate authorizations for politically atomize the workers movement, undercutting making Goodwill and the city administration pay the high­ each phone. Rules barring use of evidence obtained from the solidarity that is an essential ingredient of working est possible price for their anti-working-class assault. illegal phone taps do not apply to wrongfully obtained e- mail "evidence." - • The much-touted four-year "expiration date" in the legislation applies to only a tiny part of the 1,0 16-clause law, mainly the section on phone tapping. Vote Socialist Workers • The measure drops a prohibition on domestic CIA Socialist Workers candidates in the 2001 elections have political stands. In candidate debates, news programs, on spying and allows prosecutions based on evidence ob­ set an exemplary record of presenting a fighting, work­ street comers, and on the job, they have used their cam­ tained overseas by means that would be illegal under the ing-class alternative to the bosses and their two parties, paigns to set an example of independent working-class U.S. Constitution. the Democrats and Republicans. political action and the possibilities of building a revolu­ • Immigrants detained as "terrorist suspects" can be The socialist campaigns have joined working-class tionary proletarian party in the United States. They have held indefinitely without charges for an unspecified se­ struggles, protests against police brutality, and actions to found genuine interest in Pathfinder books, New Interna­ ries of "periods of up to six months" with the attorney defend immigrant rights. They explained that the only road tional, and the Militant andPerspectiva Mundial, demon­ general's approval. The attorney general or INS commis­ out of the growing disaster of the economic cri'!>is of capi­ strating the thirst of many working people for a working­ sioner has the authority to determine who is a "suspect"­ talism, unemployment, racism, attacks on workers' rights, class world outlook and course of action. under the most tenuous claim of association with "terror­ and imperialist war is for workers and farmers to join in a Several campaigns covered by the Militant in recent ist" organizations-and order their deportation without revolutionary struggle to overturn the capitalist govern­ months have already been completed, including in Bos­ presenting evidence. ment and replace it with one of their own. ton, Des Moines, Detroit, and Seattle. Candidates running • The definition of a terrorist act is so broad that even Most recently they have uncompromisingly answered in elections in November are: throwing a rock through a window could fall into the cat­ Washington's cynical use of the September 11 attacks to Cleveland, Ohio: Eva Braiman, meat packer, for mayor, egory, according to Jeanne Butterfield, executive director accelerate erosion of workers' rights and to launch a bru­ Anthony Prince,* garment worker and member ofUNITE, of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. It also tal war against the people ·of Afghanistan under the guise for city council, Ward 18. includes causing damage to mass transit, as well as com­ of fighting "terrorism." Houston, Texas: Anthony Dutrow,* meat packer, for puter hacking under the rubric of "cyberterrorism." We urge workers, farmers, and youth fighting the as­ mayor. saults by the wealthy ruling class to cast their ballots for Miami, Florida: Michael Italie, * garment worker, for • Strong penalties are set for "harboring terrorists" or the SWP candidates listed below. mayor. raising funds for organizations deemed "terrorist" by U.S. The Socialist Workers candidates and their supporters New York City: Martin Koppel, editor of the Militant and authorities. The government could use these to target im­ have spoken out against the accelerated bipartisan assault Perspectiva Mundial, for mayor; Douglas Nelson, for city migrant rights organizations or opponents of U.S. mili­ on working people at home and abroad during this cam­ council; William Estrada, meat packer and member of the tary intervention abroad. paign period. This includes the deepening attacks on So­ UFCW, for city council; Olympia Newton, for city council. • The number of Border Patrol agents along the Cana­ cial Security and unemployment compensation to moves Newark, New Jersey: Kari Sachs,* meat packer and dian border will be tripled. to extend their "right" to indefinitely jail people, hold se­ member of the UFCW, for governor of New Jersey. Democrats, not to be outdone by the Republican ad­ cret trials, threaten and use torture on detainees, break Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: John Staggs, a meat_ ministration, are also pushing a bill, the "Bioterrorism into people's homes, and other such moves. The jailings packer and member of the UFCW, for district attorney of Protection Act." In the name of fighting "bioterrorist at­ of more the 1,000 people, mainly immigrants from the Philadelphia. tacks," it would among other things give the FBI access Middle East and Asia, are in the forefront of this assault. