MARCH .2, 1979 50 CENTS VOLUME 43/NUMBER 8

A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY /PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE WORKING PEOPLE

Ill Peking's invasion aids Washington's drive against Indochinese revolution -PAGE 4 SOlidaritY Iran: Interview

· Sll'lkei'S Also: How Tehran auto workers are I I us organ1z1ng ON-THE-SCENE COVERAGE, PAGES 6-8

... TEHRAN-Insurgent soldiers played crucial role in toppling monarchy. Now they are fight­ ing attempt to re-impose shah's hated officers. In Our Opinion VOLUME 43/NUMBER 8 MAR. 2, 1979 CLOSING NEWS DATE-FEB. 21

Rhodesian raids Anger over Weber No sympathy The white minority regime in Rhodesia Brian· Weber's challenge to affirmative ac­ The outcome of the scrap between the New launched another series of murderous raids tion for Black and women steelworkers has Orleans cops and city administration is one against neighboring Zambia an:d Mozambique aroused anger across the country. that trade unionists and partisans of the labor February 17-19. In New Orleans, supporters of affirmative movement can well afford to be indifferent to. A military spokesman said the attacks on action will rally March 4 (see page 11). The cops are demanding recognition of their Zimbawean refugee camps and guerrilla bases In Gary, Indiana, United Steelworkers Dis­ association, which has a charter from the were "part of a continuing operation, which trict 31 along with Gary Mayor Richard Teamsters, and various improvements in will continue as and when necessary." Hatcher will sponsor a meeting on Weber wages and working conditions. The regime carried out similar attacks last March 14. They don't deserve an ounce of sympathy. September and October, leaving more than In San Diego, a Machinists local has m­ Cops are not working people fighting 1,000 dead. These ca.ne while Prime Minister itiated a task force to defend affirmative ac­ against the bosses for a better life. They are Ian Smith and his three Black collaborators tion. agents of the bosses used to oppress working were touring the United States trying to sell In Philadelphia, an ad-hoc conference on people. If they don't like the returns, that's their "internal settlement" to the American Weber is scheduled for April 7. their problem. Let them go out and get a self­ people. The USWA District 31 Women's Conference respecting job. The raids are a desperate attempt to slow in Chicago February 15 spotlighted the Weber Some people, who realize the function and down the regime's disintegration. threat and decided on a campaign to mobilize role of police, think they see a progressive The guerrilla war has stepped up considera­ the union against it (see page 10). outcome to cops organizing and demanding bly in the past year, and the success of the The "Fourth Annual Day in the Park for recognition. Maybe it will improve their con­ freedom fighters has produced a deep demoral­ Women's Rights" in San Francisco March 10 sciousness, make them more sympathetic to ization among Rhodesian whites. More than will hear a speech on Weber by a USW A the plight of workers, less inclined to bust 18,000 fled the country in 1978. leader. heads on a picket line or in the community. The latest attacks are also an attempt to And the March 8 "International Women's But it doesn't work that way. Cops are punish Zambia and Mozambique, hoping these Day Celebrating Working Women" in New paid-and highly paid when you include the governments will put pressure on the national­ York City will feature Cynthia Hawkins, a graft and bribery that are a routine benefit-to ist leaders to reach a deal with Smith. Black woman whose job depends on the preserve "law and order." That means protect­ The Carter administration has been silent USWA affirmative-action plan under attack. ing private property. It means helping to break on the latest raids. But State Department By claiming the affirmative-action plan at strikes and crush the rebellions of Blacks, official Hodding Carter did find time to "de­ Kaiser's Gramercy, Louisiana, plant is illegal, Chicanos, and Puerto Ricans. It means brutal­ plore" and "condemn" the shooting down of the Weber case threatens every gain the civil izing members of oppressed minorities as part an Air Rhodesia airliner by freedom fighters a rights and women's movements have won. of the process of "keeping them in their place." few days before. By challenging the union's right to negotiate Any cop who starts acting sympathetic with The Carter administration seeks to impose the affirmative-action plan with Kaiser, the the exploited and oppressed can't remain a on Zimbabwe a neocolonial government that Weber case jeopardizes all union rights. "If cop. If his conscience doesn't drive him off the would safeguard imperialist interests and con­ they deny this union or any other union the force, his superiors will. tain the radicalization of the Zimbabwean right to enter into privately bargained for There is plenty of evidence that "unioniza­ masses. Washington has had to take its dis­ programs, they're not just talking about affir­ tion" can't change the function of a police tance from Smith's regime, knowing that its mative action," USWA Civil Rights Director force. It's well to recall that the prison guards base is too narrow to serve this purpose. Frank Mont told the District 31 Women's who carried out the Attica massacre had a At the same time, the Carter administration Conference. charter from the American Federation of continues to allow all sorts of surreptitious aid Putting affirmative action quotas in the State, County and Municipal Employees. Nu­ to be funneled to Rhodesia through South USWA contract with Kaiser was a step toward merous other examples can be cited. Africa and its European imperialist allies and putting union power on the side of the victims Cops are not draftees, compelled to serve. through trade with U.S. corporations. of discrimination. It was a step toward greater They take the dirty job voluntarily. If, by This policy has nothing in common with the unity and strength for the entire labor move­ chance, some of them don't quite realize what desire of the Zimbabwean people for Black ment. The Weber case aims to wreck that unity they're getting into, they're quickly given majority rule. Nor is it in the interests of the and pit white workers against Blacks, men ample opportunity to find out. Those that American people. against women. choose to stay with the "finest" deserve what Supporters of the African liberation struggle· Yet this attack can boomerang on the em­ they get. should expose Carter's maneuvers and mobil­ ployers. The unions have the power, together For trade-union bodies to issue charters to ize the American people to ~emand the U.S. with the Black and women's movements, to organizations of cops makes as much sense as . government keep hands off Zimbabwe. · mount a successful campaign to overturn issuing a charter to a union of professional Weber. scabs. We urge our readers to join this effort.

The Militant Militant Highlights This Week Editor: STEVE CLARK Associate Editors: CINDY JAQUITH ANDY ROSE 4 China's attack on VIetnam Women steelworkers meet Business Manager: ANDREA BARON 6 Iranian revolution District 31 Women's Conference in Chicago decided Editorial staff: Peter Archer. Nancy Cole, Fred 11 Anti-'Weber' Feldman, David Frankel. Os15orne Hart, Shelley on a campaign to defeat 'Weber' and defend Kramer. Ivan Licho. Omari Musa. August Nimtz, 12 Newport News strike affirmative action. Page 10. Harry Ring, Dick Roberts, Priscilla Schenk, Arnold 13 'Militant' sales Weissberg, Matilde Zimmermann. Published weekly by the M1l1tant. 14 Charles Lane. 20 Undocumented workers New York. N.Y 10014 Telephor:1e Ed1tonal Office 22 Socialist campaigns (212) 243-6392. Busmess Off1ce (212) 929-3486.

26 Israel torture Correspondence concerning subscriptions or 32 UFW strike changes of address should be addressed to The Militant Business Office. 14 Charles Lane, New 2 In Our Opinion Malcolm X York, N.Y. 10014. Second-class postage pa1d at New York. NY 21 African Solidarity Notes In his last year, Malcolm grappled with problem of alliances. Subscnpt1ons US $15 00 a year. outs1de U.S 27 In Review with white workers. Rise of working-class struggles today gives $20 50 By f~rst-class mail U.S Canada. and Mex­ 28 In Brief the question new urgency. Page 14. ICO $42 50 Wnte for surface and a~rma11 rates to all What's Going On other countnes For subscnpt·ons a~rfre1ghted to London then 29 The Great Society posted to Bnta1n and Ireland: £2 50 for ten 1ssues. Union Talk £5 50 for Six months (twenty-four ISSues). £10 for 30 Our Revolutionary Heritage one year 1forty-e1ght 1ssues) Posted from London Letters to Conttnental Europe £4 for ten ISSues. £8 for SIX months I twenty-four ISsues 1. £13 for one year 31 Learning About Socialism 1forty-e1ght 1Ssues1 Send checks or 1nternat1onal If You Like This Paper ... money orders lpayahle to lnte,cont,nental Press account) to. Intercontinental Press (The Mil1tant1 WORLD OUTLOOK P 0 Box 50 London N 1 2XP England 23 Peasants march in China Cleveland crisis S1qned art1cles by contrtbutors do not necessarily 24 World News Notes Mayor Dennis Kucinich is campaigning for higher taxes in reprpser"~t thp Mt!ttanr s v1ews These are expressed 25 Peru strike February 27 election. Does he represent workers? Page 9. 1n e(11tor~als

2 A history of 'abuse and deceit' Behind Carter's problems in Mexico By David Frankel · ~?''/····· <; Not a single agreement of any impor­ tance was announced during President Carter's February 14-16 trip to Mexico. In itself, that is not surprising. Nego­ tiations on such things as oil deals­ one of Washington's main concerns in Mexico-are carried out by teams of experts who know what they are talk­ ing about. Carter's job was to try to establish the right atmosphere for such negotia­ tions by reminding Mexican President Jose L6pez Portillo who was boss. Neither Carter nor his advisers ex­ pected any back talk. They were thun­ derstruck when L6pez Portillo com­ plained about "deceit and abuse" in U.S. relations with Mexico. The verbal thrust from Lopez Por­ tillo was only a pale reflection of how the Mexican people feel. Masses of people, prevented by the Mexican gov­ ernment from expressing their outrage MEXICO CITY, Feb. 7-Ten thousand proteet U.S. imperialism (see box on this page), simply ignored Carter. voked a war with Mexico and stole Mexico a thing of the past. Washing­ Both U.S. oil companies and the A report in the February 15 New more than half of its territory. ton has warned Mexico that if it joins Carter administration have been com­ York Times noted that "the visit ap­ U.S. troops again invaded Mexico in the Organization of Petroleum Export­ plaining that the price of U.S. gas and peared to generate little enthusiasm on 1917 to oppose the revolutionary forces ing Countries, it will be subjected to oil is too low and must be raised to the streets of Mexico City. . . . No who challenged the big landowners. reprisals in the form of cancellation of world market levels. But when Mexico crowds lined the routes of the motor­ Today, Mexico's economy is domi­ duty-free exports from the United tries to charge the world market price cade, although the lamposts had por­ nated by U.S. corporations. Private States. for its own petroleum products, the traits of the two leaders and their U.S. banks hold $11.5 billion in Mexi­ Another example is the dispute be­ imperialists say it is being "unreasona­ wives." can loans and credits. U.S. investors tween Mexico and Washington over ble"! Similarly, the Christian Science account for 72 percent of all direct natural gas prices. In December 1977, "Deceit and abuse" are also evident Monitor reported that "the crowds foreign investment in Mexico. And 70 the Mexican government had almost in the racist treatment accorded Mexi­ were sparse everywhere for the presi­ percent of all Mexican exports go to completed a 900-mile, $1.5 billion gas can immigrant workers in the United dent." the United States, while more than 60 pipeline to the Texas border. It was States. American capitalists want and Mexico has been bullied and exploit­ percent of all Mexican imports come about to close a deal with six· U.S. need these workers in order to harvest ed by the United States for the past from here. companies when the White House much of the country's agricultural 150 years. In 1846, Washington pro- Nor is imperialist blackmail against abruptly vetoed the agreement. products. They are also a vital source of cheap industrial labor. At the same time, the ruling class tries to blame the ills of its own eco­ nomic system on these workers. Just as in the 1850s Irish immigrants were Thousands say, 'Carter go home!' accused of taking jobs from "Ameri­ Three thousand people demon­ the .main focus of the PRT. but the government threatened that cans," and just as in the early 1900s strated in Mexico City February We are not in principle against it would not allow the demonstra­ Italian and East European immigrants 15 to protest President Carter's any export of oil. That would be tion, so people were afraid of vio­ were accused of being a burden on visit. The protest followed one foolish. But the people have to know lence. public services, Mexican workers and of 10,000 on February 7. what is being proposed and they They mobilized more than 10,000 their families are being scapegoated The following interview with have to decide. cops, with riot tanks and horses, and today. a leader of the Partido Revoluci­ The government has not an­ occupied the downtown section of Not surprisingly, the Mexican people onario de los Trabajadores nounced any rational plan for the the city with army trucks. So we had resent this treatment. (PRT-Revolutionary Workers export of oil, and nobody here wants to march uptown on the Paseo de la Carter never intended to seriously Party), one of the groups that to see Mexico become what Iran Reforma [one of Mexico City's main deal with such questions on his trip. called the demonstration, was was-a strategic base for the United streets]. Most of his visit consisted of social obtained by the 'Militant' Febru­ States. affairs and public-relations tours. ary 17. The PRT is the sister The other demand was around the Q. Was there any trade-union sup­ New York Times correspondent Alan organization in Mexico of the question of the undocumented port? Riding noted in a February 15 dispatch Socialist Workers Party. workers-for their right to work in that "apart from social occasions, the the United States. A. No. The other parties and other two leaders have not talked to each Of course, many other issues were possible supporters pulled out when other in total privacy. Further, today's Question. Why did people demon­ also raised. We also stressed the they knew the government was meeting ended 55 minutes early be­ strate against Carter? demand for political asylum to Hec­ against the demonstration. These cause, according to a Mexican spokes­ tor Marroquin [see pages 15-18]. included the Communist Pa.rty and man, 'There were no more subjects to Answer. The two main questions the Mexican Workers Party. They be dealt with."' were oil and the rights of undocu­ Q. Was the demonstration called said it was not the right time to The fact that L6pez Portillo felt it mented workers. by the PRT alone? demonstrate. [These groups, along necessary to make a public protest is There was a variety of demands. with the PkT, had supported the an indication of the mood of the Mexi­ First was to make the negotiations A. Mainly by the PRT, although February 7 protest.] can people. It is also another sign of between Carter and [Mexican Presi­ there were also some student groups However, the relatives of "disap­ the power of the Iranian revolution, dent] L6pez Portillo public. That­ involved. peared" political prisoners did take which has made the oppressed every­ and that the government should Three thousand people took part. part. They were at the head of the where bolder and more ready to stand publish its plans involving oil-was There would have been many more, demonstration. up to the imperialist bullies in Wash­ ington.

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The drive to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, FERMENT IN RAIL: Dissatisfaction withlast defense of affirmative action and abortion rights, State ------ZIP------year's national contracts is prompting de­ trade-union struggles, antiracist battles, interna­ 14 Charles Lane New York New York 10014 mands for right of union ranks to vote on tional news-read about these every week in the agreements. 'Militant'. Subscribe today so that you don't miss an WOMEN IN COAL: More than 2,000 now issue. Subscribe today work in the mines. Their fight against dis­ crimination is imperiled by 'Weber' case.

THE MILITANT/MARCH 2, 1979 3 thening the rightist military regime in Thailand and looking for other openings. " ... We are fully prepared to protect our vital interests wherever they may be challenged," Carter said in his Georgia Tech speech. "We are in close consultation with our friends and allies in the region, especially the states of the .Association of South East Asian Nations. Their continued stabil­ ity and prosperity are of great importance to us." In the meantime, actions such as that undertaken by Peking against Vietnam advance imperialism's aims in the area, while providing Washington with the cover of "evenhandedness" and "concern for • peace." To reveal the U.S. government's actual attitude toward the Chinese invasion, however, just compare Peking's invasion aids its calm reaction in recent days to the hysterical response in January to the war in Kampuchea. The U.S. government stridently condemned Hanoi for aiding the Kampuchean insurgents and declared its Washington's drive against refusal to even discuss normalizing relations with Vietnam until all troops were withdrawn. In stark contrast, on the very day that the Chinese invasion first hit the headlines, there were Indochinese revolution prominent stories on the same pages reporting Treasury Secretary Michael Blumenthal's visit this week to China aimed at nailing down large-scale trade deals. Business as usual. Could the signals be any clearer? Carter reaffirmed at Georgia Tech that Washing­ ton's planned trade deals with Peking would in no way be affected by the invasion of Vietnam. Moscow's reaction to the invasion has been cautious. It issued a statement demanding "an end to the aggression" and pledged to consult with Hanoi on the matter. The revolutionary government in Cuba con­ demned the reactionary Chinese move, saying, "For Vietnam, we are ready to shed even our own blood," and pointed to the Washington-Peking axis. Scope of invasion According to most news sources, a reported 100,000 Chinese troops were involved in the invasion-backed up by tanks, artillery, fighter planes, and more support troops on the Chinese side of the border. The statement released by Peking justifying the invasion brazenly called it a "counterattack to defend the country's borders." The statement added, "We don't want a single inch of Vietnamese soil." After four days, however, Chinese government and Carter sign agreement at public ceremony January 31. What troops remained on Vietnam's soil, and there were Peking's Invasion of Vietnam. no clear indications of Peking's immediate plans. There is a danger that the rightist Thai military dictatorship will exploit the situation to increase its By Mary-Alice Waters overturn of capitalism in southern Vietnam. military support to remnants of Pol Pot's army still The invasion of Vietnam by troops of the People's In his February 20 column, New York Times fighting along the Thai-Kampuchean border. Republic of China is the bitter fruit of a counterre­ Associate Editor Tom Wicker noted: "No one can Last month, Washington pledged to rush extra volutionary deal between U.S. imperialism and the say with certainty, but China probably will not be aircraft, weapons and ammunition to the Thai Stalinist Peking bureaucracy. It is a contribution by able to reverse the situation in Cambodia, where the government in the wake of the Kampuchean events. the Chinese regime to Washington's escalating Vietnamese already have installed a government, The Chinese invasion also serves to encourage campaign against the Vietnamese revolution. without a far more extensive military campaign rightist guerrillas fighting the Pathet Lao govern­ The U.S. government was clearly not surprised by than the one just launched. That would not only ment in Laos. the invasion. To the contrary, it had its response engage China in a costly war with the tough fully prepared when Chinese troops crossed the Vietnamese but sooner or later cause the Soviets to China's counterrevolutionary moves Vietnam border February 17. open a second front-a high price to pay for ho In trying to explain Peking's invasion of Viet­ "We call for the immediate withdrawal of Vietna­ assured gain in Cambodia." nam, an article in the February 18 New York Times mese troops from Cambodia and Chinese troops noted: "Many analysts view virtually all clashes in from Vietnam," said the official Carter administra­ Teng got the message Indochina as proxy struggles between China and tion spokesperson, linking the two from the outset. Chinese Vice-premier Teng Hsiao-p'ing had pub­ the Soviet Union." An unnamed senior U.S. official openly sug­ licly raised the possibility of an attack on Vietnam The same article referred to another common gested, "it was possible that Chinese troops might during his week-long U.S. visit last month to firm notion-a variant on the reactionary idea that wars remain in Vietnam to be used in exchange for a up ties with the American capitalists. He told are caused by "human nature." Paraphrasing the withdrawal of Vietnamese forces now in Cambo­ reporters that Vietnam ought to be "punished" and views of longtime Stalinist Wilfred Burchett, who dia." "taught some necessary lessons" in retaliation for writes for the New York-based Guardian weekly, the In his foreign policy address at Georgia Tech its military support to Kampuchean insurgents. Times conjectured that maybe "China's traditional February 20, President Carter went even further. He Washington's attempt to strike a pose of self­ expansionist aims have been revived ...." suggested that Vietnam had only itself to blame for righteous "evenhandedness" toward recent events Both of these "explanations" are wide of the the invasion, because of its support to Kampuchean in Indochina is meant entirely for public consump­ mark. insurgents who toppled the reactionary Pol Pot tion around the world. With the Peking bureaucracy As an article in last week's issue explained, regime last January. "In the last few weeks, we desperately committed to massive trade and techno­ revolutionary developments in southern Vietnam have seen a Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia, logical help from imperialism, it is unthinkable that and, as a result, a Chinese border penetration into it would launch a major military operation without Vietnam." (Emphasis added.) first seeking assurances that it would not be read by So the line of the U.S. ruling class is clear: Washington as inimical to imperialist interests. Vietnam was "asking for it" by sending troops into Kampuchea. And withdrawal of those troops is the The Carter administration knew of China's inten­ key to resolving other questions. tions and assured Teng last month that the opera­ Top U.S. government officials have indicated tion would in no way sabotage the anticipated repeatedly that they have been told by Peking that profitable trade. To the contrary, Teng got the the invasion is limited in both time and scope. message loud and clear that-off the record, of Washington knows that the Pol Pot regime can­ cour!;!e-U.S. officials saw positive sides to the as­ not be put back in place in Kampuchea. But it sault. clearly hopes that the invasion can pressure Hanoi As a result of the deep antiwar sentiments of to begin a withdrawal and eventually come to terms American workers, the U.S. rulers currently find with imperialism on a new regime there that the themselves unable to directly intervene with mil­ masses in Thailand and elsewhere will not want to itary force. Events of the past several months in emulate. In other words, Washington hopes it can both Southeast Asia and Iran show that the impe­ block a.n extension into Kampuchea of the revolu­ rialists are on the defensive. They hope to ulti­ tionary mobilizations that last year led to the mately reassert their power in Indochina by streng- Daily News

4 over the past year and a resulting intensification of the "imperialist-orchestrated campaign against the Vietnamese revolution provides the necessary con­ text for understanding the Chinese government's escalating hostility toward Vietnam. "Ever since Mao Tsetung clinked champagne glasses with Richard Nixon seven years ago, Pek­ ing has increasingly viewed the Vietnamese revolu­ tion as a destabilizing factor on its borders and an obstacle to improved trade and diplomatic ties with Washington. With the step-up of imperialism's anti­ Vietnam crusade last year, Peking jumped on the bandwagon.... "These same factors explain the Chinese military build-up along the Vietnamese border and Teng Hsiao-p'ing's bellicose statements during his U.S. visit. "In return for economic favors from imperialism, Peking is deliberately lending the prestige of the Chinese revolution to Washington's anti-Vietnam campaign."

