Nicaraguan leader hits border attacks 4 TH£ Speech by Bernadette Devlin McAiiskey 10 Moscow and Peking resume talks 15

A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE VOL. 46/NO. 45 DECEMBER 3, 1982 75CENTS

Steel union turns down Grenada .• • . . smeared at massive concessions caribbean BY GEOFF MIRELOWITZ BALTIMORE - Meeting in Pittsburgh on November 19, local presidents of the conference United Steelworkers (USW) decisively re­ jected massive concessions demanded by BY ERNEST liARSCH the steel industry. By a vote of 231 to 141 At a November 16 news conference the USW's Basic Industry Conference shortly after the opening of the Caribbean voted against a takeaway contract that was Community (CARICOM) summit confer­ recommended to them for approval by a ence in Jamaica, Grenadian Prime Minister unanimous vote of the union's International Maurice Bishop condemned the efforts of Executive Board. several Caribbean governments to achieve The proposed contract included much "the isolation of Grenada." deeper cuts and many more givebacks than The campaign, he said, was inspired by the $6 billion package rejected unanimous­ external forces, clearly referring to the ly by local and international union leaders U.S. government. last summer. At that time the industry de­ The conference had been preceded by manded a wage freeze and a cap on the weeks of a vicious slander campaign in the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), among regional press attacking alleged human other things. rights violations in Grenada and Grenada's No price tag was placed publicly on the close relations with Cuba. On November new proposal. But it surely would have 15, full-page ads in five Caribbean news­ been astronomical. For starters, it called papers criticized "self-proclaimed Prime for a 10 percent wage and benefit cut. A Minister Bishop" for the "alarming state of $1. 50-an-hour wage cut would have taken human rights." Militant/~5uz:amte Haig effect immediately with another$. 75 wage As a propaganda ploy, Barbadian Prime Bethlehem Steel's Sparrows Point plant in Baltimore. Workers there felt that conces­ cut in the first year. Atthe end of three years, Minister Tom Adams recently proposed sions contract wouldn't save jobs and would be big step backwards for union. wages would still have been at least $.50 that the CARICOM charter be rewritten to below current levels. The $.75 cut was to include a plank committing its members to go directly into what was called the "Sup­ "parliamentary democracy." This was plemental Unemployment Benefits (SUB) backed by Prime Minister Edward Seaga of safe" program. A portion of this cut could Jamaica, who, in an obvious reference to Pa. electrical workers have been restored if the financial health of Grenada, charged that there had appeared the SUB funds improved. However, 25 within the 12-member CARICOM "some­ cents would have been cut permanently. thing called people's democracy and this hear Salvador unionist COLA would have been axed from now was the Cuban model which we reject." until August. At that time, the Big Eight Adams's charter proposal was raised at BY BILL KALMAN down the entire membership gave him a steel companies that bargain with the union the CARICOM summit itself, which was PITTSBURGH - "We're fighting the standing ovation. would each have put 25 percent of their net the first time the English-speaking Carib­ same fight, we have to help each other When Molina Lara indicated that in his profits into a pool. Further COLA pay­ bean heads of state had met in seven years. out." enthusiasm for starting the tour, he didn't ments would have come out of that pool on (The members of the CARlCOM are: Anti­ That's how a young member of the have time to buy a winter coat, one worker a twice-yearly basis, not the quarterly basis gua, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Gre­ United Electrical Workers (UE) Local 506 stood up and shouted, "Hey, this guy came required in the current contract. nada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. reacted to a talk given by Alejandro Molina all the way from El Salvador, the least we Continued on Page 7 Continued on Page 2 Lara. Molina Lara, a central leader of the could do is buy him a coat." At that point National Federation of Salvadoran Work­ the workers spontaneously took up a col­ ers (FENASTRAS), is on a tour of Western lection and presented Molina Lara with Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. $152. It is sponsored by the Pittsburgh After the meeting a number of unionists $250,000 'Militant' fund drive Central America Mobilization Coali­ stood around Molina Lara waiting for a tion (PCAMC). chance to talk with him. ahead of schedule, goal in sight On November 14 he addressed the busi­ One young worker liked what Molina ness meeting of UE Local 506, which or­ Lara had to say opposing the attempt to BY HARRY RING The quarter of a million dollars repre­ ganizes the large General Electric plant in reinstitute the draft in this country. Another Several weeks ago we proposed to the sents the biggest publication fund in our Erie, Pennsylvania. The talk was well pub­ worker gave Molina Lara a brand new supporters of our $250,000 Socialist Publi­ history. But while it is helping to keep us licized in the November 12 issue of the parka on the spot and told him to use the cations Fund that, as an immediate goal, we more stable financially, it does not provide local's newspaper. money that had been collected to continue aim to be on schedule, and perhaps a bit a surplus. According to Bill McCaughtry, a to publicize the fight of the Salvadoran ahead, by Thanksgiving. The rate of inflation has slowed down PCAMC activist and member of UE Local people. We're happy to report- ahead of time somewhat. But that doesn't mean that 610 in Pittsburgh, about 200 unionists at­ The UE Local 506 meeting was one of a - that the goal has been made. As of prices aren't continuing to climb. It just tended the meeting. Molina Lara was intro­ number of events during the first week of November 23, we had collected 75 percent means they're rising a bit less rapidly. Nor duced by AI Hart, a member of the local's the tour. Molina Lara also taped a program of our goal, putting us 1 percent ahead of is it claimed that unemployment will de­ executive board, as "a union brother from for the Ron Daniels Show, an hour-long schedule. crease by any meaningful amount in the El Salvador who is here to explain the television show that is very popular among This puts us in a strong position for a coming year. This means that while our political situation there." Blacks in the Youngstown area. Daniels is super successful completion of the fund by publishing expenses continue to rise, many Molina Lara then gave a 15-minute talk the national cochair of the National Black the December 31 deadline. of our supporters will suffer layoffs. So explaining the struggle of the Salvadoran Independent Political Party. Our fund was kicked off last August by extra effort will still be needed to cope with workers and farmers in the 1930s and 40s. In addition, Molina Lara was inter­ members and supporters of the Socialist the deficits that are a fact of life for radical He indicated that that struggle was being viewed by the Youngstown Vindicator; Workers Party and Young Socialist Al­ publications. continued today by the Revolutionary WSEE, a TV station in Erie; and WYET, liance. The purpose is to help the Militant, Politically, there's no question that we Democratic Front of El Salvador (FDR). WDUQ, and WRTC- all Pittsburgh radio and its sister publications, Perspectiva want to be in the strongest possible position He particularly stressed how U.S. corpora­ stations. The Pitt News, a student news­ Mundial and Intercontinental Press, cope this coming year. tions profit from the brutal repression of paper at the University of Pittsburgh, fea­ with substantial inflation-induced deficits. Working people are suffering cruel the governing military junta in El Salvador. tured a story on Molina Lara on its front Pledges and cash contributions to the blows. But, in increasing numbers, they But what stunned most workers was the page. fund now exceed our initial $250,000 are registering their determination to fight moving description of the fierce repression Molina Lara also spoke to students at target. So, if everyone completes payment back. of the electrical industry union (STECEL), forums or classes at Edinboro State Col­ of their pledges on schedule, we will be This was most recently signified by the a member union of FENASTRAS. That lege, Kent State, Community College of able to exceed our goal. defeat of Sam Church in the United Mine union was involved in a geQeral strike in Allegheny County, and the University of Therefore, here's what we would now Workers election for president. And it was March 1979 that succeeded in blacking out Pittsburgh. He addressed a community like to propose. registered again when United Steelworkers electrical power in the whole country. In meeting in Hazelwood, an economically As customary, the Militant will skip two local presidents voted to reject new conces­ retaliation the government launched a depressed community in Pittsburgh. Al­ holiday issues. The last issue of the year sions to the employers. major attack against STECEL. ready $850 has been collected on the tour. comes off the press December 23. With The Militant surely has a contribution to After being tried by the military, the en­ Molina Lara's tour, which is scheduled some extra cooperation on your part, we make to the discussion among workers on tire national executive board of the union to continue until December 20, will also in­ would be able to report on December 23 how to fight back effectively. A good was imprisoned in August 1980, along clude meetings to coal miners, steelwork­ that we have already received the example of this is the series of three articles with other leaders of FENASTRAS. ers, and teachers. $250,000. Then we could see how much beginning in this issue by steelworker Molina Lara finished his talk by calling extra would come in by New Year's. Geoff Mirelowitz. on the electrical workers here to support Bill Kalman is a member of the Pittsburgh If we can do this, we will be in a much And there is increasing interest in what their brothers and sisters in El Salvador Central America Mobilization Coalition better situation, financially and politically, we have to say. This was indicated by the against our common enemy. When he sat and United Mine Workers Local2350. as we enter the new year. Continued on Page 12 Grenada smeared at Caribbean conference Continued from Page 1 Caribbean, thanks to the U.S. blockade. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, St. Lucia, St. Vin­ But by the middle of the decade an impor­ cent, and Trinidad and Tobago.) tant crack in the blockade had been In his answer to this campaign, Bishop opened. The governments of Guyana, said that the revolution in Grenada "did not Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad and To­ taKe place for the calling of elections, but bago defied Washington and established for food, for bread, for justice, for housing diplomati~ relations with Cuba. - to insure that the people for the first time Economic ties between Cuba and some would have the right to participate." CARICOM members were also estab­ He said it was a "sham" to think that giv­ lished. Cuba provided assistance to several ing people "five seconds every five years" countries. Doctors and teachers were sent to vote was democratic. "Westminster­ to Guyana. Especially close relations were style democracy is parliamentary hypoc­ established with Jamaica under the govern­ risy," he said. ment of Michael Manley's People's Na­ Bishop also challenged the CARICOM tional Party (PNP). Between 1976 and to conduct a country-by-country poll, to in­ 1980, Cuban doctors treated more than 1 terview people about what they thought on million patients in Jamaica, and Cuban political rights and social and economic construction brigades built schools, sports rights, and to publish the results. centers, and dams. When the CARICOM conference ended Cuba has also provided scholarships to three days later, the effort to write Grenada students from other islands. These have out of the organization had failed. The final sometimes been provided directly to politi­ documents did not include Adams's pro­ cal organizations. Grenadian unionists voting at 1980 congress of Commercial and Industrial Workers posal on including a plank on "parliamen­ Cuba's influence and stature in the reg­ Union. Grenadian Prime Minister Maurice Bishop answered U.S.-inspired slanders tary democracy." ion have grown particularly since 1979, at recent conference, saying Grenadian revolution was made for human needs, not This campaign against Grenada was when revolutions triumphed in Grenada for fake parliamentary democracy. similar to the one inspired by Washington and Nicaragua. The extension of the in the 1960s to isolate Cuba in the region. socialist revolution to two more countries When CARICOM was formed in 1973, in the region accelerated class polarization, Cuba had almost no diplomatic or as the working classes and ruling classes Revlon sued for sex discrimination economic ties with the English-speaking alike responded to the emergence of what BY BARBARA GREENWAY then the Equal Employment Opportunities Cuban President Fidel Castro called the PHOENIX - A sexual harassment and Commission, and finally the Arizona Civil "three giants in the Caribbean." discrimination suit filed by a woman Rights Commission. 'IP' interview with The new government in Grenada quickly worker here against her employer, Revlon, Ferguson said that Ford's supervisor, established diplomatic relations with Cuba Inc., has received the support of the Na­ Karl Braun, is no longer employed at Rev­ .two Cuban leaders and appealed for Cuban technical and tional Organization for Women (NOW) Ion, but she does not believe his leaving economic assistance. Cuban workers have Legal Defense and Education Fund was the result of Ford's lawsuit. The November 29, 1982, issue of Inter­ been playing a major role in building a new (LDEF). One reason NOW chose this particular continental Press carries an interview with international airport in Grenada, which is At an October 27 news conference, case to participate in is because "Revlon Cuban Vice-president Carlos Rafael Rod­ crucial for the expansion of the island's Emily Ferguson, president of the Phoenix has built its reputation and fortune on prod­ riguez and Deputy Foreign Minister tourist industry. Cuban doctors have Chapter of NOW, announced that her ucts sold to women consumers ...." Ricardo Alarcon. · helped bolster Grenada's medical services. chapter had sponsored the LDEF applica­ NOW officials contend that the case will The interviews are reprinted from the In response to the revolutions in Grenada tion on behalf of Leta Ford, a Revlon em­ provide a basis for determining if Revlon November issue of Caribbean Contact, a and Nicaragua, the U.S. imperialists went ployee since 1973. provides equal employment opportunities. monthly newspaper published in Barbados. on an offensive in the region, including Ford charges in a suit filed in U.S. Dis­ Ferguson said that the NOW LDEF In the interviews, the two leaders answer blackmail attempts against Grenada, back­ trict Court that she was subject to "con­ hoped to raise $10,000 for Ford's court the following questions: ing counterrevolutionary terrorist forces in tinual sexual harassment and discrimina­ costs. How serious is Havana about pursuing Nicaragua, and threatening military inter­ tion by her supervisor, and that Revlon satisfactory relations in the Caribbean? vention against Cuba. ~new of a~~ permitted the wrongful ac­ Why the military buildup in Cuba? Why In 1980 - following a prolonged U.S. tion .... Victory scored in has the Castro government been reluctant campaign of destabilization - the PNP Sexual harassment is illegal and in viola­ in endorsing the growing call by lost the elections in Jamaica and Seaga's tion of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of women's rights fight CARICOM governments that the Carib­ proimperialist Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) 1964. bean be declared a "Zone of Peace"? came to power. One of its first acts was to According to Ferguson, "This case all A victory for women's rights was scored break diplomatic ties with Cuba and end too clearly demonstrates the David and on October 22 when a judge in Seattle The two Cuban officials defended the Cuba's various economic assistance prog­ Goliath situation situation of sex discrimi­ signed an order awarding a woman, fired aid that Cuba has provided to both rams in the country. Pro-U.S. regimes nation. . . . It pits Ms. Ford . . . against seven years ago by Seattle City Light, Nicaragua and Grenada. were also brought to power in Dominica the weight and power of one of America's $135,264 in back pay, expenses, and in­ "We have excellent relations with the and St. Lucia, and the relations between largest corporations. . . . " terest. He ordered that she be reinstated by government and people of Grenada," Alar­ those countries and Cuba have cooled. "Individuals who believe in women's November 10. con stated. As the CARICOM conference has equality and right to be free from unwanted The court ruling in King County Intercontinental Press is a biweekly shown, Washington has now also stepped sexual advances on the job can not condone Superior Court came as a result of a suit magazine devoted to news and analysis on up its efforts to isolate Grenada. But while this type of behavior. We cannot sit by and brought by Clara Fraser who was "laid off' world events from a Marxist viewpoint. the proimperialist regimes in the Caribbean let one lone woman - only one of many from her job as education coordinator at To be able to read the interview with have been escalating their attacks on Gre­ thousands - take the brunt of the attack. City Light in 1975, allegedly for budgetary Rodriguez and Alarcon and other features of nada, so too has the example of the Gre­ She deserves our emotional and financial reasons. She claimed that she was fired be­ this type, a subscription can be purchased: nada revolution been attracting more and support," Ferguson said. cause of her advocacy of affirmative action six months for $12.50; one year for $25. more attention among working people Ford, a NOW member, sought NOW's training and workers' rights and her role in Order from Intercontinental Press, 410 throughout the region. legal help when she had exhausted all an 11-day walkout of City Light employees West Street, New York, N.Y. 10014. From Intercontinental Press channels for redress: first, Revlon itself, in 1974. Read the truth every week The Militant Closing news date: November 23, 1982 Subscribe to the Militant Editors: CINDY JAQUITH That way you'll get facts about Washington's bipartisan DOUG JENNESS wars against working people at home and abroad: from un­ Business Manager: LEE MARTINDALE employment to racism; from Lebanon to Central America. Editorial Staff: Connie Allen, Nelson Read our proposals for how to fight back against the employ­ Gonzalez, William Gottlieb, Suzanne ers and how to replace their system of exploitation and op­ Haig, Arthur Hughes, Margaret Jayko, pression with a system that's in the interests of working George Johnson, Frank Lovell, Malik Miah, Harry Ring, Larry Seigle. people. Published weekly except two weeks in At the workplace, unemployment lines, and picket lines, August, the last week of December, and the Militant is there, reporting the news and participating in the first week of January by the Militant the struggle. Subscribe today. (ISSN 0026-3885), 14 Charles Lane, New York, N.Y. 10014. Telephone: For- new subscribers . . . Editorial Office, (212) 243-6392; Busi­ ness Office, (212) 929-3486. A special offer - Mel Mason: The making of a revolution­ Correspondence concerning sub­ ary. A new 40-page pamphlet. Free to every new subscriber. scriptions or changes of address should To get a copy, check box D be addressed to The Mllitant Business Off"ICe, 14 Charles Lane, New York, N.Y. 10014. D Enclosed is $3 for f2 weeks D Enclosed is $15 for 6 months Second-class postage paid at New D Enclosed is $24 for 1 year D Enclosed is a contribution York, N.Y. POSTMASTER: Send ad­ Name ______dress changes to The Militant, 14 Charles Lane, New York, N.Y. 10014. Subscrip­ tions: U.S. $24.00 a year, outside U.S. Address------­ $30.00. By first-class mail: U.S., City/State/Zip------Canada, and Mexico: $60.00. Write for airmail rates to all other countries. Telephone ------Union/Organization ______Signed articles by contributors do not necessarily represent the Militant's Send to Militant, 14 Charles Lane, New York, N.Y. 10014 views. These are expressed in editorials.

2 The Militant December 3, 1982 · :f~.A1 \(;"t\ r\. .... : $lA&\\ t~DtPH~t'Y . fQiH1C P £\?,.'1 Perspectives to build Black party

MilitanULou Howort presented at rally Members of National Black Independent Political Party at September 19 Sol­ idarity Day march in Washington, D.C.