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Frank Forrestal, *coal miner to Amtrak reservations and other private databases, add Socialist candidates around the country report a seri­ and member of the UMWA, for mayor. thousands of new border patrol agents, and beef up "mili­ ous response by working people to their proposals and *Denotes on the ballot tary domestic crisis response teams." Liberal civil liberties activists have responded to this offensive against workers' rights by calling for "vigilant oversight" of the implementation of these measures, but have largely accepted the U.S. government's prerogative Open Australia's doors to refugees to carry them out. The American Civil Liberties Union has stated it will "work with" the Bush administration to The Militant is giving some of our editorial space forced back at gunpoint by the Australian navy. This is a supposedly make sure civil liberties are not "compro­ this week to the following statement by Ron Poulsen, murderous policy that will lead only to more deaths. mised" by the new law. Communist League candidate for parliament in Aus­ But the massive wave of migration around the world tralia. The statement was issued October 25. today will not stop. Millions are on the move from the Targeting 'domestic extremists' Middle East and Central Asia especially, driven from their Meanwhile, the U.S. rulers have used their current an­ Refugees and other immigrants are fellow working countries by the devastating economic and political cri­ thrax scare to gain acceptance for their war against Afghani­ people who need the solidarity of the labour movement. ses of capitalism, sharpened by imperialist intervention stan and assault on working people at home. In a front­ Opening Australia's doors to all who seek refuge here is a and war. Desperately seeking a better life, they are drawn page article in the October 27 Washington Post, FBI and central plank of my platform, along with working-class to the handful of wealthy countries whose rulers have plun­ CIA officials attributed the alleged anthrax attacks to "do­ opposition to the imperialist war on Afghanistan now be­ dered the resources and exploited the toil of working mestic extremists" rather than their previous implication of ing brutally waged by Washington, London, and Canberra. people worldwide. Now this refugee crisis is being fueled Osama bin Laden. The paper cited government officials The catastrophe last Friday [October 19] with the sink­ by the U.S.-led relentless bombardment and ground at­ who suggested "a wide range of domestic possibilities, in­ ing of an overcrowded, rotting vessel and subsequent tacks against Afghanistan, with massive destabilising con­ cluding associates of right-wing hate groups and U.S. resi­ deaths of more than 350 refugees, asylum-seekers and sequences for the whole region and the world. dents sympathetic to the causes of Islamic extremists." immigrants to Australia off the coast of Indonesia, is far While Canberra brutally turns away desperate working A May 10 statement by then-FBI chief Louis Freeh to from the only fatal sinking in past years and months. The people from the shores of one of the richest countries in several congressional committees on the "Threat ofTerror­ deaths of these working people are directly attributable to the world, it is sending troops, warplanes and warships to ism to the United States" gives an idea of who could be the restrictive and discriminatory immigration policies of join in the assault on the peoples ofAfghanistan, who live targeted by the political police under this pretext. Freeh Australia's capitalist rulers, and especially to the brutal in one of the poorest countries in the world. This criminal pointed to the FBI's July 2000 arrest of23 people in North new measures Canberra has adopted as part of its war course of attacking working people around the world is Carolina who were accused of"providing material support" drive. The Howard government, with almost total biparti­ also aimed at working people at home, as the capitalist to the Lebanese organization Hezbollah. Under the category san support from Labor, has, since the August 29 storm­ rulers try to squeeze more profits from the labor of work­ of "domestic terrorism threat," he said, "Anarchists and ing of the Tampa by the SAS [Special Air Services], used ers and working farmers, and to push back our political extreme socialist groups-many of which, such as Work­ naval warships to try to slam the doors in the faces of rights won in decades of struggle. That is why the one­ ers' World Party, Reclaim the Streets, and Carnival Against working people trying to get to this country by the only day strike by New South Wales nurses, the snap bus driv­ Capitalism-have an international presence and, at times, means they can now find: by sea, in deathtrap boats. ers strike, and the ongoing battle by Ansett and other air­ also represent a potential threat in the United States." By its callous refusal to accept the people rescued by line workers are so important. In response to the mass arrests of immigrants, a coali­ the Tampa from a similar sinking boat some eight weeks That is why I call on the labour movement to vigor­ tion of immigrant advocacy activists called a picket line ago, the Australian government declared-in effect-that ously protest Canberra's war on working people from the in New York November 1 in front of the Varick Street INS it would be better for them to have drowned. That is the Tampa assault and denial of refugee rights, to the imperi­ detention center in Manhattan. The leaflet for the action fate that would have met the Tampa refugees if they hadn't alist war on Afghanistan, from the expansion of political said it would "protest denial of rights for those being de­ been saved by the Norwegian freighter's captain and crew. police powers, to wider attacks on workers' rights in this tained as part of 9-11 federal investigations." Already, several boats like the one that sank have been country.