China & Vietnam: four stages Let's take a closer look at four stages in Peking's growing antagonism toward the Vietnamese revolu­ tion. 1. During the Vietnam War. The bureaucratic castes in both Moscow and Peking refused to supply adequate military assistance to Vietnam during its While Moscow and Peking stabbed Vietnamese revolution in back to achieve detente with Washington, war to drive out the U.S. imperialists and the revolutionary Cuba's slogan remained 'Create two, three, many Vletnamsl' landlord-capitalist regime in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City). This counterrevolutionary stinginess in the face pulse could set the masses of Kampuchea, Thailand, against Vietnam with imperialism and its right­ of massive U.S. bombardment of Vietnam, which and other Southeast Asian countries in motion, wing Asian vassals such as the Thai regime stemmed from the Stalinists' desire to deal with responded by tightening the screws on Vietnam Having once gotten the green light from Wash­ imperialism at the expense of the Indochinese even further. Peking's interest in promoting stabil­ ington, however, Peking was ready to take action struggle, was condemned by the Fourth Interna­ ity, not class struggle on China's borders, led it to against the "Asian Cuba," as the Chinese Stalinists tional around the world. adopt a parallel stance of deepening hostility to the have begun to label Vietnam. In contrast to these policies of Peking and Mos­ Vietnamese regime. This term is inaccurate, of course. The Cuban cow, the revolutionary government in Cuba raised With the eager assistance of the Chinese Stali­ leadership deliberately pursues an anti-imperialist the banner "Create two, three, many Vietnams!" nists, the imperialists launched an international foreign policy, which is the furthest thing from the The Cuban government, much poorer than either hue and cry over the Vietnamese "boat people." minds of the Stalinist leadership in Hanoi. None­ the Soviet Union or China, offered to send arms and The majority of these refugees were comprised of theless, Peking's use of the parallel dramatizes its soldiers to aid the Vietnamese, as it is today doing expropriated merchants, traders, and their families. fear that the revolution in Vietnam will play the in Africa. And Castro stated publicly, "We are for Using the fact that most of the former merchants destabilizing role in Southeast Asia that the inter­ the socialist camp risking everything required for were of Chinese national origin, Peking blasted the vention of revolutionary Cuba's troops have played Vietnam." anticapitalist measures in Vietnam as racist, anti­ on the African continent. The low-point in the wartime Stalinist betrayal of Chinese moves. It urged the Chinese to flee Viet­ the Vietnamese revolution came in 1972, when first nam, raising the specter of pogroms. Ferment inside China Mao and then Brezhnev welcomed Nixon to Peking The hypocrisy of this combined Washington­ Another factor behind Peking's drive toward a and Moscow at the height of U.S. bombing of North Peking propaganda offensive was soon exposed by deal with imperialism is the promises made to the Vietnam, and the mining of Haiuhong harbor. the refusal of the imperialist powers to accept any Chinese masses over the past few years and fears of Despite the willingness of Moscow and Peking to substantial numbers of the refugees, whom the what the current ferment among Chinese workers, stab Vietnam in the back to get imperialist help to Vietnamese government freely allowed to emigrate.· peasants, and youth could grow into if they are not build "socialism in one country," the combined While calling on Chinese to flee Vietnam, Peking met. power of the Vietnamese fighters and the antiwar closed its own border to them in July! The bureaucracy hopes its services to Washington movement in the United States and elsewhere will be rewarded by speedier conclusion of economic nonetheless dealt a stunning blow to Washington's Withdraws aid to Vietnam agreements that will yield results justifying its plans in· Indochina. The Peking bureaucracy made a further display promises. In fact, it was from this position of weakness that to Washington last year by withdrawing its ambas­ The Chinese government's strategic commitment the U.S. ruling class made a tactical shift away sador from Vietnam and cutting off economic aid, to its drive for modernization through peaceful from its cold war policies and turned to Moscow and thereby reinforcing the imperialist embargo. coexistence with American imperialism precludes Peking for help in containing the revolution. Wa­ China also accelerated its troop build-up along any desire by Peking to become embroiled in an shington's goal was to salvage some presence for the Vietnamese border in the months following the extended border war with Hanoi that would drain capitalism in Indochina. anticapitalist measures there. The first reports of China's resources, increase instability throughout 2. Following the 1975 defeat of the U.S.-backed border clashes date from these belligerent moves, the area, and increase pressure on the Kremlin to Saigon regime. The Vietnamese Stalinists in Hanoi not from the "wanton incursions into Chinese come to Vietnam's assistance. hoped to follow hi the footsteps of Peking and territory" cooked up by Peking to justify its inva· ·But in any war, elements of misjudgment and Moscow by achieving their own "peaceful coexist­ sion of Vietnam. · miscalculation can accelerate beyond the control of ence" with Washington. U.S. imperialism, however, In November 1978, in response to these threats, any one of the participants. refused even to establish diplomatic relations and Vietnam signed a mutual assistance pact with the Most dangerous of all is the cover that China's imposed a tight economic blockade. Soviet Union. invasion provides for Washington's maneuvers to In addition, Washington rejected Vietnam's mod­ There is a bitter irony to the Chinese regime's advance imperialism's strategic goal of containing est demand for $4.75 billion in economic aid to treacherous betrayal of Vietnam. It closely parallels and then rolling back the social conquests of the repair the damage from nearly ten years of barbaric the Kremlin's counterrevolutionary treatment of Indochinese revolution. bombing that pockmarked the countryside, ruined China some twenty years ago, when Khrushchev Unlike Washington, Peking's aim in Southeast rice paddies, defoliated forests, and leveled major abruptly withdrew technicians and economic aid Asia is not to restore capitalism in Vietnam or sections of Hanoi and other cities. and refused to provide China with nuclear defense provide an opening for a massive new influx of - -Imperialism's hostility toward Vietnam stiffened against a tightening imperialist military encircle­ imperialist troops into the area. Either of these following the popular mobilizations in 1975 and ment at that time. would directly threaten China. Peking's aim is to 1976, after the decision had been made to reunify 4. The toppling of Pol Pot. The fourth stage, preserve stability on its borders to facilitate its the country. culminating in the Teng leadership's invasion, dealings with imperialism. Meanwhile, however, plans for the consummation began in December and January, when Vietnamese Whatever the Stalinists' aims, however, their of a Washington-Peking deal moved ahead. The forces aided insurgent Kampuchean forces in bring­ actions in Indochina in fact contribute to the goals Peking Stalinists looked for every opportunity to ing down the tyrannical Pol Pot government in of imperialism and pose a danger to the Chinese prove their reliability to the imperialists. A part of capitalist Kampuchea. workers state, as well as to Vietnam. the bargain was growing antagonism toward revo­ China had given substantial aid to that regime as lutionary developments in Vietnam. a club against the Vietnamese revolution. And Hands off Vietnam! especially after last years' expropriations in Viet­ Defenders of the Chinese and Indochinese revolu­ Overturn of capitalism nam, imperialism had begun to view Kampuchea tions must demand that Peking immediately and 3. The overturn of capitalism in southern Viet­ increasingly as a vital buffer against the spread of unconditionally withdraw its troops from Vietnam, nam last year. Faced with continuing imperialist the Vietnamese revolution. and end its counterrevolutionary complicity with pressure, internal economic sabotage by the remain­ The Vietnamese rulers threw major military Washington's drive to roll back the revolution in ing commercial capitalists in the south, and other forces into the drive against Pol Pot's regime Southeast Asia. Pl"essing economic problems, the Vietnamese gov­ because they felt the tightening encirclement and We must reject Carter's blackmail, linking Chi­ ernment last spring mobilized the urban population the potential for eventual military probes by impe­ nese withdrawal from Vietnam with withdrawal of in Ho Chi Minh City and elsewhere to expropriate rialism. With China moving closer into the embrace Vietnamese military support to the new Kampu­ some 30,000 remaining private businesses. of Washington and making threatening moves on chean government. These sweeping anticapitalist measures marked Vietnam's northern frontier, and with Pol Pot's Our demands must be: the consolidation of the entire country under a army putting pressure on another of Vietnam's Hands off Vietnam! single planned economy-a major advance for the borders, Hanoi evidently felt the need to act quickly. Chinese troops out now! Indochinese revolution. It sought to establish a government in Kampuchea Stop the imperialist campaign against the Vietna­ Washington, fearing that this revolutionary im- that would be less hell-bent on making a bloc mese revolution! THE MILITANT/MARCH 2, 1979 5 Iran: class polarization deepens By David Frankel nationalizing the banks, which own 60 nounced "rebellious elements who are ministers have little authority among Which class will rule Iran? percent of Iranian industry," the New trying to form workers committees and the workers. They are heading the That is the question now posed by York Times complained February 12. are threatening demonstrations if they government only because it was the Iranian revolution. The previous A front-page commentary in the are opposed," calling them "prosti­ handed to them by Khomeini. period, during which an entire nation February 19 issue of the Tehran daily tutes." Khomeini retains great popularity, appeared united in a common struggle Kayhan noted that "there are signs oil Khomeini himself has said of such but his authority has yet to be tested against the shah, has given way to a workers are not listening to Ayatollah challenges from the workers, "If the under the new circumstances. Khomei­ deepening class polarization. Khomeini and leftist groups have an united leadership is not accepted by all ni's high standing can melt rapidly if On one side, bourgeois forces orga­ astonishing amount of influence over groups, I shall regard this as an upris­ he stands against the demands of the nized around Ayatollah Khomeini and them." ing against the Islamic revolu­ workers. his appointees are trying to impose a Viewed as "out of control" by Time tion ...." Moreover, the state apparatus re­ stable capitalist government. mains in a shambles, and no reliable magazine and as forces of darkness by Tough talk has also come from On the other, the working masses Carter, these oil workers correctly in­ military force has been rebuilt by the Prime Minister Mehdi Bazargan, government. who swept aside the monarchy-and sist that the provisional government another Khomeini appointee. He in­ The extent of the mass pressure has who have gained confidence in their appointed by Khomeini was not elected sisted in an interview with Newsweek, been reflected in the execution of eight own power-are determined to build a by anybody and has no right to tell for example, that the Communist of the shah's top generals. After the new society free of exploitation and them what to do. (Tudeh) Party "is illegal according to first four were shot, Bazargan flatly tyranny. the existing law, and we will obey that Meanwhile, the soldiers whose sup­ declared that the executions would Khomeini, who was reviled by U.S. law." Bazargan's threat presumably port was decisive in the overthrow of stop. But on February 20 four more of officials and the big-business media for extends to other left-wing groups as the monarchy are protesting attempts the shah's murderers were executed­ refusing to compromise with the shah, to restore the authority of reactionary well. is now looked to by Washington as a without Bazargan being consulted. commanders from the shah's officer Other antidemocratic moves by the bulwark against the masses. An indication of the dismay among corps. Khomeini-Bazargan forces are already Fear of the Iranian people and what the imperialists at this development is evident. They have so far refused to set they might do pervades the reports in On the following pages are inter­ their frequent references to "kangaroo a date for elections to a constituent the U.S. media and the statements by views by Militant associate editor courts"-a phrase that they never assembly. They have tried to limit the government officials. Cindy Jaquith with Iranian workers dreamed of applying to the genuine and soldiers. These make it clear that choice before the masses to a capitalist frame-ups, torture, or mass executions "A revolution was spinning out of the masses are organizing committees "Islamic" republic. carried out under the shah. control," Time magazine moaned in its in the factories and the barracks and But despite threats and bluster, Perhaps even more upsetting to February 26 issue. President Carter are in the midst of a deep-going politi­ neither representatives of the Iranian Washington was the visit of Palestine referred to "the darker side of change" cal ferment. national bourgeoisie such as Bazargan Liberation Organization head Y asser in a major foreign policy speech Febru­ According to a report in the Febru­ and Karim Sanjabi of the National Arafat to Tehran February 18, and the ary 20. ary 20 New York Times, Sadegh Front, nor Khomeini himself, has had depth of solidarity displayed by the "On the left wing of the Islamic Ghotbzadeh, one of Khomeini's main the confidence to engage in a real Iranian masses for the Palestinian movement there is already talk of advisers and the Ayatollah's appointee confrontation with the masses. struggle for self-determination. abrogating international debts and as director of the mass media, de- Bazargan knows that he and his Arafat's arrival-while representa­ tives of American, British, and Israeli imperialism were streaming out of Iran-was an inspiring sign of the change wrought by the Iranian revolu­ tion. As Arafat pointed out, the revolution in Iran "has changed completely the whole strategy and policy in this area. It has been turned upside down." What is the road. forward for the Iranian workers and peasants now that the monarchy has been over­ thrown? The general strike, which had as its clear political focus the demand for an end to the monarchy, has achieved everything it could at this point. As the workers go back to their factories and as soldiers return to the barracks, what will be decisive is their ability to hold meetings, form committees, discuss their demands, and elect their own representatives. Such committees-in the factories, the barracks, and the countryside­ provide the framework through which the interests of the working masses can be expressed and defended. Extended throughout the country, they can turn back the attempts to stabilize a capitalist regime appointed from above. They can organize the masses in the fight for a workers and SAVAK agents arrested after insurrection. Mass pressure has forced execution of some top generals. peasants government.

Battle of Doshan Ta~~eh Rebel airman tells of struggle in military By Cindy Jaquith explained, "I want the facts of what About one year ago, the homafars everyone would refuse to eat." TEHRAN-When a group of airmen happened here to get to the United began carrying out strikes to protest The generals tried to hide these at the Doshan Tappeh air base here States. We want the American people military discipline and the shah. An strikes from the public. Sometimes decided February 9 to stand up to the to understand we are not against them. example is what happened at the air -they scheduled the work day to exclude shah's tanks and bullets, their cries for We are against the American govern­ base in Boushehr in the southern part meals so there could be no strike. They help were heeded immediately by the ment." of Iran: were deathly afraid other soldiers and surrounding population. He began by telling us about the "It was from this base that planes the population as a whole would be But few of the thousands of people radicalization in the air force over the flew over surrounding countries to inspired further by the homafars' pro­ who marched to the base in solidarity past year. The deepening hatred of the display the shah's support for other tests. that night realized that they were shah and his U.S. military advisers regimes," the homafar told us. "One witnessing the beginning of the Teh­ began to find open expression among day a general slapped one of the ho­ ran insurrection. the homafars of the air force. These are mafars. The rest of the men went on Mass marches Nor did the courageous young air­ young technicians and engineers. strike for a week in response. They As the marches against the shah men themselves know that the Battle Their rank is roughly equivalent to refused to repair the planes, grounding grew to millions last fall, the homafars of Doshan Tappeh would culminate in sergeant in the United States. all flights for a week." felt they too must publicly show their the overthrow of the hated Pahlavi Created by the shah thirteen years Then the protest moved to hunger opposition to the shah. So they began monarchy. ago, the homafar branch of the air strikes: to organize their own demonstrations Three days after the insurrection, force has always borne the brunt of the "Homafars, like everyone else, could against the monarchy, one of those airmen told the story of officers' scorn and brutal discipline. no longer live under the shah's repres­ "Homafars held marches off the that battle to the Militant and the The radicalization of the homafars sion. We had to take action. So we base, all over the country, We con­ French Trotskyist newspaper Rouge. thus developed in part as a struggle for would go on hunger strikes. The word demned the shah-and later Asking that we not use his name, he democratic rights. would be spread through leaflets, and Bakhtiar-and supported Ayatollah

6 Iranian soldiers ask, 'Where are our rights?' The following resolution, Where is the democracy in the titled, 'In protest of the appoint­ army that we fought for? ment of air force commanders,' Where is our right to free speech is being distributed at meetings and free press? and demonstrations of homafars Where is our right to assemble, to and other soldiers. belong to a political party? Signed by 'a group of homafars Where is our right to vote and in support of democracy in the participate in elections? army,' the resolution was passed Where is our right to elect our by acclamation at a meeting of commanders? homafars at Technical Univer­ And finally, where is our right to sity in Tehran February 16. organize in the army, to establish our own committees, where we can Fellow homafars, discuss and make our own deci­ The struggle to achieve democracy sions? and social justice which began in The shah's generals always told our society one year ago has found us not to interfere in politics. But reflection in the army as well. Soldi­ this was a trick. It was used to ers, homafars, and others who were prevent us from protesting their insulted daily by their commanders; crimes against the people and their individuals who were denied the plundering of the nation's riches. slightest human rights such as free­ We must have the right to partici­ dom of speech, press, assembly, and pate in politics, so we and the soldi­ the right to vote; joined with the ers are not used to massacre and great mass of the Iranian people to repress the freedom fighters. We overthrow this corrupt order. must have the right to elect com­ Homafars saw our interests lay in manders we trust, not appointments extending our hands to unite with of individuals over us. the people to overthrow the corrupt It is now clear these rights won't regime and replace it with an order be granted to us unless we stub­ in the interests of all the oppressed, bornly fight for them and organize an order that would overcome the ourselves. This is why a group of us misery and excesses of the past. have organized around the following We and other military personnel demands: joined the huge demonstration of 1. Full democratic rights in the Ara'in [the February 8 march to armed forces: freedom of speech, support Bazargan against Bakh­ press, and assembly; the right to tiar]. Then we took part in the days organize, to belong to political par­ of insurrection, uniting with the ties, to vote in elections; an end to ranks of the people to fight the the ban on homafars attending the shah's guards and generals. universities. But unfortunately the events of 2. Homafars themselves must the past few days have gone in a elect their own commanders. The direction exactly opposite to these elections should be decided by major­ armed forces committees and are d,.m~'ndinll aims. This gives us reason to con­ elect officers, as well as freedom of speech, press, and assembly. ity vote with everyone _having the tinue our struggle. right to run for office. The same pawns of the old regime-those who not only pledged 3. The right to form committees of Khomeini. Then everyone got to know contingent or report people's names. So allegiance to the shah but also never homafars in every garrison to strug­ that homafars were on the side of the after the march, Khomeini supporters joined us behind the barricades dur­ gle for these demands. people." provided us with a defense squad." ing the struggle-have now been 4. Extension of all the above These marches had to be built in an. appointed as our commanders, and rights to all branches of the armed underground fashion on the bases. The Spontaneous demonstration this without the slightest consulta­ forces. homafars also needed support from the The next day, February 9, the atmos­ tion with us. Soldiers of the army constitute the civilian population: phere on the air bases was extremely We must ask ourselves, why have immense armed mass of the revolu­ "A leaflet would appear on the base tense. The homafars' demonstration there been so many martyrs among tionary movement. Achieving free­ giving the time and place of the march. was intolerable to the military brass­ the homafars and soldiers? Our fel­ dom for them will achieve freedom The homafars would gather in uniform it threatened to crack the armed forces low soldiers didn't risk their lives to for all the armed forces. in one spot, and civilian backers would wide open. see the same faces back in charge. We invite all homafars and other meet at another. Then we would join The airmen, however, had been in­ No, we voluntarily stood side by military personnel to join us to real­ forces for the demonstration." spired by the march to speak out with side with the people-in the face of ize these demands. We also invite The presence of civilians protected even greater confidence. enemies' bullets-to struggle for so­ civilian militants and freedom figh­ many of the airmen from victimiza­ On the evening of February 9, at the cial justice and democracy. But now ters to join us. This will be another tion. Nevertheless, some of the homa­ Doshan Tappeh air base, homafar we're returning to th~ same old con­ step in strengthening the bonds fars lost their lives. trainees, called honarjous, were watch­ ditions. between us. ing a televised account of Khomeini's Jamshidieh massacre victorious arrival in Iran the week "Military intelligence caught some before. The homafars themselves do hospitals and saw all the heads they the base. We kept pushing them people giving out leaflets. Others who not live on the base, so they were not had busted open. We were furious. further away, block by block. At every had marched were identified by the there. "So we refused to work, and instead comer, as they retreated, we built a generals. There were arrests. A spontaneous pro-Khomeini demon­ started demonstrating in the yard. new barricade." "Shortly before the shah was forced stration broke out in the TV room. After a while, a few officers and non­ Once the base was secured, the ho­ to leave the country, he had 157 homaf­ Members of the elite Royal Guards, commissioned officers joined us. mafars elected new officers. The top ars executed at Tehran's Jamshidieh who had been policing the air bases for "It was then that the Royal Guard officers had disappeared during the Air Base. Another 40 were shot later." several weeks, rushed into the room. attacked the base. battle---.except for General Rabii, the The J amshidieh massacre was only They clubbed the honarjous with "Tanks poured toward both the national commander of the air force. reported in the bourgeois press after their rifle butts and shot several. When north and south gates of the base. Rabii was there the whole time, observ­ the shah was gone .. Bakhtiar denied that. didn't work, they drove a tank "At the north gate they were ing the killing of his men from a heli­ the shootings had ever taken place. right through the door. stopped. The civilians outside blocked copter. The event that led up to the Battle of The honarjous moved outside. They them, and the guards at the gate shot But it was the Royal Guards who Doshan Tappeh was the February 8 began demonstrating, shouting: at them. took the worst losses-more than half demonstration of more than 1 million "Down with the Bakhtiar "But the Royal Guards got in at the the sixty-three killed in the fighting. in Tehran. government-guards go home!" south gate. They began machine­ The insurrection spread from Do­ A contingent of 1,000 airmen and They also yelled: "Allah-ho-akbar"­ gunning indiscriminately. shan Tappeh. Homafars took over a other military personnel in uniform "God is great"-the signal for help. "Homafars rushed to the armory to police station to get more arms for the joined the march called by Khomeini People began gathering at the gates get guns. A captain was there, and he people. They joined in the battles to support his newly appointed prime of the base, especially the relatives of tried to keep them out. He was shot. around the city, although not in an minister, Mehdi Bazargan. The homaf­ the honarjous. As the crowd grew "We armed ourselves, and we gave organized way. ars went to the demonstration as a outside the Royal Guard commanders guns to the civilians outside. It was the collapse of the army in the group: decided to withdraw their forces from "At this point, everyone on the base face of the insurrection that sealed the "In the morning, we put our uni­ the base for the night. realized that the Royal Guards were people's victory. An equally important forms in paper bags and went to the going to massacre everyone inside. factor was the unprecedented solidar­ majlis [parliament building]. Behind February 10 attack Low-ranking officers and even the ity of the civilian population with the the majlis was a house near Khomei­ Early the next morning the homaf­ Green Berets [same type as in the homafars when the fighting began. ni's headquarters. There we changed ars reported for work: United States] joined the homafars in Some press reports have given the into our uniforms and went out on the "We had heard about what happened repelling the attack. Women and chil­ mistaken impression that the main march. Afterwards we returned to this the night before. When we arrived at dren living on the base went after the forces fighting with the airmen were house, changed into civilian clothes the gates, there were still thousands of tanks, setting one on fire. the two guerrilla groups-the Islamic again, and went home. people outside. They gave us food. "Between those of us inside the base Mujahadeen and the Marxist-oriented "We knew there must be agents in "We went inside and saw the wreck­ and civilians shooting from rooftops Fedayeen. These guerrillas were active our midst who would try to disrupt our age the guards had left. We went to the outside, we drove the Royal Guards off Continued on next page