BY MALIK MIAH marks are dependent on our charter. The never s_hown any interest in us. Even those lems, and the crisis of leadership, he PHILADELPHIA - The National charter of our party is still the fundamental of us in them-such as [Thomas] Bradley." added. Black Independent Political Party (NBIPP) challenge for us." Chavis concluded that "it is not enough to "We don't yet have a collective leader­ Central Committee met here November 20- "The last two years," he continued, be brothers and sisters. We must be com­ ship, but 'a diffuse leadership," Mathis 21. This was an important meeting for the "have been a time unparalleled in provid­ rades in struggle against capitalism . . explained. "We need to come up with a party, its first since the second party con­ ing a new opportunity to rebuild the Black and for worldwide socialist revolution." common view of what our problems are." gress was held in Raleigh, North Carolina, community," particularly for an organiza­ Mathis further argued that it was wrong Need open party last summer. tion with NBIPP's perspectives. to view the party's charter alone as its Twenty-seven members of the central Chavis noted, however, that "there have On building NBIPP as a viable party, programmatic document. He said the char­ committee were at the meeting. They rep­ been many setbacks for NBIPP." But, "we Chavis said, "NBIPP is not yet a mass­ ter was a compromise including all points resented the core of active chapters in are still here." based party. But that's our intention." of views - some he agrees with and others NBIPP. There were also several official In contrast to Daniels, who emphasized This is why, Chavis explained, that he doesn't. The leadership, he said, must observers from Local Organizing Commit­ how the economic crisis made it difficult to NBIPP must be open to all who want to decide on the interpretation and implemen­ tees (areas with less than 25 dues-paying build NBIPP to its potential, Chavis build the party. "We aren't going to sur­ tation of the charter. members). A total of 80 people registered explained the capitalist crisis would benefit vive as a people unless we have more of Finally, after implying agreement with for the meeting. the party.· "We should help the United our people fighting," and in NBIPP. Chavis that "we have to inspire to get The meeting took place in what several States decline." Inflation is "good," he Closing remarks to the rally were made people to challenge capitalism and im­ party leaders referred to as a "very difficult said, because it can move people into by Thad Mathis. perialism," Mathis said, "we must do two period" for the two-year-old party. The de­ struggle. Mathis said we must make a sober as­ or three other things first before we can vastating effects of the capitalist crisis on s~ssment of where NBIPP is at today. "We reach that aim." "We shouldn't try to help the U.S. sur­ the Black community and working people are still struggling to figure out what it "We must develop a realistic perspective has had an impact on the NBIPP, as it has vive - a dying capitalist system. What I [NBIPP] should be." of ourselves and our strategies," he con­ mean is getting rid of the present capitalist with other organizations. Although NBIPP Although the charter, Mathis explained, cluded. system." This is the only way, he said, to stands on a very radical program in oppos­ "is broad enough to include all tendencies The central committee did discuss these ition to the two capitalist parties, it remains achieve Black survival and Black libera­ in the Black liberation movement, we and other points, including why NBIPP is a small nucleus in the Black community. tion. should approach these discussions this in crisis; why it is losing members; how to Few Blacks are aware of its existence. "History teaches us that a capitalist ap­ weekend with a lot of humility since none develop a program to gain jobs for un­ The need of NBIPP to take its program proach is a contradiction. Black capitalism of us have every built a party." employed Blacks; NBIPP's electoral per­ into the Black community by participating is wrong." Minimal reforms are in­ He said the main challenge facing the spectives; and the issue of "divided loyal­ in the struggles of Blacks and its general adequate, he explained, as the framework leadership was "to come to a faii-ly realistic ties" in the party. failure to do this so far has led to a crisis of for our struggle. assessment of the party." In next week's Militant we'll report on leadership and perspective in the organiza­ "It is clear that the two bourgeois parties This means honestly evaluating the ad­ the discussions, debates, and decisions tion over the last several months. - the Democrats and Republicans- have ministration of the party, its financial prob- reached at the meeting. This crisis is openly recognized and de­ bated by the NBIPP's leaders. The reasons for this crisis of perspective and how to resolve it was the main topic discussed at the central committee meet­ D.C. anti-Klan rally set for Nov. 27 ing. BY SUZANNE HAIG spray painted on the Shaare Telfila Temple the name of Zionism." Rally outlines themes A demonstration will be held in Wash­ in Silver Spring and on the wall of a rug The statement labeled the KKK as .. "an The political themes at the two-day ington, D.C., Saturday, November 27, to store at White Oaks Shopping Center. organization founded on racism and terror meeting were presented at a Friday night counter a Ku Klux Klan march scheduled Explaining the reason for these racist ac­ against African-Americans, Catholics, community rally, "Survival and the for the same day. tions, an open letter calling on people to Jews, the Latin American community, the 1980s," held at the University of Pennsyl­ The anti-Klan demonstration, which was participate in the anti-Klan action states labor movement, and women's groups." vania. called by the All Peoples Congress, will as­ that "depression-level unemployment, cut­ Other endorsers of the anti-Klan action Three national party leaders spoke - semble at noon at McPherson Square, 15th backs, and the rise of racism under Reagan on November 27 include: Local 1199 of the NBIPP national cochair, Ron Daniels; na­ and K Streets N. W., march through down­ has given the Klan and other fascist­ Hospital Workers in New York City; the tional party representative, Rev. Ben town Washington, and return to McPher­ minded ·groups a green light." American Federation of Government Em­ Chavis; and Thad Mathis, one of the two son Square for a rally. The letter is signed by Mayor Eddie and ployees, Local 476 in D.C.; Harlem Fight presiding officers of the central committee. At 10 a.m. a rally in support of the Pal­ Shirley Carthan and family; the Tchula 7; Back; the Takoma Park, Maryland, City Daniels gave a brief historical overview estinian and Lebanese people will take Josephine Butler, chairperson of the D.C. Council; D.C. City Councilwoman Char­ of NBIPP. He explained that it is very dif­ place at the Northwest corner of the ellipse Statehood Party; Lynda Clendenning, vice­ lene Drew Jarvis; the Washington Area ficult to build an institution like NBIPP in (17th Street and Constitution Avenue, be­ president of American Federation of State, Labor Council for Latin American Ad­ today's times. "The movement [referring hind the White House). Participants will County and Municipal Employees Council vancement; and others. to all social movements- MM] is gener­ then march to the anti-Klan rally. 92; Congressman Ronald Dellums; and Buses are being organized in New York, ally built historically during periods of The KKK action, which includes a noon others. Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, Balti­ [economic] expansion. This is not the case march from the Capitol to Lafayette Park in The Klan has organized actions in other more, and elsewhere. According to rally today because of the economic problems." front of the White House, is being billed by parts of the country this fall. They marched organizers, some 15,000 leaflets and sev­ The civil rights movement, he said, the KKK as a "support your police" rally, in Boston on October 16, while 1,000 anti­ eral thousand posters have been gotten out grew up in a period of economic expan­ a format used by the Klan to recruit cops to Klan activists counterdemonstrated. in the D.C. area and more leafleting teams sion. That's why the government could their ranks. The Klan was issued a permit In September, Klan members rallied jn are planned. grant concessions. Today, he explained, for their rally by the U.S. Department of Stone Mountain, Georgia. Leaders of A contingent from Montgomery County this is not as likely. the Interior Park Service and the Washing­ seven Klan factions agreed there to unite is being organized with a separate leaflet Daniels added that despite these difficul­ ton, D.C. police. under one organization, vowing to make endorsed by the local chapter of the ties, the NBIPP had made many gains since The Klan hastily canceled a November 6 · the Klan a national political force. Elected NAACP, the National Organization for its formation. Among these he pointed to march in D.C. after anti-Klan activists as national grand wizard was Don Black of Women, and others. the party's founding convention, its char­ began to organize a counterdemonstration. Atlanta, who is currently appealing a con­ The Palestinian support rally, which is ter, and its participation in many public Some 1,500 people from D.C. and else­ viction for plotting an invasion of the demanding self-determination for the protests such as the , September 19, 1981 where on the East Coast participated in the Caribbean island nation of Dominique. Palestinian people; immediate uncondi­ Solidarity Day march for jobs. He also noted November 6 counteraction. A significant show of solidarity with the tional withdrawal of Israel from Lebanon; the fact that NBIPP was able to organize a Instead of marching in D. C. , the racists, fight against the Klan and against racism in fund jobs and human needs, not U.S. arms tour to revolutionary Grenada last spring, protected by 300 cops, marched in Mont­ the United States was made by supporters to Israel; and U.S. Marines out of Leba­ and tbat he went to Cuba a year ago repre­ gomery County, a nearby Maryland sub­ of the Palestinian struggle. The November non; will feature representatives from the senting NBIPP. urb. A countermarch in Silver Spring, near 29 Palestinian support .. action originally Palestine Liberation Organization, the the Klan action, of 300 people was or­ scheduled for New York City was moved Lebanese National Movement, and others. The fact that NBIPP was losing mem­ ganized by the Montgomery County by the organizers - the November 2 Coa­ Buses for the two actions will leave from bers, including leaders, Daniels said, was lition- to Washington. New York at 4:30a.m. on November 27 a normal process of building an organiza­ NAACP and others. Anger over the November 27 Klan In a statement explaining that the change from several locations in Brooklyn, Man­ tion. "We can't become discouraged." march is widespread in Washington, a city was made to allow marchers to participate hattan, and New Jersey. Tickets are $3. Daniels did stress that NBIPP needed to where a large majority is Black. It comes, in the anti-Klan action, the coalition said For more information on the Palestinian build a collective leadership which had not moreover, at the same time that there have that they oppose "racism in all its forms, rally and New York buses, contact the yet been totally accomplished. That was a been stepped-up anti-Semitic incidents in whether by the Ku Klux Klan in the United November 29 Coalition (212) 695-2686. challenge before the committee. the D.C. area as well as other cities around States and Canada, or by the discrimina­ For information on the anti-Klan action Rev. Ben Chavis, who followed the country. On November 1, in Montgom­ tory policies carried out by the Israeli gov­ contact all Peoples Congress at (202) 462- Daniels, explained that, "Much of my re- ery County, anti-Semitic symbols were ernment against the Palestinian people in 1488. 1 December 3, 1982 The Militant 3 Nicaraguan leader hits rising threat of U.S. intervention BY JANE HARRIS ants in the northern province of Nueva Se­ MANAGUA- The U.S. government is govia. trying to manipulate American public opin­ Four of the victims had just received ion in order to "make it easier to implement land titles in Nicaragua's agrarian reform its war plans," charged Humberto Ortega, this past August. commander in chief of the Sandinista Peo­ The three others - all militiamen - ple's Army, at a news conference held here were kidnapped by a band of about 70 November 17. counterrevolutionaries. Later their bodies The commander was referring to the fact were found mutilated. that recently many of the international ca­ Ahmed Campos Corea, the political se­ bles have picked up comments by U.S. Sec­ cretary of the zone committee in Nueva retary of State George Shultz insinuating Guinea and long-time Sandinista leader, that Nicaragua was the cause of war in was killed November 16. He had survived Central America. capture three times and torture by the Som­ oza regime during the Sandinista's struggle "They say, for example, that we're buy­ for power. ing MIG and MIRAGE planes and other Commander of Revolution Humberto Ortega blames Washington for provoking re­ The counterrevolutionaries murdered 70 kinds. We can a_ssure them right here that gional confrontation. peasants and kidnapped 17 between No­ Nicaragua hasn't tried in the last months, vember 15 and 18, just in the province of nor in the last weeks, nor will it in the up­ Nueva Segovia. coming months, to make arms purchases, Despite some 50 letters of protest from which doesn't mean that we don't reserve the foreign ministry here, the Honduran Jailed Palestine editor the right to do it when we consider it advis­ government has yet to answer for any of able and when the country decides to do the atrocities engineered from its territory. so." In fact, publicly they try to pretend that rips Israeli censorship "Rather," explained Ortega, "we are an they are not happening. Mysteriously army based on the Nicaraguan people Newsweek's "America's Secret War," As part of their ongoing harassment of October 17 I was again called in for inter­ themselves, in national unity, which is or­ which outlines Honduras's involvement the Palestinian press, the Israeli au­ rogation and kept for 48 hours. ganized around the decision to defend the never made it to its Honduran subscribers, thorities arrested, tried, and convicted Then, on October 19, they presented the fatherland." some of whom are wondering why the de­ Sam'an Khoury, the editor of the Eng­ court with a "secret file" and submitted a Ortega pointed to W ashingtQn as the real lay. Meanwhile, here in Nicaragua, 25 lish-language weekly edition of AI­ statement on my possession of two copies aggressor in the region - the force behind American and Canadian Christians, who Fajr, published in Jerusalem. of AI Hurriya, a paper of the Democratic the Halcon Vista military maneuvers. spent eight days in the country, left angry After being held for 17 days at Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The These are still scheduled to take place in and ashamed of the U.S. government on Jerusalem's Moscobiyya detention papers had arrived at my office unsolicited. Honduras within a few kilometers of Nica­ November 16. center, Khoury was tried by a military This was sufficient to have me arrested for raguan territory right after President Rea­ Ralph McFadden, a protestant minister court in Lydda on November 2 on the 10 more days. gan's visit to Costa Rica in early De­ from Illionis speaking for the group, said, charge of possessing two copies of a On October 26 I appealed for release. cember. "We leave disillusioned by our govern­ ment. We carry with us images of children newspaper published by one of the But they decided to hold me until the trial. Signaling the importance with which calling out to their fathers, mothers, broth­ groups belonging to the Palestine Liber­ Then I was released after the trial on Washington views Honduras's role in its ers, and friends who have been killed by ation Organization. Khoury was sen­ November 2. destabilization plans against Nicaragua, enemies of this revolution. We will never tenced to one year's imprisonment, sus­ Reagan has accepted an invitation from the forget this." pended for three years, and released. He Q. Why did they extend your interroga­ president of Honduras to also visit that was also fined 2,500 Israeli shekels. tion for so long? country during his December trip to Latin "Nor will we forget the courage it takes in Nicaragua's children to advance the pro­ Two months earlier, Israeli au­ America. He is scheduled to be in Costa A. I believe they were trying to get me to cess of agrarian reform forward," he said, thorities ordered the Jerusalem offices Rica and Honduras on December 4. admit to something I didn't have or didn't referring to the hundreds of peasants who of the Translation and Press Services to do. But of course they failed. be closed down for six months. Khoury Seventy-two hours prior to Ortega's have been kidnapped or killed by the con­ statement, counterrevolutionaries operat­ tras [counterrevolutionaries] as they culti­ is a codirector of the office, and the clo­ Q. How did they treat you during the in­ ing out of Honduras had killed seven peas- vated their land. sure is being appealed by his lawyer, Lea terrogation? Tsemel. A. You could say that-they used exhaus­ The following is an interview with tion methods. They made me stand during 'Al Fajr' edit: 'McCarthyism Comes East' Khoury made shortly after his release. It every interrogation session. At first these was obtained for Intercontinental Press lasted two or three hours. Then they were by Kati Shur, a member of the Re­ extended to more. I had to stand with a "McCarthy Comes East," declared the · Adiv was one of four Israeli revolution­ volutionary Communist League (Turn), sack over my head and my hands cuffed headline of an editorial in -the October 29 ary socialists ·who were fired several one of the two organizations in Israel af­ behind my back. After I made my appeal issue of the Palestinian weekly AI Fajr. months ago for voicing opposition to the f"diated to the Fourth International. on October 26, they made me stand for 24 The editorial examined the Israeli gov­ war on their jobs. The other three are Roni hours that way, I suppose for punishment. ernment's efforts to silence critics within Ben-Efrat, Irma Froimovich, and Hanna Question. The harassment against you the country, both Jewish and Palestinian. It Zohar, who were fired from an electronics started before your arrest? Q. What were they trying to achieve by compared the government's methods to plant. All are members of the Revolution­ your conviction? those used by Senator Joseph McCarthy in ary Communist League (Tum), one of the Answer. It started when they closed my the United States in the early 1950s. two organizations in Israel affiliated to the Jerusalem office for six months on Sep­ A. I think they were trying to kill two Among the examples AI F ajr gave was Fourth International. tember 13. The first time they came to take birds with the same stone. As you knC?w, I the case of Sam' ;m Khoury, the editor of its Although Adiv was subsequently _or­ some cassette tapes. The second time they appealed to the high court about the closure English-language edition. dered reinstated by a Histadrut body, the took an old map of the West Bank. They ofmy office. Also, they are trying to hit A/ In addition, it noted that "opposition- to factory managers have appealed the deci­ said it was military. On October 3, the F ajr, as they have been doing regularly the war in Lebanon has been the cause for sion to higher bodies. police called me in to an interrogation lately. They have been sharpening the at­ the firing of Israeli workers. Metal worker At one of several hearings on the appeal, center. They interrogated me from eight in tack on AI F ajr by harassing its editors and Assaf Adiv, for example, accused of 'incit­ the Histadrut Central Investigative Com­ the morning until eight in the evening. On journalists. ing' colleagues, was released from his pos­ mittee offered on October 24 to reinstate H.S. Siniora, the chief editor, has been ition with a Histadrut-nin Koors Industries Adiv if he agreed to "stop talking politics." banned from entering the West Bank or factory after a clash between pro- and anti­ Adiv refused. Gaza Strip for 6 to 11 months. The editor war factions." In a November 16 telephone interview, of the Arabic-language edition, Sayed Ma­ moun, was arrested in August. The night Adiv explained that this demand "is a clear attempt to silence me and what I stand for: editor, Nabhan Khreisheh, who lives in a remote village, has been restricted to his From opposition to Israel's genocidal war in village for six months. The Jerusalem cor­ Lebanon and defense of the interests of the workers, especially the Arab workers." He respondent, Talal Abu Afife, was held for Pathfinder -termed the committee's demand "McCar­ 36 hours and then released. Ali Halili, the Israel: A Colonial-Settler State? By thyist." editor of the literary monthly, was called "I believe it is not only the question of for interrogation three times lately. Maxime Rodinson. 128 pp., $3.95. the right to speak to my coworkers on any­ Burning Issues of the Mideast Crisis thing I would like to," Adiv said. "The real Q. Do you have anything to say to by Peter Buch. 32 pages, $.40. question here is the moral and human obli­ people in the United States? War in the Middle East: The Socialist gation not to let Begin's war crimes, ra­ A. I would like to see the kind of support View by Dave Frankel, Dick Roberts, cism, and chauvinism go unchallenged." from the American people ~ and the ad­ and Tony Thomas. 32 pages, $.60. An article . in the October 24 AI ministration - that has been given to dep­ Hamishmar, a daily identified with the left rived people in other cases. We hear a lot How Can The Jews Survive? A wing of the Labor Party, called Adiv 's case of complaints about what goes on in Poland Socialist Answer to Zionism by a "political witch-hunt" and asserted that or Afghanistan, but when it comes to the George Novack. 24 pages, $.25. the "factory administration should be put Palestinians or the Lebanese, we don't hear on trial, not Adiv ...." much. Order from Pathfinder Press, 410 "The result of the 'Assaf case' is no less I would also like to call on American West Street, New York, New York important than the investigation of the journalists to consider the case of AI F ajr 10014. Please include $. 75 for postage Sabra and Shatila massacre," AI Sam'an Khoury is editor of the 'AI Fajr' as their own case. and handling. Hamishmar wrote, "because it will decide English-language weekly. From Intercontinental Press the future of freedom of expressi<;>n."

4 The Militant December 3, 1982 Inquiry spotlights Israeli role in massacre·

BY HARRY RING the Israeli command told them to stop. But More of the truth is now coming out they gave them until Saturday to leave the about Israeli responsibility for the mas­ camps! The carnage continued. sacre of Palestinian refugees and Lebanese And, during the massacre, according to Muslims in Beirut last September. the testimony of Brig. Gen. Amos Yaron, There is also evidence that U.S. govern­ when the Phalangists asked for more am­ ment officials had knowledge of the mas­ munition and permission to rotate 100 of sacre at the time it was going on. their troops, he granted it. And it is now known that even after it According to Israeli estimates, between admittedly knew the extermination was 700 and 800 Palestinian and Lebanese civil­ going on, the Israeli military command fur­ ians died. According to the Lebanese gov­ nished additional ammunition to the ernment, the toll is higher. Lebanese Christian Phalange, which was Both Begin and Sharon shamelessly tes­ doing the bloody work, and even permitted tified that they never dreamed of sending them to rotate their troops. the Phalange into the camps would end in a They also provided the Phalange with bloodletting. Both lied on the stand about one or more tractors, with Israeli markings when they learned the slaughter had occur­ removed, to bulldoze buildings in order to red. cover the corpses with rubble. Begin told the skeptical commission These. facts and more are merging from members that he hadn't even been in­ hearings being conducted by an Israeli state formed of the decision to send the Phalange commission of inquiry. Composed of the into the camps until after the fact. chief justice of Israel's supreme court, an associate justice, and a retired army gen­ He testified that he learned of the eral, the commission began holding public Phalange operation at an Israeli cabinet and secret sessions October 20. The Israeli meeting on the night of September 16, after and international media are covering the the Phalangists were already in the camps. open sessions. And, he insisted, he had no idea this would mean a bloodbath. Mas~acre of unarmed men, women, and children in Palestinian camps of Sabra and Among those who already testified are Shatlla was premeditated by Israelis and Christian Phalangists. Testimony of Israeli Israel's prime minister, Menachem Begin, . "It did not even occur to me, honored judge," Begin piously declared, "to think officials in inquiry is revealing detail of this calculated attempt to terrorize Palestin­ and its war minister, Ariel Sharon. ians into fleeing Lebanon. In their attempt to disclaim responsibil­ that the Phalangists, if they were to enter ity for the slaughter, both Begin and Sha­ the camps to fight the terrorists, would commit such atrocities or massacre." ron lied freely. They· were flatly con­ challenged Sharon's testimony that the The commission confronted Begin with "But," Sharon said, "I don't think there tradicted by other witnesses, by docu­ Phalangists were given extra time in the minutes of a September 19 cabinet meeting was tremendous American enthusiasm that ments, and by contradictions in their own camp because they lacked sophisticated where he explained the decision to invade the Lebanese army enter at this stage." testimony. communications equipment and therefore Beirut. Then, he had told his fellow minis­ He didn't say why. Israeli troops invaded Lebanon June 5 Asked why the Phalange had not been needed more time to get their troops out. and entered West Beirut September 15 . ters that he had talked to his chief of staff told to leave immediately after the fact of Siegel testified that the Phalangists she Their claimed justification for moving into and, "I told him we had to capture posi­ tions precisely in order to defend the Mos­ the massacre was admittedly known, Sha­ saw had "many walkie-talkies." West Beirut was to avert bloodshed in the ron replied that they needed time to with­ Israeli soldiers, she added, were posted wake of the assassination of Bashir lems from the vengeance of the Phalan­ draw because they lacked sophisticated on the roof of a building overlooking the Gemayel, head of the ultraright Phalange gists." communications equipment. camp and must have seen what was hap­ force. . Questioned on this, Begin finally con­ In response to his assertion that he had pening in the streets. The Phalange troops, which are armed ceded, "Yes, I cannot deny what is writ­ never dreamed there might be atrocities, "I feel that it is impossible that Israelis and financed by Israel, followed them into ten." the commission cited the minutes of a Sep­ could not see from the top of that building West Beirut. The commission queried Begin on his preposterous assertion that he only learned tember 16 Israeli cabinet meeting where what was going on and hear what was Earlier, the Israelis had tried to convince the entry of the Phalange into the camps going on," she said. the Phalange to enter West Beirut first, but what had happened at the camps from a was formally reported. She added, "There was a system of com­ the right-wing thugs refused to confront the BBC broadcast some 12 hours after the killers withdrew. At that meeting, David Levy, deputy munication and Israel was in control forces of the Palestine Liberation Organi­ prime minister, warned of the conse­ there." zation, then in Beirut. The PLO departed Poor memory quences of a possible massacre. Siegel concluded her testimony: September I to end the savage Israeli bom­ But, Sharon responded, Levy was not "It was horrible what was done in the bardment of the city. Advised that the commission had a re­ opposed to the Phalange going in. He was Holocaust. I will never forget that. But I On the afternoon of Thursday, Sep­ port from his chief of staff that he had per­ merely concerned "that we could be also will never forget what happened in tember 16, the Israelis sent the Phalange sonally informed Begin the day previous of blamed afterwards." Sabra and Shatila. Justice must be done." into two large Palestinian refugee camps, what had happened, the prime minister re­ A commission member assured her jus­ Shatila and Sabra. The pretext for this was sponded, "I'm sorry, but I cannot confirm Buck passer tice would be done. But it would be naive that some 2,000 PLO guerrillas had re­ this, I cannot deny this. I will check what to take that as good coin. mained behind, inside the camps, and the · Sharon also suggested, not too subtly, is in writing." The Israeli rulers do have an enormous Phalange was going in to flush them out. The testimony by minister of war Sharon that if anyone was to be blamed, it was his generals, not him. problem, at home and abroad. For years The Phalange was being used, they said, to confirmed his reputation as an inveterate the idea was promoted, with a good deal of But the generals apparently were not avoid Israeli casualties. liar. success, that Zionism was a "civilizing" ready to have the buck passed to them. He plunged right in: "I want to say in my force in the Mideast. Zero evidence name and in the name of the entire defense Rebutting Sharon's testimony that no one dreamed of a possible slaughter, Maj. And, for a long time, the government of Not a solitary shred of evidence has been establishment that none of us foresaw the Israel and its imperialist backers succeeded atrocities that occurred in the neighbor­ Gen. Amir Drori, senior field commander produced that the guerrillas were there. in Lebanon, said, "Everyone, somewhere in convincing many that the resistance of It was a massacre of helpless men, hoods of Sabra and Shatila, nor could we the Palestinian people to their oppression have foreseen them .... We were sur­ in his mind, conceived of such a possibil­ women, and children. And this was done ity." . was nothing but "terrorism" that had to be with Israeli forces shooting flares over the prised, shocked, and disgusted by the mas­ stamped out for the sake of peace and prog­ sacre .... Foreign elements are the ones It was Drori who ordered a halt to the camps at night to facilitate the grisly oper­ Phalange operation on Friday morning. ress in the Middle East. ation. that committed this act, which doesn't take But the invasion of Lebanon and the sav­ place in the world of cultured people." But he claimed he had no concrete knowl­ Clearly, the purpose of the slaughter was edge of a massacre, only "bad feelings." age bombing of Beirut, climaxed by the ref­ to create terror among the more than half a Sharon confirmed that "on the 16th or The "bad feelings" seemed to be enough ugee camp massacres dealt a hammer blow to the pernicious myth of a "progres­ million Palestinians in Lebanon so they 17th of the month," that is, while the basis for him to telephone the Israeli chief sive" Israel. would flee the country. Phalange was in the camps, he had talked of staff and advise him, "I think the Throughout Thursday night, the Phalan­ with U.S. envoy Draper and tried to per­ Phalange overdid it." Demonstrations of opposition to the ag­ gists dragged people from their homes and suade him that the regular Lebanese army Yet Drori gave the butchers more time. gression in Lebanon- while it was taking place- by the people of Israel were totally gunned them down. On Friday morning, should be sent in too. Asked if he didn't feel any sense of unprecedented. And the shock and revul­ urgency about getting them out of the camps, he responded, "No. They said they sion at the news of the Sabra and Shatila needed until Saturday morning and we massacre obviously ran deep among the Is­ gave them that." raeli people. Now, with the extensive media coverage He testified that the Phalangists re­ in Israel of the revelations of the commis­ quested a tractor to clear roads and bunkers sion of inquiry, the process of rethinking and he gave them one after ordering Israeli markings removed from it. by the mass of the Israeli people can only be accelerated~ Lebanese medical workers testified they saw a number of tractors in the camp and And, of course, there are the interna­ an Israeli lieutenant testified a Phalangist tional ramifications of the entire Lebanese invasion. Millions of people around the soldier told him they were "to destroy and cover up the bodies." world are now seeing the true face of the Zionist government. Drori also gave the lie to the assertion Yes, justice will ultimately be done. But that the Phalange was sent into the camp not simply by pushing aside Begin and because of the suspected presence of sev­ Sharon, as the Israeli ruling class may now eral thousand PLO guerrillas. That, he said, was "a most secondary priority." deem necessary. Two doctors and a nurse who were at the Justice will be done when the Palestinian people reclaim their homeland. Establish­ Gaza hospital in the Sabra camp when the mass killings occurred, described the ment of a democratic, secular Palestine will bring an end to the unspeakable injus­ wounded pouring into the hospital and the horrifying stories they told of what was tices they have suffered. And it will offer happening. the Jewish people of P.alestine the opportu­ Shock and revdsion among Israelis at massacre led to massive outpouring in antigov­ nity to live in peace with them as true ernment demonstrafkn1s. Nurse Ellen Siegel, a U.S. citizen, flatly neighbors.