14 The Militant November 12,2001 Pathfinder titles explain imperialism and its wars

BY BARBARA BOWMAN attacks against the working class by capi­ Pathfinder books today are in greater de­ talist governments, from the use of the czar's mand because of the explanations they offer secret police, the Okhrana, against the Bol­ about the character of imperialism and its sheviks and Russian workers organizations, drive toward war. Six titles have been recently to the trial and imprisonment of 18 leaders reprinted; four were needed to fill remaining of the Minneapolis Teamsters union and So­ classroom orders for the fall semester. cialist Workers Party under the Smith "Gag" The six are: Workers 'Rights vs. the Secret Act at the opening of World War II. Police by Larry Seigle; Cointelpro: The FBI's Secret War on Political Freedom by Nelson Rulers' drive to war and secret police Blackstock; My Life: An Attempt at an Auto­ The organization of the modem secret biography by Leon Trotsky; Episodes ofthe police was part of the rulers' preparation for Cuban Revolutionary War, 1956~58 by World War II, writes Seigle. "As the U:S. Emesto Che Guevara; Sandinistas Speak: capitalists got ready for war against their Speeches, Writings, and Interviews with rivals abroad, they also prepared their of­ fensive against the working class and against Blacks and Chicanos at home. Their aims were to silence all opponents of the war BOOKS OF drive, to channel all motion toward a labor party back into the two capitalist parties, and to make working people accept the neces­ sity of sacrifice." Council of State Office of Historical Affairs, Cuba THE MONTH Fidel Castro speaks with peasants in the Sierra Maestra, 1958. Photo appears in Che Seigle details the lawsuit brought by the Guevara's Episodes of the Cuban Revolutionary War, a Pathfinder book of the month. Socialist Workers Party and Young Socialist Leaders ofNicaragua 's Revolution; and Art Alliance against the FBI, CIA, and other se­ and Revolution: Writings on Literature, Poli­ cret police agencies in 1973. As a result of ers, Black, antiwar, and socialist groups. been extended to a new date, but they will tics, and Culture by Leon Trotsky. the impact ofthe Black and anti~Vietnam War My Life is the autobiography of Leon have to be paid." Events bore out Trotsky's The first four have been chosen as movements in the 1960s and early 1970s, a Trotsky, a central leader along with VI. Lenin analysis. Before World War I ended, the Pathfinder's Books of the Month for Novem­ small communist organization~rooted in a of the October 1917 Russian revolution and workers and peasants of Russia made a revo­ ber and will be available to members of the long tradition of defending workers' rights~ the head of the Soviet Red Army. In review­ lution against the czar and then in October Pathfinder Readers Club at a 25 percent dis­ could take such a bold initiative. ing his life, Trotsky recounts the impact of 1917, under the leadership of the Bolshe­ count. All six will be available to Pathfinder One of the most important points the so­ World War I, the first world imperialist vik Party led by VI. Lenin, against the capi­ bookstores at a 60 percent discount. cialists made during the suit was to connect slaughter, on the workers movement. talists and landlords. For the first time in Workers' Rights vs. the Secret Police will attacks on the rights of workers at home with Trotsky was living in exile in Vienna, history the toilers seized state political be of special interest to all those opposed to imperialist attacks abroad. "You can't have Austria, on the eve of the war and was able power. Their first act was to take Russia out the government's attacks on workers' a government that carries out a foreign to observe the patriotic fever whipped up of the war. In the months to come, revolu­ rights~an offensive that is escalating today policy that tramples on human rights and by the bourgeois governments with help tionary crises swept across Germany and under the name of "fighting terrorism." human values, commits unspeakable acts of from the majority of leaders of the major much of Central Europe, as well. Seigle traces such attacks on workers' violence and even genocide, overturns socialist parties across Europe. But he also In Episodes of the Cuban Revolutionary rights to some of the initial forms of work­ elected governments, subverts democracy~ saw the uncontrollable forces the imperial­ War, 1956~1958 Emesto Che Guevara tells ing-class resistance more than 150 years you can't have a government that does all ist warmakers were setting into motion. the story of how the war against the U.S.