THE MILITANT/MARCH 2, 1979 7 A Militant interview How Tehran auto workers are organizing The following is an interview · Q. What were meetings of the strike with a strike activist at the Gen- committee like? eral Motors plant outside Tehran. A. We held them regularly. As many The 'Militant' conducted the inter­ as 1,000 workers would participate in view on February 13. Four days the discussion. But gradually the pro­ later the GM strikers returned to duction workers lost confidence in the work, along with most other committee. workers in the city. This was because representation on The GM plant is situated on Old the committee was heavily weighted Kary Road, the highway leading toward the office workers. When we west from Tehran. This highway elected the committee, production is a mile-long belt of factories­ workers were given far fewer represen­ auto, steel, pharmaceutical, petro­ tatives than the office workers. This chemical, and other industries. began to pose a political problem. There are 2,600 production workers at the GM plant, and 600 office workers and technicians. Q. Can you explain further? The interview is with an office A. The production workers felt they worker. were denied a full voice in decision making. They felt the committee lead­ Question. How did the strike at GM ership was too conservative and begin? wasn't fighting effectively for their demands. Answer. First let me describe what The committee was dominated by has been happening at the plant for people who worked closely with the the last year. Long before-in fact ever forces around Ayatollah Khomeini. since GM opened the plant-there has They tried to suppress discussion when been deep resentment among the production workers demanded more workers toward the management, democracy in meetings. which is American-dominated. Opposi­ For example, if someone got up and tion to this domination has been at the said workers were playing a special heart of our struggle. role in this revolution, the committee Management. has imposed produc­ leaders would try to isolate him by tion norms-such as speedups-on the calling him "communist." workers. The day-to-day atmosphere in This angered workers. They argued the plant is extremely repressive. They back that it was the workers, espe­ hired an ex-colonel in the Iranian cially the oil workers, that had brought army to supervise discipline. He is a the shah down. · SAV AK agent. Time and again, strik­ Statue of shah's father is brought down day after shah was forced to flee. Iranian ers have been handed over to working class played decisive role In overthrowing monarchy. Q. How did GM workers participate SAVAK-the secret police. in the insurrection? What role did the So in late January 1978, we went on strike committee play? strike to demand that this SAV AK be A. No. All we had was a phony attempt to deny us wages. dismissed. union-a government-controlled union. We were locked out for twelve days. A. People participated as individu­ The strike was defeated and many The officials of this "union" tried to Since we couldn't meet in the plant, the als. One worker was killed and another workers imprisoned. The army occu­ cool down the workers. But events had first meeting of the committee took was injured. The strike committee pied the factory. reached the point where the "union" place at a nearby university. We in­ didn't communicate with us during the Early in the summer we staged a sit­ had lost all authority with the workers. vited students to attend. insurrection. down strike. Again we demanded the It was basically dissolved. The demands at the committee fo­ firing of the SAV AK agent, as well as Instead, workers began talking cused on the fact that management Next steps changes in management. We continued about the need for a union of our own. was stealing our money. And npt only our strike until the oil workers walked One that acts in our own interest, not management. We knew that 10 percent Q. What do GM workers think is the off the job. the company's. Such unions were ille­ of the profits went to the Pahlavi next step, now that the monarchy has gal under the shah, of course, so we Foundation owned by the shah. been overthrown? Q. Why did the GM strike end at this decided to start by setting up a tempor­ A. The biggest question on workers' point? ary committee. Open the books minds is forming a union. First, many A. The company put a lot of pressure So the committee demanded that the production workers want to see a new company's financial records be opened. on the workers to return. They threa­ Q. How was the committee set up election of the strike committee-this The workers pointed out that we wer­ tened to fire us otherwise. They did and what were its first activities? time they want a majority of the dele­ however promise to pay some back en't being paid, but meanwhile one of gates. wages. A. It was elected at a meeting of the bosses had fled the country with a There was also discussion of forming But the workers continued to orga­ both office and production workers in lot of company money in his suitcase! a national auto workers union. nize on the job. Some people put out a December. The committee also called for control In my opinion, there are some other leaflet urging that we continue the This was at a point when the oil of policy in the plant-no firings. It important steps as well. The defense strike to get rid of the SAV AK. workers strike reached a peak. Because demanded the right of committee repre­ guard established by the strike com­ there was no petrol, the bosses at our sentatives to participate in manage­ mittee should be maintained. We Q. Did you have a strike committee plant decided to shut down. The ment's meetings and it raised the idea should also continue solidarity activi­ at this point? workers viewed this as simply an of workers controlling production. ties with workers in other factories .

• "We deserve the same rights as any mese people's affairs. "If American soldiers are fighting ... a1rman other citizen in Iran. That means the "If the United States were to send for their democratic rights, as we are, Continued from preceding page right to speak and write what we troops to Iran, it would be to get its we support them. We're behind anyone participants, but their numbers are please, to read whatever books we like. hands on our oil. whose rights are being denied." relatively small. "We ought to be able to join political As the homafar we interviewed put parties and to vote. it, "Everyone in Tehran was a mujaha­ "Under the present laws, established deen during the insurrection." by the shah, homafars need permis­ sion to get married. We can't attend Struggle continues the universities, although officers can. In recent issues we have appealed accounts of the Iraniari revolution. Since the overthrow of the mo­ These laws should be abolished. to our readers for financial help to We only wish the Militant came out narchy, the airmen have continued "Another restriction bars us from cover the extraordinary expenses of more ofteri. their struggle. talking to foreigners. The idea is that our eyewitness coverage from Iran. "The distortions of the events in When Prime Minister Bazargan ap­ we would give away military secrets. Here are some of the responses: Iran by the capitalist press are a pointed General Mehdioun as the new This is really ridiculous. What secrets A group of steelworkers in Los disgrace to the brave Iranian air force commander, protests broke could a homafar reveal to the CIA? Angeles sent $125 with this note: masses. The Militant is performing a out on air bases around the country. The CIA set up the Iranian armed "We wanted to send a special contri­ great service to working people Mehdioun, who served under the shah forces in the first place!" bution so as to help ensure on-the­ throughout the world!" for forty years, is regarded as a traitor spot coverage of the Iranian revolu­ We doubt there is any other news­ to the revolution. Bazargan was finally U.S. Army tion. It was gratifying to us to know paper in the United States-and few forced to appoint a different com­ We ended our interview on the ques­ that while the bourgeois press just anywhere in the world-where you mander to the post. tion of rank-and-file soldiers in the didn't have reporters on hand that can read accounts such as the inter­ In the demonstration against Meh­ U.S. Army. What attitude do homafars the Militant- in its great tradition­ views in this week's Militant. dioun, airmen raised the demand that have toward them? did." they be allowed to elect their own "As I said before, we're not against A supporter in Albany wrote: "En­ To help keep it coming, please officers. Other democratic demands are the American people. American sol­ closed is a contribution. Everyone send a contribution today to: Mili· also coming to the fore on the air diers should look at what the U.S. here can't wait until the next issue to tant Business Office, 14 Charles bases. government did in Vietnam. It went in read Cindy Jaquith's eyewitness Lane, New York, New York 10014. The homafar explained: there to get its hands on the Vietna-

8 Socialists vs. Kucinich ~cleveland workers need our own party'

Militant/Dick Roberts DENNIS KUCINICH working people.

By Frank Lovell weekly, says that Kucinich "was nich's top political adviser. paign for well-funded, desegregated The idea that the working class forced to call for a vote" on the tax But has this contributed to the politi­ schools; bring hospitals and other should be represented in government is increase. The Communist Party's cal power of working people in Cleve­ health-care centers under the control of popular among workers. So popular Daily World portrays him as a belea­ land? No. Look at what Weissman had the community, in cooperation with that when Dennis Kucinich ran for guered "antimonopoly" fighter. Both to say last December, when municipal staff people. mayor of Cleveland in 1977, he tried hail him for his empty grandstand unions threatened to strike against Some Cleveland working people tell even harder than most Democratic play of refusing to sell the tiny Munici­ proposed layoffs. N tweng that they hope for something Party politicians to paint himself up as pal Light Company (see box). "They're dealing with the most pro­ better in the future, but they want to the candidate of the common people. labor administration they've ever dealt know what they can do now. with," said the former- UAW official, N tweng answers that for a start, Describing himself as an "urban Socialist mayoral campaign "and we have no intention of tolerat­ they can vote "no" on the tax hike populist," Kucinich told reporters last Socialist Workers Party mayoral ing the attempt by the unions to dic­ February 27. And in the mayoral elec­ September that his election "brought candidate Thabo Ntweng has a differ­ tate political and governmental policy tion next November, they can vote for about a shift in the center of power, ent message for Cleveland workers. in violation of their collective bargain­ him and the whole SWP ticket-the from the major corporate interests, the Ntweng, a member of United Auto ing agreements." only candidates campaigning for Workers Local 217, points out that banks, the utilities, the real estate Kucinich has no intention of bring­ working-class solutions and political trusts, to the poor and working Cleve­ there are two major social forces in ing the power of the unions to bear in independence. landers." Cleveland. One is the corporate power running Cleveland. His aim is to structure. The other is the working Since his election, though, Cleveland shackl-e that power inside the capitalist Where real power lies class allied with the Black community. working people haven't fared very Democratic Party. And union mislead­ But politics is not confined to the well. Kucinich cut the city work force The corporate power is organized ers such as Weissman are helping him voting booth, Ntweng stresses. politically. The working class is not. by nearly 15 percent in just one year. out. Workers' action on the picket lines and N tweng believes the working class Against this losing strategy, Ntweng in mass demonstrations against unem­ Last fall, however, bankers and cor­ and its allies can and must form their poration heads who call the shots in explains that a party that truly fights ployment and poor housing, against own mass party, a labor party based for working people can only be orga­ high taxes for the military budget, or Cleveland said that wasn't enough. on a fighting union movement. One of They demanded more cutbacks, so that nized by the union movement, making against nuclear power and pollution of the obstacles, he says, is the false hope a clean break with the Democratic the environment is much more produc­ immediate interest payments could be that a self-proclaimed "working-class made on outstanding municipal bonds. Party and its politicians. tive politically than following the false champion" such as Kucinich will de­ A labor party would be entirely advice of labor misleaders, In These In December, the city went into de­ feat the corporations. fault. different from the capitalist parties, Times, and the Communist Party by N tweng explains that all experience Ntweng says. It would unite the great supporting a mayor who does the Now Kucinich warns that there will proves this will not and cannot majority of working people-Black and bidding of big business. be major city layoffs and social service happen. The working class must fight white, skilled and unskilled, employed "The main thing," Ntweng says, "is cuts unless Cleveland working people its own battles in the political arena, and unemployed, men and women. don't expect others to look after you. vote themselves a 50 percent payroll just as it had to battle on the economic It could open offices and meeting Look out for yourselves." tax increase on February 27. front in the 1930s to create its own halls in working-class neighbor­ In Ntweng's opinion, that's the only This performance should be proof industrial unions. way the vast majority in our society positive that Kucinich is anything but hoods-in many cases operating out of will ever be represented in pro labor. Yet many in the radical union halls. It could help organize neighborhood government-in Cleveland, or any­ movement lend the mayor a hand in Conference of labor pretending to speak for working peo­ When Ntweng announced his cam­ committees to monitor prices; cam- where else. paign on the SWP ticket in January, ple. In These Times, a social democratic he called for a conference of Cleveland unions and community groups to dis­ cuss ways of solving the city's eco­ nomic, social, and political problems. Union tops back tax ripoff His proposals are: tax corporate By Joanna Misnik plained that this regressive payroll Cleveland votes profits, not working people; halt the CLEVELAND-Not a single tax places the burden on those least In the February 27 special elec­ layoffs and cutbacks; desegregate the Cleveland union has taken a posi­ able to pay. tion in Cleveland, the Socialist schools; declare an immediate morato­ tion against the proposal to raise "Every time there is a crisis in Workers Party is urging: rium on bank payments, force open this city's regressive income tax from government," he said, "the working DON'T VOTE ON ISSUE their books and those of the city treas­ 1 percent to 1.5 percent. people are the ones asked to shoulder ONE, the proposal to sell Muny ury for union and community inspec­ On the contrary, the Cleveland the financial burden." Light. Whether this tiny company tion. Federation of Labor, representing Thabo Ntweng, Socialist Workers is retained by the city or sold to Ntweng says these ideas have gotten area unions affiliated to the AFL­ Party mayoral candidate and a Cleveland Electric Illuminating serious hearing on the job among CIO, voted to endorse the tax hike. member of UAW Local 217, told the Company will make no difference workers in many unions. No position on the Muny Light issue Militant that the UAW leadership's in electrical rates. City and state Most workers don't have much confi­ was taken, reflecting the divided reactionary position on the tax issue government bodies must approve dence in Kucinich, Ntweng says, and loyalties of officials within that body is the consequence of its subser­ CEI's rate increases and conse­ they like the idea of a labor party. But to Mayor Dennis Kucinich. vience to Kucinich and the Demo­ quently have the power to turn they don't know how such a party On February 7, 120 delegates to cratic Party. rates down whatever happens to could be created, or who would do it. the United Auto Workers CAP (Com­ "I know that there is significant Muny Light. Our fire should be munity Action Program) Council opposition to the tax increase among directed at these capitalist politi­ passed resolutions supporting the my fellow unionists," he said. "Yet cians, who are using the fraudulent Party of big business tax increase and opposing the sale of in most cases we didn't even have an "save Muny" issue to cover up their In trying to make the case that Muny Light. The meeting was opportunity to discuss what position complicity with CEI's rate-raising Kucinich himself is a working-class heated, with strong opposition to the to take in our locals. A democratic profiteering. candidate, his supporters in the radical tax hike from some of the delegates. discussion would have demonstrated VOTE NO ON ISSUE TWO, movement acclaim his appointment of UAW Local 45 introduced a resolu­ the real sentiment of the UAW mem­ the proposal to raise the city pay­ a number of union officials to city tion opposing the tax increase. The bership. roll tax from 1 percent to 1.5 per­ office. resolution noted that the UAW had "Our union, 60,000-strong in this cent. Cleveland industry and Kucinich, for example, named former opposed similar tax-hike proposi­ area, should have brought its power banks, with billions of dollars in United Auto Workers official Sherwood tions in 1970 and 1974. to bear to beat back this attack on assets, should pay the taxes-not Weissman to be city personnel Local 45 President Tom Chudione, the living standard of all Cleveland working people. director-the mayor's hatchet-man, in in introducing the resolution, ex- working people." other words. Weissman is also Kuci-

