R BO OMN LA IA VINCIT Published by the Socialist Labor Party Established in l89l VOL.112 NO. 3 JUNE 2002 50 CENTS IN THIS ISSUE Unemployment Grows As At Large — The Turmoil in Central Asia Welfare Limits Approach Page 2 he “economic recovery” that was supposed to bring some relief to T the American working class ap- Class Struggle Remains parently has taken a detour. World’s Deadliest Conflict The official unemployment rate rose Page 3 to 6 percent in April, following a three- month period in which “1,669 mass layoff actions...resulted in the separa- The Clean Air Act— tion of 301,181 workers from their jobs Another Failed Reform for more than 30 days,” according to a U.S. Labor Department report re- Page 4 leased on May 16. The same report said that lagging AFL-CIO Still Fronting for “demand for employers’ products and U.S. Imperialist Interests services...was the major reason cited for layoffs in the first quarter,” and Page 8 that 20 percent of all “mass layoffs” resulted from “permanent closure of Carol*Simpson worksites,” caused primarily by “bank- ruptcy, business ownership change, The bill, H.R. 4737, called the ty is broken,” implying that the 1996 SLP EMERGENCY FUND— financial difficulty, and reorganization.” Personal Responsibility, Work, and “Welfare Watershed” had not increased The net result, according to the Family Promotion Act, is now under poverty as many who opposed the 1996 department’s report on the employ- consideration in the Senate. It would act had expected. The Final Push ment situation for April, was that “the reauthorize and “improve” the dra- It is true that by official measure— The national office of the Socialist Labor number of unemployed persons rose conian 1996 Personal Responsibility often criticized for seriously underesti- Party has received many contributions, by 483,000 to 8.6 million,” and the and Work Opportunity Reconciliation mating real poverty levels—poverty large and small, from readers of The People number of workers “unemployed for Act, which provided a lifetime five- decreased from 13.7 percent in 1996 to and other supporters of the party since 27 weeks and over rose by 161,000....” year limit for assistance under the fed- 11.3 percent in 2000. However, even announcing the financial emergency con- With warehouses swollen by unsold eral Temporary Assistance for Needy official figures also suggest this de- fronting the SLP last October. We have also goods, the prospects for any improve- Families (TANF) program. crease had much more to do with tem- received numerous letters expressing the ment in the employment situation It would do so despite a dearth of porary gains in employment and slight hope that the SLP Emergency Fund drive is during the second quarter appear to evidence that the 1996 act “succeed- real wage gains made by the working successful. Unfortunately we cannot print be dismal. ed” in any way but reducing federal class as a whole during the closing all of those letters, but the following from a In the meantime, hundreds of thou- welfare expenditures by throwing years of the now-dead economic expan- supporter in New Jersey is typical of many: sands of welfare recipients are slated millions off the welfare rolls. Most sion of the 1990s than to putting wel- “Please find enclosed $100 for the SLP to receive their last welfare check landed in low-paying jobs that at best fare recipients to work. Emergency Fund. I sincerely hope that your under current law. Last month, the did little to move them out of poverty As a report in September 2001 by financial problem is resolved. I have read House of Representatives passed a bill and at worst made them even poorer. the Center on Budget and Policy and enjoyed The People for nearly 20 years that would, if enacted, compound the That mouthpiece of plutocratic capi- Priorities (CBPP) put it, the census now. I find it enlightening and the only true problem and further deepen the pover- tal, The Wall Street Journal, recently data also show that, “The average poor voice of the working class of America. I will ty of millions. wrote that, “The vicious circle of pover- (Continued on page 6) send more money as I can afford to do so.” Others simply sent their contributions without comment, marked for the Emergency or some other SLP fund, and let it go at that. Workplace Stress Takes Toll It is not always possible to respond, but occa- sionally the opportunity presents itself. One By Carl C. Miller Jr. was that of Darwin Baggett, an Illi- compensation. such reply by the national secretary to a sup- Stress in the workplace, already a nois teacher who suffered a heart at- Mr. Baggett and Mr. Mottram are porter who