­ ago. "The use of secret police, informers, that abroad and doesn't do essentially the "War at first strengthens the state power backed Batista dictatorship transformed the agents provocateurs, frame-ups, disruption same thing at home," Seigle says. which, in the chaos engendered by war, ap­ men and women of the Rebel Army and the efforts ... are not incidental to capitalist rule," Cointelpro:. The FBI's Secret War on Po­ pears to be the only firm support~and then July 26 Movement into a force capable of Seigle writes. "They are permanent, basic, litical Freedom prints some of the files the undermines it," said Trotsky. "The mobili­ leading the workers and peasants in a revo­ and essential...and flow from the need of the FBI was forced to make public during the zation and declaration of war have verita­ lutionary struggle for power and mobiliz­ employing class to defend their rule from SWP lawsuit. These revelations helped ex­ bly swept off the face of the earth all the ing them to depose not only the hated dicta­ the vast majority, the working class." pose the Counterintelligence Program, or national and social contradictions in the tor, but to overthrow capitalist property re­ Seigle reviews many well-known cases "Cointelpro," a decades-long campaign of country. But this is only a political delay, a lations as a whole, and take on the task of of the use of secret police agencies and other spying, harassment, and disruption of work- sort of political moratorium. The notes have building a socialist society. -LETTERS Airline security searches do pat down, wanding, "dump" searches of everyone to do this work, which has been strike in Iceland by practical nurses dropped I have appreciated your recent articles on passenger baggage, plane searches, and added on to our regular duties. Most work­ the word "practical" in describing the the airline industry. Delta Air Lines, where other law-enforcement procedures. ers don't like doing these procedures, but nurses. In Iceland we have both. licensed I work as a customer service agent, has been We have no union to protect us from this they are reluctant to challenge them with practical nurses and nurses working at hos­ requiring gate, ramp, and arrival agents to abuse, and the company has now mandated the company holding layoffs over our heads. pitals. The practical nurses are more like Forcing airline workers who did not sign nurses assistants, taking care of the patients, up for suchjobs~which are usually carried feeding them, cleaning their rooms, and so out by security firms~to do these functions on. 46ve-m-6e-rBOOKS OF THE MONTH is part of the employers' drive to speedup, Over the years many people in Iceland job combinations, and to get us used to en­ didn't know that there is a difference be- during and even carrying out "security" . tween these two professions, but as the prac­ * * * * Pathfinder Readers Club SPECIALS police procedures. tical nurses have become more visible in the 25% We should oppose this as part ofthe over­ class struggle over the last few years, the Workers' Rights vs. the Secret Police DISCOUNT all war drive. difference has become quite clear. Linda Joyce LARRY SEIGLE Hildur Magnusd6ttir Atlanta, Georgia Reykjavik, Iceland How, since the inception of the modern revolutionary workers movement in 1848, the ruling classes have responded with po­ Good map! No journalist integrity lice spies, agents provocateurs, and political frame-ups. $3.00, Bravo on the two-page map spread and As a reader of your newsletter for quite PRC price: $2.25 history lesson in the center of the October some time now, I must say that there is no International Socialist Review. It reminded journalistic integrity in your articles, edito­ Cointelpro me of Leon Trotsky's suggestions for the rials, and headlines. Your paper is full of The FBI's Secret War on Political Freedom Soviet press: "The understanding of inter­ hypocritical accusations. While you justly NELSON BLACKSTOCK national newspaper information is impos­ accuse the United States of human rights violations, and constantly use these criti­ The FBI's spying and disruption against socialists and activists in sible without at least the most basic geo­ graphical knowledge .... The question of cisms in your paper, you ignore and some­ the Black and antiwar movements. Includes FBI documents. maps in our situation~i.e., in a situation of times praise "socialist" countries like China, $15.95, PRC price $12.00 imperialist encirclement and the growth of which has an absolutely horrid record of the world revolution~is a very important human rights. Episodes of the Cuban Revolutionary War, question of general education." (This is from You oppose recent actions taken by the 1956-58 ~'The Newspaper and Its Readers" in Prob­ U.S against the Taliban, yet you ignore the ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA lems ofEveryday Life). Taliban's complete oppression of women, and the fundamentalist form of government A firsthand account of the military campaigns and political events Trotsky advocated such maps for all cul­ tural centers and avenues of public dis­ which it forced upon its people, without any that culminated in the January 1959 popular insurrection that course, for the preparation of both the kind of election. overthrew the U.S.