THE MILITANT/MARCH 2, 1979 9 400 meet in Chicag2 Women steelworkers urge action against By Nancy Cole ·· . . ·· ..·. . ... CHICAGO-Nearly 400 women steelworkers meeting here February 15 decided on an action campaign to defend affirmative action and defeat the Weber case now before the Su­ preme Court. The weather was bad, and many women had to take a day off with lost pay, but the turnout for the second annual Women's Conference of United Steelworkers District 31 was almost double that of last year's meeting. About one-third were Black women steelworkers. The conference was an official dis­ trict event, organized with the coopera­ tion of the District 31 Women's Cau­ cus. The presence on the speakers' platform of USWA Interna­ tional Secretary Lynn Williams and Civil Rights Department Director Frank Mont reflected the impact the . · Nancy · caucus has already had. Carolyn Jasin (left) said government figures show Republic. S!eel hasn't implemented Consent Decree. USWA Civil Rights And the exchanges between the men Director Frank Mont (far right) tried to respond to string of questions on probationary firings of women. on the stage and the women on the floor-sometimes good-natured, more often angry-pointed to an even bigger 1974, Blacks held only 5 out of 273 and defend affirmative action. was that Congress extended the ERA role in the future for women in the skilled craft jobs at the plant-less Another affirmative-action issue dis­ deadline "thanks I'm sure, at least in USWA. than 2 percent. cussed was the 1974 consent decree part, to the massive march in the Contingents of women from USWA It wasn't just their hiring practices, under which major steel companies capital in which a large delegation locals 2609 and 2610 in Baltimore and he continued, "they did not permit into agreed that 20 percent of new hires from District 31 and many other steel­ from Minnesota's Iron Range also the crafts large segments of our total would be women. workers from across the country partic­ attended as observers. membership-white males included­ Carolyn Jasin from the women's ipated" last July 9. Women discussed and questioned unless you had the prerequisites of committee of Local 1033 told the civil Even though the new deadline is union officials about on-the-job prob­ being a craftsperson. rights workshop of the runaround she three years off, he said, "the time to lems, industry discrimination, and "So when the courts say there was had gotten from the company, union, step up the mobilization and ratifica­ their rights and role in the union. But no finding of discrimination, they're and government when she tried to tion campaign is now." the issue that received the most atten­ like Lady Justice-they have their track down figures on implementation Williams went on to discuss the tion was Brian Weber's challenge to blindfold on." of the decree. "similarity of goals" between the labor affirmative action. Juanita Holmes, head of the civil Finally, after using the Freedom of and women's movements. It is best rights committee of Local 1010, agreed Information Act, she got the statistics illustrated, he said, by two lists-the 'Reverse discrimination'? with the importance of the Weber case, for the Republic Steel plant where she list of twenty states with so-called USWA Secretary Williams posed the but, she asked Mont, "what is the works. They show, she reported, that right-to-work laws and the list of fif­ Weber case as the "crucial question of International doing as an awareness the company is not in compliance on teen states that have not ratified the whether a collectively bargained pro­ program? What is the International hiring women. ERA. gram that sets aside 50 percent of craft doing all over the country to tell our "What are we going to do about it?" "It is not a coincidence, I would training vacancies for minority membership?" she asked Mont. None of the quotas for suggest, that a dozen states, a full 80 members and women constitutes legal Mont answered that the union had allowing women into the apprentice­ percent of the unratified states, are affirmative action or illegal reverse only one official organ, Steel Labor, ship programs have been reached also right-to-work states." discrimination." and that it had run one prominent either. He then spoke of the "crucial battle" Williams explained the union's article in December. Some of the timetables give the in Newport News, Virginia, where the answer to the lawsuit by Weber, a "Anywhere I can find a gathering, company until 1984 and 1986. "Why "right to work" laws are being used as white lab technician at Kaiser Alumi­ anywhere I can dispatch my people, did the union agree to such timetables? a club against shipyard workers strik­ num's plant in Gramercy, Louisiana. anywhere Vice-president [Leon] Lynch Why are we waiting ten, twelve years ing for recognition of their USWA lo­ Williams concluded, "How important can go, we have talked about Weber," to get women into apprenticeship pro­ cal. is the case? Well, affirmative-action Mont said. He pointed to union sup­ grams when we need these jobs now?" Balanoff pledged that "when agreements negotiated by our union port for the March 4 rally against J asin asked. Brother Bruce Thrasher [USWA] direc­ alone, most of them parallel to the one Weber in New Orleans, and said he She also reported that at Republic up tor in that district, calls upon us for at Kaiser, cover nearly a million of our had met with branches of the NAACP to 75 percent of the probationary em­ financial, moral, and people support, members." on the case. ployees fired are women. we're going to answer that call, and I In the afternoon civil rights work­ The companies' "hire-'em, fire-'em" know that women in our district will be shop, filled to overflowing by nearly 70 Mobilization proposal policy for women-and the 520-hour in the forefront." conference participants, Civil Rights The workshop approved, and the probationary period itself-,-were Later Balanoff told the conference Director Mont debunked the lower entire conference later adopted, a reso­ among the most explosive issues at the "We have a job to go back and explain court's findings that Kaiser never dis­ lution calling for the "mobilization of conference. the importance of the strike in New­ criminated against Blacks. our entire membership to bring pres­ To persistent questioners, Mont de­ port News and why it's important that Forty percent of the area's work sure on the Supreme Court to uphold clared that the union's position is to we as a union give full support to our force is Black, he said. Yet in 1974, affirmative action" and for full support fight-,-that is, file grievances-for all brothers and sisters in Virginia." even after pressure had been exerted, and an all-out effort by local unions for victims of discrimination on the job, The conference approved a resolu­ Kaiser "still had only a 15 percent a March 14 meeting on the Weber case whether they've completed the proba­ tion in support of the Newport News minority work force, and I'm not going called by District 31 and Gary Mayor tionary period or not. steelworkers' strike. to even tell you the figures on the Richard Hatcher. Women here, however, insisted that women." An amendment passed the workshop this is not the practice. "Why isn't the Women confront officials Before the affirmative-action pro­ unanimously, calling for a national union backing us up?" a Black woman The morning part of the conference gram was negotiated by the union in march on Washington to protest Weber demanded. set aside a period where the steel­ "What's the union going to do about worker delegates could ask the panel of it? What's the International going to speakers questions. There was a steady do about it?" asked another. stream, with no words minced. Women The eruption at the civil rights work­ were still lined up at the microphone shop over probationary firings elicited when the session ended for lunch. no satisfactory answers from union officials present,. but the women at the Why are the international officials conference did pass a resolution call­ opposed to an international women's ing for abolishing the probationary department? asked one steelworker. period and for the active union defense Women's affairs are best settled in of all workers from day of hire. the civil rights department, answered Williams. ERA campaign "I hate to see the women separate Both USW A Secretary Williams and themselves out into single-issue peo­ District 31 Director James Balanoff ple," added Mont. stressed the fight for the ERA in their "I appreciated Brother Williams's remarks to the conference. speech this morning," commented Ro­ Just the day before, Illinois legisla­ berta Wood, cochairperson of the tors defeated a rules change proposal Women's Caucus. "I was happy to hear that would have helped clear the way a speech talking about the ERA, ma­ for ratification of the Equal Rights ternity benefits . . . affirmative action. e Amendment. But it's funny, I never heard these Turnout at District 31 Women's Conference was double that of the first conference One of the gains since the last things before we organized the last year. Women's Conference, said Williams, Women's Caucus." 10 New Orleans rally to defend·~ affirmative Weber action wins help from unions, students By .Ron Repps The student government at Xavier chairperson of USW A Local 13000 Far from being interested in a "sin­ NEW ORLEANS-Unionists, femi­ University, a Black Catholic school, Civil Rights Committee and Connie gle issue," Wood explained, the caucus nists, students, and Black community has announced its support for the Goodley, UTNO Executive Council. had prompted women to become more organizations are joining together here March 4 rally. And Dillard University, active in their union. "We can see the to defeat what all agree is the single another Black private college, will hold 'Reverse discrimination' myth role that women have in strengthening most dangerous threat to affirmative a meeting on Weber and affirmative action-the Weber case. action, among other topics. One of the most important tasks of the whole union. If we can do this the committee is to educate the public without a department of women's af­ Brian Weber, a white lab technician At Southern University in Baton for Kaiser Aluminum in Gramercy, Rouge, a campus-wide rally on Weber about the issues in the Weber case. fairs, think what we could do with This is made more difficult by the such a department." Louisiana, is suing to overturn an is scheduled for February 28. affirmative-action program negotiated coverage the news media have given Coretta Scott, a Black woman from Weber,. portraying him as the "little Local 12775, asked what the interna­ by the United Steelworkers. List of speakers The program set aside 50 percent of The speakers list for the March 4 man" fighting for his chance in life tional is doing to provide jobs on its ;md "victimized" because he is a white staff for women and minorities. "We skilled job training positions at the rally grows daily, as new unions, or­ plant for Blacks and women. ganizations, and individuals join the male. need a fact sheet on the progress," she State Rep. A very Alexander says he suggested, "and I'm not t_alking about Weber maintains, and two lower fight against Weber. answers the charge of ~·reverse dis­ clerical jobs, but about actually repre­ courts agree, that the program discrim­ At present it includes: Harold Sand­ inates against him and other white erson, USWA international civil rights crimination" by citing "the hundreds senting the union." of years of discrimination . . . and the "We're doing everything we can," males. The case is now before the department; Claudia Davis, program Supreme Court. coordinator, Louisiana Bureau for conditions as they are now. The gov­ Williams offered. His remark prompted ernment, industry, education, etc., are laughter, boos, and hisses. Last fall, the Committee to Overturn Women, Women and Employment Pro­ the Weber Decision and Defend Affir­ gram; Rev. S.L. Harvey, president, all controlled by white males; Reverse "I'm awfully uncomfortable," he discrimination is simply a myth." managed to continue, "and I suppose mative Action was formed. CWODA Louisiana .Southern Christian Leader­ that's appropriate in the minds of has focused its efforts on a rally ship Conference; arid Lecia Molesion, Alexander has donated the use of his many of you." planned for March 4 at the Laborers public affairs director, Louisiana Ur­ New Orleans office to the committee. Union hall. ban League. Unions in the city have also aided Minority women Activists at college campuses across Also, Gretchen Hollander, Louisiana the committee's work. The United The conference also discussed and New Orleans are holding programs director, American Civil Liberties Teachers of New Orleans put out a approved resolutions on maternity be­ and debates on Weber and affirmative Union; Vear Warren, junior class presi­ 5,000-piece mailing to all teachers and nefits, abortion rights, ERA, child action. Two recent' meetings at South­ dent at SUNO; Willie Montgomery, paraprofessionals explaining the im­ care, job safety, and the right to ratify ern University in New Orleans, the field representative, AFL-CIO; Rudy portance of the case and announcing union contracts. · Black state university, attracted more Gordon, first woman to be hired at the the March 4 rally. A resolution on the oppression of than 200 students. More than 90 Kaiser Gramery plant; and Rev. Avery Ten thousand leaflets were supplied minority women workers unanimously signed CWODA's mailing list. Both Alexander, state representative. by the Amalgamated Transit Union. passed. "I have been in a plant now meetings were sponsored by the Also, Kernel Gudia, union grievance In Gramercy itself, the Black steel­ thirteen years," said Juanita Holmes. school's junior class. committee at Kaiser Gramercy plant; workers probably understand better "I have seen the revolving door for At the University of New Orleans a Rosie Roy, state coordinator, National than anyone the importance of this minority women. I've seen us hired, debate is planned February 21 on Organization for Women; Gus Thomas, fight. One Kaiser worker, a skilled and I've seen us fired. I'm so glad ~ "Weber, affirmative action, and quo­ president, New Orleans NAACP; Lena carpenter, told me he was hired as a see that our white sisters are rising tas." Speaking for affirmative action Craig Stewart, secretary-treasurer, general laborer because Blacks were with us in this fight." will be Rashaad Ali, CWODA coordi­ Hotel and Motel Employees Union not allowed into the skilled trades Speakers from outside the union who nator, and Jane Van Deusen, a steel­ Local 166; and representatives from within the plant. addressed the conference were Rev. worker at Kaiser's Chalmette plant. the National Association of Black So­ Rudy Gordon, a Black woman Willie Barrow from Operation PUSH, Brian Weber and his lawyer were cial Workers, United Teachers of New worker at the plant, says that Weber author and historian Barbara Werthei­ asked to provide their opposing views, Orleans, and Louis A. Martinet So­ "is not only hurting Blacks, he's hurt­ mer, and Joyce Miller, president of the but both declined. So the anti­ ciety, a state association of Black law­ ing whites too." Coalition of Labor Union Women. affirmative-action position will be rep­ yers. On the prospect of Weber winning in As the conference was winding up resented by Jerry Supernaw, "a pre­ Cochairing the rally will be Rev. the Supreme Court, she just shook her several women took the microphone to vious plaintiff in a 'reverse Isidore Booker, president of the West head and said, "It will put us back so make general comments. One thing discrimination' case." Bank Jefferson Parish NAACP and far, especially the women." that could help the next conference, suggested a Chicana, is to cut down on the long speeches at the beginning so that there would be more time for workshops and discussion. More fallout from 'Bakke' decision Another woman requested a progress By August Nimtz een council seats to minority students. Weber, Lyon seeks to overturn report from district officials at the next At the beginning of this year, • A federal court in Philadelphia affirmative-action provisions in the conference on the resolutions passed at NAACP head Benjamin Hooks said awarded $31,000 to a white former 1977 contract negotiations by the fa­ this one. "We don't expect miracles," that the Supreme Court's 1978 Bakke official of the Department of Welfare culty union, the American Association she said. "But we want to know what decision has had a "far more chilling February 2 for being a victim of "re­ of University Professors. has been done." impact than we thought it could have." verse discrimination." And still another woman told the Events since the decision, he contin­ This decision goes far beyond the meeting that this was her first union ued, have been "more disturbing than Bakke ruling because- no affirmative­ conference of any kind, and for her it we thought they would be." action program was involved. The had been an "inspiration." The fallout continues from that deci­ claimant, Richard Cleary, argued that sion, which legitimized the racist no­ since he, one of a few white workers in tion of "reverse discrimination" a largely Black work force, had not against white males. been promoted, then this was "proof' • On February 5, the Fourth Circuit that he had been discriminated Court of Appeals ruled against Black against. student representation on the Univer­ • Also in Philadelphia, Robert Lyon sity of North Carolina student council. and three other male professors at The circuit court's decision, which Temple University have taken aim at extends the Bakke ruling, held that the women in higher education. They filed constitutional rights of two white stu­ a suit in federal district court, claiming dents were denied because the student that "less qualified" female instructors constitution allocated two of the eight- are paid more than Lyon. Like Brian

~oil shows backing for racial equality The Brian Webers and Allan·Bakkes and minorities are given every chance tion" for Blacks or women. But an t~ to pr~tend their attacks on affirma- to have equal opportunities in employ- even bigger majority said the govern- bve actwll: have . th.e suppo~ of the ment and education." ment should pass laws "to guarantee overwhelmmg ma)onty of wh1tes. The poll findings were part of a equal job rights" for Blacks and report A recent poll confirms that this is by the National Conference of women. Christians and Jews. The poll question false. Despite widespread confusion This confusion is deliberately fos­ specified that such programs would over quotas, there is more sentiment tered by the government, big-business, not include "rigid quotas." The confer­ than ever among working people­ and news media campaign to cover up ence report seized on this fact to claim including whites-for equality and on-going discrimination and pretend that the Bakke decision has made against discrimination. And that in­ Blacks and women have now "made affirmative action more acceptable to cludes big majority support for affir­ it" in American society. whites. mative action. The truth is that these contradictory One of the biggest educational tasks A Harris poll released February 20 attitudes have been around for some for defenders of affirmative action is to Militant/Nancy Cole found that by 71 to 21 percent, whites time. . explain that without "extra USWA SECRETARY WILLIAMS: Sees agree that "after years of discrimina­ A 1977 poll, for example, found a big consideration"-without quotas-there 'similarity of goals' between labor and tion, it is only fair to set up special majority-nearly three fourths of those can never be genuine equality for the women's movements. programs to make sure that women questioned-opposed "extra considera- victims of centuries of discrimination.

THE MILITANT/MARCH 2, 1979 11 Southern organizing battle Solidarity grows for Newport •""-4 Spirits high on picket lines By Laura Moorhead NEWPORT NEWS, Va.-While Ten­ neco grooms itself for its February 22 court challenge to the Steelworkers, striking shipyard workers are looking toward February 24-when Virginia unionists will stage a rally and march here in solidarity with the strike. In spite of a severe snowstorm in the area Sunday night, February 18- which kept Monday picket lines small-spirits were high Tuesday morning at the Sixty-eighth Street gate. Workers walking the picket lines shouted energetically at the scabs, who skulked through the gates under the watchful eye of Virginia state troopers. Tenneco, owner of Newport News Shipbuilding, still claims that 60 per­ cent of the yard's nearly 18,000 produc­ 'They're walking a picket line for your benefit as well as their own,' says Newport News Labor Council president tion and maintenance workers are back at work. But United Steelworkers Local 8888 received benefits for more would have on other workers through­ Tenneco's July offer. But this is ex­ tell you they're most concerned about than 13,000 strikers on Monday night. out the low-wage South and the entire actly the package the company put health and safety," Jerry Kelly, editor The USW A international strike fund, country. back on the table again. Union officers of the United Steelworkers strike bul­ which pays benefits of $30 per worker Strikers lining up for their benefits walked out in disgust. letin, told the Militant. per week, presented a check for more Monday morning complained about Designers President Lee Johnson "What we want are union safety than $396,000 to Local 8888 President inadequate and biased social services told the Militant that the company is committees to enforce OSHA [Occupa­ Wayne Crosby. on the Tidewater peninsula. They cited "still trying to play the same games tional Safety and Health Administra­ The shipyard workers, whose strike understaffed offices and a thirty-day after all this time." tion] regulations inside the shipyard." began January 30, are fighting for waiting period for food stamps after "What we're striking over is take­ union recognition, union rights, and application. aways," Johnson said before entering Kelly himself is a good example of union wages. In neighboring . Hampton, steel­ this round of talks. "We will not give why the union's 700 volunteer organiz­ On February 22 the Fourth Circuit workers applying for food stamps had up what we had in the past. And while ers inside the shipyard feel so strongly Court of Appeals in Richmond will the word "Striker" written across the we haven't been striking for twenty­ about safety. He's a twenty-six-year­ hear arguments on Tenneco's refusal top of their applications. two months just over money, money old welder with six years at his job. to recognize and bargain with the Local merchants appear to be trying has sure become a major subject. On And he's hurting. USWA. The arguments of the contend­ to force strikers back to work by refus­ average, we're $2.50 an hour behind ing sides are limited to thirty minutes ing to hire them for part-time jobs. the rest of our industry." "As I talk my jaw is killing me and each, after which a three-judge panel The hostility of state and local go­ "We were put out [forced on strike] my left eye hurts," he told a meeting of deliberates behind closed doors. vernments is contrasted to the support for one reason," a striking designer student strike supporters later that The Steelworkers won a representa­ strikers have received from unions that told the Militant. "To show the produc­ evening. Welding without proper pro­ tion election in January 1978. After regularly service the shipyard. The tion and maintenance people what tection has "burned out" his sinuses. months of investigation-at Tenneco's Communications Workers, Seafarers, would happen to them if they joined a "It wasn't until January 14 that I was behest-the National Labor Relations Marine Pilots, and building trades are union. The only way we're going back actually trained in how to use a Board certified 'the union in October. all refusing to perform work for Ten­ is if we all go back together." respirator-~fter six years welding!" But the company still refused to neco while the strike is on. Tenneco is just as criminally negli­ bargain. Charging "election irregulari­ Local 8888's closest ally is its sister gent about asbestos regulations. ties," Tenneco is appealing to the court Steelworkers Local 8417, composed of to overturn the NLRB ruling. 1,200 marine designers. 'Shut down "I was hired February 2, 1973,'' Kelly Tenneco's belligerent stance is part The shipyard designers were forced said. "But I didn't learn until this past of the overall anti-union offensive by out on strike in April 1977; Last week unsafe jobs' July that effective January 31, 1973, big business. The employers are Local 8417 negotiators met with com­ the company was supposed to ask deathly afraid of the impact a victory pany representatives for the first time By Shelley Kramer every year whether I wanted a com­ for the Steelworkers-at one of the since July 1978. NEWPORT NEWS, Va.-"Ifyou ask plete physical because I work with South's largest industrial work sites- Local 8417 unanimously rejected the union organizers, they'll probably asbestos. Unions vow support: 'Their struggle is ours' By John Hawkins and 7097 at U.S. Steel Chemical-have members nationwide, against the steel Coal miners stand behind the ship­ "These men are walking a picket line voted to take a stand in solidarity with corporations in 1977. yard strikers "100 percent." for your benefit as well as their own," their brothers and sisters in Virginia. Support is also coming in from Can­ United Auto Workers Local 451 in wrote Ralph Edgerton, president of the "Whatever help they need to win ada. Dave Patterson, president of Cleveland sent two members of its Newport News Central Labor Council, that strike, whether it's people, finan­ USWA Local 6500, which is in the education committee to Newport News "and for their morale and the effect on ces, or moral support, we'll support sixth month of its strike against Inco February 17. citizens not involved, we hope you will them," said Jim Balanoff, director of in Sudbury, Ontario, explained, "The They walked the picket line with join us." USW A District 31 (Chicago-Gary). Newport News struggle is a fight for strikers, visited the strike headquar­ Edgerton's appeal to join in a Febru­ "That fight is ours. It's important all union security, to establish the union. ters, and are planning to present a ary 24 demonstration of solidarity with over the nation." "We fought thfs out over thirty years report to the next local meeting, com­ the shipyard workers was echoed by At a recent meeting of USWA Local ago, and we know the way to do it is to plete with a slide show, to let Local451 the Virginia AFL-CIO: 6787 in Bums Harbor, Indiana, steel­ go with the union." members know what's at stake in this "The results of our efforts will be workers adopted a resolution of sup­ Patterson said Local 6500 is eager to strike. monumental in determining the future port to the shipyard strikers and voted send speakers to U.S. union locals for prospects of the Virginia Labor Move­ to send them monthly financial contri­ solidarity meetings and would be ho­ Solidarity messages and requests for ment." butions for the duration of the strike. nored to share the platform with New­ speakers should be addressed to Despite a virtual news blackout on port News strikers. USWA Local 8888, .9314 Warwick the strike outside Virginia, unionists A support resolution was also Support for the shipyard workers is Boulevard, Newport News, Virginia across the country are beginning to get adopted at the District 31 women's growing in other unions as well. "It is 23607. Telephone: (804) 599-0480. word of the Newport News struggle conference in Chicago February 15. hard to believe these [government] Representatives of USWA Local 6500 and are demonstrating their support USWA Local 6115 on the Mesabi officials are still trying to impede on strike against lnco in Sudbury are for United Steelworkers Local 8888. Iron Range in northern Minnesota also collective bargaining with nightsticks, also available to speak. For more infor­ Three steel locals in Pittsburgh- passed a support resolution. Iron range police dogs, armored cars, and helicop­ mation write Local 6500, 92 Frood 1219 at U.S. Steel Edg.ar Thompson ·steelworkers waged a successful 138- ters," said United Mine Workers presi­ Road, Sudbury Ontario. Telephone: Works, 1843 at Jones and Laughlin, day strike, with the support of USWA . dent Arnold Miller. (705) 675-1388.