December 3, 1982 The Militant 5 Steel bosses blame crisis on workers Push layoffs and concessions as the way to increase profits

A year or two ago they claimed that this not create jobs nor does it improve job se­ was one of their number one goals. They curity for tttose who are working. The only complained that they could not compete purpose behind such contract concessions effectively with their counterparts in Japan is to raise company profits and weaken the and Europe because U.S. steel plants were unions. This is true whether it's in steel, old and inefficient. They claimed that auto, trucking, rubber, or any other indus­ American steelworkers didn't work hard try where the employers are demanding enough and were not productive enough. concessions. Wage and work-rule concession are not Fact and fiction the only proposals the steel barons have put But steelworkers know more about the forward. They have also demanded action steel industry than the employers like to from the government in the form of tax admit. What steelworkers know helps to breaks, relaxation of environmental con­ sort out fact from fiction in these industry trols, and restrictions on imports. arguments. Just as with concessions, all of these de­ The problem of productivity has little or mands are good for company profits and nothing to do with how hard steelworkers bad for steelworkers and other working work. Of course without steelworkers there people. would be no steel. But steel is created by The government acts in the interest of workers operating ovens, furnaces, rolling the profit needs of the employers because it mills, and other machinery. What in­ is controlled by them. As a result it has co­ creases productivity is new technology in operated in all these areas for some time. this machinery. The major advances in pro­ Meanwhile the problems of steelworkers ductivity in the steel industry have come have deepened. from modernization, through the intro­ The tax breaks the employers have re­ duction of equipment such as basic oxygen ceived have only padded their profit mar­ furnaces, continuous casters, and so on. gins. The relaxation of environmental con­ Steelworkers demonstration in Pittsburgh earlier this year This is what the employers refer to as cap­ trols has only made air and water pollution ital investment. worse. Neither step has benefited workers Whether or not the employers make such by stopping layoffs or providing higher BY GEOFF MIRELOWITZ steel company today who can feel they capital investment is not decided by steel­ wages. (First of a series) have a secure future. workers. The corporations base their deci­ BALTIMORE - The big steel com­ The burden of this crisis falls most heav­ sions in this area - as in all others - on Import quotas? ily on Black, Latino, and women steelwork­ panies suffered a blow November 19 when how much it will increase their profits. What about imports? Import quotas are ers. Due to years of discrimination by the local officials of the United Steelworkers If they find it more profitable to invest not proposed by the corporations in order steel corporations, these workers were of America (USW) overwhelmingly re­ elsewhere, than reinvesting in steel, then to save jobs. That idea is a fraud designed among the last hired and now find them­ jected a proposed contract calling for that is what they do. to mislead workers about the real causes of selves among the first fired. gigantic wage and benefit cuts. In a recent profile on U.S. Steel's chief the economic crisis. By campaigning for The proposed pact had been agreed to labor negotiator, J. Bruce Johnston·, the Crisis of profits protectionist measures, the employers hope unanimously by the executive board of the New York Times commented, "U.S. Steel to shift the blame for the problems U.S. usw. The real cause of the economic crisis in . . . will be a steel company . . . only as steelworkers are facing onto foreign Following an agreement November 1 the steel industry and its effects on steel­ long as steel manufacturing offers the pos­ workers and off of the real problem, which with USW president Lloyd McBride to workers is a crisis of profits. The bottom sibility of what it regards as reasonable is the employers' economic system: capi­ not pay a nine cents an hour wage increase line is that the steelmakers are not in busi­ profits." talism. due to steelworkers, the employers were ness to make steel. They are in business to This explains why U.S. Steel spent $6 Layoffs have not been caused by too hopeful that the proposed 45-month agree­ make money. No matter what they say, eve­ billion last year to buy Marathon Oil. Al­ many imports. They are the result of the ment would be accepted. rything they do is based on that reality. though U.S. Steel has complained the worldwide crisis of overproduction. Be­ But the local leaders, closer to the mem­ No corporation survives under capitalism if loudest and the longest about aging plants cause big business has produced more bership of the union, responded the same it doesn't make a big enough profit. and low productivity, they found it more goods than working people can buy, it cuts way they did last summer when they turned The steel barons have been dissatisfied profitable to buy an oil company than to in­ back production and lays off people. This down a package of concessions that would with their rate of profit for some time. vest in the steel modernization that would is a basic feature of the capitalist economic have cost steelworkers $6 million. They are now determined to improve it at have helped them with these problems. system, and limiting imports will not Why only a few months later, did the the expense of steel workers. change it one bit. companies come ·back with the same de­ This was a completely rational decision Their concession demands are a form of by U.S. Steel from the point of view of Moreover such protectionism by the mands? What is behind the employers' blackmail. They are attempting to take ad­ their profit needs- which is the only point U.S. government will most likely lead to proposals? What are they demanding from vantage of the genuine concern about un­ of view they care about. retaliation by other capitalist governments. steelworkers and why? employment among steelworkers by This could lead to a trade war. The result threatening that joblessness will get worse Fake and a fraud will be even more layoffs of U.S. workers Fierce competition unless the union caves in to their demands. whose jobs are tied to exports. The U.S. steel industry is in its deepest They try to sugarcoat this blackmail with That is why the idea that steelworkers The real purpose behind import quotas economic crisis since the depression of the the illusion that the companies and the should sacrifice their wages and working is to keep the price of U.S. steel high and 1930s. Despite the fact that they have workers are concerned with the same prob- conditions to allow the corporations to help· American steelmakers in their never closed, or are closing, 215 plants, the in­ lems. · reinvest their savings in steel production is ending competition for profits with steel­ a fake and a fraud. There is no guarantee dustry is only running at about 40 percent The companies say that the time has makers abroad. However, keeping prices whatsoever that the employers will do this. of its capacity. Profits have taken a nose­ passed for antagonistic relations between high is not in the interest of steelworkers or dive. capitalists and labor. In today's tough Furthermore, even if they do decide other working people. This is especially While this crisis is especially acute, it is economic times, they say, everyone is in there is enough profit to be made from such true at a time when the stockpiles of goods only one part of a more general downturn the same boat. Thus, labor has a responsi­ reinvestment, steelworkers are not likely to - many of them made with steel - that in the entire economy. This is not just true bility to help keep the boat from sinking. benefit. Most major modernization steps workers can not afford to buy is one of the in the United States. Throughout the world have led to job losses for steelworkers. For reasons unemployment remains high. the steel industry and the capitalist eco­ Opposing interests example, the introduction of a basic oxy­ All of this points to the basic problem nomy is in deep crisis. gen furnace, a larger and more efficient that steelworkers, and all workers, are con­ The source of the problem is fierce com­ This is false. Workers want jobs and job blast furnace, and new coke oven batteries fronted with. Under capitalism the employ­ petition. In every industry corporations are security. The companies want to boost at Bethlehem Steel's Sparrows Point plant ers- the class that owns the mines, mills, trying to grab and hold on to the biggest their profits. The two problems are not the over the past 10 years have led to fewer and plants and controls the government - possible share of the market for their prod­ same. The two interests remain antagonis­ workers on the job in those departments. make all their decisions on the basis of ucts. This competition leads to more and tic. As auto workers at Chrysler have learn­ profit needs not human needs. The steel more frequent crises of overproduction. What the companies want is a Chrysler­ ed, making big concessions in order to help companies are no exception. Despite what type contract in the steel industry. Their That is, in trying to grab as much of the the company get through its problems does Continued on Page 7 market as possible, the corporations pro­ aim is to lower labor costs and in that way duce more than can be profitably sold. raise profits. To accomplish this they try to This, in tum, leads to cutbacks in produc- lower wages. They want an end to a COLA . tion and massive layoffs. that helps workers, even if inadequately, to Subscribe to the ~Militant' keep up with rising prices. They also want We've seen this happen three times in sweeping changes in work rules that will less than 10 years: in 1974--75, in 1979- allow them to combine and eliminate jobs. 80, and now today. In each of these reces­ This article is the first in a This last demand is also aimed at sions, millions of workers have ended up series dealing with the big weakening the limited union control on the on the unemployement lines. job that does exist. By further weakening questions facing steelwork­ Today's crisis is the worst of the three, the union, they set the stage for more ers and other industrial and steelworkers are among the chief vic­ takeaways either through further national unions in this period of bos­ tims. In basic steel over 135,000 workers negotiations or local agreements. ses' offensive. The Militant - half the workforce - are laid-off. has extensive coverage of the What do the steelmakers offer in ex­ labor movement, including Throughout the union, according to Sep­ change for these sacrifices on the part of tember's unemployment statistics, 24.6 steelworkers? In the first place they do not the Canadian Chrysler strike percent of the membership is out of work. promise that a single laid-off steelworker and the United Mine Work­ Thousands of others are working short will be called back to work. Nor do they ers election. For $3 you can weeks .. The threat of more layoffs and mill promise to call a halt to further layoffs receive the next 12 issues. shutdowns hangs over every steelworker. and plant closings. All they offer is the Fill in the subscription blank In many mills 20 years seniority or more vague promise that they may reinvest some ·on page 2. is not enough to hold onto a job. There is of their new profits in steel production by not a single yo1,1ng person employed by a modernizing some of their aging plants.

6 The Militant December 3, 1982 Steel union rejects massive-• concessions• Continued from front page unprecedented move. But these reports ap­ The cost-of-living adjustment has been pear to have been false. responsible for more than $5 an hour in However, Joe Samargia, president of wage gains since 1970. Without COLA, Local1938 at U.S. Steel's Mintac mine on­ steelworker wages would have been com­ Minnesota's iron range told the Duluth pletely devastated by inflation. With it News-Tribune and Herald, many iron-ore steelworkers who. are still working · can steelworkers felt that if limestone miners barely manage to keep up with price hikes. could be excluded, iron-ore miners might All the steel companies report they are be next. losing money today on their steel opera­ Roger Klander, president of Local 6115 tions. Yet, reportedly, company contribu­ at Inland Steel's Minorca iron ore mine, tions to the pool for cost-of-living adjust­ said "By defeating this we maintain our ments would have been increased if there solidarity as a union and I think that's im­ was not enought to pay the full amounts set portant." Anti-imports sign outside. U.S. Steel Homestead plant in Clairton, Pennsylvania. out by the formula. The fact that top union leaders had cut a Limiting imports provides profits for bosses, not jobs for workers. deal with the steel industry came as no sur­ Profit-sharing scheme prise to rank-and-file workers. The big sur­ announced by December 1. No steelwork­ suade the steel barons not to demand so prise was how bad it turned out to be. What It was also reported that the companies er took this as a good sign. much. However, he reported, "The indus­ was also somewhat surprising and en­ proposed what some newspapers called a Many of the local union presidents who try said these were the things they had to couraging was that it was so thoroughly re­ "complex profit-sharing plan" in return for were called to the Pittsburgh meeting went have." jected by local union leaders. the union's concessions. This scheme with the intention of agreeing to some con­ Evidently the steel corporations thought would have questionable value since the cessions. "There are a lot of things we were they had softened up the union enough to 'Did the right thing' companies claim they're not making any prepared to give up," said Harvey Lantz, get what they wanted. Since July steel­ profits. Adrienne Kaplan, a mechanical appren­ president of Local 3501. "But you don't workers have taken severe blows. Tens of The proposal again included other tice in the number four Basic Oxygen Fur­ give away the store." thousands more workers have been thrown damaging provisions calculated to lower nace (BOF) shop at Inland Steel in East A similar view was expressed by Eddie out of work as layoffs and mill shutdowns industry labor costs at steelworkers' ex­ Chicago, went in to work the 3 p.m. to 11 Bartee, president of 2609 at Bethlehem mount. Very few workers with less than 20 pense. The 13-week vacation currently p.m. shift on November 19. After some Steel's Sparrows Point. He told the Balti­ years are receiving SUB. Thousands have available every five years to workers with discussion of the terms of the agreement more Sun, "If I'm going to go down on my run out of all benefits. more than 20 years service would have with her co-workers, she called the Local knees, I want to go down on my knees in But the companies confuse the union been eliminated. This would not only have 1010 union hall to find out the results of the dignity. I don't want to go down as a with the top union officials. These officials hurt older workers who have earned the presidents' vote. When she returned to. chump." have been softened up and they and the em­ time off. These extended vacations help share the news of the contract rejection, the When 2609 Vice-president Donald Kell­ ployers misjudged the mood in the union keep workers with less seniority on the job response, she told the Militant was "relief ner heard the news of the contract rejec­ membership. They thought the ranks were - workers who without this vacation plan and a sense of pride that local leaders had tion, he told the Baltimore News American, ready to accept concessions. They were would probably find themselves on the done the right thing." "I'm elated. We felt concessions would wrong. The majority of local union presi­ street with over 135,000 others who are "People were ill when they heard the have been a giant step backwards ...." dents, who feel the pressure from the mem­ now unemployed in the basic steel ind.lls- first reports," Kaplan said. One worker "The consensus was that concessions bership more acutely, were not prepared to try. asked "How could they expect us to accept don't create jobs, which is everyone's main go back to their locals and try to defend a a contract like that?" concern. The proof of the pudding," Kell­ sell-out contract. Another unpopular idea was cutting ner continued, "is the auto industry, which If the companies stick to their outra­ Sunday premium pay from time-and-a-half Another responded, "Let's go to work at exacted concessions from many of its geous demands and the union hangs tough, to time-and-a-quarter of hourly wages. At K-Mart. At least there it's warm in the workers but is still in trouble. Those con­ we might face the challenge of a strike. It least one paid holiday would have also winter and cool in the summer." Kaplan cessions didn't mean jobs in that industry." would be the first national steel strike since been eliminated. said this worker was "half kidding, but "If they had told us to give them conces­ 1959. If it happens it will be a major con­ A further problem was the length of the only half." sions and they'd let Joe or Jim go back to frontation between the employer class and proposed agreement - 45 months. It A new contract proposal had been ex­ work, it might have been different. the entire labor movement. would have been almost four years before pected for some time. Almost from the day "But they never said anything aboutthat steelworkers would have had a chance to the concessions were rejected last July, and our members didn't feel we should recoup the losses. USW President Lloyd McBride has expres­ give up what they fought so hard for when Modern mill bankrupt, Furthermore, the contract would have sed his eagerness to resume negotiations they were getting no guarantees," Kellner taken away the workers' right to strike on with the steel industry. At the USW con­ concluded. new giveback contract local issues. vention in September, the top leadership robs workers blind ·One of the most serious givebacks would pushed through a resolution authorizing Telegram to McBride have weakened the union by removing an McBride to seek new talks. . estimated 50,000 workers from the protec­ Steelworkers were kept completely in Upon hearing of the Pittsburgh meeting BY MALIK MIAH tion of the basic steel contract. Workers at the dark about these talks as they were , earlier in the week, 150 members of Local On November 13 workers at the Detroit­ companies primarily in fabricating, ware­ going on. Everything was handled by top 2610, also representing workers at Spar­ based McLouth Steel Corp. overwhelm­ housing, and limestone mining would have industry and union officials behiJld the rows Point, voted to send a telegram to ingly approved sweeping contract conces­ been forced to bargain separately from backs of the membership and under a tight McBride. It said in part, "Concessions sions. Members of Local 7990 of the basic steelworkers - a surefire sign that news blackout. never saved a single job. Companies must United Steelworkers of America approved over time they would face an even more However, steelworkers did receive a end overtime, stop combining jobs. Ask the new contract by a vote of 1 ,212-to-374. miserable set of wages and working-condi­ clue at the end of October when McBride the union to support job-creating public The new contract includes cuts in the tions. The employers' proposed this last announced that he had unilaterally agreed works program." hourly wage scale, defers cost-of-living summer. to let the companies take the nine-cent-an­ This seems to reflect the views of many adjustments until 1985, drops three paid Many newspapers reported that the com­ hour COLA increase that was due steelworkers. No one likes the idea of con­ holidays, and eliminates dental and optical panies wanted to take the union's. iron-ore November 1 and put it in an escrow bank cessions. However, some workers might insurance. miners out from under the protection of the account. This was reported as a step toward be willing to consider them if they would In return, the workers got profit-sharing basic agreement. This would have been an a bigger deal that McBride said would be really help laid-off workers and protect job and stock-bonus plans. security. The significance of this highway-rob­ ·- But the recently rejected contract offered bery contract is that McLouth Steel is one neither. The industry didn't even bother to of the most modern steel mills in the coun­ Steel bosses blame crisis on workers pretend this agreement would save any try. Modernization, however, didn't save Continued from preceding page The stepped-up drive for profits by the jobs. The assistance it did offer to the un­ the company from going bankrupt. they may say, the corporations have no employers in all industries is the basic fea­ employed was restricted to the "SUB safe" According to Wall Street analysts, concern for the problems of working peo­ ture of the world capitalist economic sys­ program. However, only workers with McLouth's problems were a result of big ple. The workers they employ are simply tem today. The employers try to give the more than five years seniority would have · investments in steel production instead of another tool for getting out as much pro­ false impression that their profit needs are received any of this. Furthermore, eligible more profitable industries. duction as they need. in the common interests of everyone in so­ workers would have had the amount of McLouth's main customer was General ciety. On this basis the steel corporations state unemployment benefits deducted Motors. That's why McLouth modernized Obstacle is profits demand that steelworkers sacrifice and ac­ from the "SUB safe" money. The reality its plant. But the decline in auto sales has cept concessions for the good of all. would have been much less help for the led to GM buying less steel. This relentless drive for profits is more jobless than the appearance the industry at­ The new agreement was the second give­ and more an obstacle to society making Steelworkers face a choice. One·road is tempted to create. back contract the steelworkers were per­ progress. This is particularly clear in the to accept this false idea and hope that Mike Bonn, president of Local 2226 at suaded to vote for by their union leader­ case of the steel industry. somehow some improvements will trickle U.S. Steel's Irvin Works, told the press in ship. Back in January union members The steel industry will only produce as down from the corporations' higher prof­ Pittsburgh, "Nobody on layoff would be voted for concessions that saved the com­ much steel as can be sold at a high enough its. The other is to develop a strategy to called back. It was all takeaways." pany $14 million. That was not enough. profit to satisfy them. Society, on the other fight back against the employers' profit Referring to aspects of the proposed con­ The new deal was made to sell the bank­ hand, needs more steel than the industry is drive and in defense of the standard of liv­ tract that would have led to further job rupt mill to a Chicago industrialist, Cyrus willing to produce. Millions of tons of steel ing of steelworkers and other working peo­ combination and elimination Bonn said, Tang. Tang told the workers he wouldn't are needed to repair or replace highways, ple. "I'm not going to sell my unemployed buy the mill without them first voting for bridges, pipelines, housing, mass transit, members' jobs for some extra supplemen­ more concessions. and countless other things that are needed In the next two articles we will take up Forced to the wall without any effective the political discussion going on in the tal benefits." by the majority of working people in the union leadership to resist such takebacks, United States. steelworkers union about what road to After the vote McBride told the press, the workers reluctantly gave in. take. The government could order much of "I'm disappointed obviously. I can't tell The fact that a modern steel mill, on a (To be continued) this steel and initiate a serious program of you what's going to happen." He saiq it par with the best in Europe and Japan, was public works in order to carry out these would be "futile" to meet with industry forced into bankruptcy simply proves that projects. Instead it is committed to a mas­ Geoff Mirelowitz is a laid-off steelworker representatives again before May. Tradi­ modernization under capitalism does not sive war budget to protect the political and from Bethlehem's Sparrows Point mill tionally this is when a new basic steel necessarily lead to saving jobs. profit interests of the employers around the .near Baltimore. He is a member of USW agreement is signed. The bottom line for the bosses in steel, world. Loca/2609. McBride also said that he tried to per- as in other industries, is profits.

December 3, 1982 The Militant 7 -SELLING THE SOCIALIST PRESS___,....- Miners in Price, Utah, where SALES SCOREBOARD opposition to Church's policies 123o/o of Goal! (Militant issue #4~, PM issue #21) ran high, were frustrated to find Militant PM Total that the local Sun Advocate carried Area Goal/Sold ' Goal/Sold Goal/Sold % next to nothing about what Trumka stood for. But the 58 who Cleveland 105/207 10/14 115/221 192 bought copies of the Militant got a New Orleans . 100/154 0/2 100/156 156 fuller picture. One socialist coal San Diego 65/99 15/24 80/123 154 miner in Price sold two subscrip­ San Antonio 60/80 50/88 110/168 153 tions each to the Militant and PM Tucson 35/45 25/36 60/81 135 Chicago 140/176 20/39 134 as he picked up his cloth~s and his 1601215 final check upon being laid off. Charleston 70/91 0/0 70/91 130 Seaside 50/64 15/19 65/83 128 WEEK EIGHT: 55,170 sold to date Workers at the Monterey No. 2 San Jose 110/135 30/40 140/175 125 mine in Albers, Illinois, were also Philadelphia 200/225 20/45 220/270 123 interested in the Militant's cover­ Denver 100/128 10/6 110/134 122 age of their union elections. The Gary 65177 517 70/84 120 A paper for and by coal miners local union leadership was Dallas 45144 30/43 75/87 116 strongly behind Trumka, and the Toledo 70178 0/2 70/80 114 Businessmen have their paper, papers sold in the area last week, local membership voted 367 to 80 Price 55!59 517 60/66 110 the Wall St. Journal. Democratic 35 percent went to miners. Interest · for the "Why not the best" slate. Phoenix 150/161 55/62 205/223 109 in the Militant picked up as a result Socialist coal miner Bruce Kim­ Morgantown 85/92 0/0 85/92 108 and Republican parties count on Birmingham 1101118 0/0 1101118 107 of a failed attempt by Church sup­ the steadfast support of the Los ball reports that because of the in­ San Francisco 100/111 40/38 140/149 106 Angeles Times, the Milwaukee porters to smear his opponent in terest sparked by the union elec­ Salt Lake City 90/97 -514 951101 106 Journal, the Washington Post, and the days before the election. tion, and the Militant's timely Louisville 89/85 0/0 80/85 106 other big-city dailies. Forbes Trumka was branded a "militant" coverage of the issues involved, Albuquerque 55/57 10/12 65/69 106 magazine proudly presents itself and a "red" because the article in miners at Monterey No. 2 have Twin Cities 195/211 511 200/212 106 as "The Capitalist Tool." The rich the November 12 Militant was come to trust the honesty of the Tidewater 110/116 0/0 110/116 105 have an abundance of publications headlined, "Trumka victory would paper more. An average of five Boston 135/139 15/18 150/157 105 that serve their interests and strengthen workers' hand against per week are now sold at the mine, Baltimore 300/309 0/0 300/309 103 St. Louis 200/202 0/4 200/206 103 spread their concerns. . bosses." and this may be picking up. 55156 But miners were more in­ Harrisburg 50/55 5/1 102 Bu~ what if you're a coal miner, The scoreboard on this page Oakland 100/104 1017 110/l11 101 an auto worker, a steelworker, or terested in considering the issues shows the . results for the final Piedmont 125/126 0/0 125/126 101 simply unemployed? Is there a in the elections than in listening to week of our eight-week drive to Los Angeles 125/96 40170 165/166 101 publication that speaks for people Church's red-baiting. boost the sales of the Militant and Newark 145/144 45/47 190/191 101 who work for a living? In the past "Is this the paper Sam Church PM. Next week's paper will con­ Iron Range 50/50 010 50/50 100 eight weeks, thousands have come was talking about?" one miner tain an overview and analysis of Cincinnati 90/87 010 90/87 97 to see the Militant and Perspectiva asked. "I want to see what it has to the drive as a whole. One thing Lincoln 60/53 0/4 60/57 95 Mundial as just such papers. say." about our assessment is clear. Milwaukee 185/176 15/11 200/187 94 Sales of recent issues of the He, along with seven others at While the sales drive has officially Detroit 90/92 10/1 100/93 93 Portland 60/52 0/1 60/53 88 Militant in the nation's coalfields his mine, bought copies of the ended, the need to circulate the . Atlanta 120/109 5/0 125/109 87 provide an example. The Militant. Militant and PM to working Manhattan 300/240 100/95 400/335 84 November 12 issue carried a back­ With Trumka's sweeping elec­ people is not over. Coal miners Seattle 105/88 5/3 110191 83 page feature analyzing the stakes tion victory, interest in the Mili­ and others will want to continue to Brooklyn 175/120 50/64 225/184 82 for all working people in the pend­ tant grew in. West Virginia. follow the new developments in Wash., D.C. 200/167 50/22 250/189 76 ing election for national officers in Ninety-one copies were sold in the UMW. Auto workers, em­ Schenectady 100175 2/2 102/77 75 the United Mine Workers. Sub­ Charleston in the four days after broiled in· an ongoing battle with Houston 90/60 25/26 115/86 75 sequent issues analyzed the defeat the election. In their discussions the automakers, will want to con­ *Indianapolis 40/26 0/3 40/29 73 of incumbent President Sam with miners through sales of the tinue to look to the Militant and Miami 85/61 15/4 100/65 65 Pittsburgh 225/138 010 225/138 61 Church by the "Why not the best" paper, Charleston socialists ran for information and analysis PM *Kansas City 90/35 510 95/35 37 slate, headed by Richard Trumka. into a lot of miners who were on how to defend their standard of Totals 5,490/5,514 747/872 6,237/6,386 103 Dave Ferguson, a socialist coal strongly opposed to granting bar­ living. miner from Morgantown, West gaining concessions to the coal *petitioning to put socialist candidates on the ballot Virginia, estimates that of the 92 companies. BY BRUCE LESNICK How evictions are fought in Seaside, California