-backed dictatorship in Cuba. With clarity and masses and the party workers. All of these go directly against socialist humor, Guevara describes his own political education. He explains The intellectual sycophants to capitalism dogma. I hope you will publish this letter, how the struggle transformed the men and women of the Rebel are regurgitating the ruling-class line on the but I doubt you will, as you have become Army and July 26 Movement led by Fidel Castro. And how these history of that oppressed region, but I lacked the news media propaganda that you claim to oppose. combatants forged a political leadership capable of guiding mil­ the necessary detail ammunition to counter Ben Atwood, lions of workers and peasants to open the socialist revolution in the pompous claims of non-Marxist "ex­ perts"~other than with working general Frostburg, Maryland the Americas. $23.95, PRC price $18.00 theory. The spread provides an essential My Life accurate ideological base from which to address the various historical strains of the An Attempt at an Autobiography The letters column is an open forum for area. all viewpoints on subjects of interest to LEON TROTSKY B.N. working people. Autobiographical account by a leader of the October 1917 Rus­ Union City, New Jersey Please keep your letters brief. Where sian revolution, the Soviet Red Army, and the battle initiated by necessary they will be abridged. Please Lenin against the Stalinist bureaucracy. $26.95, PRC price $20.00 Practical nurses in Iceland indicate if you prefer that your initials A recent article in the Militant about a be used rather than your full name. November 12, 2001 The Militant 15 TH£ MILITANT 'Dismantle UK war machine in Ireland' BY JOYCE FAIRCHILD least 300 in all. Loyalists support the divi­ AND ANTONIS PARTASSIS sion of the country, union with Britain, and LONDON-Young Irish nationalists a continuation of the second-class status of took to the streets October 28 to protest the the Catholic population~ The violent as­ failure of the London government to dis­ saults, often with guns and bombs, did not mantle its military machine in Northern Ire­ stop with the IRA announcement. For ex­ land. As they targeted the army watchtower ample, on October 28, loyalist gangs, led at the Classdrumman base near Cross­ by the Ulster Defence Association, mounted maglen, the young people led by Sinn Fein's an attack on nationalists in North Belfast. youth organization were attacked by Royal They also threw six blast bombs at police Ulster Constabulary (RUC) cops in riot gear. and army lines. "If the British take their war machine off Having welcomed IRA decommissioning the top of mountains in south Armagh as a breakthrough, Anthony Blair's govern­ people would not have to march up and stage ment has responded to these events by plac­ these protests," a Sinn Fein spokesperson ing extra troops on standby. said. The street clashes between rightist loyal­ The weekend protests were held in the ist gangs and the security forces are an ex­ light of the response by London to the an­ pression of the deepening crisis of Union­ nouncement last week by the Irish Republi­ ism. Ulster Unionist Party leader, David can Army that it would destroy its weap­ Trimble withdrew his resignation from the ons. A statement by the IRA said the orga­ Northern Ireland executive following the nization called a complete cessation of mili­ IRA decommissioning announcement but tary operations in 1994 "in order to create faces Unionist opposition in his bid to re­ the dynamic for a peace process. 