12 Militant supporters prepare for sales drive By Peter Seidman Of course, hundreds of other ten­ News strikers Shipyard workers in the Puget week introductory subs will also be "I haven't had a physical since 1973. But that did not end the tragic story. Sound area gave a warm welcome to sold during the week-as socialists To the best of my knowledge I, as well the coverage in last week's Militant of seek new readers for the Militant and as 15,500 other production workers, "In the time that had elapsed, gan­ Perspectiva Mundial by canvassing grene had spread up the worker's leg," their striking brothers and sisters at could die from cancer because the the Newport News Shipyard in Virgi­ door to door in working-class neighbor­ Hayes said. "So they had to amputate shipyard doesn't give a damn." nia. hoods and college dormitories. again up to the knee. And then a few At a citywide membership meeting Shipyards are among the most dan­ Seattle socialists sold forty-one pa­ weeks later up to the thigh. He lived last weekend in Los Angeles, the SWP gerous workplaces. And without union pers at the Tide and Lockheed ship­ less than a year. decided to make participation in the resistance, Tenneco has been able to yards. In Tacoma, our supporters sold "The shipyard and the PSA worked sales campaign a "central priority" get away with murder. twenty papers at the Tacoma Boat­ together against this poor man. They yards. during the next ten weeks. Poor ventilation, poisonous chemi­ wouldn't give him one penny," Hayes In Newport News itself, a full-time New Y ark socialists held a similar cals, unsafe guard rails and planks, angrily recalled. "I argued his case but sales team sold out of its supply of 177 city-wide meeting February 20. live welding cables, burning gas lines, the PSA lawyer refused to help. papers in only three days. This team­ They discussed how they would par­ ticipate in the sub week by sending dangerous cranes, and hazardous radi­ "Later I found out that the compen­ the second to go to Newport News­ teams throughout New York State and ation from nuclear work are just some sation board was trying to protect the was made up of socialists from Boston, Connecticut. of the conditions that create deadly shipyard. This was the kind of thing Brooklyn, and Pittsburgh. The New Yark socialists also decided risks for Newport News workers. that made me break with the PSA." These good results underscore the to mobilize all their forces for the Yet they have never had a safety growing interest among industrial "In my thirty-six years inside the workers in the Militant's socialist kickoff week of the single-copy sales clause in any contract. The Peninsula yard I've seen lots of men hurt or drive that begins March 9. They de­ Shipbuilders Association, the company ideas-as well as its unique, eyewit­ killed," Edward Macklin told the Mili­ ness reports on such important strug' cided they would go way over their union, never once called for an OSHA tant. weekly goal during this national target inspection. Moreover, the PSA stood by gles as those in Iran and Virginia. "I remember seeing someone electro­ week. while Tenneco threatened to fire any This issue marks the opening of the cuted on the third rail of a crane. Then The New York SWP also resolved to worker who spoke to OSHA investiga­ winter-spring circulation drive for the in 1954 a gangplank fell forty feet to follow up this big sale by taking on tors. Militant and its Spanish-language sis­ the concrete and six men were killed. ter publication Perspectiva Mundial. A another challenge: to make its weekly Willis Hayes is a twenty-nine-year They were just hanging for their lives key goal of the drive is to reach out sales goal every week of the drive. veteran of the shipyard and one of the from the wires. more and more to this increasingly This will mean building up consist­ first Steelworkers organizers. receptive audience. ent sales. But one Brooklyn socialist "More than 100 people pass over that explained how these sales are also key Branches and chapters of the Social­ "Around 1971 a fellow in my depart­ gangplank every time the whistle to building the readership of the Mili­ ment had his foot mashed when a cart blows. The bolts could easily be ist Workers Party and the Young So­ tant at the giant Ford plant in Metu­ carrying plates of steel rolled over it," changed everyday, but things like that cialist Alliance plan to sell 100,000 chen, New Jersey. Hayes told the Militant. aren't done until after accidents copies of the Militant and Perspectiva "Our experience is that selling regu­ Mundial during the ten-week drive. happen." larly there has led to an increase in "The company clinic simply gave What can the Steelworkers do to Included with this article are the sales. What's more, some of the him pain killers; they didn't even take protect their members? "We should be goals announced so far for the com­ workers are now starting to recognize x-rays. His foot kept swelling, so he able to stop an unsafe job and shut it bined subscription and ten-week our salespeople and stopping to talk. went to an outside doctor who rushed down-without the company being single-copy sales drive. "That's why we intend to make this him to the hospital. After examining able to fire us," Macklin answered. The cumulative goal includes the sale every week," she emphasized. him, the doctors there decided to ampu­ "That's the only way we'll get any total of weekly sales and the national "We'll do everything necessary to tate." protection." subscription blitz week taking place make it." with sales of this issue. Our supporters in city after city A special emphasis is being placed indicate they feel the same way. With on the sale of longer-term subs to co­ that attitude, the numerical goals on workers on the job. the accompanying chart will translate La. Tenneco oil workers Socialist steelworkers in Los An­ into a whole layer of worker activists geles, for example, have already made reading the Militant-and acting on its strike over safety and health up a list of at least fifty co-workers socialist ideas-as a result of this By Michael Beslin impose a strikebreaking injunction they, think will be interested in subs. circulation drive. NEW ORLEANS-On February 3 at the first opportunity. the shipyard workers striking Ten­ As in Newport News, local unions neco for union recognition in New­ are coming to the support of Tenne­ port News, Virginia, were joined by co's workers. Tenneco refinery workers in Members of the St. Bernard Parish Spring sales goals Chalmette, Louisiana. Firefighters Association are walking AREA GOAL PER WEEK CUMULATIVE The 385 strikers in Chalmette are the picket lines. They point out that MILITANT PM GOAL members of Local 4-522 of the Oil, they have a special stake in OCAW's Albany 100 5 1500 Chemical and Atomic Workers union strike-they're the ones called to Albuquerque 115 20 3000 (OCAW). fight the refinery's fires. Amherst, Ma. 15 0 150 They are demanding the right to USWA Local 13000 at Kaiser's Atlanta 145 5 2100 refuse any unsafe job without suffer­ Chalmette plant has adopted a reso­ Baltimore 100' 1400 ing reprisals. Tenneco's disregard lution supporting the strikers. Birmin9ham 50' 700 for safety at the plant caused the The strikers are planning informa­ Boston 200 25 3500 death of thirteen workers two years tional picket lines at Tenneco gas Chicago 350 50 5600 Dallas 125 20 2600 ago in a series of explosions. stations in New Orleans and the Denver 120 20 2000 A second strike issue is the com­ surrounding area. They deserve the Gary 75 0 1050 pany's refusal to pay adequate over­ support of all working people; their Indianapolis 115' 1600 time or to provide workers with a fight for safety is a fight to protect Iowa City 25 0 500 minimum number of hours during us all. Iron Range 35 0 900 frequent maintenance shutdowns. Kansas City 90 5 1550 The local press and the cops are Los Angeles 320 80 5900 joining with Tenneco in trying to /Detroit: here ·in 1969 and are again ready to Houston: New Orleans: Oakland.

THE MILITANT/MARCH 2, 1979 13 By Ornari Musa One sign of the changing times is the strike for On February 21, 1965, one of this country's union recognition by 15,000 shipyard workers in foremost revolutionary leaders was assassinated at Newport News, Virginia. The work force there is the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem. just about half Black, reflecting some of the victo­ Malcolm X was an uncompromising fighter for ries won by the civil rights movement over two Black liberation, who mercilessly attacked the decades. capitalist system as the source of Black oppression It was Black workers who took the lead in and exploitation. breaking the stranglehold of a company union-in Malcolm's approach was in sharp contrast to part because it wouldn't tackle race those in the Black movement and "sympathetic discrimination-and organizing for the United whites" who saw deals and maneuvers with the Steelworkers. They know the only guarantee for Democratic and Republican parties as the strategy their rights is a real union that is democratic and for Black liberation. that fights for the needs of all its members. They Fundamental to Malcolm's strategy was the need will have a lot to say about how their local and the to place no faith in these racist parties, but to rely Steelworkers international union should function. on the organized strength of Black people fighting Marching together with militant Blacks on the independently of and in opposition to the Demo­ picket lines in Newport News is having an impact crats and Republicans. on the thinking of white union members as well. It From his break with the Nation of Islam (now will make it easier for them to understand how called the World Community of Islam in the West) racism is a company ploy and why solidarity with until he was gunned down, Malcolm focused his the demands of Blacks is a necessary part of union energies on developing a program and organization solidarity. that would "galvanize the Black masses to become Another example of the changes in the labor the instruments of their own liberation." movement is the battle shaping up around the The profound development of Malcolm's ideas in Weber "reverse discrimination" case. that period is discussed by George Breitman in The This case attacks both the affirmative action Last Year of Malcolm X: The Evolution of a Revolu­ gains of Blacks and women and the right of the tionary, recently re-issued by Pathfinder Press. United Steelworkers to negotiate contracts in the Breitman is a former editor of the Militant and interest of all its members. veteran leader of the Socialist Workers Party. Black and white unionists, the NAACP, and Printed here are excerpts from the chapter on National Organization for Women are beginning to "Allies and Alliances"-one of the most important organize against this threat. Under the blows of the problems Malcolm had to grapple with. ruling-class attack, the labor movement is being Breitman explains both the advances and the impelled toward a defense of the most oppressed. limitations in Malcolm's thinking on whether an In struggles such as these a new leadership is alliance with whites was possible or desirable. being born for the emancipation of both the Black Malcolm's views were necessarily shaped by the nationality and the entire American working class. fact that the white component of the working class Malcolm may not have foreseen it this way, but, On the picket line In Newport News, Virginia. In st' was not showing much fighting spirit in those days. as George Breitman remarks, we can be sure that he It was hard for him to see white workers as allies would have welcomed it. Malcolm's ideas and his who would be forced into battle by the same example of uncompromising struggle will be a capitalist class Blacks were and still are fighting. crucial part of the education of this new generation But today that situation is changing dramati­ of class-struggle fighters making their way to center cally. stage. Male~ or allying with others. The implication was that By George Breitman any interracial alliance that might be formed later While Malcolm's thinking about alliances began would be one between movements, rather than with non-Americans, colored and white, it also between individuals (black) on one side and organi­ turned, in his last year, to the possibility of allian­ zations (white or white-controlled) on the <1ther; &new ces with American whites. Malcolm's views on this when and if an alliance then took place, Negroes possibility had not become hardened at the time of would have their own movement inside it and would his death; they were still evolving, while he tried to be better able to protect their interests inside the think out other, more urgent problems, such as the alliance than they could as individuals. consolidation of his own movement. He probably One week later, however, Malcolm expressed a workin~ felt that he could afford to take his time with the somewhat different position. We have already alliance question because, in his view, there could quoted, in the previous chapter, from their March not be any meaningful alliance until black mili­ 19, 1964, interview A.B. Spellman's question tants had a strong organization of their own, able whether Malcolm intended to collaborate with labor to stand on its own feet and speak for a significant unions, socialists and other such groups and Mal­ number of people. colm's reply that his movement would work with mil it As a Black Muslim, Malcolm preached against anybody sincerely interested in eliminating injusti­ any alliance with whites. On November 10, 1963, in ces that Negroes suffer at the hands of Uncle Sam. one of his last Black Muslim speeches, he told a Later in that interview the following exchange took meeting in Detroit where non-Muslim Negroes were place: in the majority, "I know some of you all think that Spellman: Can the race problem in America ·be some of them [whites] aren't enemies. Time will solved under the existing political-economic sys­ tell." But he himself had begun to rethink the tem? question before then. As he told the Young Socialist Malcom X: No. on January 18, 1965: Spellman: Well then, what is the answer? "When I was in the Black Muslim movement I Malcom X: It answers itself. spoke on many white campuses and black cam­ Spellman: Can there be any revolutionary change puses. I knew back in 1961 and '62 that the younger in America while the hostility between black and generation was much different from the older, and white working classes exists? Can Negroes do it that many students were more sincere in their alone? analysis of the problem and their desire to see the Malcolm X: Yes. They'll never do it with working problem solved." class whites. The history of America is that work­ When Malcolm announced his new movement at ing class whites have been just as much against not a press conference on March 12, 1964, he said: only working Negroes, but all Negroes, period, "Whites can help us, but they can't join us. There because all Negroes are working class within the can be no black-white unity until there is first some caste system. The richest Negro is treated like a black unity. There can be no workers' solidarity working class Negro. There never has been any until there is first some racial solidarity. We cannot good relationship between the working class Negro think of uniting with others, until we have first and the working class whites. I just don't go along united among ourselves." with-there can be no worker solidarity until there's This was not an assertion that black and white first some black solidarity. There can be no white/ working class solidarity was unnecessary or impos­ black solidarity until there's first some black solid­ sible. On the contrary, it was an explanation of one arity. We have got to get our problems solved first of the conditions for the attainment of interracial and then if there's anything left to work on the workers' solidarity on a stable and effective founda­ white man's problems, good, but I think one of the tion. In this statement Malcolm neither advocated mistakes Negroes make is this worker solidarity nor rejected solidarity or alliances between white thing. There's no such thing-it didn't even work in workers and black workers-what he was saying Russia. Right now is was supposedly solved in was that before such a thing could happen, the Russia but as soon as they got their problems Negro people would first have to organize and unite solved they fell out with China. themselves independently. First organize them­ How explain all of this? It may help to know that selves in their own movement, then think of uniting the March 12 statement was very carefully formu­ lated on paper by Malcolm and his associates. They Copyright © 1970 by Pathfinder Press, Inc. Reprinted by permis­ labored over it for several days (and were quite sion. bitter to see it ignored by virtually the whole press- Malcolm X speaks In Harlem, 1963 14 By Jane Roland present an airtight case to back up their families from Mexico. These hearing. Since December 1977, Hector Mar­ his request for political asylum. personal accounts will be backed up "We are planning a full week of roquin has been telling his story. Marroquin will not only prove his by the International League for Hu­ activities," Ramirez says, "including He has twice traveled the length own innocence, he will also expose man Rights, which recently pub­ picket lines outside the federal build­ and breadth of the United States political repression in Mexico. lished a report of a fact-finding ing where the hearing will be held. and spoken in more than ninety Amnesty International is prepar­ mission to Mexico describing politi­ Representatives will bring regular cities to thousands of people. ing a statement on his behalf about cal repression there. reports from the courtroom to sup­ On April 3 in Houston, Texas, he the state of human rights in Mexico porters outside. And we'll give con­ will tell his story again-this time at today. Washington's bias tinuous briefings to the media. a deportation hearing in front of an Among the witnesses for Marro­ Marroquin already knows that "We intend to start the week with quin will be Rosario Piedra. Washington is not kindly disposed a rally featuring prominent national Mrs. Piedra is a founder of the toward him. In its initial ruling last supporters." Jane Roland is national coordina­ Mexican Committee to Defend Politi­ December, the Immigration and Nat­ The support activities in Texas tor of the Hector Marroquin De­ cal Prisoners, the Politically Perse­ uralization Service turned down his will be kicked off in February and fense Committee. cuted, "Disappeared," and Exiled. request for asylum. Earlier last year, March with two speaking tours for Before President Carter's recent the U.S. State Department had sent Marroquin. trip to Mexico, she visited the United an advisory opinion to the INS The Hector Marroquin Defense immigration judge. The U.S. govern­ States briefly to expose the serious urging that Marroquin's request be Committee is urging supporters out­ ment will try to prove that Marro­ violations of human rights by the denied. side Texas to hold protest activities quin should be deported to Mexico. government there. Following the December INS deci­ around the opening of the hearing. Marroquin is a twenty-five-year­ She presented the U.S. press with sion, the Hector Marroquin Defense They can plan picket lines at local old student leader and trade unionist a list of 450 "disappeared" persons­ Committee announced an emergency INS offices or send delegations to from Mexico. He is a member of the that is, Mexican students, workers, support campaign, which has so far meet with local INS officials. Rallies Socialist Workers Party and Young and peasants who have been kid­ met an enthusiastic response. De­ or press conferences can be sche­ Socialist Alliance. napped by the government-backed fense activists must raise $15,000 by duled to coincide with the April 3 Marroquin has asked for asylum paramilitary groups. The Mexican the April hearing to cover the costs hearing. in this country. In 1974, he was regime denies any knowledge of the of preparing testimony, bringing in Events that have already been framed up by the Mexican govern­ whereabouts of the "disappeared." witnesses, and stepping up publicity. held include a benefit Mexican ment on phony charges of terrorism Mrs. Piedra, whose own son, J e­ The defense committee is also dinner in Kansas City and a dance and subversion. If deported to Mex­ sus, was "disappeared" nearly four organizing to flood INS Director in Minneapolis; leaflet distribution ico, he-like hundreds of other Mexi­ years ago, will testify that it would Leonel Castillo with letters and tele­ at auto plants in New Jersey; and can dissidents-could be kidnapped, be extremely dangerous for Marro­ grams demanding asylum for Marro­ picket lines at INS offices in Detroit, tortured, imprisoned without quin to return to Mexico. quin. New Orleans, and Ann Arbor. charges, or even murdered. Political In reporting on Mrs. Piedra's In Houston, the defense committee In San Antonio, Texas, the de­ activists accused of "subversion" in statements here prior to the Carter has gone full steam ahead to prepare fense committee has scheduled a Mexico seldom get the opportunity to trip, the Washington Post wrote that for the upcoming hearing, which is walk-a-thon, with supporters pledg­ prove their innocence. Marroquin's case has become an expected to last four days. Arturo ing money per mile walked by each "international cause celebre." Marroquin won't be alone at the Ramirez, the defense coordinator participant. hearing. Many witnesses from this Other testimony and affidavits there, has urged supporters from Quebec supporters are distributing country and Mexico will help him will come from torture victims and across the country to come to the a French-language leaflet.

What you can do • Send a protest letter or tele­ mittee for information on honoraria quin's case in detail. 50¢; 35¢ for ten Enclosed is $ _____ to help gram. Send it to Leonel Castillo, and scheduling. or more copies. fund the case. Director, Immigration and Naturali­ • Volunteer to help publicize Send me copies of Mi His­ zation Service, Washington, D.C. the case in your area. Collect toria, Spanish-language edition. 50¢; D I volunteer to help win asylum for 20536. Urge your union local, organi­ signatures on petitions. Distribute 35¢ for ten or more. Marroquin. Please send me more zation, or student government to material. Contact the press. Get information. send a letter or telegram demanding together with other supporters, and Send me ____ trade-union bro- asylum. The flood of letters to the form a defense committee, or work chures @ 2¢. Name------­ with the committee nearest you. The INS lets Castillo know that thou­ Send me buttons @ 50¢; national defense committee can put Organization (if any) sands of people around the country 35¢ for ten or more. have their eyes on Marroquin. you in touch with other supporters in Position in organization your area. Send me ____ posters @ 50¢; 25¢ Please send copies of all letters and Address ______telegrams to the Marroquin Defense for ten or more. Committee. Send me ____ petitions. Zip • Help raise money. Funds are This special, four-page emergency urgently needed to cover the cost of handout is available for distribution. Send me ____ appeals and en- Phone expanding publicity and legal work. Send me handouts @ 2¢. dorser cards. Send a contribution and urge others Send me brochures on D I endorse Marroquin's appeal for Send to Hector Marroquin De­ to do the same. Organize a benefit asylum. "The Case of Hector Marroquin" @ fense Committee, P.O. Box 843 party, dinner, or coffee hour to help 2.5¢. raise money. D I would like to come to Houston Cooper Station, New York, New • Marroquin is available to Send me copies of My for the activities around the hearing. York 10003. Telephone: (212) speak. Contact the defense com- Story, a pamphlet describing Marro- Send me information. 691-3587. Hector Marroquin Defense Committee