BY KATHY BALL by the previous manager. considered an emergency and anything else ron Polite also pledged his support to the SEASIDE, Calif. -Black tenants of the Gail's "crime" was putting a cigarette can wait. investigation. out by the pool and swimming with baby San Pablo Apartment complex here are in "Meanwhile, they demand their rent im­ The tenants felt more confident as a re­ oil on. a battle for their homes. mediately, don't they?" angrily remarked sult of the meeting. One man explained, "I Tenants described the conditions in the The apartment management has Ann, another tenant facing eviction for "in­ have already moved out of my apartment. apartment complex. The playground area launched a campaign of racist harassment ability to follow rules." But I'm glad I came tonight because I is infested with sand fleas and the equip­ and has sent eviction notices to 15 families, thought I was the only one with these prob­ ment is unsafe. There are huge roaches Further harassment has come from the the vast majority of whom are Black and lems. You folks ought to stay and fight it everywhere that have been found in beds Seaside police, who have been issuing tick­ single mothers. ets to tenants parked in their own parking out." · In response, the residents invited Sea­ and baby cribs. Complaints to management spaces. side City Council members, the NAACP of plugged toilets that overflow and backed­ At a second meeting on November 16, fair-housing committee, and the news up drains are met with long delays in re­ In addition to Mason, Seaside's newly the tenants showed they were determined media to a meeting November 10 to discuss pair. elected mayor, Lance McClair, attended to wage a united fight. They decided to their grievances. Some 50 people showed One tenant whose toilet was plugged for the meeting and promised to investigate the press ahead with legal action to fight these up. days was told that only a flood or a fire is situation. Newly elected councilman The- discriminatory evictions. Seaside City Councilman Mel Mason, a leader of the National Black Independent Political Party and the Socialist Workers Party, chaired the meeting. He reported Socialists ca01paign in coalfields of Alabama what he had learned in a meeting with man­ agement earlier that day. BY SUSAN ELLIS ing was October 30 at a Walker County cause "too many people have died for the In an attempt to justify the evictions,­ BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -"Meet a steel­ meeting in the county seat of Jasper, right to vote." management had shown Mason the files of worker who's on· the ballot for governor." Alabama. One outstanding aspect of the Boyers six tenants who had received eviction That's how supporters of Socialist Workers Brenda Reed, a garment worker and re­ campaign was its participation in the many notices. candidate Martin Boyers introduced hun­ spected young activist in the Jasper Black actions in Alabama to extend the Voting Karen, a single mother on Section Eight dreds of workers at the Hayes International community, coordinated the event. She in­ Rights Act and to defend Maggie Bozeman (federal assistance), is being evicted on the aircraft plant here to the first SWP candi­ troduced Boyers and spoke about the polit­ and Julia Wilder- outspoken voter regis­ basis that her nine-year-old son was a "nui­ date ever to run for governor of Alabama. ical situation in Jasper. tration activists convicted on trumped-up· sance." Workers on the first and second shifts vote-fraud charges. Boyers received an Boyers spoke about the need for working The tenants explained that children who October 22 met and spoke with Boyers at ovation at the national convention of the people to stop relying on the big-business play in the parking lot or ride their bicycles the front gate. Boyers spoke briefly to Southern Christian Leadership Conference politicians of the Democratic and Repub­ on the property are chased away by man­ many as they entered and left the plant. last summer when he called for immediate lican parties to solve the problems of un­ agement. There was a cordial and interested response freedom for the two women and challenged employment and discrimination. He "The manager told me my little girl and by workers at this military contract plant, his opponents to take a stand on the case. explained that a labor party based on the I were welcome to stay if I would send my most of whom were finding out for the first The socialist campaign received consid­ trade unions could begin to fight for the in­ son away," Karen told the meeting. "He time about the socialist campaign. Largely erable media attention when Boyers, an terests of all working people and the op­ told me I needed to find a man to help raise as a result of this campaign, several sub­ employee of O'Neal Steel and member pressed. that boy." scriptions to the Militant were sold to of United Steelworkers Local 3004, was Linda, another single mother, received a Hayes workers during the final days of the Participants at the meeting talked about threatened with being fired because a piece letter from management accusing her child campaign. the racist record of Democrat George Wal­ of his campaign literature appeared on a lace and the bankruptcy of support to the company bulletin board. of being seen with "bad kids." And she was An October 23 Birmingham campaign told other children could not be in her Republicans. Reed said she could forgive Boyers's union local and co-workers de­ rally and the socialist election-night cele­ Wallace, "but I'm not going to forget" fended his right to run for office and suc­ apartment unless accompanied by a visit­ bration were attended by Hayes workers and ing adult. what he did. "We do have another candi­ cessfully blocked O'Neal from firing him. several coal miners. date," she said, "that's what we're here for The case became well known and cam­ Leon, another tenant facing eviction, Socialists campaigned for several weeks tonight - to tell 'J>eople we do have a paign supporters frequently met people had been charged with mounting a CB an­ in the coalfields of Jefferson and Walker choice." who recognized. the campaign as the one tenna on the roof without permission. He counties, selling Militant subscriptions. Reed said it is important to present an al­ where the company tried to fire the candi- explained that permission had been granted The culmination of the coalfield campaign- ternative working people can vote for, be- date running for office. ·

8 The Militant December 3, 1982 Conimunist Party's dilemma in New York elections CP backed Unity Party candidate Jane Benedict (right) as cover for support to Cuomo (left)

BY OLGA RODRIGUEZ ed Barbaro in the primaries. With that sup­ nor. In the campaign it assured that its pur­ guing with their members about their NEW YORK- The governor's race port, plus the general opposition to Koch's pose was to "keep Cuomo honest" and all "complex" strategy of supporting Benedict here posed a thorny problem for the Com-· right-wing policies, Barbaro made a strong it wanted was 50,000 votes and ballot and Cuomo. munist Party (CP). The party wanted to go showing, polling an unexpected 36 percent status. In an October 27 column, Daily World all out in support of the Democratic candi­ of the primary vote. Official returns have not yet been re­ staff writer Bruce Kimmel said that the date, Mario Cuomo. But it was already On that basis, he decided to challenge ported for either party, but it is generally Unity Party was putting pressure on deeply committed to supporting Jane Be­ Koch in the general election. He ran under assumed both fell substantially short of the Cuomo, "who has been moving steadily to nedict, candidate of the recently created the Unity Party ballot designation. 50,000 goal. the right since his primary victory." Unity Party. To support both required quite But even though Barbaro insisted, quite Meanwhile, the CP, stuck with the Unity Without the Unity Party "pressure," he a lot of wriggling, but the CP leadership truthfully, that he remained a loyal Demo­ Party, was having problems with its own warned, Cuomo could lose the race. tried hard. crat, the union tops who supported him in membership. The CP tops have apparently Kimmel offered an added reason why it Ever since the 1930s, the CP has given the primaries walked away from his cam­ done such a good job of convincing their was important to win ballot status for the its support- sometimes open, sometimes paign, and his showing in the general elec­ members of the policy of support to liberal Unity Party. shamefaced- to capitalist politicians. tion was much weaker. This year, in his Democrats that many seemed to object to "Reform minded" candidates who lost in Last April the CP convened a national successful bid for reelection to the state as­ even the token Unity Party campaign. the major party primaries "would be able to "extraordinary conference" in Milwaukee sembly, Barbaro again ran as a Democrat. run for office with relative ease in the gen­ to mobilize its members for even greater But the CP and others decided the Unity Ranks not flexible eral election on the Unity line." activity on behalf of what were described Party could prove a useful vehicle and kept it alive, although it was in a much reduced During the campaign, the Daily World, as anti-Reagan Democrats. It was argued voice of the Communist Party, had to run Safety net state. that this was the way to defeat Reagan's three different columns by party leaders reactionary domestic and foreign policy. In other words, this "independent" party Wanted ballot spot explaining why the Unity campaign would would simply be an instrument of conveni­ This despite the fact that fundamentally the not really hurt Cuomo. They reiterated that Democrats don't differ with him on either. ence for Democrats who get aced out in In nominating Jane Benedict for gover­ they wanted to help elect him. primary elections. That, of course, is the To some, the CP line in the New York nor, the Unity Party said its main goal was Leading off in defense of the party line election may have seemed to be a reversal way it was used by Barbaro who had no to win 50,000 votes for her, which would was Simon Gerson, chairperson of the more interest than the CP in leading a of the perspective of the Milwaukee con­ give the new party permanent ballot status. Communist Party's Political Action Com­ ference, since the party emerged as the genuine break from the Democrats. Benedict is known to many as the head mittee. In the October 29 Daily World, CP state main organized force behind the Unity of the Metropolitan Council on Housing, In an October 15 column in the Daily Party campaign. chairman Jarvis Tyner took on the "good­ New York's principal tenant organization. World, Gerson assured his readers that the hearted New York progressives" who felt But any who thought this marked a tum For lieutenant governor, the party nomi­ Unity Party had made Republican Lehrman by the CP toward authentic independent they "must vote for Mario Cuomo at all nated Angela Gilliam, a Black professor ""its principal target." cost." political action were hoodwinked. and a leader of Women for Racial and He argued that the Unity Party campaign The Unity Party was, in no basic way, To persuade these "good-hearted" party Economic Equality. Roosevelt Rhodes, a on behalf of Barbaro last year had helped supporters they could afford to vote Unity, independent of and in opposition to both former steelworker from Buffalo, was lay the basis for Koch's primary defeat by major parties. In actuality, the Unity Party Tyner offered a pragmatic argument. The nominated for U.S. Senate, but was ruled Cuomo. "In a deep sense," wrote Gerson, polls, he asserted, showed Cuomo gaining ran a stalking-horse campaign for Cuomo. off the ballot on a flimsy technicality. "Cuomo was the 1982 beneficiary of the The party directed its fire almost totally "an ever widening margin" over Lehrman. In the campaign, the Unity Party offered 1981 battle fought by the Unity Coalition." And, he triumphantly added: "To say against the Republican gubernatorial little that you might not hear in these times By putting forward progressive ideas, nominee, Lew Lehrman, and insisted that that the 50,000 Unity votes will help elect from a liberal Democrat. It called for a Gerson further argued, the Unity Party was Lerhrman is not to look at the facts. For the its campaign was, in fact, an aid to the freeze on nuclear weapons, favored prog­ assertedly compelling Cuomo to "grapple Cuomo forces. last 20 years ... in New York State, the ress on jobs and housing, and declared its with these questions" and "thus widen his difference between the winner and loser in The truth is, after Cuomo's upset vic­ support for Black and women's rights. own popular base." tory over New York's Mayor Edward Koch general elections has never been less than But it had little to say about Washing­ Conceding this tortured political reason­ 200,000 votes." in the Democratic primary contest for the ton's secret war against Nicaragua and its ing was a bit obscure, Gerson concluded: gubernatorial nomination, the CP would (Actually, Cuomo squeaked in with a intervention in El Salvador. Nor did it ad­ "Complex? Sure. But when were things 163,000 vote margin.) have liked to see the Unity Party disappear. dress itself to the Israeli-U.S. war then ever easy for progressives?" They had ventured into promoting the In a postelection statement, Unity candi­ being waged against the Lebanese and Pal­ Not surprisingly, after his primary vic­ date Jane Benedict pointed to this margin Unity Party on the supposition that Koch estinian people. To do so, would have gone tory, Cuomo began taking his distance would be the Democratic nominee. and said that it proved that the Unity counter to the Cuomo campaign. from the unions that were supporting him. Party's quest for 50,000 votes had not hurt · The Unity Party's attempt to win 50,000 He was not, he assured, in anyone's bag. Couldn't sell Koch Cuomo's chances. votes - without taking too many from He began vying with Lehrman on the But the real issue is not whether the As mayor, Koch's antilabor, racist Cuomo - was complicated by the fact that "crime" issue. He emphasized the support Unity campaign helped or hurt the Cuomo policies had alienated virtually the entire another party was running for the same he enjoyed from the New York banking es­ vote. What is involved is the duplicity of union officialdom as well as Black and reasons with virtually the same program. tablishment. the Communist Party in trying to palm off Latino officials. He is widely despised This was the New Alliance Party, which this election-time maneuver on radical­ among working people. Even for the CP, also came forward as part of the Unity Co­ He declared he supported and, as gover­ nor, would enforce the hated Taylor law minded workers as an example of "inde­ whose political perspective is to get deeper alition for Barbaro in the 1981 Democratic which makes strikes by public workers il­ pendent political action." into the Democratic Party "mainstream," mayoral primary. legal. The CP's line, as their own statements there was no way to go for Koch. The New Alliance Party nominated a confirm, had nothing to do with genuine But Cuomo was a different story. He had state ticket led by Nancy Ross for gover- Meanwhile, the CP leaders were still ar- independent, working-class politics- that the support of much of the New York union is a clean break with the twin parties of officialdom and his rhetoric was much capitalism. For the CP, the Unity Party was more in the liberal Democratic vein. Even From Pathfinder intended, at best, as a gimmick for putting though as lieutenant governor he partici­ "pressure" on· the Democratic party - to pated in the cutback campaign of Governor push it in what the CP regards as a more Carey's administration, Cuomo tried to Independent Black Political "progressive" direction. sound as though he was concerned about Action: 1954-78 For generations, reformists of every the problems of working people. He was type, including the CP, have been practic­ the kind of Democrat the CP was looking The struggle to break with the ing that kind of "pressure" politics. This for. · Democratic and Republican parties strategy has not made the Democrats one But the CP was already stuck with the bit more "progressive." But it has helped Unity Party, which it had helped put on the Edited by Mac Warren, this Educa­ keep workers tied to the capitalist parties. ballot. tion for Socialists publication in­ This is particularly criminal today when The Unity Party is the remnant of an cludes articles on the Freedom Now increasing numbers of working people are electoral coalition of labor, Black, Latino, Party, Lowndes County Freedom Or­ beginning to look beyond the two-party and left organizations and individuals that ganization, Black Panther Party, Na­ system, in which they have been trapped was created prior to the 1981 New York tional Black Assembly, and more. for so long. mayoral election. It was established to sup­ 8V2 x 11 format, 72 pages, $3.50. When working people break from the port the mayoral bid of Frank Barbaro, a two capitalist parties and establish a labor Democratic member of the New York state party, then we will have a third party legislature who decided to challenge Koch Order from Pathfinder Press, 410 worthy of the name. Such a party will be for the mayoral nomination in the Demo­ West Street, New York, New York the very opposite of the Unity Party swin­ cratic primary election. 10014. Please include $.75 for post­ dle. It will oppose all capitalist politicians Because Koch had frozen them out of age and handling. and the bankrupt system they uphold. City Hall, a number of labor officials back- That will be real progress.

December 3, 1982 The Militant 9 4 Bernadette Devlin Mclliskey on the I

north, where I live, there are a million and an important role in union struggles here in a half people. the United States. We in Ireland have been struggling for Connolly was one of the few people at independence from Britain since before that time who understood that winning Ire­ capitalism itself developed. But our pre­ land's freedom required combining the sent struggle dates back to the tum of the fight for its national independence and the century, when a movement developed fight for the rights of its developing work­ among small nations across Europe fight­ ing class. He raised the slogan that the ing for independence. Historically, it cause of Ireland is the cause of labor and marked the beginning of the great anti-im­ the cause of labor is the cause of Ireland. perialist movements. Over the years, the separation of these The British government promised the two historic struggles has led to our inabil­ Irish many things to get us to fight in World ity to win our freedom. War I, a war in which the kings and mas­ ters of Europe played games with the lives Suppression bred struggle of the working class and the poor. Although the 1916 rising failed and was Many of us have forgotten that World brutally suppressed, its suppression had a War I, like most wars, was totally unneces­ completely different effect than the British sary and was not fought in the interests of government expected. In this regard it was the people who died in the trenches. similar to the results of the brutal manner in The people of Ireland were promised in­ which the British allowed Bobby Sands dependence if they sent their young men to and his comrad.es to starve to death in die in Flanders on behalf of an English prison. king. Some of our people went. But a na­ The deaths of the few of 1916 inspired Militant/Marc Lichtman tional movement arose that refused to fight the many. And by 1918 the movement for Bernadette Devlin McAiiskey addressing for either king or kaiser. They said that if home rule and independence became a Belfast to Derry civil rights march of 19 AFSCME District Counci137 in New York. they were to fight and die, it would be for mass national movement in Ireland. ern Ireland against discrimination and H the freedom of their own country. In 1918 there was a general election Sinn Fein, which means "ourselves Bernadette Devlin McAiiskey has throughout all 32 counties of Ireland. At my great-grandparents down to my grand­ been a leader of the Northern Ireland alone," had been formed at the tum of the that time everyone in Ireland elected repre­ century to press for home rule for Ireland. parents to my parents to myself and my freedom struggle since 1968, when she sentatives to sit in the British parliament childrer,~, have we ever conceded the legal­ ·was a student at Belfast's Queen's Uni­ By 1916 it had built up a military capability because we were directly ruled from Lon­ in order to fight for freedom. ity of the existence of the state we are versity. In 1969 she was elected to the don. forced to live under through violence and British Parliament from Mid-Ulster and Sinn Fein ran in those elections on a very threats of greater violence. was, at 21, the youngest member of that Easter Rebellion simple platforin. It promised that if the body. She served in parliament until The Irish rebellion took place on Easter people of Ireland- peacefully, democrat­ Same choice as Palestinians 1974. of 1916. Like every other combat between ically, and through the ballot box - sup­ We were given exactly the same choice Much of her recent activity has fo­ ourselves and the English, it was an ill-ba­ ported the organization's policies, the lanced affair. Facing the British army were elected Sinn Fein representatives would as the people of Palestine: if you don't like cused around the plight of nationalist it, move out and become homeless. But our prisoners in British jails in Northern Ire­ several hundred dedicated young men and form a rebel Irish parliament in Dublin women. They came from Cummann na rather than go to Britain. And using the people stayed where they were and became land. During last year's hunger strike, the second-class citizens of Northern Ire­ McAiiskey was a member of the national mBan, the Irish women's army; from the mandate given them by the Irish people, Irish Republican Brotherhood; and from they would negotiate the terms of the home land. executive committee of the National H­ We were denied equality before the law, Biock-Armagh Committee, a broad James Connolly's Irish Citizen Army. rule that the British had promised but not The Irish Citizen Army, incidentally, af­ granted. equality in the election system, equality in coalition formed to rally support for the employment, and equality in housing. prisoners. forded equal status to its men and women. In the 1918 elections Sinn Fein got Constance Markevievicz, a great leader of 85. 13 percent of all the votes cast in Ire­ It was not until 1947- when a Labor In January 1981, Bernadette Devlin land. More than 85 percent of the popula­ Party government in Britain introduced McAiiskey and her husband Michael the Irish rebellion, was one of the chiefs of staff of the Irish Citizen Army. tion peacefully, democratically, and by the socialized medicine, socialized housing, McAiiskey were severely wounded by and socialized education - that the Catho­ The rebellion never really had a chance ballot box, voted for Ireland's indepen­ three pro-British assassins who shot them dence. This is important to keep in mind lics of Northern Ireland had any chance of in their home. of success. The rebels seized the General improving their situation. Post Office in Dublin and declared the when we hear of the violence that came The .following speech by McAiiskey later. It is interesting to note that the rebels was delivered in New York on October sovereign right of the Irish people to inde­ who formed the leadership of the civil pendence. 22 to members of District Council 37 of British response rights movement in the late 1960s in North­ the American Federation of State, This rising was put down in a matter of em Ireland were from the first and second County, and Municipal Employees. At days and its leaders - the greatest of How did the British government respond generation of Catholics to whom education the meeting, she was presented with a whom was the Irish socialist James Con­ ~to Sinn Fein's victory? Britain declared im­ on the highest level was opened on a mass copy of a resolution supporting the nolly- were executed. mediate war on the rebel parliament and basis. This shows that there is nothing struggle of the people of Northern Ire­ . The execution of Connolly is a measure the Irish people. Gunboats sailed up the more dangerous than an oppressed people land that was passed· at the last of Britain's attitude toward our people, River Liffey to the capital city of Dublin who acquire the first weapons of education AFSCME national convention. then and even now. James Connolly had and blew up the building in which the par­ and organization. been severely wounded in the fighting and liament was meeting. The rise of the civil rights Movement in was on his deathbed. Every member of that parliament that Northern Ireland in 1968 was directly in­ I'd like to thank your union for the prin­ The British moved forward the date of Britain could get her hands on was arrested spired by events in the United States. Our cipled and courageous resolution in our de­ his execution fearing he might die before and sent to jail in England. inspiration to take to the streets in peaceful fense. I thank you not only on my own be­ they got their chance to shoot him. When A war of independence began in 1918. mass marches to demand equality came di­ half, but on behalf of the political prisoners they brought Connolly out to be executed, On December 6, 1921, a treaty to end hos­ rectly from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the people of Ireland. he was so weak he could not even sit up. So tilities was signed in London by the prime and the civil rights marches in America that Ireland, a small island with a total popu­ he was strapped into a chair and shot. minister of England and Michael Collins · we saw on television. lation of less than five million, is par­ James Connolly, the father of the Irish on behalf of the Irish Republican Army. In 1968 I was 19 years old. I was not a titioned into two states. In the British-ruled Socialist Republican Party, also had played Under its provisions a "Free State" within the British Commonwealth was to be established in 26 of Ireland's counties. And although the loyalist p

10 The Militant December 3, 1982 truggle lor Irish lreedom

was inspired by 1965 Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, march and struggle for Black rights in United States. Derry march marked reopening of nationalist struggle in North- fish rule. .

