1000S of Workers Protest for Gov't-Funded Pensions
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AUSTRALIA $1.50 · CANADA $1.50 · FRANCE 1.00 EURO · NEW ZEALAND $1.50 · UK £.50 · U.S. $1.00 INSIDE ‘Revolutionary war began liberation of women in Cuba’ — PAGE 7 A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE Vol. 82/no. 28 July 30, 2018 ‘Militant’ beats 1,000s of workers protest Liberals’ furor back prison for gov’t-funded pensions against Trump censorship in ‘Our lives are worth more than a pound of coal’ fuels voice of Florida - again the ‘war party’ BY SETH GALINSKY BY TERRY EVANS The Militant has won another round President Donald Trump’s efforts against the seemingly unrelenting ef- to advance the U.S. capitalist rulers’ forts of Florida prison officials to interests in relation to their competi- censor the paper and prevent it from tors — in Asia, Europe and the Mid- reaching workers behind bars there. dle East — have drawn a hysterical After the Militant appealed, the state- furor from the liberal media bosses, wide Literature Review Committee Democrats, some Republicans and of the Department of Corrections re- the middle-class left. Most put their versed the impoundment of the May “resistance” campaign to oust Trump 28 and June 18 issues. as the cornerstone of how they ap- The May 28 paper was impounded proach all politics. by the assistant warden at Madison As the administration continues to Correctional Institution, who falsely seek stability to promote Washing- claimed that an article on the reversal ton’s economic and political interests of a ban on books in federal prisons — steps that involve ratcheting down gives “details on contraband entering the threat of more combat — his op- a prison.” ponents have increasingly taken on Statehouse News Bureau/Karen Kasler The June 18 issue was a special Miners, Teamsters, bakery workers, others protest pension cuts July 12 at Ohio Statehouse. the role of the war party. Regardless edition of the Militant featuring an of their past criticism of the U.S.- eyewitness report from Puerto Rico BY JANET poST Members of the United Mine Work- rulers’ assault on Vietnam, or rejec- reporting on how workers were or- COLUMBUS, Ohio — Thousands of ers, a majority retired and some still tion of the “excesses” of the J. Edgar ganizing to respond to the capitalist union members — coal miners, Team- working, and their family members, Hoover FBI, today they call Trump social and economic crisis they faced sters, bakery workers and more — and were the largest contingent. Most wore a “treasonous traitor” for question- in the wake of hurricanes Irma and their supporters rallied at the state Capi- their union’s well-recognized camou- ing any actions of U.S. intelligence Maria. Tomoka Correctional Institu- tol here July 12 against any cuts in their flage T-shirts and many carried signs agencies and demand he step up war Continued on page 7 pensions. reading, “Are you next?” threats against Moscow. Miners came from coalfields in West Meeting in Helsinki, Finland, July Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio and 16, President Trump and Russian other states, including from western Continued on page 9 Ontario salt miners push back mines. Nine buses drove 12 hours from Alabama. “We worked too long and too boss attacks in 12-week strike hard for the companies or the govern- Continued on page 3 DSA victory in NY primary Death toll rises as deepens crisis of Nicaraguan gov’t rulers’ parties BY SETH GALINSKY continues attacks The election of Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez in New York’s 14th Congres- on protesters sional District primary is another sign BY RÓGER CALERO of the sharpening rifts in the Demo- And MAGGIE TROWE cratic Party that were exposed in the The largely working-class and stu- course of the campaign bringing Don- dent protests that exploded against Continued on page 9 the government of President Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua in April continue nearly three months later with no sign of abating. Ortega has escalated dead- Inside ly raids targeting opposition strong- Editorial: Build fighting holds. unions! Pensions for all! 9 Militant/Dan Fein Demonstrations against Ortega be- Striking salt miners discuss progress in negotiations on picket line in front of Compass Minerals gan after supporters of the ruling cap- salt mine in Goderich, Ontario, July 13, before new contract was won in militant strike. Ukraine miners’ strikes, italist party, the Sandinista National protests win back wages 2 BY BEVERLY BERNARdo the strike. Liberation Front (FSLN), and police GODERICH, Ontario — Strik- Striking members of Unifor Local attacked retired workers demonstrat- Fuel hike protests bring ing salt miners returned to work here 16-O had massed outside the mine ing against government measures to down Haiti prime minister 6 July 18 following their approval