THE MILITANT/MARCH 2, 1979 15 Hundreds of . letters and tele­ grams to Immigration Director Leonel Castillo, and other state­ ments of solidarity with Hector Marroquin's right to asylum have been received by the defense com­ mittee from organizations, public figures, and individual supporters. Below are excerpts. from some of these messages. Terry Herndon John Ryor · Executive Director and President, Na­ tional Education Association. The National Education Association is an organization representing about 1.8 million teachers in the United States. The 1978 Representative As­ sembly of the NEA, meeting in Dallas in July, reaffirmed its strong commit­ ment to human rights by endorsing the right of Hector Marroquin to political asylum in the United States. In our previous letter to Vice­ President Mondale and to you [Cas­ tillo], the NEA asked that Hector Mar­ roquin be granted political asylum January 18, 1979, picket at Detroit office of INS to protest denial of asylum to Hector Marroquin Elizabeth Ziers because of the possibility of political reprisals if he were tried in Mexico. joining our request with the many cal. They had the same total lack of Juan Rodriguez others who have requested political Ronald Dellums truth. The government pays lip service For the Liga lnternacionalista de los asylum for Hector Marroquin. U.S. Representative {D-Calif.) to human rights, but it can't absolve Trabajadores of Puerto Rico. It is obvious that Hector does not Hector Marroquin is accused by the itself of the crimes committed by its We protest this decision [denying have a father who is a millionaire and Mexican government of being a trained henchmen be they Mexican, asylum] which is a violation of human who can buy justice for one of his terrorist-robber-an assassin. His Iranian or South African. rights, and demand: Unconditional children, or a President who would real "crime" is that he had the moral Let the government know that we asylum for Hector Marroquin, now! grant him political asylum. courage, as a young teen-ager, to speak will keep on shouting until the walls of His only resort has been to seek the out for human rights and freedom the State Department start to shake. support of the community. Many have while a student at the University of The government may not understand William Jewett come to support him, and we join them Nuevo Leon. truth and logic, but they sure as hell Wilmington, Delaware. in asking you to grant political asylum Men and women of good conscience will understand the growing strength Regardless of the danger to Marro­ to this young man. cannot allow the bureaucratic insensi­ of our cry. With that, Hector and the quin, it is clear that he desires to reside Mr. Castillo, this is the very type of tivity of the Immigration and Naturali­ rest of us will win a great victory. here, so why should the border be shut injustice that we see handed out again zation Service, as the willing tool of on him and others wishing to cross it? and again to our Hispanic brothers the State Department, to go unnoticed Ed Asner Government policy seems selective in and sisters, and it is our hope that it or unchallenged. We must stand up for whom it encourages to cross this boun­ was this type of injustice your office Star, 'Lou Grant' show. Marroquin's rights. The projected, and dary line. Even if Hector Marroquin's fears would work toward abolishing. imminent, action of this government, Travelers to Mexico note a number of were completely unfounded, hasn't this in seeking to deport him, is unwar­ restaurants, motels, and other busi­ great country of ours the compassion 25 bus drivers ranted, illegal-and most of all-an nesses of U.S. vintage established to provide refuge for this one impor­ Members, American Transportation immoral betrayal of all that this na­ there. U.S. government agencies like tant individual? We simply must not Union, Local 694, San Antonio, Texas. tion committed itself to at the time of the FBI and CIA operate in Mexico. risk jeopardizing his life. We the undersigned MTA bus drivers the Declaration of Independence. But in contrast to this open border policy for big business, the State De­ Noam Chomsky A supporter partment proposes to close the border to an individual who fears for his life. UNITED STATES DE I would like to join those who are Philadelphia. supporting Hector Marroquin in his IMMIGRATION AND N Marroquin has dedicated his young WASHINGT< effort to obtain political asylum in the life to justice and the rights of the Student Semite U.S. and to urge people concerned with oppressed. civil and human rights to lend their Political asylum has been given to Temple University support financially and in other ways. thousands of South Vietnamese, Cu­ Marroquin's fight is the fight of all bans, and many others. It would be members of the academic community January 11, 1979 Hugo Blanco highly discriminatory not to apply the for the elementary right to freedom of Member of the Peruvian Constituent same view of fairness and justice to speech and freedom of political activ­ Assembly. this brave young man from Mexico. ity. A victory for Marroquin will be a Mr. Frank Rosen I call on everyone who fought to vi:ctory for human rights everywhere. District President defend my right to enter the United United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America States, and who has defended my A supp_orter 37 South Ashland Boulevard democratic liberties, to join in the Charleston, W. Va. Chicago, Illinois 60607 struggle to defend Hector Marroquin's When I was in school I was taught Dear Mr. Rosen: right to political asylum. that the U.S. was an island of freedom We cannot permit this open violation in a sea of political repression, that This refers to your recent communi of the most elemental human rights of anyone could express any political idea political asylum in the United Sta a Latin American to take place in the without fear of reprisal. United States, where there is so much After consultation with the U.S. C However, there have been innumera­ application and supporting docu~Pn talk about human rights. ble acts by the U.S. government that that Mr. Marroquin failed to estab be persecuted in Mexico due to his I say this in my own name, and in have led me to reject this description of the names of my fellow members of the membership in a particular social the land in which I live. The FBI has political asylum was denied by thE Peruvian Constituent Assembly: En­ for many years spied on citizens who San Antonio, Texas. rique Fernandez, Antonio Aragon Gal­ dared express their disagreements with legos, Javier Diez Canseco, Juan Cor­ If expulsion proceedings are insti the government. and may apply for withholding of d nejo, and Genaro Ledesma. The CIA has plotted the murder of Immigration and Nationality Act ar foreign leaders. These are only a few of of the Convention Relating to the Michael Meeropol the crimes the government has gotten proceedings, if he so desires. Robert Meeropol away with, and now the latest crime: Sincerely, The attempted murder of Hector Mar­ Sons of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. roquin. The government says Mexico has no kcld A Kr->--.z political prisoners, it says Hector's Robert A. Kane Trinidad Sanchez, S.J. Associate Commissioner "crimes" are criminal. The total lack of John Ryor, National Education Associa­ Management truth in these statements does not tion president. Ryor supported Marro­ Executive Director, Padres Asociadas surprise us. The charges in the govern­ quin's request for support at July NEA para Derechos Religiosos Educativos y ment's politically motivated frame-up convention, which endorsed Marro­ Sociales, San Antonio, Texas. In response to hundreds of personal & of our parents were criminal, not politi- qufn's right to asylum. I wish to represent PADRES in this page, the INS computer churns 16 • want to add our names to the growing The attack on Marroquin represents Marroquin, but it was also a great list of unionists who support Hector one more attack against the working disappointment to us, as well as to Marroquin's appeal for asylum in the class and oppressed people. thousands of others who believe that U.S. Hector should receive asylum in this country. Rev. Daniel Berrigan Self Education Program Asso­ This very day radio reports spoke of On behalf of thirty members of Westside ciation/Salud, Educaci6n, Po­ political torture in Mexico. Why will Jesuit Community, New York City. litica, Acci6n you close your mind, your ears, and your heart? In the name of humanity, I earnestly Tracy, California. request political asylum for Hector Your refusal to grant Marroquin Marroquin in view of manifest danger asylum shows us, once again, that the Robert Chrisman to his life if rejected from United present administration is concerned States. Publisher, 'The Black Scholar' with human rights only in so far as it I express my solidarity with Hector is politically expedient. The infamous Philosophy Department Marroquin's struggle to achieve politi South Vietnamese General Nguyen cal asylum in the United States. University of Quebec Loan was allowed asylum. During the Montreal, Quebec. Vietnam War, this same general was We call upon you to give political photographed shooting a prisoner of George Wald asylum to Hector Marroquin whose life war in the head. Did he have to prove Nobel Laureate, Harvard University. is in danger because of your attitude. that he was not guilty of this crime? From what I have learned, it might We believe that Hector Marroquin is be exceedingly dangerous to return Michigan Student Assembly guilty of only one thing, his concern Hector Marroquin to Mexico. I think for the problems of his people and his that there is every reason to give him Ann Arbor, Michigan. courage to speak out! Marroquin's fight is the fight of all asylum in this country. members of the academic community for the elementary right to freedom of A Prisoner A supporter Ring St. Louis, Missouri speech and freedom of political activ­ Kansas. ity. A victory for Marroquin will be a Jose Angel Gutierrez, Zavala County Your efforts to railroad Hector Mar­ We as individuals must take a stand, judge, has u~ged support for Marroquin. victory for human rights everywhere. and not allow oppression to prevail. It roquin back to Mexico are a disgrace to is our moral obligation to ourselves this country's democratic traditions, if those are honored any longer. You N.J. State Employees Assoc. and to our country to guarantee protec­ only be halted by a loud, vigorous and know what will happen if he returns to tion of freedom and life to any individ­ Essex Chapter #4 mounting protest. The Marroquin De­ Mexico under the present regime. ual regardless of their political beliefs. What would the reaction of the fense Committee has my whole-hearted Who is the real terrorist-one who is Only when we strive to protect the American people have been if in 1776 support. merely called such by political oppo­ rights of others can we guarantee our the government tried to deport all our nents, or one who would send someone right to be free. English-born revolutionary forefathers New Democratic Party to certain death? back to England while granting politi­ St. Catherines, Ontario. cal asylum to King George III? Yet in Michael Harrington Support political asylum for Hector Jose Angel Gutierrez 1979 President Carter's administration National Chair, Democratic Socialist Marroquin. Leader, Texas Raza Unida Party. may well be remembered as granting a Organizing Committee. Hector's case cannot be tolerated by political haven for the Shah of Iran I support Hector Marroquin and his this government or the Mexican re­ and his family, while deporting Hector struggle to avoid deportation. A supporter gime. Hector Marroquin stands for the Marroquin to Mexico and freedom Kirkwood, Missouri. undocumented worker. Hector Marro­ loving Iranian students back to Iran. Victoria Zuniga This letter is written out of concern quin stands against government re­ Hermanas. for Hector Marroquin. His case worries 9 Basque women me not only because I believe him to be pression. Hector Marroquin stands for Gertrude Barnstone a victim of police conspiracy in Mex­ a student's movement. Hector Marro­ We are nine compafieras from the Democratic Party. quin stands for many of us. We need to Basque Country currently residing in ico, but because I fear unfair treatment Isaiah Lovings, by courts and police in our great land stand with the Hector Marroquin De­ Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. fense Committee. We want to express our outrage at the NAACP. of democracy. Repeatedly in recent years our democratic government has denial of the most elementary human All from Houston. A supporter rights in the case of Hector Marroquin. We are outraged at the order for seemed to ally us with dictatorships. deportation for Hector Marroquin. We How I do wish our government could Brooklyn, N.Y. demand asylum. and would stand firmly for the human We are all immigrants or the des­ rights freedom and democracy that we cendents of immigrants. The presi­ MENT OF JUSTICE Linda Malanchuk talk so much about! dents of the United States have been

THE MILITANT/MARCH 2, 1979 17 Labor supports Marroquin

the U.S. government. The government - specifically the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)-responded by trying to deport Marroquin hack to Mexico. Since both the U.S. and Mexican government!> are influenced by many of the same multinational corporations. there is a mutual in­ tere~t in throttling dissent in Mexico. Offec1a! pubhcatton ot the tnternateonal UniOn. Uneted Automobile. Aerospace and Agncultural Im­ Fortunately. Marroquin· s case has drawn so much sup­ plement Workers ot Amenca. 8000 East Jetterson Avenue, Detro1t. M1chegan 4821-4. Telephone (313) 926·5291 Second Class postage paed at Oetro1t Mtch,gan, and addtiiOnal m1•1tng ott•ces port from so wide a spectrum of Americans that the INS Published e.ery three weeks except August and sem1-monthly. September-December. Yearly subscnptiDn to members. 60 cents. to non-members. $1.00. Otftce of publu:atlon: 8000 East is proceeding more cautiously then before. Even more pub­ ~~l~gXRi~et~~ ~~~~~r.;;.::o2n1!<:0~~:~:t;~RM~l~~gS:n ~;Mot1ces by form 3579 to UAW lic pressure may be needed to win asylum for the young Mexican .. ··Hector Marroquin apparently exists on the blind side of Jimmy Carter's selectively forthright stand on human rights ... says political cartoonist Jules Feiffer. "Our government's attempt to deport him ... can only be WORLD OF WORK halted by d loud. vigorous, and mounting protest... 0 ' ' It is neither moral or justified within international law for the United States to expel or return Hector Marroquin." says Rep. Ron Dellums (0-Calif.). Dellums is referring to the growing support for Marro­ quin. a 25-year-old Mexican political refugee whom the U.S. government is trying to deport. If he is deported, Marroquin faces the strong likelihood of torture and even death at the hands of Mexican authorities. Mexico has repressed free trade-unionism and the polit­ ical liberties of students. While a student at the Univer­ sity of Nuevo Leon, Marroquin was ordered arrested on trumped-up charges of terrorism. Knowing that fellow students had been tortured and killed in jail, he fled to the U.S .. worked as a labor organizer at a Texas Coca-Cola plant. and eventually sought formal political asylum from HECTOR MARROQUIN

In the tradition of the great labor roquin a standing ovation when he pheric Affairs, a human rights group During the coal miners' strike last slogan, "An injury to one is an spoke. backed by the United Auto Workers; winter, for example, United Mine injury to all," growing numbers of • In Chicago, Region 11 of the American Federation of State, Workers members were accused of trade unionists are supporting Hec­ United Electrical Workers has en­ County and Municipal Employees; "violence" to discredit their fight tor Marroquin's appeal for political dorsed and donated money to the National Association of Social against the employers' union­ asylum. defense effort. Workers; National Education Associ­ busting drive. • Calvin Moore, legislative direc­ ation; Amalgamated Meat Cutters; Similarly, the Mexican govern­ • The 1978 convention of the Na­ tor for the Oil, Chemical and Atomic and other unions. ment falsely accused Marroquin of tional Education Association passed Workers, chaired a press conference • Marroquin's appeal has been violence to discredit his activity as a fighter for students' rights. a resolution of support last summer. for Marroquin in February. It was publ~cized in the UAW's national The 10,000 NEA delegates gave Mar- organized by the Council on Hemis- newspaper, Solidarity, and has been In fact, it is the government of endorsed by former U A W leader Mexico that is responsible for vio­ The following is a partial list Charles Leonard Victor Reuther and by Mike Ri­ lence in that country-not only of trade-union endorsers of Hec­ President, USWA Local 7097, Pittsburgh naldi, president of Detroit's UAW against students, but against union William Lucy Local 600. That local represents tor Marroquin's appeal for polit­ President, CBTU; International Secretary­ activists as well. ical asylum. Treasurer, AFSCME 30,000 workers at the giant Ford Ray Majerus River Rouge complex and is the For example, in July 1978 police Director, UAW Region 10 largest industrial union local in the invaded the General Hospital in Leonard Barker Anthony Mazzocchi country. Mexico City to break up a sit-in by President, United Steelworkers of America, Vice president, OCAW striking health-care workers. During • In San Antonio, Texas, bus Local 2584 David McCullough the same month, officials arrested James Blackstone Vice president, UAW Local 869, Detroit drivers circulated a petition for Mar­ and kidnapped striking mine leaders President, USW A Local 3522, Baltimore Cliff Mezo roquin to co-workers and sent it to Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Em­ Vice President, USWA Local 1010, East Chi­ from N acozari, Sonora. cago U.S. Immigration Director Leonel ployees, Northern Utah Lodge, Union A victory for Marroquin will help Pacific National Education Association Castillo. In New Jersey, defense Pete Camarata Joe Norris committee supporters have leafleted expose and put an end to the torture, Teamsters for a Democratic Union President, International Union of Electrical several large auto plants. Auto kidnappings, and assassinations of Donald Craig Workers (IUE) Local 1013, San Antonio workers in Union City, California, students, workers, and peasants by President, USW A Local 1:3 Mike Nye Mexican authorities. It will be a Howard Deck Business Representative, Santa Clara are working on the case. And there President, American Federation of County Central Labor Council, California are many more examples. victory for all victims of brutal re­ gimes in Latin America and around State, County and Municipal Employees Antonio Orendain Every trade unionist has a stake Local 590, Philadelphia Director, Texas Farm Workers Union the world who seek asylum in the in defending Hector Marroquin. Not Armengol Domenech Michael D. Parrish United States. United Furniture Workers Local 140, New President, Teamsters Local 265, San Fran­ only because Marroquin was a union York City cisco activist himself after fleeing to this And it will be a victory for the Percy Edmond Catherine Powell country-a Teamster-but because labor movement in this country in Recording Secretary, USWA Local 150, San President, United Paper Workers Interna­ Francisco tional Union Local 832, Kentucky he is being victimized by the same its fight to defend the democratic K.C. Ellis Mike Rinaldi frame-up techniques used against rights of unionists and other work­ President, Branch 2151, National Associa­ President, UAW Local 600, Dearborn, Michi­ the labor movement here and ing people inside and outside the tion of Letter Carriers gan abroad. U.S. borders. Khalid Abdul Fattah Victor Reuther Organizer, International Ladies Garment United Auto Workers Workers Union, North Carolina Rudy Rodrigt~.ez Jerry Gordon President, IUE Local 780, San Francisco International Representative, Amalgamated St. Catherines & District Labour Council Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of Ontario How you can help North America Karen Schermerhorn This pamphlet, available in Eng­ Patrick Gorman Co-President, American Federation of Chairman of the Board, Amalgamated Meat Teachers, Local 2026, Philadelphia lish and Spanish, outlines the facts Cutters Service Employees International Union of Marroquin's case and shows that Fabian Greenwell Local 535, California he is innocent of the charges of President, Oil Chemical & Atomic Workers Horace Sheffield terrorism leveled against him by the Union Local 4-16000, Baytown, Texas Secretary, CBTU; Assistant to the president, Mexican government. The price is Dorothy Haener UAW International Representative, United Auto Walter Snyder fifty cents, or thirty-five cents a copy Workers Union Women's Department Vice president, AFSCME District Council 37, in orders of ten or more. Charles Hayes New York You can help save Marroquin's life Executive Vice-president, Coalition of Black Jack Spiegel by ordering and selling this pam­ Trade Unionists; District Director and Vice­ Organizer, Shoe Workers, Chicago phlet in your area. president, Amalgamated Meat Cutters R.W. Teagt~.e Leamon Hood Secretary-Treasurer, Teamsters Local 949, You can also help by: International Union Area Director, Houston • Donating money to the defense AFSCME, Atlanta Loren Thompson effort; Harry Ibsen Secretary Treasurer, Teamsters Local 315, • Circulating petitions demand­ President, Communications Workers of Martinez, California America Local 9415, Oakland United Electrical Radio & Machine ing asylum for Marroquin; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers of America, District Council • Endorsing the defense commit· Workers Local 2005, Philadelphia 11, Illinois tee; lnternational Moulders and Allied USWA Local 4208, Salt Lake City • Getting your union or other Workers Union Local 231, Salt Lake Philip Vera-Cruz organization to endorse Marroquin's City Former Vice president, United Farm Workers Walter Johnson Union request for political asylum. Pn•sident, Department Store Employees Jewell White Write: Hector Marroquin De­ Union, Retail Clerks International Associa­ Presider.t, CW A Local 5011, Joliet, Illinois; fense Committee, P.O. Box 843, tion Local 1100, San Francisco President, National Black Communications Cooper Station, New York, New Roger Klunder Coalition York 10003. President, USWA Local 611.5, Virginia, Min- George Zaragoza Vic<' President, Texas Farm Workers Union

18 the sole exception being The Militant). The section ing him and attending his meetings. She quotes hi1 in the statement on solidarity represented some­ answer to a question asked by a black nationalist ir thing new for them-this was a problem they had Harlem, where Malcolm ended by saying: not had to bother with in the Nation of Islam-and "'I'm not going to be in anybody's straitjacket. 1 they gave it serious attention. And since it was a don't care what a person looks like or where the) collective position, it may also have been a com­ come from. My mind is wide open to anybody whr promise between those who favored eventual work­ will help get the ape off our back.' ing class solidarity and those who regarded it as "The people that he feels can best help are tht utopian or harmful. students, both black and white. But he considers al Malcolm's interview with Spellman, on the other militant whites possible allies. hand, was unrehearsed. It may be that in answer­ "He qualifies the possibility. And woven into th; ing Spellman's question Malcolm at first reverted qualifications are the threads of the emotion: out of habit to the position he had long held as a running through Harlem. Black Muslim; then, half-way through, recalling the "'If we are going to work together, the black new position he had reached with his associates in must take the lead in their own fight. In phase one the Muslim Mosque, Inc., he introduced that too; the white led. We're going into phase two now. and finally, aware of the inconsistency between the "'This phase will be full of rebellion and hostility first two parts, he declared "there's no such thing" Blacks will fight whites for the right to mak as working class solidarity and never has been-so decisions that affect the struggle in order to arriv· why bother talking about it? at their manhood and self-respect. That is only speculation, however. What can "'The hostility is good,' Malcolm said. 'It's bee1 safely be said now, on the basis of the March 12 and bottled up too long. When we stop always sayin! March 19 statements, is that in the transition yes to Mr. Charlie and turning the hate agains period, shortly after the split, Malcolm held in his ourselves, we will begin to be free.' mind at the same time two conflicting and unre­ "How did he plan to get white militants to wort solved views on black-white working class with him or even to walk into the Theresa with tht: relations-one which denied or belittled the possibil­ kind of slings and arrows he was sending out? ity or necessity of an alliance between them in the "There was the half-smile again. Then, thought. future, after the Negroes had first united them­ fully stroking his new-grown beard, he said, 'W e'l' selves; and another, which left the question open, have to try to rectify that.' postponing a decision until after black unification "He admitted that it would be difficult to ge· had taken place. militant whites and blacks together. 'The white: Then Malcolm went to Africa in the spring of can't come uptown too easily because the peoplt 1964, where he discussed this and related questions aren't too friendly. The ,black who goes downtowr: with people he respected. On his return he said, loses his identity, loses his soul. He's in no position during the question period at a meeting on May 29, to be a bridge because he has lost his contact with Mil" ohn 1964: Harlem. Our Negro leaders have never had contact, 1es such as this, new leadership Is being forged. "In my recent travels into the African countries so they can't do it. and others, it was impressed upon me the impor­ "'The only person who could is someone who is tance of having a working unity among all peoples, completely trusted by the black community. If I black as well as white. But the only way this is were to try, I would have to be very diplomatic, going to be brought about is that the black ones because there are parts of Harlem where you don't have to be in unity first." dare mention the idea.'" The formulation is very revealing: The impor­ The idea could not be mentioned in parts of tance of having a working unity was "impressed Harlem, but Malcolm was thinking about it. He had -lmX upon" him. It was not reached at his own not yet committed himself to putting the idea into initiative-it was impressed upon him. But he does practice-other problems were too pressing-but he not deny or refute the idea itself, he offers no already was turning it over in his mind and discuss­ argument against it. All he has is a condition: "the ing it out loud. black ones have to be in unity first." It is important to note that Malcolm, in these last Later in the same meeting Malcolm was even two citations from January and February, 1965, rise of more explicit: was not discussing the class character of the white "We will work with anyone, with any group, no forces with whom militant blacks would probably matter what their color is, as long as they are collaborate: he was talking about "militant whites," genuinely interested in taking the type of steps not white workers. On the basis of his own expe­ necessary to bring an end to the injustices that rience and observation, he had come to believe, as )-class black people in this country are afflicted by. No Marxists believe, that Negroes need and will find matter what their color is, no matter what their dependable allies among certain whites. But, like political, economic or social philosophy is, as long most Americans who became radical in the 1950s as their aims and objectives are in the direction of and 1960s (when the labor movement remained in destroying the vulturous system that has been the grip of conservative or reactionary bureaucrats), sucking the blood of black people in this country, he did not share the belief of the Marxists that the 3ncy the're all right with us." working class, including a decisive section of the This position Malcolm maintained to the end of white workers as well as of the black workers, will his life. In the final period he only added to it. After play a leading role in the alliance that will end both his second trip to Africa, he discussed the relations racism and capitalism. between militant whites and militant blacks at a Malcolm was pro-socialist in the last year of his New York meeting on January 7, 1965: life, but not yet a Marxist. He saw the white "You have all types of people who are fed up with workers only as they were (politically immature, what's going on. You have whites who are fed up, lacking in independence, blinded by prejudice), and you have blacks who are fed up. The whites who are not as they might or would become under different fed up can't come uptown [to Harlem] too easily conditions. He saw and said that the capitalist because people uptown are more fed up than any­ world was in crisis and certain to experience stormy body else, and they are so fed up it's not so easy to change, but he did not see that the American come uptown. workers would be swept up in that crisis and altered "Whereas the blacks uptown who come downtown by it. He pointed out that American markets were usually are the type, you know, who almost lose being shrunk by the advance of the world revolu­ their identity-they lose their soul, so to speak-so tion, and he called attention to the strides of that they are not in a position to serve as a bridge automation, but he did not foresee that the crises between the militant whites and the militant created by these factors would compel the capital­ blacks; that type can't do it. I hate to hit him like ists to launch a drive ag"ainst the living standards that, but it's true. He has lost his identity, he has of the American workers, and that this in turn lost his feeling, and ... he usually has lost his would radicalize the presently conservative Ameri­ contact with Harlem himself. So that he serves no can workers, including their attitudes toward the purpose, he's almost rootless, he's not uptown and Negroes, and drive them in self-interest toward he's not fully downtown. collaboration with the Negro people against their "So when the day comes when the whites who are common enemy. really fed up-I don't mean these jive whites, who Malcolm did not expect such changes, or at least pose as liberals and who are not, but those who are had not yet fitted them into his picture of the future. fed up with what is going. on-when they learn how But it is certain that if he had lived long enough to to establish the proper type of communication with witness such changes, or even the beginning of those uptown who are fed up, and they get some such changes, he would have welcomed an alliance coordinated action going, you'll get some changes. with radicalized white. workers and their organiza­ You'll get some changes. And it will take both, it tions. As he said at the end of the transition period, will take everything that you've got, it will take "We will work with anyone, with any group, no that." matter what their color is, as long as they are The meaning here is unmistakable: collaboration genuinely interested in taking the type of steps between militant whites and militant blacks, necessary to bring an end to the injustices that though difficult to bring about, is necessary ("it will black people in this country are afflicted by.·· Once take both") for the achievement of meaningful he had shaken himself free of Black Mus lim dogma, change. the thing that counted for him in alliances was Around this same time, in the last weeks of their nature and goal, not the color of the skin of Malcolm's life, Marlene Nadle had been interview- those who participated in them.