revolutionary or a socialist then. I was not concentration camps, where some were These were young people acting to pro­ body placed a wee tiny Argentine flag on a even a militant. I was a young Catholic stu­ held for years without trial. tect their community. The present IRA was wee tiny island somewhere in the South At­ dent who simply wanted equality before born out of that fear of pogroms. And out of lantic. All of a sudden money was no ob­ the law and equality within the system. Like Selma march fear that it could happen again the people ject! Every bathtub that could float was continue to support the IRA. being refitted for war. Bands set to relearn What made me a revolutionary and an In 1969 we staged a peaceful march As a socialist, I recognize that even to play "Rule Brittania." international socialist was practical experi­ from Belfast to Derry, a city that was ence. I saw what happens to people who fighting another 800 years the IRA will There was plenty of money to back up Northern Ireland's prize exhibit of dis­ never be able to militarily defeat the might ask for little. They get less! I saw that when crimination against Catholics. We modeled the imperialist power of the few, but no of the British army, no matter how dedi­ money to pay decent wages to decent people refuse to lie down and be walked that march on the civil rights march in over, they get kicked down. And when cated the IRA is, no matter how deter­ people doing a decent day's work! Alabama from Selma to Montgomery. mined, no matter how many guns trickle in they have been kicked down but get up AlQng the way we were attacked by Mrs. Thatcher claims she was fighting from here and there. They cannot militarily for freedom. But she spells freedom 0-1-L again, they are put in prison. When they loyalist thugs who were the uniformed and win freedom for the Irish people. and M-1-N-E-R-A-L-S. That's what she find a way under the law to organize leg­ paid law-enforcement officers of the state. ally, the authorities change the law. I believe that because the history of mY was fighting for. That and to prove she re­ Eighty-five marchers required hospitaliza­ own and every other country proves that mains in firm control of what is left of the tion. And those kids, including me, got up, freedom cannot be won by the few and British empire. Fight for rights gathered our injured, and marched on. handed over to the many. There's no money for health-care work­ But that was the last time we turned the When people claim they cannot support ·If you look at your own trade-union ex­ ers. But the British government gave $156 other cheek. We reckoned that we only had our struggle in Northern Ireland because it periences, you see that the might, strength, million of the taxpayer's money, working two cheeks, and we had turned them both. is violent, they must remember that it is and solidarity of the trade unions was won people's money, to John Delorean to build Never again would our' people walk and be that way because of those who own and through the blood, sweat, and tears of the a car in West Belfast that flapped its wings, beaten to the ground and simply say "that's control society, not because we have cho­ masses of working people. That's the only a car that almost no one can afford. This OK, I'll keep on walking." sen to make it violent. way anything is won. was not a loan but a nonreturnable grant. In August 1969 in the Bogside area of Thirteen years ago, in 1968, we took to People are only free when they take free­ And in defense of this kind of system, Derry we fought back against the police at­ the streets peacefully to demand that every doms for themselves. They must be armed these barbaric priorities, the British have tacks for three days and three nights. We person over the age of 18 have the right to with the ability to educate, to agitate, and filled their prisons with our young men and fought with stones and grandiosely petrol vote in every election in the country. to organize themselves to understand that women. Ten of the finest young men that bombs, which we had also seen on televis­ We demanded that every family have an their oppression is not something that just our country or any country ever produced ion, against police guns and teargas. equal right under law to a roof over their hits them individually. They must under­ died slowly in defense of human dignity in In that same month a loyalist mob sys­ O.,eads. stand that what oppresses me is also what last year's hunger strike. We demanded an end to discrimination tematically burned down the Bombay oppresses him and what oppresses you. Can you tmagine 74 days on hunger in employment on the basis of politics, Street area of Belfast in a pogrom against strike? Can you imagine how many sec­ race, and religion. Catholic people. There too the forces of Fight is worldwide onds there are in 74 days, and, how many These were hardly the most revolution­ "law and order" led the attack. In that situ­ times you make the same commitment that Oppression, discrimination, and injus­ ary demands to raise in Western Europe in ation a very few people with a very few you're not going to give up? 1968! guns came out to defend the neighborhood tice occur worldwide. And ultimately to In response to these simple democratic and opened fire on the advancing loyalist fight them we must fight them on a Right to jury trial demands, the British jailed thousands of force. worldwide basis. That is why the Irish our people without trial. At 4 a.m. on Au­ That was where the present phase of problem is also your problem, why the To defend "peace," "justice," and "law gust 9, 1971, the British army swept armed struggle began. It was not organized South African problem is also your prob­ and order," the British authorities have through Northern Ireland, breaking down by diehard terrorists. In general you find lem. taken away the right to trial by jury in our doors and taking away the male mem­ the diehard terrorists in positions of gov­ . That is also why many of us come to Northern Ireland. They have shifted the bers of our families to be interned in British ernment in America or Western Europe. look to you in America. We don't look to onus of proof from the prosecution to the Ronald Reagan. We try to take our case to defense. · those who form the backbone of American They have taken away the defendant's

...;': society - the people who make America right to know the identity of and to cross­ ~:• work, its working people . examine the accuser. Only last week they 1 And the people with ·the most strength took away the right of defendants to be pre­ are those American workers who are or­ sented with the evidence against them! ganized through the trade unions. There is You can now be arraigned and sent for no power on this earth greater than the trial without knowing anything more than democratic majority of the people or­ that you are charged with murder, or con­ ganized through their own organizations. spiracy, or weapons possession. You tlien We are fighting to change an irrational wait in prison for at least two years before system that has barbaric priorities. Mar­ they get around to trying you. garet Thatcher's government, which al­ Britain has a problem. Britain's problem lowed our hunger strikers to die, is now is that we will not meekly submit to con­ locked in a battle against people very much tinued British rule over our country. like you - the health service and public We do p.ot accept the argument that you employee unions in Britain. should forget past injustices and start afresh For a year these workers have been from where we are now. We maintain fighting for a 12 percent wage increase, that where we are now is the direct histori­ while the government refuses to give them cal consequence of the injustices of yester­ more than 4 percent. Virtually everyone in day. If there is to be peace in the world, the country supports 12 percent for the those historical injustices must be re­ health-care workers. They are supported dressed. by the railway workers, the miners, the pa­ We too have a problem- how to end tients who have come out of the hospitals British rule in our country and how to start to march with the health-care workers. building in Ireland a society fit for human But the British government said: beings to live in. "You're not getting the money. We don't Irish Transport and General Workers Union, a mass industrial union organized by have any money!" We don't just want to stick one land ·,y Connolly and Constance Markievicz in 1914 as a nationalist and trade union de­ mass onto another and get a new flag and a of struggle for Irish freedom with struggle of its working class. And in the middle--of that dispute, some- Continued on Page 17

December 3, 1982 The Militant 11 Chrysler reopens contract talks

BY JOHN OLMSTED are that they are losing $15 million per greedy and heartless workers who are forc­ DETROIT- Two weeks after 10,000 week now, and the figure would jump to ing U.S. Chrysler workers to lose their Canadian Chrysler workers struck Chrysler $60 million a week if U.S. operations are holiday pay and threatening their jobs by Corp., United Auto Workers (UAW) Pres­ shut down due to a lack of Canadian-made bankrupting the company. ident Douglas Fraser and Canadian director parts. Despite the concerted media campaign, Bob White announced that negotiations Workers at the Jefferson Avenue As­ the overwhelming majority of U.S. will resume for both Canadian and U.S. sembly plant in Detroit have been told that Chrysler workers have shown solidarity workers. they have Canadian-supplied parts to last with their Canadian co-workers. The Mili­ The resumption of contract negotiations them until the end of November. The tant spoke to workers about to be laid off at is an about-face forced upon the Chrysler Dodge Truck plant in Detroit has been told the Eldon A venue Gear and Axle plant. Corp. which had announced at the onset of that it can go until the second week of De­ One worker said, "I'll be laid off tomorrow the strike that there would be no negotia­ cember until it is forced to shut down due and we are thinking of going over to tions with Canadian workers until negotia­ to a lack of Canadian-made parts. Canada to help them picket." Carloads of tions resumed with U.S. Chrysler workers Workers on both sides of the border are unemployed auto workers from Flint, in January 1983. In mid-October U.S. asking why Chrysler would prefer to lose Michigan, marched on the picket lines with Chrysler workers turned down, by a 2-to-1 millions of dollars in lost production rather Windsor strikers. President Larry !,..each of ratio the same contract offer made to Cana­ than spending that money to give them a UAW Local 1264 at Detroit's Sterling dian workers. That contract offered no­ raise. "They think we're nothing," said one Heights Stamping plant, also walked the thing in the way of immediate wage hikes Windsor striker. Windsor picket line to show solidarity be­ to make up for three years of concessions The massive campaign to split U.S. tween U.S. and Canadian C:hrysler work­ forced on Chrysler workers on both sides workers from their Canadian co-workers ers. Striking Chrysler worker in Windsor, of the border. has failed miserably. The campaign has at­ · The Canadian strike has resulted in Ontario. The strike is hurting Chrysler. Estimates tempted to portray Canadian workers as 4,600 U.S. workers being laid off.· Chrysler is denying supplementary un­ employment benefits to those laid off due to the strike. St. Louis voters defeat attack on health care In response to rumors that Chrysler was planning to switch some Canadian produc­ BY TONY DUTROW A "Citizens Committee for Quality wards near the Homer G. Hospital called tion to U.S. plants, UAW President Fraser ST. LOUIS - On November 2, voters Health Care," financed by major corpora­ on voters to reject the plan. said that "American workers will not scab here rejected two ballot proposals put for­ tions based in St. Louis, like Anheuser­ Jody Curran, the Socialist Workers on their brothers in Canada." ward by Mayor Vincent Schoemehl under Busch, the giant beer monopoly, supported Party candidate for U.S. Senate in Mis­ the guise of saving the city's health care sys­ the mayor's plan. But it was the presidents souri in the November elections, also op­ Despite the resumption of negotiations, tem. of these same corporations - Busch, posed the two propositions. Her campaign UAW Local 444 in Windsor is digging in The two proposals called for shutting McDonnell Douglas, Monsanto, General supporters went door to door distributing for a long ·strike. Plans are now being laid down City Hospital, the city's sole surviv­ Dynamics, and others - who, in 1979, thousands of leaflets produced by the Cam­ and donations solicited for a massive ing public hospital, and reopening Homer publicly carried out the campaign to close paign for Human Dignity. The socialist Christmas party for 10,000 children of G. Phillips Hospital, a public hospital Homer G. campaigners pointed out the demagogic striking workers. closed in 1979, as a private facility. The St. Louis Labor Council also sup­ nature of the mayor's anti-working-class In order to cut back the city's already de­ ported the mayors plan. scheme. teriorating healtl:l-care system, the propos­ Labor history als cynically took-·advantage of the Black On the other hand, thpse who opposed While the propositions failed, big-busi­ the plan on the grounds that it was a hoax ness and their politicians are proceeding to community's demand that Homer G. (as it is Teamster Rebellion, $4.95; Teamster were denied major media time. This in­ cut back public health care anyway. called here) be reopened. Power, $5.95; Teamster Politics, $5.95; cluded the Committee to Save City Hospi­ The proposals, Proposition No. 1 and After the proposal's defeat, Mayor and Teamster Bureaucracy, $5.95 is a tal and 1,800 Civil Service Jobs, led by the Charter Amendment, called for passing Schoemehl said that neither Homer G. nor series on the historic battle to make Min­ American Federation of State, County and a $64-million bond issue to renovate City Hospital are adequate to provide health neapolis a union town. The author is Far­ Municipal Employees Local 41 0; the Com­ Homer G. and for granting $21 million to a care "at a cost we can afford." rell Dobbs, a central figure in the Teamster mittee to Save City Hospital; and the Cam­ private company to administer its staff and Not only will Homer G. remain closed, organizing drive and leader of the Socialist paign for Human Dignity. The latter is the hire workers. but, because City Hospital will soon bank­ Workers Party. The books are available coalition, based in the Black community, Had these proposals passed, St. Louis rupt the city, Schoemehl said, he is now from Pathfinder Press, 410 West St., New that led the 1980 fight to reopen Homer G. would have lost its last public hospital and considering a joint city and county hospital York, N.Y. 10014. Please include $.75 for hundreds of city employees would have Two Black city aldermen elected from system to replace the present city services. postage and handling. lost their jobs. The bond issue would have directly be­ nefited the city's ruling rich, delivering a cool $180 million to the banks in interest 'Militant' fund drive ahead of schedule over the life of the $64 million bon~, Proposition No. 1 and the Charter Continued from front page Amendment fell just short of the two-thirds success of our just-concluded circulation Socialist Publications Fund vote required for passage. They received campaign where we exceeded our goal. 53 percent and 59 percent respectively. Moreover, we're receiving reports from Where We Stand The Black community voted overwhelm­ the SWP and YSA in cities around the ingly for the mayor's plan, reflecting the country that new readers are visiting our deep sentiment for reopening Homer G. bookstores and attending forums and class­ The shutdown of Homer G. in 1979 has es. Several of those we first met during the had a devastating affect on the city's Black sales drive have already joined our move­ population. At the time of the closure, ral­ ment and more are expected to do so lies, marches, and make-shift barricades shortly. Received by Nov. 23: were organized in protest. They city had to This is what our fund campaign is all 8187,023-75% use 400 riot police and make 150 arrests to about. Our political efforts are bearing fruit close the hospital doors and move out the and we can't permit lack of dollars to un­ patients. necessarily stand in the way. That hospital was the only intensive We fully realize that digging down so Should be: care, full-service hospital, public or pri­ deep in times like this isn't easy. Some of 8188,500 vate, in the Black community . It was the our supporters, hit by layoffs, were forced only accessible hospital of its kind for 45 to reduce their pledges. But others stepped percent of city's population: into the breach by incre;ising their con­ Currently, infant mortality in the Black tributions. community of North St. Louis is twice that We can also report an encouraging initial of whites on the south side. Only one doc­ response to the fund appeal we mailed to tor is available for every 4,600 persons re­ subscribers. The Post Office took its cus­ siding in the Black community. While tomary time in delivering them, but returns there are 6,400 hospital beds available, are now coming in. The first two da.y's mostly private, in predominantly white mail yielded $1,250. areas, only 480 hospital beds are to be found So, we can be rightfully proud of what's on the Black north side. been accomplished so far, and confident It has been estimated that at least three we will meet our goal in full and on time. Blacks have died as a direct result of the And, with just an extra push, we can do closing of Homer G., including an eight­ even better than that. year-old girl. It was in this context that Mayor 1------1 Schoemehl - a Democrat - was swept into office in 1981. He won a big Black I Enclosed is my contribution of: I vote because he promised to reo~n Homer I Name ______~------I G. I Address ______I His plan to carry this out, however, was I I the two proposals on the November 2 bal­ City __ State __ Zip__ 1 lot. I The ruling class mounted a serious effort I to confuse working people about what the I Make checks payable to: plan would do. The major big business press I Socialist Publications Fund, 14 I beat the drums for the mayor's plan, dub­ I Charles Lane, New York, N.Y. I bing it "Homer G. Phillips Hospital pro­ I 10014. I posal." ------12 The MUitant December 3, 1982 Rally marks year one of Machinists' strike

BY ANNETTE GAGNE went dlead and forced a strike around the PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Hundreds or seniority issue. members of the International Association The strike has been a bloody one as pick­ of Machinists (lAM) marched to the Rhode ets have stood up against a barrage of cop Island state house here on October 20 to and company violence. mark the end of their first year on strike "We have been faced with police that are against Brown and Sharpe Manufacturing similar to Gestapo police. We have been Co. They were protesting the company's shoved, clubbed, and gassed," explained attempt to bust their union and its refusal to Louis Vallande, president" of Local 883, engage in bargaining talks. one of the locals on strike. The union delivered 36,000 letters to On March 22, Rhode Island state troop­ Democratic Party Governor Joseph Garra­ ers used pepper gas against 75 women hy, calling on him to intervene in the strike pickets. Chris Wolfe of Local 883, de­ and force the company to negotiate. The scribed the attack this way, "They said they governor was not available to meet with were going to use the pepper gas. I didn't them. even know what pepper gas was, but I As they marched, the strikers chanted, wasn't going to move. The state police "Collective bargaining is here to stay - made three passes. I held my breath as long the lAM won't go away." as I could. Finally, I crawled on my hands and knees. I didn't feel good all day." Company demands 'ftexibility' In response to this attack, lAM President The 1 ,600 striking lAM members be­ William Winpisinger wired Governor Gar­ long to three different union locals af­ rahy to express the lAM's "revulsion con­ filiated to District 64 of the union. They cerning picket line violence by both state went out on strike in October 1981 against and local police." Brown and Sharpe, a worldwide manufac­ The next day, lAM members who peace­ turer of machine tools and precision fully sat down to block a plant gate were Rhode Island state trooper'S-"gas picketers at Brown and Sharpe. The increasing use measuring instruments. They struck be­ clubbed by state cops. of company and cop violence to break strikes is one sign of seriousness of employers' cause the company demanded takebacks On the night of April 12, a picket was union busting aims. centering on work-rule changes that would shot from a passing car and had to be taken have abolished workers' seniority rights. to the hospital. The victim, Joseph Coffey, Brown and Sharpe demanded that it be narrowly escaped death. He told the Ma­ Sharpe has refused to pay any insurance to has gone on for one year, only strikers who able to reassign workers to different jobs at chinist, "You wouldn't think this was the her widowed husband. have not been replaced and who are still will, as part of an overall package of de­ United States. I was there the day the wom­ On October 18, the strike's one-year an­ not working at other jobs, can vote in a de­ niversary, "replacement workers" hired by mands designed to give them more "flexi­ en got gassed by the police. The night I was certification election. The nonstriking bility" to make profits, and to "keep up shot, all I was doing was warming my the company filed decertification petitions workers hired by the company are all elig­ with foreign competition." hands over a fire on the picket line. It is un­ with the National Labor Relations Board ible to vote. The previous union contract had required believable what they are doing to us. But (NLRB). The strikebreakers have formed lAM attorney Raul Lovett charged that union approval for such transfers of work­ we, the strikers, can't retaliate. We just an organization called SCABS - Society the decertification effort was initiated by ers. However, in practice the company had have to stand there. But we will for as long Concerned P. bout Brown and Sharpe. Brown and Sharpe. "This -is all orches­ been able to move workers around the plant as it takes. As long as we stand together, The attorney for SCABS said that the trated by the company. The entire strike as long as there were no objections from we will win." petitions had been signed by "more than" has been orchestrated by the company. the workers involved. There had only been The man the cops picked up for the the 30 percent of the workforce required by They have had the attitude since day one a few cases of a job switch actually being shooting had applied for a job as a strike­ NLRB rules to hold a decertification vote. that they are going to break the union." refused by a worker in the past 10 years. breaker at Brown·and Sharpe. He admitted that SCABS had not gotten Lovett said that the union will argue that According to the Machinist, the lAM's A 62-year-old woman, Sarah Green, signatures from the majority of workers. all strikers should be able to vote, and that national newspaper, the .union negotiators who ·had worked for the company for 30 SCABS is asking that the election be held it will challenge the eligibility of the "re­ had been prepared to give in to almost all years, died from a stroke after six hours on in the next eight to ten weeks. placement workers." the company demands. Yet management the picket line in January. Brown and Under federal labor law, after a strike The lAM also has several unfair prac­ tices charges against Brown and Sharpe that will have to be settled before the NLRB can proceed with the decertification vote. Progressives win actors' union elections As one writer explained in the May-June issue of the Rhode Island Voice, "It would BY MALIK MIAH appear that Brown and Sharpe is gambling The progressive forces in the 55,000- that it can either break the machinists - member Screen Actors Guild (SAG), AFL­ the largest industrial union in the state - CIO, won an impressive victory in union or sufficiently weaken the union's power leadership elections held in early Nov­ by severe cost-cutting takeaways." ember. Ed Asner, president of the guild, and his Solidarity from Ireland allies beat back a conservative challenge by Whether·that gamble will work remains former guild President Charlton Heston to be seen. Part of the solidarity that the and his supporters. embattled workers have received was ames-· Asner was the star of the popular TV sage from a youth section of the Labor program, "Lou Grant," until it was can­ Party in Dublin, Ireland. These young celed by CBS earlier this year. workers and students sent a donation to the strike fund and a letter: "We fully support The Asner slate, competing for one-third the workers at Brown and Sharpe on strike of the seats on the union's board of direc­ in defense of their jobs and trade union tors, swept the election. Not one of Hes­ rights. ton's supporters was elected to the policy­ "We further condemn the vicious attacks making body. on picketing workers as a further indication Asner said the election was a clear-cut of the antiunion policy of the Reagan ad­ contest between "those of us who regard ministration and of its attempt to make the ourselves as progressives and the reaction­ working class pay for the crisis in which ary faction pushed by Heston." American capitalism now finds itself. We pledge our full solidarity with you and look Heston argued that the guild, under forward to your victory." · Asner's leadership, had become too politi­ cal and should deal with issues that, in Hes­ who often expresses the need for labor sol­ ton's opinion, concern actors only. Speci­ idarity, was a major speaker at the 70,000- fically he opposed Asner's proposal that strong trade union-organized march in San .Court rules against artists' union the union make political endorsements. Francisco on October 24. Heston has denounced Asner's opposition Heston also opposed the guild's affilia­ A serious attack on the labor movement charged, was a secondary boycott and a to U.S. involvement in El Salvador. Asner tion to the AFL-CIO. was revealed in a small article in the violation of antitrust laws. has been especially active in organizing He was particularly miffed last year November 13 issue of the AFL-C/0 News. Union-busting employers for decades medical aid for the Salvadoran rebels. when Asner convinced a guild committee The American Federation of Television have sought to limit the right of unions to Heston has also taken issue with Asner's not to present a special award to Ronald and Radio Artists (AFTRA) has been apply secondary boycotts, and other ac­ proposal to merge the guild with other en­ Reagan, a president of the guild in the forced to file bankruptcy after a San Diego tions, to protect their membership. tertainment unions such as the Screen Ex­ 1950s. jury last spring awarded $10. 5 million in The AFTRA is appealing the antiunion tras Guild and the American Federation of The results showed that most SAG mem­ triple antitrust damages and costs to a non­ court action. Because it cannot put up a Television and Radio Artists and his join­ bers reject Heston's reactionary stands. union company, the Tuesday Productions. bond, which is equal to the amount of the ing of other unions' picket lines. Asner, Asner, in fact, said that "Heston is really a This company claimed that it had trouble fine, it filed for bankruptcy. This allows stooge of Reagan, working to keep actors marketing its advertising jingles because it the union to protect its assets and to con­ from opposing the president's terrible had been placed on AFTRA's unfair list. tinue to operate under court supervision. economic policies." The Tuesday Productions company has Subscribe to Perspectiva Mundia/, Asner says the labor movement must The AFTRA put the Tuesday Produc­ also filed a similar suit against the Screen biweekly, Spanish-language sister pub­ stand united to beat the "enemies of prog­ tions on its list because the company re­ Actors Guild. lication of the Militant. $2.50 for 6 is­ ress." fused to charge uriion wages for customers If this union-busting decision is allowed sues, $8 for 6 months, or $16 for one The defeat of Heston's slate is a victory who didn't want to pay AFTRA scale. to stand, it will be a further blow against year. Write to 408 West St, New York, for actors, and for the right of unions to get Thus, advertising agencies under contract trade union rights. The AFTRA deserves New York 10014. involved in broader social. and political is­ with AFTRA, the company claimed, re­ the support of the labor movement in its sues. fused to handle its commercials. This, they fight for survival.

