'What Matters Most Are Fights by Working People'
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
AUSTRALIA $1.50 · CANADA $1.00 · FRANCE 1.00 EURO · NEW ZEALAND $1.50 · UK £.50 · U.S. $1.00 INSIDE Socialist Workers conference discusses openings to advance workers movement — PAGES 6-7 A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE Vol. 76/no. 29 August 6, 2012 Working Killings by ‘What matters most are farmers Anaheim cops fights by working people’ bear brunt spark outrage, SWP candidates join in labor, social battles of drought protests BY DAVID ROSenFELD by ARLenE RUBINSTEIN AND ELLen BRICKLey ANAHEIM, Calif.—Manuel Diaz, DES MOINES, Iowa—Small 25, was killed by a police officer here working farmers are bearing the July 21. Witnesses told the family he brunt of the most extensive drought in was shot once in the back of his body, a half century combined with a major dropped to his knees and then shot a heat wave, which has been wiping out second time in the head. He was un- crops in the Midwest and the Great armed. Plains states. Along with her parents, John “This is the third time in my lifetime and Genevieve Huizar, Lupe Diaz that I have experienced a drought like spoke out the next day in front of the this,” Garry Klicker told the Militant. Anaheim Police Department. “There “You can’t get over the feeling of dev- is no explanation for what the police astation that comes from total loss.” did. They robbed my brother of his Klicker, 66, owns a small farm in life,” she said. southern Iowa. In past years he raised According to Anaheim Police Chief and sold cattle. John Welter, police thought Diaz’s be- “Right now, corn is hurting. I am havior was suspicious—he was lean- short of hay. I have to haul water to ing against a car talking to two men Militant/Laura Anderson James Harris, Socialist Workers candidate for U.S. president, speaks at Chicago protest de- the cows. But in the long term, I don’t in an alley. manding release of prisoners framed under cop torture. At left Mark Clements, one of those know if we will even have corn to “He was hanging out with some tortured by Commander Jon Burge. Clements was freed as case against cops gained support. harvest for feed,” Gary Hoskey said friends and was shot in the back,” in an interview. He has 50 cows and Lupe Diaz told reporters, who ques- by ALYSON KENNEDY Harris and Maura DeLuca, SWP can- grows corn on 100 acres in Montour. tioned her about whether or not her AND WILLIE COTTON didate for vice president, are running a No one knows how long the drought brother used drugs, was a gang mem- “We’re out here today to support your working class, labor, socialist campaign will last, but currently 88 percent of ber or had an arrest record. fight,” James Harris, Socialist Workers that joins with workers resisting attacks U.S. corn and 87 percent of U.S. soy- “These kids run from the police Party candidate for president, told mem- from the bosses and their government beans are in drought-stricken areas. because they are afraid for their lives. bers of Machinists union Local 851, and engages fighters in a discussion on Continued on page 7 Continued on page 11 who were picketing July 20 outside how the working class can unite, fight Caterpillar’s hydraulics plant in Joliet, more effectively, and chart a course to- Ill., where some 780 workers have been ward independent political action. on strike since May 1. Caterpillar, which is posting high NY rally backs Con Ed workers, “At every campaign stop we extend profits, is demanding deep cuts from solidarity to workers in struggle and workers. The bosses’ assault against the demands raise in minimum wage learn the truth about their struggles so Machinists is being closely watched by we can tell other workers about them,” employers around the country. said Harris, who was in the Chicago “One of the big issues in our fight is area for three days as part of a national wages,” Jeff Burch, one of the strikers, campaign tour. Continued on page 3 U.S. cops demanded 1.3 million mobile phone records last year BY EMMA JOHNSON the constitutional right to privacy. In response to a Congressional in- The carriers report that they turn quiry, nine mobile phone carriers over records thousands of times a reported that last year cop agencies day in response to court orders, sub- demanded 1.3 million text messages, poenas and other requests. These de- caller locations or other informa- Continued on page 11 tion—one of many fronts in the gov- ernment’s ever expanding assault on Also Inside: Militant/Seth Galinsky Workers locked out by Con Edison in New York at expanded picket line July 24 after tak- Tens of thousands Through Rio Tinto lockout ing part with other fighting workers, unions, and community groups at rally in Manhattan. strike