THE MILITANT/MARCH 2, 1979 19 SlaP- in the face for 'Ia mig!![ Az. undocumented workers win contract By Eduardo Quintana mainly citrus crops on about 6,000 asked for a contract in writing." Several months ago, he said, the and J osefina Otero acres in Maricopa County. But signing of the contract has not workers decided to strike against the PHOENIX, Ariz.-Carter's border For years, the ranch has been the ended the harassment of the workers bad conditions there. Blue Goose called cops are not happy. scene of superexploitation of the un­ by immigration agents. in the Border Patrol. They were there "This is absolutely a slap in the documented mexicano workers who "Since the contract was signed," two hours after the strike began, and face." harvest the rich crops. The speedup Sanchez said, "la migra has raided half the strikers were deported. Others "They are thumbing their noses at was terrible, wages rock bottom, and Goldmar five times. And they beat up got away. the laws of our country." conditions unbelievable. Hundreds of one of the ranch committee people." MCOP did some research and found workers literally slept in the field with But, he added, la migra has been that Blue Goose is owned by Pacific "It is frustrating and demoralizing no adequate sanitation. working with the growers for the past Lighting, which also happens to be the to our officers to see illegals appear on Under the contract, the piecework fifteen or twenty years to break the parent company of the Southern Cali­ television and admit they are here rate on a bag of lemons went up from organizing efforts of the workers. fornia Gas Company. This outfit is illegally." $.90 a bag to $1.13, with a further 10 "They have not been successful," he angling for a contract to buy gas from Those are the disgruntled views of percent increase scheduled for next said. Mexico. John Harrigan, a U.S. immigration September. Sanchez explained the economic de­ "We are asking people," Sanchez official writing in the Arizona Repub­ The contract also provides for crea­ velopment plan to be administered by said, "to write letters to Mexican Presi­ lic. tion of a health insurance plan, better the central committee, composed of dent Lopez Portillo asking him if he is He was responding to a unique vic­ housing, and an economic develop­ representatives elected from each of going to sell gas to a company that is tory by working people, the first farm ment plan. the ranches. violating the human rights of Mexican union contract covering undocumented Under the plan, the company will He said that it was likely that as the workers. workers. contribute ten cents for every hour workers forced the wages up to a more "We are also asking people," he Signed January 30, the contract worked to a fund to be used by migrant acceptable level they would be replaced continued, "to send telegrams to Carter covers field workers at the Goldmar workers who may decide to return to by U.S. workers. The fund will be used asking him if he is going to enforce his company's Arrowhead Ranch. Gold­ Mexico. by workers wishing to return to Mex­ human rights policy in this country in mar is owned by the Goldwater family The two-year contract provides for ico. relation to undocumented workers." whose best-known member is the right­ seniority and a grievance procedure, Many of the workers, he said, have The organizing drive at Blue Goose, wing senator, Barry Goldwater. including recognition of a ranch com­ title to ejidos, plots of communal prop­ he said, faces a big obstacle since the mittee democratically elected by the The contract was won after two erty, and can use the fund to buy company got a court injunction bar­ workers. tractors and other farm equipment so ring any "unauthorized person" from years of strikes, on-the-job struggles, In an interview with the Militant, wide media coverage, and six months they can make a living in Mexico. entering its property. So MCOP has the victory at Arrowhead was dis­ of negotiations. "Eventually," Sanchez said, "they spread the word for people not to go to cussed by Lupe Sanchez, executive envision knocking down all the fences work there. Right now, he said, they The workers, most of them from director of MCOP. around their ejidos and using the need at least 150 workers, but have Mexico, were assisted in the organiz­ "We had six or seven strikes in the equipment to farm the land commu­ only 40. ing and contract negotiations by the past two years," he explained, "and nally." MCOP, he added, also has people in Maricopa County Organizing Project. this made it very unstable for the MCOP is helping other undocu­ Mexico City meeting with the unions Many of the MCOP people worked company. It came to the point where mented workers win similar contracts. there. with the United Farm Workers when it the workers were asking for a raise Right now, Sanchez said, the major "Labor unions in Mexico," he com­ was organizing in Arizona. every two to four weeks." target is the Blue Goose Company in mented, "feel a strong commitment to The Arrowhead Ranch produces "Finally, the growers got tired. They Chandler, Arizona. the undocumented workers here." ... Calif. lettuce strikers fight for living wage Continued from back page workers ever get to collect even that. UFW] policy. Since that time, it has to the picker? According to the gro­ get our goat." The work is so backbreaking that most not been so bad." wers' own figures 2.4 cents a head. They talked about the inflation and last at it for only five to ten years. Here in the United States, the propa­ And by their own figures, they make their fight for better pay. "We don't The growers, he said, are using Pres­ ganda pitch is to convince consumers a nickel on each one of those heads of work a forty hour week," one ex­ ident Carter's 7 percent wage guideline that the strikers are responsible for the lettuce. In other words, for every dollar plained. "Some people make only sixty against the strikers. high price of lettuce. To grant the they pay the field worker in wages, or seventy dollars. And prices have The growers have brought in a high­ demands for a wage increase, they they make two in profits. gone up." priced public relations firm to promote claim, would boost the price even The Los Angeles Times reported We got more facts from Ned Dunphy, a propaganda campaign against the higher. February 11 that some growers make a UFW staffer. union on both sides of the border. This is really the big lie. as much as $6 million on a single Most of the workers, he said, average On the Mexican side, one striker told Before the strike, the price of a head lettuce harvest! less than $5,000 a year. us, this worked at the beginning. of lettuce ran anywhere from thirty­ But they want the workers to con­ Wage increases won in union con­ The paper in Mexicali, the big border nine to sixty-nine cents. tinue breaking their backs for starva­ tracts have not kept pace with infla­ city across from here, began to label Do you know how much of that goes tion wages. tion. That's why one of the demands in the strikers "communists" and "terror­ the new contract is for a cost-of-living ists." clause, with wages adjusted four times There are 13,000 Mexicali workers a year. who cross the border every day to work The union is also pressing for an here. improved medical and pension plan. "And they told the paper," the The present pension, Dunphy ex­ striker said, "that they would begin to plained, is a pittance. And very few boycott it if it continued that [anti- Chicano h.s. students protest CALEXICO, Calif.-Carlos Rocha, Students who participated in the a seventeen-year-old high school se­ protest, he said, were put down as nior, knows what it's like to work in having unexcused absences, which the fields. He began when he was can lead to expulsion. The anglo seven, helping out when his father strikebreakers were given excused was too sick to work. absences. He is one of six brothers and Rocha is president of the Imperial sisters. All of them continue working Valley Migrant Student Council. while they go to school. The members are students who work He knows the injustice of a family in the fields locally or accompany working so hard for so little. So he their parents up to Salinas and other was understandably angry when harvest areas. notices were posted on the bulletin With the help of the California boards at Holtsville High School to Rural Legal Assistance, the students recruit student strikebreakers. Most went to court and got an injunctiop. of the students are Chicano. against using school facilities to Rocha organized a protest demon­ recruit scabs. They also succeeded in stration of fifty Chicano students. getting the penalties dismissed Some sixty high schoolers-all against the students who demon­ anglos-did go into the struck fields. strated. A number of them, though, were Rocha wants to go to college and children of growers. has applied for scholarships. "I "They offered the students beer want to get out of the fields," he and other things," Rocha told the said, "But whatever I do; I want to Militant. "They were given work help la raza." permits and worked not only week­ -C.G. ends but during school hours." and D.R. Cesar Chllvez at February 11 march protesting murder of UFW striker. 20 Interview with Maceo Dixon Imperialism in Africa: an eyewitness account The following are excerpts from ' It'·. an interview with Maceo Dixon. Dixon, a leader of the Socialist Workers Party, recently returned from traveling through Tanzania, .J Zambia, Senegal, Botswana, Nige- ·1·.·.•. ria, and Kenya. On February 11, Dixon began a three-month tour of the United States. He is speaking about the economic and political situation in the countries he visited and how the American people can aid the African liberation struggle. This is the first installment of a two-part interview. This segment deals with the economic and social conditions of the African masses. The interview was conducted by 'Militant' staff writer Osborne Hart.

Question. What is your impression of the living standards in the countries you toured? What effect does imperial­ ism have on the African masses? Answer. What was clear from my visit was that despite formal indepen­ dence from colonialism, the majority of the African countries live under colon­ ial conditions. Imperialist powers like the United States continue to dominate their economies. This continued exploi­ tation has kept these countries from developing their economies in such a Shantytown in Lagos, Nigeria. Militant/Maceo Dixon way as to benefit the working masses. I was astounded by the level of poverty and destitution in every coun­ try. There is no comparison to even the of Africa. The locusts were consuming French troops and military bases are Another example of imperialist dom­ most extreme conditions in the United about a ton and a half of grain a day. in the country. During the Shaba ination is the Zambian economy. Zam­ States. I visited only six countries in Africa, [Za.lre] crisis in 1978 and the year bian copper is shipped to the United Take housing for example. There are but the conditions I described repres­ before, Senegal was a staging ground States for processing. Zambia, one of many shanty towns. A shanty is con­ ent what the masses of people face for the imperialist intervention. the world's largest copper mining structed from mud, sticks, or in some throughout the continent. Because of agreements made with countries, has no means of processing areas corrugated steel. There is no France, French corporations control its own ore. Imperialism controls the electricity, no running water, no sew­ huge tracks of Senegalese land known resources and the processing. age system. Q. What is the economic situation as "free zones." They pay no taxes on That's the kind of exploitation-on In some places shanty towns are and the degree of industrialization in the land and exploit Senegalese labor. many levels-going on all over Africa. very large-Nathare in Nairobi [Ke­ the countries you toured? nya] has a population of 10,000. In A. Inflation is running at a rate of Nathare, as many as ten people live in 30 percent in Nigeria. It is expected to one room. Most of the people who live reach 50 very soon. there are wage workers. The shanties I visited were not in There are shortages, especially in rural areas, but part of such urban Zambia. I saw long lines waiting in centers as Lusaka, Zambia; and Dar es front of stores and shops. During my stay, a shipment of soap powder ar­ Salaam, Tanz~nia. rived. I witnessed hundreds of people Q. Are there other examples? running down the streets with five to ten boxes of soap powder. A. In Tanzania, an average of 150 Rice, salt, coffee, and meats are children die from malnutrition every scarce. It is a rare meal to eat chicken. day. Tuberculosis strikes thousands And everything is extremely expen­ Minn. activists plan conference each year. Leprosy affects about ten sive. out of every thousand persons. Social services-like garbage pickup, Students and activists from twelve schools are planning to participate It's almost like living in the eight­ mail delivery, and public in the Minnesota Anti-Apartheid Conference on March 3 at the Univer­ eenth or nineteenth century. On the transportation-are almost nonexist­ sity of Minnesota, Minneapolis campus. one hand, there are jets, cars, and ent. According to conference organizers, participants will discuss how their high-rise buildings in the major cities There's little evidence of industrial schools can build the April4-11 nationwide week of anti-apartheid actions for foreign businessmen and the development. In Tanzania, there is and move forward the divestment movement. The conference call origi­ wealthy few; on the other, there is light industry-small mechanical nated from a January meeting of divestment activists. poverty, famine, and disease for the parts. The Chinese are helping Tanza­ Dennis Brutus, a prominent South African poet and political exile will vast majority. nia develop its industry. address the plenary session. For more information call (612) 823-1259. Three weeks before I arrived in Dakar [Senegal] there was a cholera The working class in Nigeria is epidemic. Many people died. When I larger than all the other countries I U.S. consulate: Don't 'overpay' Blacks arrived in Nairobi in December, the toured. Outside South Africa and An American in Johannesburg is a pamphlet distributed by the U.S. major headline in the newspapers was Egypt, Nigeria's population has the consulate. Published by the American Women's Club of Johannesburg, about the locust swarms over that part highest percentage of wage workers. the pamphlet serves as a guide for employment of Black house servants But Nigeria is also an example of how by U.S. citizens in South Africa. "industrialization" under the heel of The Christian Science Monitor explains that the "president of the imperialism distorts and disrupts the American Women's Club defends the publication as necessary to prevent economy. Nigeria used to export food, Americans from running afoul of the system [that is, apartheid] and Dixon tour but since 1976 it has not even been self­ being taken advantage of by their household servants." Hear Maceo Dixon speak on sufficient. Last year it had to import The book uses the terms "bantu" and "boy" when referring to Blacks. "Southern Africa: The Struggle for some $1.5 billion worth of food. Liberation; What Americans Can Bantu is a derogatory and racist term which Blacks despise. Do to Support It." The next stops The pamphlet also warns that servants should not be "overpaid"-it on his tour are: Q. How visible is U.S. imperialism? suggests $115 per month as the minimum for a Black family of five. In San Diego Feb. 22-23 A. I think when we talk about impe­ fact, the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce says $193 is the bottom Los Angeles 24-28 rialism, we have to speak about more line. Salt Lake City Mar. 2-3 than ·just the United States. All the Those wages are for a recommended nine to ten hours a day for six and Dallas 5-6 imperialist powers are in Africa and a half days a week. The president of the Women's Club pays her "boy" San Antonio 7-8 they continue trying to redivide it in only eighty-six dollars a month. Houston 9-10 their own interests. The scramble for Warning against excessive generosity, the head of the Women's Club New Orleans 12-13 Africa is still going on. France, Ger­ says, "If you give your boy a Coke on a hot day, he'll want three the next For more information contact many, Britain, and Portugal are quite day." Viewpoint Speakers Bureau, 410 prominent. Even though the racist pamphlet is termed "unofficial," the U.S. West Street, New York, New York For instance, Senegal, a former consulate general defends it as the only guide available. 10014, telephone (212) 242-7654. French colony, is economically con­ -Osborne Hart trolled by multinational companies.

THE MILITANT/MARCH 2, 1979 21 Socialists launch municipal campaigns Dallas City Council election. Until Chicago: now. The Socialist Workers Party is field­ ing candidates for the April 7 election; candidates who are working people 'Workers and activists in the social movements that can change the face of this city. like what I In Texas, where "right to work" laws severely limit the rights of workers to organize, the SWP is running a 100 have to say' percent union slate. · Gretchen Jarvis, SWP candidate for By Bobbie Bagel mayor, is a twenty-eight-year-old CHICAGO-The Democratic Party teacher and a member of the National machine has been running this city for Education Association. One of the the past fifty-two years. They keep a best-known feminists in Dallas, and a tight rein on elections. They keep the leader and board member of the Dallas campaign time short and in the dead County National Organization for of winter. Women, Jarvis joined the Socialist But that's not stopping Andrew Pul­ Workers Party only a few months ago. ley's campaign for mayor. "It just Jarvis met members of the SWP who means we have to work that much were active in her NOW chapter. She harder and faster to get the socialist worked closely with them on building program out," Pulley says. the July 9 ERA march in Washington, So Pulley, a steelworker, gets off his D.C., for the Equal Rights Amend­ shift at midnight and is out again by ment. She became more and more 6:30 a.m. picking up campaign support­ interested in socialist ideas. ers to pass out literature. Andrew Pulley, socialist candidate for mayor, campaigns on Chicago streetcorner The Militant newspaper, she says, is One morning recently, a reporter what really won her over. from a neighborhood paper came along Jarvis says that activists in the to observe the campaign in action at Dallas women's and gay movements the gates of U.S. Steel South Works. belief that working people can get any of inadequate housing, child care, med­ are already excited about her cam­ It was 10 below zero that morning, improvement in their living standards ical facilities, drainage, and educa­ paign. Several have volunteered to not counting the wind chill. But or can expect positive changes in this tion." The socialist campaign was work on the campaign. workers coming onto the morning society from the Democratic or Repub­ Jarvis kicked off her campaign in shift-primarily Blacks and latinos­ lican parties, which are beholden to launched at a rally February 9. Doo­ rack and Salner were joined by Sylvia late January at a NOW picket line stopped to take brochures and talk for the capitalists. commemorating the sixth anniversary a few minutes. "Brothers and sisters, I submit to L6pez, a student at St. Mary's Univer­ sity and the socialist candidate for city of the Supreme Court decision legaliz­ Pulley got their attention by intro­ you that the goal of socialism, the idea ing abortion. council in District 1. ducing himself as the socialist candi­ of a humane society, is the only future In a statement handed to the news date for mayor. He says that workers worth having and worth fighting for. San Antonio is officially 52 percent Chicano. "While the city council has a media and to other pickets, she blasted won't pay any attention if they think "Join us tonight in working toward the ban on Medicaid abortions. "Safe, he's with the Democrats or Republi­ that future!" Chicano majority and one Black," L6pez told the rally, "we can now see legal abortions have been added to the cans. list of 'luxuries' that wealthy people that simply changing the color of the Pulley is the only Black and only can afford and poor people can't," she council is not enough. In fact, it's the independent candidate on the ballot. stated. most 'radical' members of the council, Jarvis hopes to use her campaign to "They like what I have to say," he Bernardo Eureste and Rudy Ortiz, who explode the myth of the "sun-belt." As explained afterwards. "Especially our have come to the fore as the budget­ plan to tax the rich for the social cutters and program-slashers. a longtime resident of the region, she knows that "boom town" Dallas is no services that we need. That makes San Antonio: "The Chicano Democrats are prov­ sense to workers who have spent their ing to be no more effective in stopping more free from social crises and urban lives in the mill. They just want to decay than New York or Cleveland. cutbacks than Black Democrats who know how we can pull it off. That's We need a have been mayors or won city council In fact, Dallas is a "boom town" when I explairi what the Socialist majorities in other cities. To hold the only for big corporations, 200 of which Workers Party is all about." line against cutbacks, we will need an moved here from other parts of the The socialist campaign is having a program of alliance between an aroused labor country just last year to take advan­ real impact by hitting the issues that movement and its allies among the tage of the good "business climate": a affect the majority of Chicago's popu­ organizations of Chicanos, Blacks, work force that is only 8 percent unio­ lation. public works women, and students." nized, low wages, low corporate taxes, At the end of January, for example, and meager social services. By Mark Schneider Doorack explained to the rally that the Chicago Transit Authority cut out the problems facing San Antonio were Last year $635 million was spent in SAN ANTONIO-"My name is An­ service on the main train lines serving national in scope. the Dallas area on defense contracts, the Black community on the south and drea Doorack. I'm an assembly line "The biggest industry in this city, by compared to only $35 million on worker west sides. More than 500,000 com­ at Friederich's Refrigeration far, is the military. Ii produces nothing health, education, and welfare com­ and a member of the International bined. munity residents were left stranded. of value, and its land is untaxed. Our The officials blamed equipment shor­ Union of Electrical Workers. I'm the five sprawling military bases are The same day that Gretchen Jarvis tages on freezing weather conditions. Socialist Workers candidate for mayor, really an albatross around the city's was marching on the NOW picket line, and I'd like you to consider voting Pulley issued a statement condemn­ neck. The only way forward for this Bob Cantrick, a thirty-four-year-old socialist." ing this outrageous racist act by the city is to transform the military bases machinist in the oil tool industry and That's the way Andrea Doorack CTA. into productive factories, farmlands, SWP candidate for City Council Place greeted bus drivers inside the VIA He called for free public transporta­ schools, and hospitals. 9, was traveling to Austin, the state Transit garage at 5 a.m. here February capital. tion, with community residents mak­ "But that can take place only by ing the decisions on routes and sche­ 8. transforming the whole economy from He and more than thirty activists Doorack was accompanied by Dave dules. He said that union committees a profit-oriented and war economy to a from the Armadillo Coalition, a north Salner, a bus driver and member of of transit workers-not politicians­ planned economy that puts human Texas Antinuclear group, joined 500 Amalgamated Transit Union Local ought to determine safety procedures needs first. That's what we mean when others at a rally pressing for a state and operating policies. 694. Salner is the socialist candidate we talk about socialism. And the ban on nuclear waste transportation for city council in District 9. Pulley said the banks and corpora­ American labor movement and its and storage of nuclear material. tions should foot the bill for the newly The socialist candidates explained to allies have the power to bring that The SWP candidate for City Council equipped modem transit system Chi­ transit workers their opposition to any about." Place 10 is Melvin Chappell. Chappell, cago needs. cutbacks in the municipal work force. a twenty-four-year-old Black steel­ A campaign rally held February 3 at Last summer a sanitation workers' worker, has been active in the antira­ Shoe Workers Hall drew 150 people. strike for a small pay increase was cist movement since he was a high Campaign supporters had been sell­ brutally smashed by the city council, school student. ing tickets to co-workers for several which fired about half the workers. Chappell thinks the labor movement weeks. One steelworker sold six in his With this victory under their belts, ought to take on big social issues, such plant. An auto worker at a west side Mayor Lila Cockrell and the city coun­ as the threat to affirmative action plant bought a ticket and brought cil are threatening to reduce the munic­ Dallas: posed by the Weber case, or the anti­ along a couple of his friends. ipal work force by 1,000 over the next apartheid movement, or the fight to Featured speakers along with Pulley two years. win the ERA. were Fred Halstead, author of Out Doorack talked about the fact that 'Boom town' On the job at the Austin Steel Com­ Now!, the only firsthand history of the San Antonio suffers above-average pany, he talks to other unionists about anti-Vietnam War movement; and unemployment and some of the lowest these campaigns. "I tell them that Thabo Ntweng, SWP candidate for wages in the country. There is no only for big what we need in America today is a mayor of Cleveland. drainage in the Chicano and Black fighting, democratic labor movement," Pulley summed up the spirit of the neighborhoods, and the streets are in Chappell says. evening and of his -campaign this way: constant disrepair because of flooding. business "I say that what we need is a labor "Is everything we have been talking "And yet the mayor and city council By Chris Horner party, OU\' own party based on the about a hopelessly impossible dream? are talking about cutbacks! No, we and Carole Lesnick strength of our unions. The more most Is this utopian? need the opposite-a crash program of DALLAS-Democrats and Republi­ of them think about it, the better they "Not at all. What is utopian is the public works to solve this city's crisis cans have had a monopoly on every like the idea." '