December 3, 1982 The Militant 13 Canadian activists launch challenge to antiabortion. laws Ottawa demonstration was part of Morgentaler defense in. early '70s BY MARGARET JAYKO prove each abortion as being necessary to In Manitoba, which borders the states of declare the abortion laws unenforceable in A new stage is opening in the abortion safeguard the health of the woman. North Dakota and Minnesota, between 30 December 1976. It pledged that no doctors rights struggle in Canada. A move to chal­ The result of these restrictions is that the and 50 percent of women are forced to would be charged with performing abor­ lenge that country's restrictive abortion vast majority of hospitals iq Canada do not leave Canada to obtain abortions. tions if they followed safe medical proce­ laws by openly violating them was reported perform abortions. The ones that do are A "free standing abortion clinic" already dures. Since then, medically safe abortions on in three articles in the November 8 issue swamped with requests, which cause exists in Quebec, the province which is the have been available in Quebec at Dr. of Socialist Voice, the biweekly newspaper ·. dangerous delays. Toronto General Hospi­ home of the oppressed, French-speaking Morgentaler's Montreal clinic and at a of the Revolutionary Workers League tal, for example, receives an average of 75 Quebecois nationality. number of government-funded community (RWL) of Canada. calls per day from women seeking abor­ It was in Quebec that Dr. Morgentaler clinics- none of them governed by the re­ This new campaign was outlined by Dr. tions. Of these requests, they can only was originally prosecuted in 1973 for per­ quired doctors committees. Henry Morgentaler, a long-time fighter for book six. forming abortions considered illegal under Just as in the United States, restrictions abortion rights, at a rally of 300 people in The $300 charged by doctors makes the the existing laws. He was acquitted by on abortion in Canada stand in sharp con­ Vancouver on October 23. His proposal is cost prohibitive for most poor and working three successive Quebec juries. But these trast to the views ofthe majority of people. to establish a "free standing abortion women. Thus, a large number of Canadian verdicts were then overturned by appeal According to a June 1982 Gallup poll, 72 clinic" in Toronto which would give women are forced to come to the United court judges, and he was jailed for 10 percent of Canadians, and 76 percent of women access to abortions on request, thus States in order to obtain abortions. months. During this time he suffered much Quebecois, believe that abortion should be violating the current law. In the province of Alberta, which bor­ abuse at the hands of the authorities.· a private matter, a decision made by the In Canada, abortion is a criminal offense ders the state of Montana, 50 percent of Eventually, overwhelming public sup­ woman with the help of a doctor. unless performed in an accredited hospital, women seeking abortions come to the port for his cause led the newly-elected Morgentaler told the Vancouver rally where a committee of doctors must ap- United States. Parti Quebecois government in Quebec to that the decision to challenge the law by first establishing a clinic in Toronto, which is scheduled to open this month, means "that we are not relying on the federal gov­ Lawsuit reveals why Lockheed fired workers ernment or the provincial governments. We are relying on the will of the people as already expressed by three juries in my BY JOHN STUDER later. vers to meetings of the Fourth International case, and the judicial precedent that was When Lockheed-Georgia Corp. fired 15 If the unionists don't think these state­ -an organization of revolutionary Marx­ established thereby." members of International Association of ments are accurate, they are supposed to . ist parties from different parts of the Machinists (lAM) Lodge 709 in December "state such information or data as neces­ world - made the SWP potentially A statement on this challenge to the re­ 1980 and January 1981, the company sary so that each erroneous clause, name, dangerous. As Lockheed now appears to be strictions on abortions was issued by the claimed it was a simple case-the workers date or word listed in the preceding subpart doing, they also claimed that the SWP's RWL candidates for mayor of Toronto, had falsified their preemployment job ap­ may be corrected." political program was a justification for ex­ Hamilton, Montreal, and Vancouver in the plications. The documents go on to ask "when and tensive spying and victimizations. recent elections. The candidates were, re­ Lockheed said that the fact the 15 were where" the unionists "first became a Government agencies have collaborated spectively, Wendy Johnston, Dan Grant, union activists, had just finished participat­ member of the Socialist Workers Party" with Lockheed at other stages of its attack Katy LeRougetel, and Ned Dmytryshyn. ing in discussions about and voting on a and that they "identify any documents on the unionists. Lockheed admits that its They explained that this challenge new contract, and were members or sup­ which evidence or relate to plaintiff's spies consulted with FBI agents in New "comes at a time when governments and porters of the Socialist Workers Party, had membership in the Socialist Workers York; Philadelphia; Los Angeles; and Ft. employers are taking advantage of the nothing to do with the firings. Party." Lauderdale, Florida. They admit they economic crisis to deal women some hard But the firings came on the heels of a This is quite a set of questions for Lock­ talked about the case to in-plant agents of blows. In particular, when the limited ac­ two-month spy operation Lockheed con­ heed to ask, given the company's claim the Defense Investigative Service, a spy cess women have to abortion is being ducted into the union and political ac­ that political beliefs and activities had no outfit that operates in plants that have Pen­ further choked off by government health tivities of worker~ in the plant. bearing on their decision to single out these tagon contracts. cutbacks and by the actions of the small but In September 1982 these unionists filed unionists for investigation and firing. Lockheed's renewed interest in the polit­ highly visible antiabortion groups." suit against Lockheed, demanding their These questions are virtually identical to ical views and associations of the unionists The socialists declared that "the number jobs back, back pay, an injunction against those pursued by the federal government in underscores the importance of their law­ one task before all prochoice supporters future spying, and money damages. They response to the nine-year-old lawsuit the suit. If one major corporation can get away across the country must be to get the word charged Lockheed with firing them in vio­ SWP filed against the FBI and other gov­ with spying on its employees and their out about this clinic and to build support lation of their union contract and with con­ ernment spy agencies and officials aimed at union activities and meetings and fire the for it. The weight of the women's move­ spiring to victimize them because of their halting their unconstitutional surveillance ones whose opinions it doesn't like, its ment, of the trade union movement, and of political views. and disruption efforts. example will be copied by others. This the New Democratic Party [Canada's The answer Lockheed filed in response Like Lockheed, the government also would be a serious blow to the labor move­ trade-union-based labor party] must be to the lawsuit again denied any political or claimed that the fact the SWP sent obser- ment. brought to bear." union basis for the firings. Lockheed "de­ nies that it solicited any information about plaintiff's personal beliefs, union activities or private lives." Their spying was just a Rail union leader fights to get job back part of "the ordinary course of business." But on October 29 each of the unionists MINNEAPOLIS -Gayle Swann, vice­ the bathroom, they interrupted her break BN dismtssed Swann from her job even received a set of "Requests for Admissions local chair of the International Brotherhood times, and told her she could not move though it failed to prove its frame-up and Interrogatories" from Lockheed that of Firemen and Oilers, Local 292 and around the shop to inspect for safety and charge. Swann was given this dismissal indicate a significant change in the com­ member of the Socialist Workers Party, contract violations. notice in the middle of her shift and es­ pany's course. These documents include a was recently fired by the Burlington North­ On September 23, during the 20-minute corted off the property by a special agent. list of statements the unionists must either ern Railroad (BN) on trumped-up charges lunch break, a foreman was sent to the lunch Swann points out that the real reason for affirm or deny, followed by a set of ques­ of "failure to comply with instructions." room to inform Swann that she had been her firing was carrying out her respon­ tions based on the statements. They contain Swann, who has been a laborer and well­ "elected" to go outside and clean windows sibilities as an elected representative of her extensive questioning about the unionists' known, active member of her union for al­ on a locomotive. Since she was eating her union and opposing the BN's union-bust­ political views and affiliations, and about most four years, came under management lunch, she asked if she could finish before ing tactics. the views and activities of the Socialist harassment in the last few months when doing the assignment. Workers Party. she attempted to force the company to live The foreman never clarified the time ele­ "The fact that I am the only woman Among the statements Lockheed wants up to the existing contract; ment of the assignment. Five minutes later, working on the floor of the diesel shop each of the unionists to say yes or no to are: "In the Twin Cities," Swann told the another foreman told her to do the assign­ adds another dimension to this case. I have • "Plaintiff is a member of the Socialist Militant, "the BN has been assigning work ment right away. She left immediately and received a lot of support and respect from Workers Party. of the laborers to other crafts in the diesel did the work. my co-workers for standing up to the com­ • "The Socialist Workers Party advo-. shops, despite the fact that over half of our The following day Swann received pany. People have been calling and asking cates the overthrow of the United States membership is laid-off. This is being done notice of investigation on the charge of what they can do. government, as presently constituted. to justify further cuts in our craft. The next "failure to comply." "The Brotherhood of Firemen and Oilers • "The Socialist Workers Party advo­ step is to eliminate our craft all together. It Fifteen witnesses, including the three do not intend to settle for anything less than cates the overthrow of the capitalist is plain union-busting." local officers, appeared on behalf of Swann full reinstatement with all lost wages and economic system. The BN, like other carriers, is out to at the six -hour investigation on October 12. benefits. We are taking this case to other • "The Socialist Workers Party actively slash rail jobs. Nationally the carriers have The general chairman was her representa­ rail unions. In fact, a letter giving the facts participates in and supports the Fourth cut safety inspections and cabooses and are tive. The co-workers who testified refuted and asking for support has already been International." trying to erase craft lines. the BN's false charge. Other co-workers, distributed to co-workers at the diesel Lockheed asks each unionist about the The BN brought charges against Swann who were prepared to explain the com­ shops. We're also taking this to other meaning of the "Declaration of Principles" after weeks of harassment and intimida­ pany's harassment, were not allowed to labor groups, such as the Coalition of adopted by the SWP in 1938. This resolu­ tion. For example, the company told her testify. Labor Union Women and the National Or­ tion was rescinded by the party two years she had to have special permission to go to Twenty days after the investigation, the ganization for Women."

14 The Militant December 3, 1982 Moscow and Peking resume talks

BY CINDY JAQUITH trol of Mongolia, which Peking considers The largest assembly of foreign dig­ part of China. nitaries to set foot in the USSR attended the At the beginning of October, the first funeral of Soviet President Leonid talks between the two governments occur­ Brezhnev. But the figure who attracted the red. Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister greatest attention was Huang Hua, at that Leonid Ilyichev went to Peking and met time China's foreign minister. with Qian Qichen, a deputy foreign minis­ Huang's visit to Moscow, and his sub­ ter. sequent talk with Soviet Foreign Minister On October 17 the Chinese Communist Andrei Gromyko, were the highest-level Party resumed official relation!> with the contacts between the two governments Communist Party of France, which has since 1969. They represented the latest strong ties to Moscow. stage in the discussions between Soviet and Chinese officials over whether and how to Message to Brezhnev normalize relations. When Brezhnev died on November 10, the official response in Peking marked a Sino-Soviet rift shift from the attacks on the Soviet presi­ The Soviet Union and China - the dent it had made in the past. The official world's two largest workers states - se­ Chinese news agency Xinhua carried an in­ vered relations in the early 1960s after the terview with Foreign Minister Huang Hua. Kremlin cut off economic and military aid He described Brezhnev as "an outstanding to China in a bid for better relations with statesman" and said his death "is a great Washington. The U.S. ruling class wel­ loss to his country and his people." comed this schism, seeking to play off the Huang's message of condolence was Former Chinese Foreign Minister Huang Hua (left), and deceased Soviet President Soviet and Chinese governments in line prominently featured in the Soviet press, Leonid Brezhnev (right). with its strategy of divide and rule. Main­ including his statement, "Peace and taining and using this division has become friendship between China and the Soviet a key goal of imperialist foreign policy. Union fully correspond not only to the in­ Soviet designs on Western Europe. And it from Angola before agreement can be Hostile relations between the Soviet and terests of both peoples and both countries, labeled revolutionary Cuba a dangerous reached on independence for Namibia. Chinese governments continued · during but also to the interests of peace in Asia and outpost of Soviet expansionism in the Although statements by top Chinese of­ Washington's war against Vietnam. This the whole world." Western Hemisphere. ficials continue to denounce "Soviet prevented a united front of the two most A Soviet official said after Huang's visit Peking grew especially hostile to Viet­ hegemonism," their denunciations of powerful workers states in defense of the that it was possible that the USSR's troops nam as the socialist revolution progressed Washington's role in the world are becom­ revolution there. In fact, in 1969, in the could be pulled back from China's northern there after Washington was forced to with­ ing sharper and more frequent. midst of the Vietnam war, Soviet and border as talks progress. draw in 197 5. It began supporting the reac- · But so far there has been no backing off Chinese troops engaged in a shooting con­ Huang returned to Peking saying he was tionary Pol Pot government of Kampuchea by Peking on the issue of Vietnam. As if to flict along the border between the two "optimistic" on future Soviet-Chinese in its armed border attacks on Vietnam, emphasize this, the Chinese demonstrably countries. Since then, both countries have talks. The next day, it was announced he which served the interests of U.S. im­ hosted the prime minister of Thailand maintained huge deployments of troops had retired from his ministerial post. It was perialism. When Vietnam sent troops into about the same time Huang Hua was in along their common border. unclear what relationship his retirement Kampuchea to help Kampuchean fre.edom Moscow. Chinese Prime Minister Zhao In 1979 the Chinese government in­ bore to the trip to Moscow. fighters overthrow Pol Pot, Peking re­ Ziyang told the Thai official China op­ vaded Vietnam in an unsuccessful effort to The following day, top Chinese leader sponded by invading Vietnam. It was re­ poses the "Soviet Union's policy of force the withdrawal of Vietnamese troops Deng Xiaoping condemned U.S. "acts of pulsed, although Vietnam paid a high price hegemonism and expansionism as well as from Kampuchea. This invasion was car­ interference" in Asia and reaffirmed that, in human lives and destruction of its econ­ Vietnam's policy of regional ried out in direct collusion with "We are still making contacts with the omy in the border region. hegemonism." He said if Vietnam invaded Washington. Soviet Union." Progress toward normaliza­ All these counterrevolutionary actions Thailand, China would give "complete At about the same time, Peking made a tion he said would have to be based on "one have led to extreme isolation of the support to the Thai people in their just call for a united front ~ to include the principle, namely opposition to Chinese regime among the oppressed stand of opposing aggression." United States, Japan, and West European hegemonism and preservation of world peoples of the colonial and semicolonial A day later, Peking welcomed another imperialist powers - against "Soviet ex­ peace." Other Chinese officials reiterated countries. This marks a sharp change from visitor, Son Sann, a representative of the pansionism." Chinese officials presented their conditions for any agreement, em­ the previous few decades, when the victori­ Kampuchean rightist coalition backing Pol the Soviet Union as the central threat to phasizing the issue of Soviet aid to Viet­ ous Chinese revolution enjoyed enormous Pot. world peace. nam. political authority and influence among Last March, Brezhnev announced that fighters for national liberation around the Soviet stance· his government was ready to improve rela­ Behind the talks world. Some of what motivates the Soviet offi­ tions with Peking. Some increased contact Meanwhile, the trade and infusion of cials to improve relations at this time was began, ip.cluding a visit to the Soviet Union As of this time there is little information capital and technology from the United outlined in a speech by Brezhnev October by three Chinese economists, as well as about the content of the Soviet-Chinese States has not panned out as expected by 27. He said: some sports competition. In April the two talks or whether' any agreement will be the Chinese government. The world " . . . the international situation con­ countries agreed to increased trade. reached between the two governments. capitalist system is stagnant, and invest­ tinues to grow more complicated. The rul­ Then, on September 26, Brezhnev gave But some of the political factors underly­ ments in workers states - even those with ing circles of the United States of America a speech in which he again appealed to ing the dialogue are clear. cooperative governments- is low on the have launched a political, ideological, and Peking for talks. "We would deem it very One factor is the evolution of Peking's list of priorities for most capitalist inves­ economic offensive on socialism and have important to achieve a normalization, a relations with Washington. The U.S. rulers tors. U.S. officials have recently held up raised the intensity of their military prepa­ gradual improvement of relations between were dismayed by the victory of the technological and weapons orders to rations to an unprecedented level." the Soviet Union and the People's Republic Chinese revolution in 1949 and by the loss China. Brezhnev pointed to the U.S.-backed Is­ of China on a basis that I would describe as of this huge country from the capitalist Perhaps most important, it is clear that raeli aggression in Lebanon and "the situa­ that of common sense, mutual respect, and world market and imperialist system. Re­ despite U.S. rhetoric and token moves, tion in a number of regions of Africa, Asia, mutual advantage," he said. versing this setback was its major hoped­ Washington intends to maintain its support and Central America," all of which he said Peking responded that the Soviet Union for goal in initiating the Korean War, and to the Taiwan government and to continue characterized "adventurism" on the part of would have to first remove some "obsta­ Washington refused diplomatic recognition arming it. Washington's "two China" pol­ the U.S. government. cles" to normalization: Its aid. to Vietnam, and kept up constant military threats icy, while gone in name, remains in fact. "In this situation it is very important, of support to the current government in Kam­ against the Chinese government for the In an apparent effort to reduce its isola­ course, how our relations with other coun­ puchea, its occupation of Afghanistan, its subsequent quarter century. tion and increase its influence in world tries will shape up," he said. "Of no small troops on the Chinese border, and its con- This began to change in the late 1960s. politics, Peking has recently hosted a large importance are relations with China. We Losing the war in Vietnam, Washington number of heads of state. These include sincerely want a normalization of relations began to look around for ways to enlist Col. Muammar Qadaffi of Libya and Presi­ with that country and are doing everything Segregated school Peking's support in containing that revolu­ dent Hosni Mubarak of Egypt. The Arab in our power toward this end. In Peking tion and others elsewhere in the world. League, which is making the rounds of they also say now that normalization is de­ challenged in Texas This more collaborative relationship was major capitals including Moscow, is also sirable. No radical changes in the foreign symblized by Richard Nixon's trip to Pe­ expected to send top representatives from policy of the People's Republic of China School officials in Big Spring, Texas, king in 1972 at the height of U.S. bombing several Arab countries and the Palestine are to be seen so far. But the new things are keeping one elementary school all of Vietnam. (Brezhnev also toasted Nixon Liberation Organization to Peking soon. which appear must not be ignored by us." Black and Chicano by busing some 150 in Moscow a few months later, as Brezhnev said "Two lines now clash in rural students past that school to one where Washington was mining the harbors of Other recent visitors to Peking have in­ cluded British Prime Minister Margaret world politics: the line of the U.S.A. and a majority of the pupils are white Anglos. North Vietnam. The U.S. government those who follow it - a line for deepening The U.S. Department of Justice has sought better relations with Moscow at this Thatcher and top Japanese and West Ger­ man officials. tension and aggravating the situation to a charged the school district with violating time for many of the same reasons it was maximum. They are dreaming of insulat­ the Equal Educational Opportunity Act of pursuing a deal with Peking.) Shift on international plane ing politically and weakening economi­ 1974. The law forbids the assignment of In 1978 Washington extended formal cally the USSR and its friends .... students to a school other than the one recognition to China, along with promises The Chinese government has also made "Our line is a line for detente and closest to his or her home if the assignment of considerable technological and eco­ some shifts on foreign policy. Last spring strengthening international security." results in a greater degree of segregation. nomic trade agreements. it supported Argentina against the The Soviet government is also eager to The group of rural students being bused During this period, Pekjng sharply esca­ Washington-backed British aggression lessen the heavy economic burden of main­ past all-minority Bauer Elementary School lated its support to proimperialist forces in over the Malvinas Islands - a position in taining such a large military presence along to Washington Elementary School is about the colonial world. It rushed to establish ·une with the great majority of national lib­ the Chinese border - a factor of interest to two-thirds white Anglo and one-third warm relations with the rightist military eration movements and governments in the Peking as well. Chicano. Washington school has about 400 junta in Chile immediately after the 1973 colonial world. students of whom about two-thirds are coup there. It backed rightist guerrillas Peking has recently recognized the gov­ Class-collaborationist framework Anglo and one-third are Black or Hispanic. working with South African troops and the ernment of Angola. According to the While the concrete situations faced by The Justice Department suit asks the CIA to overthrow the government of An­ November 15 West Africa, it "has denied it the Soviet and Chinese regimes differ, the U.S. District Court in Abilene, Texas, to gola. It lavished praise on the shah of Iran was still supporting opposition UNIT A framework outlined in Brezhnev's speech order the dismantling of the dual school in the midst of the first round of mass pro­ guerrillas" who are backed by Washington accurately expresses how both approach system and the adoption of a school de­ tests that led to his downfall. It hailed and South Africa. It has retreated on its world politics. segregation plan. NATO as a force for peace against alleged position that Cuba must remove its troops Continued on Page 16

December 3. 1982 The Militant 15 -THE GREAT SOCIETY------'------~- Better than the Marx Bros. - was based on the most compelling With justice for all - The piping and equipment and would satirical play, "The Patriot." It's Apart from such winged presiden- moral considerations. U.S. prison population has nearly show up later. the story of an Israeli soldier or­ tial witticisms as "It takes two to doubled since 1970 and will dou­ dered to fight in an invasion of Al­ ble again by 1988. Meanwhile, bania, where he dies. The soldier Here kid, stop wheezing -. doctors report, prison health care On the spiritual front- Papal says that should he be killed, he The FDA proposes to put sodium services are being curbed. And, Visits Ltd., set up by the Vatican should be called not a patriot but bisulfite on its Generally-Recog­ according to a recent circuit court to license the manufacture and sale an idiot. nized-As-Safe list even though opinion, "The Constitution does of souvenir items for the Pope's hundreds of thousands of people not command that inmates be visit to Britain last spring reports Harry are allergic to it, with reactions given the kind of medical attention the operation did nicely. Nothing He should see this paper - ranging from severe wheezing and that judges would like for them­ boorish like figures, just a state­ "The leading journalists are strong Ring shortness of breath to coma. It's selves." ment that the income offset the $6 supporters of environmental pro­ used as a preservative in various million expense of the trip and the tection, affirmative action, processed foods, dried fruits, One way or another - About church is "quite happy." women's rights, homosexual tango," we thought this adminis­ wines, and restaurant salads. It's 183 pounds of uranium and rights and sexual freedom in gen­ tration was especially devoid of a also used as a preservative in such plutonium are missing from five eral . . . " - Peter Grace, ship­ sense of humor. Until we read the drugs as Bronkosol, Isuprel tab­ governmental nuclear complexes. Touchy - Criminal charges ping magnate and chairman of a letter to the Catholic bishops exp­ lets, and Micronefrin. They're for A spokesman doubted it was sto­ have been filed against a Tel Aviv presidential "private sector" com­ laining that U.S. nuclear policy asthma. len and felt it was maybe stuck in theater for performing a banned mission.

-CALENDAR~------

Labor's Allies on the Land: A Marxist cle artist that was inspired by their country's Analysis of the Farm Question. Two classes. history and folklore. It will be shown at the fol­ Field Work Trip Speaker: Doug Jenness. Translation into lowing times: Nicaragua Spanish provided. Sun., Dec. 12, 11 a.m. and Sun., Nov. 28, 5 p.m. Wingate High School, 1 p.m. 4715A Troost. Donation: $1. Ausp: 600 Kingston Ave. (between Rutland and Win­ Casa Nicaragua is pleased to announce Young Socialist Alliance, Socialist Workers trop). its field work trip to Nicaragua from Jan­ Party. For more information call (816) 753- Mon., Nov. 29, 7 p.m. Casa De Las uary 15-29. For more information call 0404. Americas, 104 W 14th St., (near Avenue of the Casa Nicaragua (in evening) (212) 243- Americas). 2678. Thurs., Dec. 1, 7 p.m. Columbia University, NEW JERSEY Horace Mann Theater, Teachers College, 120 Jersey City St. (near Broadway). COLORADO Our Struggle for Liberation: Past, Present, Denver and Future. 49th Unity Banquet for Black The Land Rights Struggle in the San Luis Freedom Society. Speaker: Rev. Ben Chavis, Valley. Film: La Tierra. Speaker: Rocky Mad­ national representative, National Black Inde­ rid, Land Rights Council. Fri., Dec. 3, 7:30 pendent Political Party; Kabili Tayari, New Jer­ UTAH p.m. 126 W 12th St. Donation: $2. Ausp: De­ sey chairperson, NBIPP; cultural entertain­ nver Socialist Forum. For more information call ment. Fri., Dec. 3; dinner, 7 p.m.; program, 8 Salt Lake City (303) 534-8954. p.m.; social, II p.m. Student Union Building, Reagan's War Against Women's Rights. Jersey City State College, 2039 Kennedy Blvd. Speakers: Janet Goldsmith, director of informa­ Donation: $3; program and social only, $1. tion and education for Planned Parenthood As­ MISSOURI Ausp: African/ Afro-American Studies Depart­ sociation of Utah; Cathy Walker, coordinator of Kansas City ment, Jersey City State College. For more in­ Salt Lake City National Organization for Come to YSA formation call (201) 547-3153 or 433-6026. Women; Pat Haley, Young Socialist Alliance. Socialist Publications Fund Rally. Speakers: Fri., Dec. 3, 7:30p.m. 677 S 7th East. Dona­ Doug Jenness, editor, Militant; Dennis Good­ tion: $2. Ausp: Militant Forum. For more infor­ convention den, National Lawyers Guild; others. Transla­ mation call (801) 355-1124. For more information on the YSA and its tion into Spanish provided. Sat., Dec. II, 7:30 NEW YORK convention, clip and mail this coupon to: p.m. Dixon Inn, 12th St. and Baltimore. Ausp: New York City YSA, 14 Charles Lane, New York, N.Y. Young Socialist Alliance, Socialist Workers Images of Grenada. The National Performing 10014. Party. For more information call (816) 753- Company of Grenada will present a program of 0404. dancers, singers, poets, calypsonians, and bicy- New from African National Congress

Recent Developments in South Africa. Celebrate the (1981-1982). As Obseroed and Re­ Organization/School ------I ported by the Official Press in South Af­ rica and Elsewhere. D I want more information on the International Day of convention. This pamphlet is available for $2 0 I want to join the YSA. from the African National Congress of 0 Enclosed is $1 for a six-month subscrip­ South Africa, ObseiVer Mission to the Solidarity with the tion to the Young Socialist. United Nations; 801 Second Ave., 0 Enclosed is $1.50 for the YSA ~v••u'-<111 Room 405, New York, N.Y. 10017. resolution, The deepening proletariani­ (212) 490-3487. Palestinian People zation of U.S. politics. Moscow, Peking resume discussions

Continued from Page 15 cow and Washington and Peking has not Although Soviet and Chinese officials led to greater peace in the world, nor even govern in countries where the working to the permanent economic gains hoped for class has overturned capitalism, they do by Soviet and Chinese leaders. not act from the standpoint of the interests Imperialism continues to pursue aggres­ of the working class. They represent a rul­ sive aims abroad and to engage in a mas­ ing bureaucratic caste that sits on top of the sive military build-up; these expansionist workers and denies them political power. and militaristic policies are built into the Since the material privileges of both capitalist drive for profits, which requires castes derive from their parasitic relation­ exploitation and oppression of workers and ship to nationalized property relations, peasants around the world. they are forced to defend the workers states At the same time, the oppressed and against imperialism and its goal of reestab­ exploited in the colonial and semicolonial lishing capitalist property in these coun­ countries are continually driven to rise up tries. But the bureaucracies do not do so by against the miserable conditions imposed class-struggle methods. Rather they both on them by the world capitalist system. seek what Brezhnev called "detente and in­ Just in the past several years, a socialist ternational security" - maintenance of the revolution has triumphed in Vietnam, status quo around the world in the hopes workers and farmers governments have Hear: Members of high,level PLO that imperialism will leave them alone. come to power in Nicaragua and Grenada, · delegation, direct from Damascus This is what makes it possible for and the proimperialist shah of Iran has been Sunday Washington to turn the divisions between toppled. for UN session. Representative of the these two workers states to its own advan­ This conflict between the world working Nov.28, 4 p.m. Lebanese National Movement. Other tage. Both Moscow and Peking have been class and the world capitalist class is the respected diplomatic representatives. willing to collaborate with imperialism fundamental motor force of world politics. Washington Irving H.S. Musical presentation. against the other, to the detriment of the It constantly disrupts class-collaborationist 16th St. and Irving Place, N.Y.C. workers in both countries and around the efforts to preserve the international status C I would lik~ to join thl' ~"'. 29 Coal. world. quo, just as U.S. and Canadian auto work­ c I am interest~d in huildin~: fllr thi' adi,it\. Enclosed is a donation of$ to hdp. The Sino-Soviet split was born from ers recently disrupted efforts at "labor­ Called by: Moscow's efforts to win favor from management collaboration" by Chrysler November 29 Coalition Washington at Peking's expense. The and the United Auto Workers bureaucracy. (212) 695,2686 NAME people of Indochina have suffered horribly Whatever the outcome of the current P.O. Box 115, N.Y., N.Y. 10113 from Peking's drive to cement relations Soviet-Chinese talks, it is this conflict­ ADDRESS with the U.S. government since the late the international class struggle - that will Donation: $3.00 t g 1970s. These are just two examples. be decisive for working people in the years Detente between Washington and Mos- ahead.