'Decom­ gain his position of first minister. missioning' was no part of that.... Unfortu­ In a demonstration of the growth of na­ nately there are those within the British es­ British Army watchtower on Camlough Mountain in South Armagh. The posts in tionalist sentiment in the south of Ireland, tablishment and the leadership of unionism Northern Ireland are used by British soldiers to spy on and harass the local population. thousands lined the streets of Dublin Octo­ who are fundamentally opposed to change. ber 14 for the state burial of 10 IRA volun­ teers executed by the British government At every opportunity they have used the is­ the source of all our political ills. The Brit­ prisoners. The Sinn Fein leader told the 500- during the Irish war for independence 80 sue of arms as an excuse to undermine and ish government has inflicted and continues strong audience that there are "those who years ago. The city was virtually shut down frustrate the process." The IRA called their to sustain historic wrongs upon the people still think they have an empire and we're decision an "unprecedented move to save for the state event attended by top govern­ of this island" Adams said that Sinn Fein's it." He paid tribute to the resistance by the ment officials. the peace process and to persuade others of strategy "is determined by objective reali­ nationalist community. ''I'm against The Irish prime minister gave the funeral our genuine intentions." ties. It is guided among other things by the iconising people," he said of the hunger Immediately following the IRA's state­ oration and the event was covered live by fact that the democratic rights and entitle­ strikers. "I want to stress th~ ordinariness RTE, the state television network. It was the ment on decommissioning their weapons, ments of nationalists and republicans can­ of them. Bobby Sands was an ordinary per­ culmination of years of struggle by the rela­ John Reid, London's secretary of state for not be conditional. These rights are univer­ son who did extraordinary things in extraor­ tives of the volunteers to have their relatives Northern Ireland, said, "I believe you will sal rights. They affect all citizens." dinary circumstances." remains removed from Mountjoy jail, where not find the response from this government, Adams traveled to London October 23 to Adams also pointed to the widespread they were put to death by the British colo­ from the Irish Government, the American address a meeting on the 20th anniversary attacks on Catholics this year in northern nial regime and buried. administration and the whole international of the 1981 hunger strikes by republican Ireland by loyalist paramilitary forces, at community to be grudging or ungenerous" But Declan Fearon, chairman of the South Armagh Farmers and Residents committee, retorted, "As far as we're concerned, the generous response from Dr. Reid didn't Marchers in Ireland protest hospital cutbacks materialize .... They are taking away just two BY SEAN O'NEILL lookout posts of 12 in SouthArmargh; they em Ireland parliament, which was controlled tain hospital services. They signed a decla­ are taking away just one sangar [small watch OMAGH, Northern Ireland-On October by forces supporting continued British ration saying, "We feel we are being treated tower] of which there are over 30 in South 22 a crowd of 20,000 people gathered in rule-thus cutting off one of the main links as second-class citizens in the matter of Armargh, and there are five large army bases Omagh, in County Tyrone, to protest gov­ to Donegal, which lies across the border in health-care provision." down here, none of which are being touched ernment plans to cut back hospital services. the Republic of Ireland. The Hospital Campaign for the Rural at all." Omagh has a population ofjust over 20,000. In recent years the hospital has lost many West, which is leading the fight to save the The watchtowers were built in the mid- Tyrone is the biggest county in the British­ services, including pediatrics, maternity, and services, states that the Hayes report implies, 1980s. They sit on hilltops I ,500 feet high. occupied North oflreland. Its population is orthopedics units. A further 18 beds were among other things, that people in Tyrone With high-tech surveillance equipment, sol­ divided among three Westminster constitu­ eliminated on July 2. The government re­ cannot have accidents or emergencies on diers monitor the local population. To this encies, all of which returned a Sinn Fein cently set up a committee headed by Dr. weekends or after 5:30p.m. on weekdays. day, London retains 13,500 army troops in Member of Parliament (MP) at the Maurice Hayes to make recommendations Nor can they have heart attacks outside of the Six Counties in addition to the thousands Westminster elections in June. on 3ospital provisions in the North of Ire­ office hours. The organization says that of armed RUC cops. Tyrone has a Nationalist majority who land. His report proposes the abolition of Hayes's prescription amounts to, "If symp­ feel they are continually being treated as sec­ the casualty; intensive care; ear, nose, and toms persist, move to another county." 