of a July 4 and built a barricade of wooden make workers increase their contribu- new contract two days earlier. Com- pallets across the road to block buses tions to the country’s social security –On the picket line, p. 5– pass Minerals’ bosses were forced to from transporting replacement work- pension fund and impose cuts on their N.Y. hospital workers picket the bargaining table following deter- ers in and out. The scabs had been benefits. against pension, health cutbacks mined mass actions by the strikers flown in by the company. The government’s brutal repres- with the active support of local farm- When the court ordered them to sion of a student protest April 19 — British Columbia miners strike ers, who blocked the company’s de- remove the pallets, they complied. leaving one person dead and dozens for union rights for temps ployment of scabs aimed at breaking Continued on page 3 Continued on page 6 Ukraine miners’ strikes, Books by SWP leaders perk interest at librarians’ meet protests win back wages BY emma joHnson by companies in parts of the Donetsk For the past year and a half miners and Luhansk regions, part of the Don- in Ukraine’s state-owned coal industry bass coal basin in eastern Ukraine still have carried out strikes with round-the- under the control of the Kiev govern- clock picketing, and blocking entrances ment. Workers in mines there have led to mine bosses’ offices and roads lead- the fight. But miners in the western part ing toward the mines. They have rallied have also joined the actions. outside parliament and the government On July 5 the union set up a picket ministry responsible for the coal in- outside parliament. Workers and union dustry, demanding the government pay officials from Luhansk and Donetsk back wages owed to them. By July 1 the took part. The chair of the Myrnograd arrears added up to $42 million. mine in Donetsk said that workers were Led by members of the Independent ready to strike and set up roadblocks if Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine, their demands are not met. workers intensified their campaign lead- The next day Volynets and the 12 ing up to the end of parliament’s spring Khurakhivska miners met with Igor Na- Militant/Nick Castle session. And their tenacity and resil- salik, the Ukrainian minister of energy NEW ORLEANS — An attractive Pathfinder Books booth was a center for ience paid off. On the last day before and coal mines. political discussion at the American Library Association conference here June summer recess, a bill passed allocating “He got frustrated with the meeting 21-26. Sales were brisk on books by leaders of the Socialist Workers Party and 1.4 billion hryvnia ($53 million) to pay and suddenly called in the police, saying other leaders of revolutionary struggles from Cuba, Burkina Faso, Grenada and wages and upgrade the industry. he thought the miners were drunk and the U.S. class struggle. Over 170 librarians and others signed up for additional In a July 9 phone interview, Mykhailo insisting he would have them tested,” information and to be contacted by Pathfinder sales volunteers. Some 17,000 Volynets, national chair of the union, Volynets said. “Cops came and demand- conference participants attended panels and presentations on new books, and Viktor Tychynin, a leader at the ed to know if the miners were drunk. democratic rights, prison libraries, book clubs and library technology. Sixty- Kurakhivska mine in Donetsk, told Mil- We said we’ll take tests if the minister three Pathfinder books were sold, with the highest seller — 13 copies — being itant editor John Studer about conditions and his staff are also tested. Are They Rich Because They’re Smart? by SWP National Secretary Jack Barnes. miners face and their fight to get parlia- “I called other unionists, journalists, — NICK CASTLE ment and responsible ministers to act. lawyers and rights activists to come join “I think about my co-workers and us,” he said. “The ministry wouldn’t let their families, who are under a lot of them into the building.” of the pensions of U.S. miners and other rally and the common fight miners had pressure,” Tychynin said. “We haven’t Before giving the interview to the unionists. in Ukraine and the U.S. Some miners been paid for three months. It’s hard Militant, Tychynin and Volynets had “There is a similar crisis here, man- carried placards in English supporting to buy food and other things we need been part of a press conference in the agement is not paying into the miners’ the Ohio action. to live. We can’t pay our utility bills. I union office “to get the word out and pension fund,” Volynets said. “Miners Two days later miners moved their don’t know if the electricity is still on win support, to put pressure on the gov- are supposed to get at least $200 to $300 protest to the coal industry ministry, at home.” ernment,” he said, and to report about a month when they retire.