16 The Militant December 3, 1982 Canadian labor confronts wage freeze, takebacks

Wage Controls and Concessions - the challenge be­ tarily" reduce their wage demands and expect to make But while the NDP was the only party to vote against fore labor, by Robert Simms. Pathfmder Press (1317 more concessions to their bosses. · the wage controls last August in parliament, it has not St. Catherine E., Montreal, Quebec H2L 2H4), 36 Robert Simms explains in the pamphlet how the wage­ waged an effective fight against the attack on Canadian pages, $1.75. control legislation opens "a war on all unions." He takes labor. The NDP leadership accepts the framework of re­ up why wage controls won't control inflation, and aren't forming capitalism, and thus "more and more often tells BY JACQUIE HENDERSON really intended to. the ranks to reconcile themselves to the little the system can When Canadian Chrysler workers went on strike The pamphlet also explains how attacks on the rights provide," Simms writes. November 5, followed by public employees in Quebec, of French-speaking Quebecois-who suffer national op­ who held a one-day strike November 10, they sparked a pression - were used to lay the basis for wider attacks on This policy is suicidal, he explains. "Labor must chart wider interest in the Canadian labor movement among all of labor. Simms explains why the Canadian rulers a new course. Given the commitment of labor's current many U.S. workers. wanted to go after Quebecois workers: leaders to the private enterprise system, this will require This new pamphlet from Canada takes up many of the a big shakeup in the NDP and the unions," Simms pre­ questions that U.S. and Canadian workers are both be- "In the 1970s, unions in Quebec played a vanguard dicts. role in trade union battles across the country. The general "Workers in both English Canada and Quebec need to strike in May 1972 by Quebec's industrial workers in de­ build an alliance to throw out Liberal an~ Tory govern­ fense of public-sector unions and their leaders marked the ments. We need a workers and farmers government built PAMPHLET REVIEW high point of labor struggles in many years. Quebec on such an alliance." unions took the lead in fighting back against the 1975 The kind of immediate measures labor should champi­ wage controls." ginning to think out. It is a collection of articles from on to combat the economic crisis are outlined in the final Socialist Voice, the biweekly, English-language paper The government got a new constitution adopted that article in the pamphlet, coauthored by Simms and David reflecting the views of the Revolutionary Workers took away rights of the Quebecois, in preparation for big­ Johnson, a steelworker. They point out that by taxing the League. ger· assaults. As Simms explains, the government giant corporations and eliminating the $7 billion war The pamphlet offers useful background to the current "wanted to face the next period of tough antilabor action budget, a massive public works program could be Chrysler strike and the labor struggles in Quebec. In July with a Quebec working class that had been dealt a defeat, launched, providing jobs at union scale. Rather than cut­ official unemployment in Canada stood at 11.8 percent; rather than one that was confident after scoring several ting back social services, funds could be increased for in Quebec it was over 15 percent. The layoffs have in­ victories. It aimed to increase the divisions between Eng­ health care, child care, education, and other needs. By creased since then and are coupled with an inflation rate lish-Canadian and Quebec workers." reducing the workweek to 32 hours, with no loss in pay, twice as high as in the United States. Unlike in the United States, where the unions are tied more jobs could be created. Last August the Canadian government imposed wage to the Democrats and Republicans, the Canadian labor "A serious campaign by the unions and NDP against controls on public-sector workers, setting 5 and 6 percent movement has its own party, the New Democratic Party the layoffs can inspire all sorts of workers and the un­ ceilings on wage increases in the next two years. And in (NDP). The NDP offers workers a political weapon in the employed to stand fast against the antilabor policies of October Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau went on televis­ fight against the parties of the employers, the Tories and the bosses and their governments," the pamphlet con­ ion three times in one week to tell all workers to "volun- the Liberals. cludes. McAiiskey on the struggle for Irish freedom

Continued from Page 11 We'll nationalize the building industry and into areas where the people are strong and but in the lifetime of my generation there new anthem. James Connolly taught us that build the houses ourselves. Isn't that unionized. will be a united Ireland. if that's all we did, nothing would change reasonable? Moreover, when I or someone else But that alone is not good enough. I for the ordinary man and woman in the When we say we need money for educa­ comes to this country to speak to you, and want a united socialist workers republic of street. tion and for hospitals, but the bankers you begin to examine what's happening in Ireland because no one will look to the in­ We want to build a different kind of so­ won't give it to us because they make more Ireland and are moved to do something terests of the working people of Ireland but ciety, one in which every child has an money financing the war in the Falklands, about it, then you also start seeing your the workers themselves. Unless working equal chance to be all that he or she can or or investing in South Africa, or building own society slightly differently. people run society themselves, we will all may want to be. . nuclear weapons to blow everyone to When you see injustice in Ireland and try have fought and died for little more than a We want to build a society where people blazes, we say that's a totally irresponsible to redress it, you begin to look just a bit dif­ change of flag and a change of anthem. way to act. It's irresponsible and socially ferently on Nicaragua and Cuba and all the do not go hungry because it is more profit­ There is a better day coming in Ireland, dangerous. places in Latin America that you are told able to close down factories than to pro­ and in America as well. Whether we move I happen to think that if you use your are trying to sneak up here and paint you all duce what people need. together as a common movement, or money, made off my work, to build nucle­ red in the middle of the night while. you're We want to build a society where people whether we move first and you move later, ar weapons, that is socially irresponsible not looking. have a decent roof over their heads. a new movement will arise in the United and your money should be taken away You begin to wonder if that's not all Ridiculous as it may seem, while we have States too. This country is a melting pot of from you. nonsense. You begin to question all the the worst housing conditions in all of West­ ethnic groups that arrived here fleeing pov­ The kind of society I want to build is rubbish that is spewed out on television, in em Europe, we also have the highest per­ erty and oppression. Many have links to eminently reasonable and sensible. That's the press, and in election literature. You centage of unemployed construction work­ their struggling people at home. ers. precisely why the British and American begin to see that it has no validity. We want to build a reasonable society, governments are terrified of our struggle. And you might actually begin changing Someday in this country a broad Amer­ but to do that we have to change the sys-. They fear our example. the policies of America. ican movement will come together that is tern. In Northern Ireland they tell us that It's bad enough when people in Africa We in Ireland will fight on with or with­ not just Irish-Americans for freedom in Ire­ the building workers cannot build the begin to talk like that. But at least Africa is out international support. We will fight on land, or Black Americans for freedom in houses we need because it is not profitable far away from America. And in the Third with whatever means are at our disposal to Africa, or Chicanos or Puerto Ricans in de­ for the contractors, the big construction World, America can still wield power be­ empty our jails and rid our streets of the fense of their homelands. companies, to build housing. cause it has more money than anyone else British soldiers, to save our children from There's going to be an American move­ I say, fair enough! If the contractors and can, in Henry Kissinger's words, use their bullets. ment for peace, freedom, and justice at don't want to build the houses people need hunger as a political commodity. We will fight on until we win. It may not home and throughout the world. And do because it's not profitable enough, we can But we are right in the middle of West­ be in my personal lifetime because I don't you know what will happen then? There'll get them jobs as construction workers. em Europe and our example could spread know how long I will be permitted to live, be no Ronald Reagans winning elections. -IF YOU LIKE THIS PAPER, LOOK US UP:.__.------

Where to fmd the Socialist Workers Party, Gary: SWP, YSA, 3883 Broadway. Zip: NEW JERSEY: Newark: SWP, YSA, 11-A RHODE ISLAND: Providence: YSA, P.O. Young Socialist AIUance, and socialist books 46409. Tel: (219) 884-9509. lndianapoUs: Central Ave. Zip: 07102. Tel: (201) 643-3341. Box 261, Annex Station. Zip: 02901. and pamphlets SWP, YSA, 4850 N. College. Zip: 46205. Tel: NEW MEXICO: Albuquerque: SWP, TEXAS: Austin: YSA, c/o Mike Rose, 7409 (317) 283-6149. YSA, 1417 Central Ave. NE. Zip: 87106. Tel: Berkman Dr. Zip: 78752. Tel. (512) 452-3923. ALABAMA: Birmingham: SWP, YSA, IOWA: Cedar Falls: YSA, c/o Jim Sprall, (505)) 842-0954. Dallas: SWP, YSA, 2817 Live Oak. Zip: 205 18th St. S. Zip: 35233. Tel: (205) 323- 803 W. 11th St. Zip: 50613. Des Moines: NEW YORK: Capital District (Schenec­ 75204. Tel: (214) 826-4711. Houston: SWP, 3079. YSA, P.O. Box 1165, Zip: 50311. tady): SWP, YSA, 323 State St. Zip: 12305. YSA, 6333 Gulf Freeway, Room 222. Zip: ARIZONA: Phoenix: SWP, YSA, 611 E. KENTUCKY: Louisville: SWP, YSA, 809 Tel: (518) 374-1494. New York, Brooklyn: 77023. Tel: (713) 924-4056. San Antonio: Indian School. Zip: 85012. Tel: (602) 274- E. Broadway. Zip: 40204. Tel: (502) 587-8418. SWP, YSA, 335 Atlantic Ave. Zip: 11201. Tel: SWP, YSA, 337 W. Josephine. Zip: 78212. 7399. Tucson: SWP, P.O. Box 2585. Zip: LOUISIANA: New ·Orleans: SWP, YSA, (212) 852-7922. New York, Manhattan: Tel: (512) 736-9218. 85702. Tel: (602) 622-3880 or 882-4304. 3207 Dublin St. Zip: 70118. Tel: (504) 486- SWP, YSA, 79Leonard. Zip: 10013. Tel: (212) UTAH: Price: SWP, YSA, 23 S. Carbon CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles: SWP, YSA, 8048. 226-8445. New York: City-wide SWP, YSA, Ave., Suite 19. P.O. Box 758. Zip: 84501. Tel: 2546 W. Pico Blvd. Zip: 90006. Tel: (213) 380- MARYLAND: Baltimore: SWP, YSA, 79 Leonard. Zip: 10013. Tel: (212) 925-1668. (801) 637-6294. Salt Lake City: SWP, YSA, 9460. Oakland: SWP, YSA, 2864 Telegraph 2913 Greenmount Ave. Zip: 21218. Tel: (301). NORTH CAROLINA: Piedmont: SWP, 677 S. 7th East, 2nd Floor. Zip: 84102. Tel: Ave. Zip: 94609. Tel: (415) 763-3792. San 235-0013. YSA, 216 E. 6th St., Winston-Salem. Zip: (801) 355-1124. Diego: SWP, YSA, 1053 15th St. Zip: 92101. MASSACHUSETTS: Boston: SWP, YSA, 27101. Tel: (919) 723-3419. VIRGINIA: Tidewater Area (Newport Tel: (714) 234-4630. San Francisco: SWP, 510 Commonwealth Ave., 4th Floor. Zip: OHIO: Cincinnati: SWP, YSA, 4945 Pad­ News): SWP, YSA, 5412 Jefferson Ave., Zip YSA, 3284 23rd St. Zip: 94110. Tel: (415) 824- 02215. Tel: (617) 262-4621. dock Rd. Zip: 45237. Tel: (513) 242-7161. 23605. Tel: (804) 380-0133. 1992. San Jose: SWP, YSA, 46lf2 Race St. Zip: MICIHGAN: Detroit: SWP, YSA, 6404 Cleveland: SWP, YSA, 2230 Superior. Zip: WASHINGTON, D.C.: SWP, YSA, 3106 95126. Tel: (408) 998-4007. Seaside: Pathfin­ 44114. Tel: (216) 579-9369. Toledo: SWP, Mt. Pleasant St. NW. Zip: 20010 . .Tel: (202) der Books, 1043A Broadway, Seaside. Zip: · Woodward Ave. Zip: 48202. Tel: (313) 875- 5322. YSA, 2120 DorrSt. Zip: 43607. Tel: (419) 536- 797-7699. Baltimore-Washington District: 93955. Tel: (408) 394-1855. 0383. 2913 Greenmount Ave., Baltimore, Md. Zip: COLORADO: Denver: SWP, YSA, 126 MINNESOTA: Mesabi Iron Range: SWP, YSA, 112 Chestnut St., Virginia, Minn. 55792. -QREGON: Portland: SWP, YSA, 711 NW 21218. Tel: (301) 235-0013. W. 12th Ave. Zip: 80204. Tel: (303) 534-8954. Everett. Zip: 97209. Tel: (503) 222-7225. WASIDNGTON: Seattle: SWP, YSA, FLORIDA: Miami: SWP, YSA, 1237 NW Send mail to P.O. Box 1287. Zip: 55792. Tel: (218) 749-6327. Twin Cities: SWP, YSA, 508 PENNSYLVANIA: Edinboro: YSA, Edin­ 4868 Rainier Ave. South. Zip: 98118. Tel: 119th St., North Miami. Zip: 33167. Tel: (305) boro State College. Zip: 16444. Tel: (814) 734- (206) 723-5330. 769-3478. N. Snelling Ave., St. Paul. Zip: 55104. Tel: (612) 644-6325. 4415. Harrisburg: SWP, YSA, 803 N. 2nd S~. WEST VIRGINIA: Charleston: SWP, GEORGIA: Atlanta: SWP, YSA, 504 Flat Zip: 17102. Tel: (717) 234-5052. Philadel­ YSA, 1584 A Washington St. East. Zip: 25311. Shoals Ave. SE. Zip: 30316. Tel: (404) 577- MISSOURI: Kansas City: SWP, YSA, phia: SWP, YSA, 5811 N. Broad St. Zip: Tel: (304) 345-3040. Morgantown: SWP, 4065. 4715A Troost. Zip: 64110. Tel: (816) 753- 19141. Tel: (215) 927-4747 or 927-4748. YSA, 957 S. University Ave. Zip: 26505. Tel: ILLINOIS: Chicago: SWP, YSA, 555 W. 0404. St. Louis: SWP, YSA, 6223 Delmar Pittsburgh: SWP, YSA, 141 S. Highland Ave. (304) 296-0055. Adams Zip: 60606. Tel: (312) 559-9046. Blvd. Zip: 63130. Tel: (314) 725~1570. Zip: 15206. Tel: (412) 362-6767. State Col­ WISCONSIN: Milwaukee: SWP, YSA, - INDIANA: Bloomington: YSA, Activities NEBRASKA: Lincoln: YSA, P.O. Box lege: YSA, P.O. Box 464, Bellefonte. Zip: 4707 W. Lisbon Ave. Zip: 53208. Tel: (414) Desk, Indiana Memorial Union. Zip: 47405. 80238. Zip: 68501. Tel: (402) 475-8933. 16823: Tel: (814) 238-3296. 445-2076.

December 3, 1982 The Militant 17 -EDITORIALS------The FariD Holiday IDoveiDent: an New cuts call for new response inspiring exaiDple

Now that the elections are over, it's cutbacks time capitalist government are of a piece with the demands by BY DOUG JENNESS again. That's the word both from New York's Mayor Ed­ Chrysler, the Big Eight steel companies, and other em­ Anger is mouuting on farms throughout the country. ward Koch and the White House. ployers who are forcing workers to "help save the com­ Farmers are more and more engaging in direct actions to The newest round of proposed cutbacks in the city and pany" by ramming through concession contracts. stop farm foreclosures, which are occurring at a greater the nation is another escalation of the relentless auster­ The current economic crisis and the stiffening compe­ rate than any time since the 1930s. Many are looking ity offensive of this country's ruling rich. tition from capitalists abroad mean that the employers back and discussing the tactics used by farmers who On November 16, President Ronald Reagan told the must use their economic power and their governmental fought to defend themselves from ruin during the Great U.S. League of Savings Associations that the huge mili­ power to increase profit margins and to weaken the Depression. tary budget was not responsible for the soaring federal unions. It's in this context that the Farm Holiday Association budget deficit. Speed-up, job combining, less on-the-job health and (FHA) is often raised. And rightly so, because it was the What is responsible? safety, increased job discipline, fewer paid holidays, most radical mass movement of farmers in this country in You guessed it. Social services. smaller cost-of-living increases, and even outright wage the past 50 years. According to Reagan, "A propaganda campaign would cuts- these all boost profits at workers' expense. The FHA got its start in Boone County, Iowa, in Feb­ have you believe these deficits are caused by our so­ And all these attacks hit the oppressed nationalities and ruary 1932 when 1 ,000 or so farmers established the first called massive tax cut and defense buildup." Reagan women the hardest - thus deepening the divisions that termed this idea "a real dipsy doodle." He explained, hinder a united fightback by all working people. · "There is simply no escaping the truth: current and pro­ The prime target of all these moves is weakening and OUR jected deficits result from sharp increases in nondefense eventually breaking ·the unions, which are the main spending." obstacles to the bosses' profit-hungry drive. Three days later Reagan announced that he plans on Contributing to the success of this government-em­ REVOLUTIONARY seeking $25 billion to $30 billion in cuts in "domestic ployer offensive is the class collaborationist outlook of spending." That equals 10 percent of current federal out­ the union officialdom. HERITAGE lays for Social Security, Medicare, unemploymentinsur­ In a meeting at Koch's house oq November 8, the New ance, food stamps, aid to families with dependent chil­ York Times reported that New York labor officials, "far unit of the organization. Speakers and organizers then dren, and supplemental security income. from ruling out a reopening of their contracts, simply said These cutbacks were announced at the same time that fanned out across Iowa and neighboring states. As are­ that · they wanted to wait a couple of months to see sult more than 2,000 men and women gathered in Des congressional subcommittees approved almost every whether the city's fiscal situation got better or worse." item on the Pentagon's proposed shopping list, which to­ Moines, Iowa, on May 3 to found the National Farm "'Nothing dramatic should be done until we see what Holiday Association. The name originated as a response tals over $200 billion for 1983 alone, and $1.6 trillion for the December, January, and, maybe February [budget] the next five years. to "bank holidays"- called often during that period by projections are,' said Victor Gotbaum, the head of Dis­ bankers whenever their assets were threatened. Farmers If we don't tighten our belts in order to build B-1 bom­ trict Council 37 of the American Federation of State, figured if bankers could take a "holiday" to defend them- bers and MX missiles, the Russians will get us, we're County and Municipal Employees. 'Then we'll all get to­ selves, they could too. • told. gether, probably around February, when the figures are a In that spirit the FHA, at its founding meeting, pledged In New York City, the pitch is a bit different. little bit clearer. ' " · to organize farmers throughout the nation to withhold There, Democratic Mayor Koch is putting a priority on While it might seem that Gotbaum is merely following their commodities until cost-of-production prices were soothing the increasingly restive bond market. The in the footsteps of Lloyd McBride of the Steelworkers, reached. banks, which are the biggest bondholders, are again and Douglas Fraser of the Auto Workers, it's really the A general farm strike was launched in August 1932. In threatening, as in 1975, to prevent the city government other way around. Sioux City, Iowa, the battle reached its highest point. from borrowing money if it doesn't squeeze more out of During the first big wave of cutbacks in New York in There, a dairy strike was called. Dairy farmers threw up city employees. 197 5, Gotbaum and other municipal union leaders agreed The focus of the bankers' and government's attacks mass picket lines and blocked trucks and trains carrying to sweeping concessions in order to "save the cit)'." milk into the city. The blockade forced a settlement, is the recently-negotiated contracts with 180,000 non­ The subsequent fate of New York working people and uniformed city workers, which offered the possibility which paid dairy farmers 80 percent more than previ­ Chrysler workers is the .best proof that the so-called stra­ ously received. of catching up with inflation for the first time in years. tegy of "concession-bargaining" doesn't work. Conces­ Similar strikes, affecting a wide range of commodities, The city's rulers have openly threatened that if the sions lead to worse conditions, more layoffs, less social occurred in scores of other cities in the region, including unions don't agree to rip up their contracts in order to services, weaker unions, and more concessions. Des Moines, St. Paul, and Minneapolis. Pitched battles negotiatp changes in wages and work rules there will be The only way that working people will be able to de­ were waged as the cops and national guardsmen attemp­ more layoffs. Since 1975, one-third of the city's work­ fend what we have, and. begin to get back some of what ted to help scabs, inspired by big food processors, to force has been laid off with a corresponding worsening of . we're owed, is by making our starting point the needs of break the strikes. Tens of thousands of farmers joined the public services. working people, the Black and Latino communities, and new movement, but most of the strikes were defeated. The city workers have been falsely blamed for Koch's women. We have to reject the view that workers and bos­ ses have common interests. The interests of workers are Later in the fall, the FHA took up the struggle to stop $640 million in proposed cuts in municipal agencies for foreclosures. The rallying call was the Madison County 1983. Koch is also proposing a "menu" of tax increases, at loggerheads with the interests of the capitalists. That's why it will take a fight on the shop floor, the picket lines, plan - a platform adopted by the Nebraska Holiday As­ all of which would fall hardest on those least able to af­ sociation. It called for, among other things, a moratorium ford them. in the communities of the oppressed, and in the political arena to stop the bosses and their government. on mortgages, interest, and rent for poor farmers; exemp­ These cutbacks and union-busting attacks are being More and more working people are learning this in the tion of tax payments on heavily mortgaged land of poor carried out by both the Democratic and Republican par­ school of hard knocks today. The steelworkers and the farmers; no evictions; and increased commodity prices to ties - by Republican Reagan, Democratic Koch, and Chrysler workers have taken the first step - rejecting the come not from city workers, but from "middlemen and bipartisan legislatures and city councils. That's because bosses' demands foi: concessions. This inspires all the money interests." both parties take as their starting point defense of the victims of the giveback offensive. And it points the way Throughout the Midwest farmers developed an in­ profits and interests of those who own the vast wealth of forward - the union movement, in alliance with all the novative technique called the penny auction-one of the this co.untry- and much of the rest of the world. oppressed, charting a course of struggle independently of tactics farmers are trying out again today. The cutbacks, tax increases, and layoffs by the the bosses and their two parties. ·Local farmers would join together at auctions to pre­ vent bids of more than a few cents for foreclosed proper­ ty. Sometimes they would assemble such a large crowd that physically the local sheriff couldn't get through to make sure the sale was made. If the farmers ·Learning experience for Israeli Jews succeeded, the use of the land and equipment would then revert to the foreclosed farmer. After several penny auc­ Under intense public pressure, and much against its curity." tions in a county, insurance companies and banks will, the Begin government in Israel was forced to con­ And, additionally, the Israeli working people are feel- stopped their foreclosures . vene a commission of inquiry to probe its responsibility . ing the cost of government policy. They are caught in the In Minnesota this form of struggle was successful for the mass murder in the Palestinian refugee camps in vise of an "austerity" takeback drive, coupled with a enough to pressure Farmer-Labor Party Governor Floyd Beirut. (See story, page 5.) murderous rate of inflation. A substantial added cost for B. Olson to proclaim, in February 1933, a two-month As a result of the aggression in Lebanon, the Israeli taxpayers is the government subsidizing of development moratorium on farin foreclosures. The following month people are going through a profound political learning in the occupied Arab West Bank. And, of course, even a march of 20,000 farmers on the state capitol in St. Paul e-xperience. The cost of their lesson, in human life- the with U.S. subsidies, such aggressions as the one in Leba­ forced the state legislature to extend the moratorium for lives of innocent Palestinians and Lebanese - has been non are expensive. two years. In June 1934, Congress established a national high. But lessons are being learned. To climax all this, there is the grim lesson of the Israeli foreclosure moratorium. Since the founding of the state of Israel, and before, its government's use of the reactionary Lebanese Phalange These concessions, wrested from the governing bodies Jewish citizens have been the victim of a giant hoax. to butcher the helpless residents of the Sabra and Shatila by militant, direct action, gave many farmers some im­ They were told that the unrelenting campaign to subju­ refugee camps. mediate relief. However, the plight of hundreds of gate the Palestinian people and drive them from their The revelations emerging from the hearings of the Is­ thousands of farmers continued and the FHA kept up its homeland was necessary and just, that truth and morality raeli commission of inquiry have been largely buried by struggle. In many local areas it lent support to labor's was on their side and they were a force for progress sur­ the media in this country. But in Israel this is not possible fight to establish industrial unions. rounded by a sea of reactionary Arabs. and the people there are getting a flow of information on Because they accepted this racist lie, a majority of Is­ the extent of the crime committed by the Begin govern­ But at the end of 1937, the FHA merged into the Na­ raeli Jews accepted as necessary the periodic wars against ment. tional Farmers Union (NFU). The NFU became a staunch neighboring Arab nations as well as the unrelenting drive Realization by the Israeli Jews of the true nature of ally of the Franklin Roosevelt administration. It remains against the Palestinians. government policy is a key initial step toward under­ today a liberal, pro-Democratic Party farm organization. But the June 5 invasion of Lebanon may prove an his­ standing what must -~ done to end these criminal The independent, direct-action-oriented movement of toric turning point in this regard. For the first time, tre­ policies. Inevitably, it will lead to the·realization that the working farmers became diverted into supporting one of mendous numbers· of Israeli Jews actively opposed the oppression of the Palestinian people must be ended, and the two parties that represents the interests of those who aggression, while it was going on. that their just struggle for the creation of a democratic, profit from the labor of workers and farmers. Demonstrations against the war, which included mem­ secular Palestine should have the support oflsraeli work­ But the fighting spirit and tactical ingenuity of the men bers of the armed forces, climaxed with a massive tum­ ing people and all partisans of social progress. and women who constituted the Farm Holiday movement out of 400,000 in the wake of the Beirut carnage in Sep­ The slaughter in Beirut was the inevitable outcome of is an example that still lives. This example provides in­ tember. Proportionate to population, that would be like an the drive to stamp out Palestinian resistance to their op­ spiration, and lessons, to the thousands of farmer fighters action of some 22 million in this country. pression. Such hideous crimes will be ended only when who are coming forward today. These fighters stand on The massive protest was fed by the realization that this the Palestinian cause wins. That will finally bring peace the shoulders of those who came before them and will was a dirty war that had nothing to do with Israel's "se- and justice for them- .and for the Israeli Jews as well. carry the struggle even further. 18 The Militant December 3, 1982 How do unionists approach dues check-off loss?