'Rights are not conditional' ond-class citizens, Tyrone is the largest throat; and renal dialysis units. The with­ The 20,000-strong crowd included chil­ Commenting on the IRA decommission­ county in the North oflreland with an area drawal of these services is equivalent to the dren from all local primary and secondary ing in an October 22 address at the Conway of 1,220 square miles, but it has less than withdrawal of the hospital, say local people. schools, both Protestant and Catholic, as Mill in Belfast, Sinn Fein president Gerry 20 miles of highway. The county railways All six local assembly members have de­ well as local workers and farmers. The Adams said that "the British connection is were closed down in the 1960s by the North- clared their support for the campaign to re- crowd gave a large cheer when Sinn Fein MP Pat O'Doherty was introduced. Many of those present carried placards saying, "Who will stitch us up?" and "One pill we Canada oil workers end strike, take concessions won't swallow." Speakers at the rally included Doreen BY ANNETTE KOURI year the CEP local in Montreal accepted a been taken down and the company has Preston, Paddy Montague, and Michael AND TONY DI FELICE "status quo" offer by the company to con­ banned all clothing bearing the CEP insig­ Moore, all of whom are from the commu­ TORONTO-Members of the Commu­ tinue under the provisions of the old con­ nia. Concessions have been imposed de­ nity. Preston, who was badly injured in the nications, Energy and Paper Workers Union tract. Locals in Edmonton, Alberta, and Port partment-by-department, maximizing divi­ Aug. 15, 1998, bombing in Omagh, said she (CEP) Local 593 at Petro-Canada voted to Moody, British Columbia, dropped their sions in. the workforce. The company froze believes she would have died if the local end their six-month strike September 25, demand for improved pensions and signed wages in some departments, but gave in­ hospital did not have an accident and emer­ and to accept a contract that includes major along the lines of the Montreal local a few creases to workers in others. One worker gency unit. "I want to save the accident and concessions sought by the company. In early weeks into the strike. The company then said the workweek in his department went emergency services. I want these available August workers had refused a similar con­ went after workers in the Toronto area, de­ up to at least 42 hours from 37.5 before the all day, everyday," she said. tract offer because it contained rollbacks manding major concessions. strike. Montague, a local worker injured more such as longer working hours, a wage freeze, Unionists at Petro-Canada reached out to Union member Dave Watson said than a year ago in a fall from scaffolding, mandatory overtime, layoffs, and no im­ other workers for solidarity, organized a through his experience he would warn said he lost his hearing in the accident but provements in the pension plan, the CEP "Boycott Petro-Canada" campaign com­ workers going into a strike to "be prepared was very grateful for the treatment he had said at the time. plete with flying pickets at gas stations, and financially. But not just financially, but in received from the ear, nose, and throat unit­ Union members in Toronto faced an up­ won backing from other strikes in the area, your heart. They always have more in their also marked for closure under current plans. hill battle after the company, whose largest such as those at Christie Bakery, Coca-Cola, pockets than we do." · Twenty-four-year-old Moore came from single owner is the Canadian government, and Jacuzzi. After voting on the new contract Septem­ his hospital bed to attend the rally. He has successfully carried out a divide-and-con­ Back on the job, workers told the Mili­ ber 25, Don Gilmore, a maintenance worker, been in the hospital for renal dialysis three quer strategy. Workers here went on strike tant that the company is seeking to under­ said looking back on the strike: "We did days a week for the past six years. Under demanding a better pension plan and in soli­ mine seniority rights and health and safety what we thought was right. That's all you the Hayes plan he will have to travel 70 miles darity with other refinery workers on strike conditions by asserting is has the right to can do." to Belfast for the treatment. "I need this unit at Petro-Canada plants across the country. move workers at will to different jobs. To to survive," he said.,The director of the re­ Until this latest round of negotiations all weaken plant-floor solidarity the bosses in Annette Kouri and Tony Di Felice are meat nal unit agreed and said that under the Hayes Petro-Camida refinery union members some facilities make workers eat lunch at packers and members of the United Food plan "care of acute renal patients will be lost. worked under the same contract. But this different times. Union bulletin boards have and Commercial Workers union in Toronto. These are the facts."

16 The Militant November 12, 2001