has sent multiple contributions for common condition under the capital- tack as a result of the stress he en- only two examples of a much wider the Emergency Fund went like this: ist mode of production, became even dured at his high school. In a court and worsening problem. “Nearly half “I’m plumb out of new ways to say thank more severe after Sept. 11, according battle over his eligibility for workers’ of Americans grappled with stress you for the level of generous support you to an article in USA Today on May 16. compensation benefits, the lawyer after Sept. 11, according to a study by have displayed toward the SLP, particularly The increase cannot be attributed representing the Baggett family the nonprofit research group, Rand,” during the past few months. The amount to the attacks alone, but also to the argued that Mr. Baggett’s ailment USA Today reported. But the Sept. 11 you sent on April 4, besides everything else, economic downturn that was wors- was triggered by workplace stress. attacks are not the only source of the moves you beyond the little plot of vocabu- ened as a result of the tragedy. The The Illinois Supreme Court found in problem. One obvious contributing lary I have managed to stake out for myself attacks, as well as the sour economic Mr. Baggett’s favor. “People are becom- factor is the prevailing economic situ- since the SLP decided to plop me down and situation since then, have produced ing more aware of what can happen ation and its effects on workers. glue me to the chair in front of this comput- an increase in the number of workers with stress,” said Robert Howerton, Worries about job security and the er so many years ago. Thank you very, very seeking workers’ compensation bene- the lawyer who represented the Bag- increase in workloads since Sept. 11 much, seems to be my limit. It doesn’t sound fits because of job-related stress. gett family. Baggett himself has since are also to blame. To put it bluntly, like much, I know, but please believe me USA Today reported that nearly passed away, no doubt as a result of capitalism is the problem. when I say that it is as sincere a thank you one-third of 6,000 workers’ compensa- his stress-induced illness. In spite of hard evidence, many as I have ever sent to anyone.” tion claims filed in New York after the In Virginia, paramedic Randall capitalist apologists refuse to see the The generous supporter who received this World Trade Center attacks were Mottram’s job was so stressful that rapidly growing problem and deny letter showed her generosity in another way stress related or involved some com- doctors said he was suffering from that workers who suffer from stress- when she wrote the following in return: ponent of stress-related ailments. post-traumatic stress disorder. This is related ailments should receive any “I like to know my contributions have been This is not surprising given that the the same malady that usually strikes kind of workers’ compensation bene- received, but Thank You would be more attacks took place so close to where combat veterans as a result of the fits. They claim that stress doesn’t appropriate coming from us to all of you. No the affected workers live and work horrors they face on the battlefield. meet the criteria of an occupational need to waste your valuable time. We’re hop- and the resulting economic after- Mottram’s eligibility was also de- injury and that employers will be hit ing we can do more. And when you acknowl- shocks. What may seem surprising is cided in a legal battle in which Vir- with multitudes of bogus claims. edge them I will get out your letter and read that the upsurge in stress-related ginia’s Supreme Court found that be- “‘There may be a lot of tension in the it again. Now it’s my turn—Thank you all so claims is not confined to New York cause of the high levels of stress he world, but that doesn’t mean it’s very, very much.” City. The upward trend exists across dealt with on the job, and the medical caused by the workplace,’ said Joe On another occasion, in reply to an SLP the country. condition developed as a result of that Fleming, a labor and employment veteran, the national secretary wrote: One of example cited by USA Today stress, he too was eligible for workers’ (Continued on page 3) “Thank you very much for your generous (Continued on page 6) Visit our Web site at www.slp.org 2 THE PEOPLE JUNE 2002 wealthy, corrupt minority class, are at large breeding even greater social discontent.” Jihad’s value lies in the depth of detail and knowledge of the characters, personalities and a measure of historical background that Rashid brings to his The Turmoil in Central Asia subject.