BY RICK CONGRESS by the press, which blamed workers, not management, test against a poor leadership would be a deadly mistake. When New York City Transit workers got their for the crisis of the deteriorating transit system. The government and the Transit Authority want to see paychecks for the workweek ending October 9, we found Earlier this year, the so-called impartial arbitrators of the union weakened or destroyed. Withholding our dues that $3 per week dues had not been taken out of our the City Office of Collective Bargaining forced a money because of anger with a do-nothing union leader­ checks. take back contract on transit workers. The state legislature ship would play right into the hands of the bosses. Dues checkoff, whereby dues for 35,000 Transit imposed the binding arbitration law, which overrides any What we TWU members have now is a union that has Workers Union members are taken from our paychecks contract vote by union members._ suffered defeats, a union that has been pushed into a. and given to the union in one lump sum, had been sus- Since the new contract, which has given the company comer and has given concessions. But it still has great a free hand to "increase productivity," there has been a potential power as a line of defense against company at­ rise in time-study schemes and disciplinary actions, re­ tacks. sulting in more suspensions and firings. We need to figure out how to use that power to trans­ UNION TALK form this union into one that mobilizes the strength of the In the face of company attacks, the ranks of the union ranks to fight back against company attacks. The ability pended for an 18-month period, as a penalty imposed by see· no leadership initiative. So it's no surprise that many to rely on our independent strength and resources means the Public Employees Relations Board against the TWU workers reacted to the suspension of dues checkoff by not relying on our employer to collect our dues for us. for striking in 1980. saying, "Good, the union isn't worth a damn anyway;" or Nor can we count on Democratic and liberal Republi­ Under New York's antilabor Taylor Law all strikes by "Why should I pay dues? What do I get for it?" can politicians and we should stop wasting our union public employees are illegal. The union had fought the These sentiments, caused by union misleadership, are dues on them. The union, for example, supported Lieuten­ penalty in court, but lost. exactly what the city administration is banking on to ant Governor Mario Cuomo for governor of New York in In addition to the dues checkoff suspension, every carry out their union-busting effort. the recent elections. Cuomo is a supporter of the Taylor union member who struck in 1980 paid individual fines The union's ability to function financially depends on Law fines that we have suffered. He is no alternative for of two days pay for each day out on the 11-day strike. the membership's dues money. With the checkoff gone us. In addition to a strong, democratic union, we need The union was also fined $1.25 million. for the next year and a half, dues will have to be collected our own party, a labor party that would fight for our inter­ The dues checkoff penalty follows other blows over the individually from each union member. ests on all fronts. last two years. New York City Mayor Koch and Gover­ TWU local 100 members are right to complain about nor Hugh Carey openly tried to break the 1980 strike, the lack of leadership, and to wonder what we are getting Rick Congress is a member of the New York Transit launching an anti-TWU campaign. This was trumpeted for our dues money. But to not pay union dues as a pro- Workers Union. -LETTERS------From our readers behind bars The Militant receives many like to plead and stress the impor­ Political conspiracy letters from our readers who are tance of making people aware of Your support is needed. On Au­ in prison. Unfortunately space this mockery of (in)justice. gust 7, 1981 , five prisoners, permits us to print only a por­ I ask you to give us any and all through the act of conspiracy, tion of these letters and some of · support you can in this area; ad­ were framed for an alleged assault them are abridged. dresses of people, groups, etc. and they did not commit. This form of, We receive letters from pri­ to utilize a tool that is extremely political repression against the soners on a wide range of sub­ important - your voice through four Lakota prisoners and one jects, from letters of apprecia­ printed materials. white prisoner only proves the tion for receiving the Militant, We continue to combat our op­ lengths state and prison officials which is made possible by our pressors and the system for which will go to enjoy their racist activi­ Prisoners Fund, to letters from they stand, and for all they can ties. This political conspiracy prisoners engaged in struggles to take from us, we still have one which framed the five prisoners defend their basic democratic thing they will never attain - was on the part of the Attorney rights. purpose that makes us free no mat­ General's Office, Warden, high­ We encourage our readers to ter what the circumstances and ranking prison officials, and a DCI send contributions to the Mil­ how adverse the conditions. agent. itant Prisoners Fund, 14 Charles Steve J. Layton Lane, New York, N.Y. 10014, United States Penitentiary The fact is two prisoners, Kevin which makes it possible for us to Lewisburg, Pennsylvania Pack and Cliff Johnson, simulated provide the Militant without the alleged assault in hopes of charge to all prisoners who re­ .gaining an early release from quest it. South Dakota State Penitentiary. Impressed The Attorney General's Office, I recently came across an old prison officials, and a DCI agent investigated an alleged assault and copy of your paper. It was very Frame-up in S.D. impressive. After reading it I de­ found it to be a simulated assault. I am writing to you in solidarity cided to write and request a sub­ However, state and prison offi­ from the USNEP here in Lewis­ scription. I have no money to pay, cials saw this as an opportunity to burg, Pennsylvania, where I was but I have very high regards for the frame up active members of the organized opposition known as sent after my alleged involvement type of truth that your paper dedi­ in a riot at the South Dakota State cates to bringing to the oppressed Akicita Lakota Warrior Society. Penitentiary in November 1981. I masses in corrupt America. Since the opportunity was pres­ ent, prison .officials, with prom­ would like to give y_ou and the oth­ I am serving 18 years in Pontiac ises of parole and later threats, had er oppressed people out there in prison. I am presently being isolat­ the two prisoners who simulated "society" some food for thought ed in the segregation section be­ the assault say that it was the five on the subject. cause of my efforts to protest the prisoners - Keith McCloskey, In November 1981 there was a degrading and repressive stan­ riot in the South Dakota prison in dards that the Illinois Department Garrett Wounded Heart, Gary which 10 guards were either of Corrections inflicts upon the Offet, Buck Clark, and Leland stabbed or beaten, and I (because prisoners of this prison, as other Rich - who had assaulted inmate Kevin Pack. Johnson was asked. Janklow and the Board of Chari­ I belonged to the Trinidad of my ideologies) was one of the prisons are also doing all over the by prison officials to sign false ties and Corrections, demanding , Workers Party for six years and men who took the fall for an al­ country. statements against the five prison­ that both parties conduct an inves­ would like to join you in your leged "attempted murder" of a It is because of the injustice of ers. tigation of the Attorney General's struggle against our common op­ guard. American prisons that I am open­ The regime currently in office The five prisoners have several office and prison officials. Your pressors. ing my eyes to the frightening support letters and petitions can be As you know revolution begins in the South Dakota judicial sys­ reality of America. I hope that by affidavits, tape recordings, and tem, correction system, etc. con­ letters that clearly expose this pol­ sent to Hazel Bonner, Prisoner's with the process of awakening, reading your paper I will get some Support Group, P.O. Box 2967, awareness to the mass destruction trived a blatant conspiracy to lock ideas on how I can organize pri­ itical conspiracy by state and pri­ me and another comrade down for son officials. Rapid City, S.D. 57709. being perpetrated by these soners to develop a plan of action Leland Rich capitalist robots. the rest of our lives, if possible. so that upon release all prisoners We the prisoners know that the Because the judicial system was only reason we were framed is be­ Sioux Falls, South Dakota A prisoner will go out and make some effec­ Attica, New York involved in the process, it was no tive efforts to solve some of the so­ cause of our activeness to change surprise they used a parasite snitch cial problems that lead to their genocidal prison policies that seek to tell and extremely fabricate blind plunge into the madness of to strip the Red prisoners of their Source of truth what little "evidence" there was to prisons. culture and identity, which is sup­ I am incarcerated at the peniten­ Gratitude connect us to any criminal act. It is my observation that most posed to be a basic human right. tiary at Attica, New York. I am We here at Lompoc prison in On May 18, 1982, my comrade prisoners have had problems with The prison regime never ceases its without funds at present and California would like to send our and I were given the maximum drugs and therefore realize better attack on the Akicita Lakota War­ would appreciate the possibility of gratitude. Your contribution of sentences, contrived through un­ than most how destructive an in­ rior Society, and we consider this receiving your socialist paper the your publication has provided and constitutional laws on the books in fluence drugs are and how coun­ political conspiracy and frame-up Militant. been very instrumental toward South Dakota, and thereby sen­ terproductive they are in the strug­ another racist attack in order to Your paper is my only source of much solidarity here, behind these tenced to 60 years and three con­ gle for freedom. So I hope to or­ discredit the struggles of the Akic­ the truth. As you well know, the walls. current life terms. On July 7, ganize prisoners so that they can ita Lakota Warrior Society. Three TV and radio only represent a one­ We send our love to the left 1982, we were then transported to leave prison with the goal of re­ prisoners still remain in the pri­ sided view (U.S.). I have been around the globe who face and US. penitentiaries. I came here moving drugs from the communi­ son's maximum security unit. confined for two years, and I have have achieved unrelenting strug­ and he went to the dehumanization ties. I am infuriated over how the We call for your needed support lived in the Caribbean as well as gle for their human rights and lib­ center known as Marion, Illinois. children of oppressed people are to ensure that those prison and England, Mexico, and have eration. This case is pending appeal in affected by the abundance of drugs state officials guilty of gross mis­ traveled to a few other countries. Thank you Militant and many the South Dakota Supreme Court, in their living environment. conduct are brought to justice. As you can see, I have traveled a returns. but as I've said, there's no justice A prisoner Your support can be through let­ lot before my oppressors arrested A prisoner in that state. This is why I would Pontiac, Illinois ters and petitions to both Governor me in New York City. Lompoc, California

December 3, 1982 The Militant 19 THE MILITANT Chicano activist 'Kiko' ·Martinez acquitted inbombing frame-up

and convicted him in the press, and put a Government attorneys used delaying tac­ bounty on his head. Denver cops issued a tics to inconvenience out-of-town witnes­ "shoot on sight" order. ses to add to the cost of the trial. They also In the spring of 1974, six young tried to use defense testimony about Mar­ Chicanos, including Martinez's brother, tinez's legal work as a lawyer for a fishing-­ were killed in two separate explosions that expedition against Chicano activists. blew up their automobiles. To date these Supporters of Martinez attending the murders remain unsolved. Martinez, con­ trial as observers were presumed to be vinced he had no chance for a fair trial and dangerous and had their bags searched. A fearing for his life, fled to Mexico. metal detector was used that, although out In 1980 he was taken into custody by of sight of the jury, emitted a beep clearly border cops as he attempted to reenter the audible throughout the courtroom. The 13- United States. He has been fighting a legal year-old son of one of the observers was battle for his freedom ever since. pulled aside and frisked because his braces Martinez's federal trial in 1981 on one made the.machine beep. of the bombing charges ended in a mistrial From the beginning Martinez's defense when it became clear that no conviction attorneys, Walter Gerash and Ken Padilla, could be obtained. presented the case as a political attack Several months later, government docu­ against Martinez for his role as an activist ments obtained by the defense revealed that in the Chicano movement. during this trial a secret meeting was held Judge Theis refused to allow the Church in presiding Judge Fred Winner's room. report (a congressional report prepared The meeting included the prosecuting at­ under the direction of Senator Frank Francisco "Kiko" Martinez torneys, federal marshals, court personnel, Church documenting attempted "govern­ and two witnesses. ment disruption of the Chicano movement) BY MAUREEN MCDOUGALL cuela Tlatelolco, a Denver alternative Not confident of the prosecution's case, to be introduced as evidence. But Mar­ DENVER - An important victory for school organized by the Crusade for Jus­ they wanted to avoid a verdict of not tinez, along with other witnesses, took the Chicano rights took place here on tice. As a result one young Chicano was guilty. So they coordinated their efforts to stand to testify to the atmosphere of vio­ November 20 when the jury in the trial of killed and severe damage was done to the get a mistrial declared in order to continue lence against the Chicano movement in the Francisco "Kiko" Martinez took only a few school. Policewoman Carol Hogue was the attempts to convict Martinez. early 1970s and to the media campaign of hours to find him not guilty. He was officer who used the pretext of a jay-walk­ The judge maneuvered to get the mistrial smear, innuendo, and intimidation that charged with mailing letter bombs to oppo­ ing violation to organize the raid against called after the defense presented its case. made a fair trial impossible. nents of Chicano rights in Denver in 1973. the school. This was done in order to help the prosecu­ In addition to the legal defense, the Kiko The trial, which began in early October, In the fall of 1973, the district attorney tion learn what the defense strategy would Martinez Defense Committee succeeded in tasted until November 19 when both the called a news conference and accused Mar­ be in a future trial. Winner attempted to its efforts through a variety of activities to prosecution and the defense presented their tinez of mailing. three bombs, none of employ the FBI to wire-tap court proceed­ explain the stakes involved in the case. final arguments. This trial was the latest which had exploded. Those who were al­ ings in order to charge Martinez with jury They brought many supporters to court ses­ episode in a decade-long attempt to convict legedly the target of the bombs were intimidation. sions as a show of solidarity. Up to 150 the Chicano activist and lawyer of the policewoman Hogue, a motorcycle shop, This revelation of a conspiracy to deny people attended the proceedings each day frame-up charges. and a member of the Denver school board. Martinez his right to a fair trial resulted in to support Martinez. The charges against Martinez were The only evidence linking Martinez to the dismissal of the charges against him on As Rita Melgares, Martinez's sister, brought in 1973 at the height of a govern­ the bombs was a fingerprint resembling a state level. told the Denver Militant Forum on .. ment-orchestrated media campaign to Martinez's found on a piece of poster In addition, since Winner is the Chief November 12: "If we let this happen to smear the fast-growing Chicano movement board used in one of the bomb's packag­ Judge in the lOth Circuit, every judge in Kiko, it will enable them to quash other as violent. ing. A government witness testified that Colorado was disqualified from hearing the progressive movements. We are not just At that time, Martinez, one of the few the print could have been there for years case on the federal level. Frank Theis, are­ fighting for Kiko - we are fighting for Chicanos who won a law degree despite a before the borrib was made. tired judge from Witchita, Kansas, was ourselves." discriminatory educational system, de­ As soon as the charges were made brought in to preside over the trial that just Although Martinez ·may still face fended victims of police brutality and the against Martinez, the local media launched ended. another trial for a third bombing charge, rights of farm workers. a slander campaign against him. They por­ However, this did not stop the govern­ the current acquittal is a victory for all In March 1973 cops besieg~d the Es- trayed him as a wild-eyed "zealot," tried ment from continuing to use dirty tricks. fighters for social change. Harrisburg residents say: 'Don't restart nuke!'

BY DOUG COOPER Kathy McCaughin reported that the vote David Walls, executive vice-president Island Alert, said, "I was two months preg­ HARRISBURG - "We had faith in in the May 18 referendum was 2-to-1 of the Lebanon Valley Chamber of Com­ nant when the accident happened. I had to those entrusted with protecting our health against restart. In Dauphin County, where merce, said, "Your decision can be a signal wait until December to find out if my child and safety . . . but now we know we must TMI is located, 71 percent voted no. to the business community that we can was healthy." She continued, "We have no carry forth that task ourselves," Jim Hurst McCaughin explained, to wild applause, build the future." He was interrupted by money to buy silver-tongued law­ of People against Nuclear Energy of "We didn't say no restart until cleanup of booing and cries of "Big business!" yers .... The NRC is an advocate for Middletown, Pennsylvania, told a public Unit II, or until rates come down, or until Helen Rohrbaugh, president of the York the nuclear industry not a regulator. hearing here November 9. He was the first there are health and safety guarantees; we Board of Education, emphasized restart's You have always considered restart only as of 52 speakers at the hearing convened by said no restart!" She added, "I resent five "extreme importance to the free enterprise a matter of when, not if." system of central Pennsylvania." She, too, the five-member Nuclear Regulatory Com­ men in Washington holding the fate of my Joanne McConnell, who works at mission. life in your hands." was booed and interrupted with cries of "Money!" Middletown Day Care, said, "You worry When Hurst called on the NRC not to Speaker after speaker referred to the re­ about the big people and the people with allow the "undamaged" Unit I reactor at sults of the restart referendum. Greg Har­ James Spang, president of the American Society of Utility Investors, was booed off money, but you don't worry about the chil­ . Three Mile Island to be restarted, hundreds baugh, pastor at Lakeside Lutheran Church dren." of yellow and black signs saying, "We in Harrisburg, said, "This is a test not of the stage when he attempted to go over his three-minute time limit. Joyce Corradi, of Concerned Mothers of voted no on May 18. Keep TMI shut," shot electrical power, but a test of the power of Middletown, explained, "We live daily into the air and nearly 1,000 people roared people to control our own destinies. And Less than 25 percent of the I ,250 people with the consequences of high level waste in approval. the people have spoken." present were prorestart. This was dramati­ storage on the island and siren malfunc­ A majority of voters in three counties in Andrew Burger, 3rd Ward councilman cally confirmed late in the hearing when tions." tire area voted in a May 18, 1982, referen­ from Middletown, within a stone's throw Randy King, a local antinuclear activist, dum to keep TMI shut. of the crippled plant, said, "That vote called on those favoring restart to rise. At Helen Hocker, of Newberry Township, The NRC will rule December I 0 if the should be enough." He also proposed con­ the time, no more than 500 people were left pointed to the personal responsibility of the orders shutting down the reactor will be verting TMI to coal. in the room. At most 75 people stood up. NRC commissioners. "There can be no lifted. The reactor was immediately shut To a standing ovation, Jane Perkins, city When King called on those opposed to re­ plea of just following orders from some down after the accident that damaged its councilwoman from Harrisburg, told the start to do the same, 400 people rose cheer­ president of a utility or bank," she told twin, Unit II, on March 28, 1979. NRC, "If the vote on May 18 wasn't good ing. them. The accident at Unit II, the worst at a nu­ enough, we can do it over and over again." Most eloquent were those who spoke of Betty Tompkins, a 65-year-old grand­ clear plant in U.S. history,. caused 144,000 A very different response greeted the the anger, frustration, and loss of confi­ mother, said, "The jury is still out on my people to be evacuated in the weeks that nine prorestart speakers. Joseph Hoffman, dence in the government, the NRC, and two-year-old grandchild's life expec­ followed. president of Friends and Family of TMI, General Public Utilities, the ownerofTMI, tancy." Another woman described the car The NRC is not legally bound to con­ was jeered when he described "the out­ in the three-and-one-half years since the accident she had while evacuating on April sider the testimony at the hearing. Of the standing record of operation of Unit I be­ accident. 5, 1979. Her twooyear-old child was killed 52 speakers, only nine favored restart. fore the accident at Unit II." Suzanne Patton, a leader of Three Mile instantly.

20 The Militant December 3, 1982