in Egypt fight, workers ‘more united’ 2 BY SETH GALINSKY participation of some 700 members of NEW YORK—Some 3,000 work- Utility Workers Union Local 1-2, who Socialist candidates: ers converged on Union Square here marched from the Con Edison head- textiles, ceramics Free the Cuban Five! 3 July 24 to back more than 8,000 quarters a few blocks away. BY LOUIS MARTIN locked-out Con Edison workers and to Con Edison, which made more than Over the past few weeks tens of Stu Singer: 45 years building demand raising the minimum wage. $1 billion in profits last year, locked thousands of textile and ceramics communist movement in US 4 Originally called by a coalition of out the workers July 1 in the midst of workers have conducted combative community and religious groups and negotiations for a new contract. The strikes in Egypt, continuing to use Unions, SWP targets of labor unions to back “low wage work- company is demanding a steep slash the space working people have won to Socialist Equality Party 11 ers,” the action was bolstered by the Continued on page 4 Continued on page 6 Through Rio Tinto lockout fight, workers ‘more united’ BY KatY LEROUGeteL Danny Beaudoin said in a phone inter- anD Joe YOUNG view. “I refused the offer. I’d have wait- ALMA, Quebec—Members of ed for Kitimat. I’m afraid we’ve cut the Steelworkers Local 9490 at Rio Tinto ground out from under them by accept- Alcan’s aluminum smelter here voted to ing too fast.” approve a new contract by a margin of The contract for some 1,050 Rio Tinto 84 percent. smelter workers in Kitimat, British Locked out since Jan. 1, the 770 work- Columbia, ends July 23. They face a ers were resisting company plans to hire similar fight against subcontracting. workers outside the union as “subcon- “This isn’t an overwhelming vic- tractors,” at half the wages once union tory,” USW Local 9490 President Marc workers retire. Rio Tinto bosses initially Maltais told the Militant. “But it’s still a offered union protection only for 350 so- union victory given the goals we set.” MetallosAlma Unionists representing Rio Tinto workers in U.S., Australia, New Zealand and South Africa called core jobs. Two union members were suspended joined March 31 rally in Alma, Quebec, in support of locked-out members of USW 9490. Rio Tinto Alcan, a subsidiary of min- by the company during the lockout, ac- ing giant Rio Tinto PLC, is the world’s cused of sabotage. Sureté du Québec, accord between RTA and provincially- get them unionized.” second largest aluminum producer. the provincial police, told the union owned power company Hydro-Québec “You have no idea what I gained from “It’s not as much as we wanted, but there was no basis for legal proceedings that earned the company millions of dol- this conflict: the solidarity, the sup- they wanted carte blanche and now against the workers. The back-to-work lars through sales of its excess electricity port,” said pot lining worker Jean-Marc there’s a limit to subcontracting,” agreement reduced each suspension by during the lockout. Vaillancourt. “I’ll never forget it. This is Patrick Giasson, an electro-technician, three months, to nine and six months re- All 56 union jobs in the pot lining a fight that’s marked me deeply forever.” told the Militant. spectively. During this time the union is center will be subcontracted. The 56 “The biggest gain in the conflict is the Hours worked by subcontractors supporting its two members financially. union workers will be offered other jobs employer’s respect for our organization,” are to be limited to 10 percent of those The company also refused to drop the in Rio Tinto plants at higher pay. Marc Perron, who works in heating and worked by union members. In the last summons served on Pierre Simard, local “We’ll develop ties inside the plant,” ventilation, said by phone. “We’re more year of the contract, which runs through union president of RTA’s hydro-electric said Jean-Marc Côté, a maintenance united than ever. We’ve mounted the 2015, that will increase to 15 percent. plant workers. Simard is accused of be- worker with 25 years’ seniority. “We first step. Now we have to climb the rest “We didn’t get a minimum guaran- ing instrumental in exposing the secret should reach out to the subcontractors to of the stairs.” teed number of jobs, but we got a ceil- ing on subcontracting,” said Local 9490 member Suzy Fournier. “The agreement respects our goal, ‘Declarations of Havana’ reviewed by Iran book agency which is to keep the plant competitive,” The following is a translation of Fidel Castro and adopted by million- The introduction to this work brief- Rio Tinto Alcan spokesperson Claudine a June 24 book review by the semi- strong assemblies of the Cuban peo- ly explains the perspective of the dec- Gagnon told the Militant.