22 World Outlook News, analysis, and discussion of international political events 'We don't want to suffer anymore' Chinese peasants demand political rights

Peasants demonstrate In Peking for human rights and socialist democracy

By Leslie Evans from its mausoleum, where it stands as to be friends with the Soviet Union. We No one knows exactly how many of The third anniversary of the death of an example of "feudal idolatry." demand a beginning of talks with the these refugees from the countryside are Soviet government." (Toronto Globe & now in Peking. They have been arriv­ Premier Chou En-lai on January 8 was • For the right to elect all state and taken as an opportunity by a number Mail, January 6; Los Angeles Times, ing in Peking singly and in small party leaders. January 7; Christian Science Monitor, groups from all parts of China since of China's newly formed dissident • For the right of opposition parties groups to direct some sharp demands January 8.) late last year, with larger numbers to have voice and to be elected to the coming for the Chou En-lai anniver­ at the party leaders in Peking. National People's Congress. Highlights of the week included the Two workers sary. One of the demonstrators told • For provisions of the constitution John Fraser of the Toronto Globe & Western reporters that there are 20,000 formation of a group called the Human to be enforced. Rights Alliance, which pasted up a Mail met with two of the authors of such displaced peasants in Peking • For publication of the state budget this remarkable document following (Reuters, January 14), although nineteen-point program at Peking's and of statistics for all areas of Chi­ Democracy Wall challenging a wide their appearance at the Democracy Agence France-Presse gave its esti­ nese econ~mic and social life. Wall on January 8: mate of 1,000 (January 14). range of bureaucratic abuses; and • For an end to secret government marches and sit-ins by groups of pea­ meetings and for the right of citizens The two were both workers. They had sants demanding democratic rights to attend sessions of the National spent the morning at Hsi Tan [the street 400 to 500 marched and more food. People's Congress. where the Democracy Wall is located] debat­ On January II, Fox Butterfield ing their poster with Chinese and had had a wrote from Peking: Small demonstrations for civil liber­ • For an end to duplicitous propa­ warm, enthusiastic reception. There were ties or to correct particular abuses ganda. some criticisms of certain points in the This week in Peking . . . 400 to 500 people have become fairly common in some of • For a study of Western democracy poster, but its over-all objectives received dressed in the patched, faded garb of pea­ China's major cities since the govern­ and culture as well as science and wide support from several hundred people. sants marched for three days around Tien ment announced in November that it technology. [Globe & Mail, January 8.] An Men Square to protest shortages of food would permit the public airing of grie­ • For the right to enter foreign em­ According to another Chinese who and demand human rights in China. The vances. Peking's Tien An Men Square bassies; meet foreign correspondents; was present and later interviewed by people, who appeared to come from virtu­ and the nearby Democracy Wall have receive foreign books and magazines; ally all of China's 29 province-level units, Fraser, the criticisms did not focus on including Tibet, said they did not want to become the national center for such and to publish abroad. the Human Rights Alliance's antibu­ overthrow the Government but simply to protests, but they have appeared else­ • For the abolition of the system of reaucratic positions but on their prop­ obtain redress against insensitive local offi­ where. The January 2 Le Monde, for lifetime assignment to work units. osal to defuse tensions with the USSR. cials. example, reported that a woman • For freedom of travel, employ­ The dissidents replied that they did not The marchers slept at night in the Peking worker in a Shanghai silk factory was ment, dress, and personal decisions in advocate imitating the Russian system railroad station or other public buildings wounded by police gunfire on De­ family planning. in China. with no official interference. They said they cember 29 in a clash between workers • For unemployment insurance, a The Human Rights Alliance was had come to Peking by hitching rides on and police during a workers' demon­ guaranteed minimum grain ration for only one of several groups at the trucks or walking since they did not have stration protesting the pace of work all peasants, and an end to the forcible Democracy Wall and in Tien An Men travel permits to take trains. [New York Times, January 14.] and calling for higher pay. sending of urban youth to the country­ Square on January 8. The more or less Before dawn on Saturday, January side. official celebrations for Chou En-lai On January 14, some 200 of these 6, the first poster of the Human Rights • For immediate abolition of the had brought tens of thousands of peo­ peasant demonstrators staged a pro­ Alliance was put up at the Democracy secret police. ple to Tien An Men. One unofficial test outside the leadership compound Wall in Peking. This was the first of • For an end to the "terrible hovels group called the Enlightenment So­ at Chungnanhai, where Hua Kuo-feng the political wall posters that has been some poor people live in with three ciety, which had appealed to President and the rest of the top party officials signed with real names-the seven generations in one room . . . grown Carter to make a statement on behalf live. The protesters demanded a brief authors boldly announced their names boys and girls should not have to live of human rights in China, circulated in interview with either Hua or Teng and promised to appear on January 8 in the same room." the crowd selling printed pamphlets of Hsiao-p'ing. The scene was described for a public meeting to debate the • For a reconciliation with the So­ its statements for 30 cents each. by the correspondents of the Toronto content of their program. Some of the viet Union. "The Sino-Soviet split in The most dramatic incident at the Globe & Mail: nineteen points, as summarized by ideology has already lost its objective square was a march by some 200 Western correspondents in Peking, in­ base. The citizens demand a relaxation Their ranks were joined yesterday by peasants from provinces all over other disaffected people from Peking itself, cluded: in the attacks on revisionism. The China, joined by more than a thousand as well as a large group of interested • For the release of all political pri­ Soviet Union is a socialist country and Peking citizens, behind banners read­ onlookers. By the time everyone reached soners. the Soviet people are a great people. ing "We don't want hunger. We don't Chung Nan Hai, the crowd consisted of • For the right of dissent for Com­ China and the United States are now want to suffer any more. We want more than 2,000 people and it took at least munist Party members. friends. China and Japan are now human rights and democracy'' (New 100 soldiers from the People's Liberation • For the removal of Mao's body friends. The people of China would like York Times, January 9). Continued on page 25

THE MILITANT/MARCH 2, 1979 23 World Outlook

World news notes Spanish state steps up repression ... In response to growing militancy among Spanish workers, the government of Adolpho Suarez is stepping up its drive against Mass pressure forces workers' struggles-and especially against the struggle of the Basque people for self-determination. In late January 5,000 cops were mobilized in Madrid. Another 2,800 Italian Stalinists to stop more were sent into Euskadi, the Basque country. Roberto Conesa, who served as an "anti-terrorist expert" during Franco's fascist reign, was also sent to Euskadi, accompanied by sixty supporting government members of an elite "anti-terrorist force." Suarez has also sought and gained the support of the French By Gerry Foley union leaders began to show signs of government for his moves against Basque freedom fighters. On The Italian Communist Party's an­ panic. January 30, French police detained twenty-three Basques, whom nouncement January 26 that it was The three main labor confederations, they claimed were members of the Basque nationalist organization withdrawing its support from the gov­ including the CP-led General Confeder­ ETA. Seven of the twenty-three were deported to Spain. ernment of Premier Giulio Andreotti ation of Labor, issued a joint statement The next day Maria Dolores Gonzalez Catarin, whom the cops claim came as no surprise. The CP leader­ saying: "The whole body of public is a leader of the ETA, was arrested in France. ship had clearly been moving in this workers, beginning with the hospital All these arrests were made under a new policy announced by the direction since mid-1978. workers, has become uncontrollable. If French government barring refugee status for political exiles from Discontent with the CP's defense of the government does not do something, Spain. the government's austerity policies we are going to have to resort to a was building up to an explosive point. general strike." The Spanish state's moves came just before the opening of the In the May regional elections, the In early 1978, the CP union leaders election campaign for 350 members of the Congress and 208 members party suffered its sharpest decline in endorsed the government's austerity of the Senate. The moves also came at a time of worker unrest. votes since the time of the Hungarian plan. By the end of the year, they were Contract negotiations are going on for 3.8 million workers. The revolution. In the Campania region, forced to come out in opposition to the government is trying to limit wage increases to 12.5 percent. But, as for example, which includes Naples, plan's provisions for cuts. in social the Christian Science Monitor reported in its February 8 issue, "one the CP vote dropped from 42% in the benefits and for ending the sliding fact is more revealing than the demands: some workers-for example 1976 legislative elections to 24%. The scale of wages. domestic gas suppliers, air-traffic controllers and steel workers-are party also suffered losses in a number Specifically, the timing of the CP's holding wildcat strikes against the recommendations of the country's of northern industrial cities. withdrawal from the governmental two principal Communist and socialist unions." In June, the vote in the referendums majority was dictated by three factors. on the repressive Reale Law and the The new austerity plan drawn up by law granting governmental financing Andreotti's finance ministry was un­ to political parties, both of which were veiled in mid-January. A broad confer­ . . . and in France supported by the CP, showed that the ence of delegates of local units of the Meanwhile, the French government is experiencing troubles of its party was losing control over growing CP is scheduled for late March. And own. sections of its supporters. new contract negotiations are opening Last year the government unveiled an economic plan that aimed to According to a poll cited in the up for unions representing eight mil­ raise unemployment to make French industry "more competitive." February 5 issue of Der Spiegel, opposi­ lion workers. Big struggles are ob­ Christian Science Monitor correspondent Jim Browing reported in tion among the ranks of the CP to the viously brewing. the February 16 issue on the response of French workers: overtly class-collaborationist policy of In the December 14 Washington "In the steel town of Longwy, in Lorraine, workers recently sacked "historic compromise" rose from 20% Post, Claire Sterling wrote that the the offices of the 'sous-prefect,' who represents the central government in 1976 to 30% in 1978. The West unions were "not only demanding in the region. Later they blocked a railroad line by dumping 1,500 tons German magazine also noted admis­ shorter hours and higher pay-not to of iron ore on the tracks." sions by the party leaders that the CP mention prodigal sums the state Much of the workers' anger has centered on the steel industry. The was facing an absolute decline in mem­ doesn't have for improved medical government plan calls on steel companies to close plants and lay off bership. care, pensions, education and public 21,000 workers, nearly a quarter of the steel labor force. The CP has reportedly been losing investment-but plotting ' a hair­ That the strikes and demonstrations are shaking a few spines members rapidly, particularly among raising course of strikes and slow­ among the employing class was confirmed recently by one Gaullist the youth, who have been especially downs to prove they mean it." parliamentarian, who said, "What strikes me is to feel the deep hard hit by the economic crisis and In bringing down the Andreotti gov­ movement below the surface of French society, comparable to that austerity policy. About 70% of the ernment, the CP did not change its country's 1.6 million unemployed are basic policy of collaboration with the which led to May '68. You have the impression that a great mutation is under thirty. Christian Democrats. But the fact that taking place.... This old population is changing." Moreover, a number of press reports it was forced to make this maneuver have cited polls showing that if elec­ indicates a much more fundamental tions were held now, the CP vote would shift-in the Italian working class as a drop by 10%. whole. The CP can no longer keep the Callaghan ·announces 'concordat' When they found themselves unable workers from going on a counteroffen­ With great fanfare, British Prime Minister James Callaghan an­ to hold back a wave of strikes in sive against the cuts in their standard nounced February 14 that a "concordat" had been agreed to with the November, in particular a militant of living. Trades Union Congress, the country's major union federation. The strike of hospital workers, the CP From Intercontinental Press/lnprecor agreement says that TUC will work toward an annual inflation rate of no more than 5 percent within three years. In reality, British workers have been fighting simply to bring their wages up closer to spiraling prices. The "concordat" signals the willingness of union tops to try to squelch these struggles. Whether they can succeed is another question. So far, Callaghan's attempt to impose a 5 percent wage limit on British workers has failed dismally. The massive wave of strikes that has swept the country during the past several months has prevented the Labour Party government from carrying out its intended austerity program in the interests of British capitalism. On February 9 negotiators for the water and sewage workers agreed on a pay increase of nearly 16 percent. The government has been trying to impose a ceiling of 8.8 percent on wage raises for public workers. Although some of the strikers have returned to work with substantial pay boosts, others are still holding out. The Economist magazine, Britain's most prestigious financial weekly, explained in its February 17 issue what the British rulers fear. "With a going rate for pay rises of around 15%, inflation will be approaching 12% by the autumn, when the next wage round begins. Unions will he looking for at least 18% pay rises in 1979-80 to keep pace with inflation.... " -Peter Archer

Communist Party's electoral gains raised high hopes among Italian ..,,.rlrollrtt Stalinists have supported capitalist austerity drive. 24 their own government. Fox Butterfield longtime New York Times Hong Kon~ ... China correspondent, commented on his two Why Peruvian Continued from page 23 weeks in Peking at the beginning of Army to keep firm but friendly order. . . . the year on the occasion of the restora­ The sight of the peasants visibly affected tion of diplomatic relations between many Chinese and foreigners. They were China and the U.S.: general strike failed among the poorest-looking people anyone had ever seen in China. One man carried Before, no foreigner had met a Chinese The following interview with seen the enormous pressure that the his handicapped wife on his back through­ dissident. Now practically everyone has, and some Chinese students have begun Peruvian Trotskyist leader Hugo economic recession is putting on the out the entire hour-long march on the Blanco of the Revolutionary working class, with a whole series of coldest day so far this winter. Another calling newsmen up at all hours of the peasant who had spent 15 days travelling night with tips on the latest poster. [New Workers Party (PRT) was obtained consequences. The firings of tens of from his home town near Shanghai (1,000 York Times, January 21.] by telephone January 15. hundreds of leaders in the factories miles away), talked to Western journalists. and the workers movement has had a He said his name was Hsu Yu-shan of On January 23, the Human Rights Question. Can you describe the situa­ big impact. The workers fear unem­ Chingchiang in Jiangsu Province. Alliance put up a ten-page poster warn­ tion in Peru during and after the ployment, and they feel that the stock­ Hsu said he was 62 and he and his wife ing the citizens of Peking that they general strike, and give us your opin­ piles the bosses maintain enable them have three children. Fifteen years ago, his expected a crackdown from Peking's ion on the results of the strike? to withstand the effects of a strike. family was forced to return to the country­ new mayor, Lin Hu-chia, who had That is why many workers did not Answer. The strike was weak from side when widespread famine brought made a speech claiming that "some strike. chaos to many Chinese cities. He said that enemies have smuggled themselves the outset. Only 30 to 40 percent of the their lives had been miserable ever since. In into the good forces," and disparaging workers struck on the first day, and his town, people have to subsist on one jin participation fell off even more on the Q. What attitude did the Constituent "underground" groups and periodicals. Assembly take toward the strike? The Human Rights Alliance countered second day. The CGTP1 then decided by denying that the various human to suspend the strike. A. The left deputies supported it, of rights groups or their publications There are a number of conjunctural course. They rejected the repressive have been underground, saying that reasons for the insufficient develop­ measures launched by the government. all the various publications had been ment of the strike. The government But the APRA2 behaved worse than posted on wall and that members of was very well prepared to confront it, ever, and supported the military's mea­ the alliance had appeared in public to both politically and with repression. sures to the hilt. The APRA voted defend their views. The strike was called against a ser­ down the motion presented against the According to Reuters, on January 29 ies of economic measures decreed by suspension of constitutional guaran­ several hundred people held a rally at the government. But the regime par­ tees and in support of the general Peking's Democracy Wall in defense of tially withdrew the measures. It or­ strike. The left deputies walked out of the leaders of six different civil liber­ dered a wage increase, and although that session of the assembly-the ties groups that have declared their this did not meet the needs of the UDP, FOCEP, CP, both factions of the intention to fight for free speech. workers it did demobilize them, be­ PSR,3 and the Christian Democrats. Thus far the government has made cause it appeared as if the demands of The APRA proposed "secret sessions" no move against the dissidents. One the strike were being granted. It was a of the assembly, but all that was consideration is certainly Teng Hsiao­ different thing from previous situa­ discussed in those was the measures p'ing's visit to the United States-a tions to prepare and carry out a strike the government was preparing against wave of arrests in China at this mo­ under these conditions. the strike, and these were known to all. ment would provide grist for the right­ The political preparation of the ac­ Also, the "danger of war between Chile wing American press. But another, tion also left much to be desired, owing and Peru"-a typical diversionary tac­ possibly more weighty, consideration to the year-end holidays. January is a tic. bad month in this respect. TENG HSIAO P'ING: May have to toler­ is the mood of the people of China. In an unusual move, the Chinese An internal factor should be men­ Q. What is the present situation? ate some dissent rather than risk open tioned that greatly affected the organi­ confrontation with masses. authorities permitted Teng Hsiang A. The APRA says elections for a zation of the strike from the (Trends), a Hong Kong pro-Peking new government will be held in Oc­ beginning-the sectarianism of the magazine, to take an official public tober. The dictatorship also says this­ Stalinists who control the leadership of of rice (about one pound) a day or one jin of opinion poll of Peking citizens. Teng it wants to go through with the the CGTP. In fact, in contrast to the mantou (Chinese bread). In addition to this Hsiang's reporters claim to have inter­ transfer of government it has agreed July 1977 general strike, no joint lead­ basic food allotment, Hsu added, peasants viewed members of an agricultural upon with the bourgeoisie. The regime could get a few poor-quality vegetables and people's commune, a military unit, and ership was formed among all those will try to maintain its "image" by on a lucky day a few scraps of pork. The hospital workers. They report that 76 supporting the strike. This time the holding the elections, but it will con­ most cash he had ever earned in a month percent of those questioned felt that Communist Party refused to coordi­ tinue to harass all activity by the left. was six Mao (about forty cents). [January constitutional rights have not been nate activity with anyone who was not 15.] That is why they have decreed a "state respected in China. In addition, 88 in total agreement with its positions. of emergency"-an excuse for deten­ The party leaders refused to meet percent said they are "dissatisfied" So the class-struggle unions of Lima tions and attacks on the workers. with the demonstrators, and for the with the present cultural life. Com­ and the tendencies linked to forces to time being the peasant demonstrations plaints were particularly strong over the CP's left were excluded from the Q. What is the PRT's situation? came to an end, with some of the restrictions on the right to travel outset. No factory assemblies or other protesters beginning the long trip abroad and the prohibition on emigra­ kinds of actions were carried out to A. Our party took part in the strike, home. tion. prepare for the strike. · and made its presence felt. Where we The local advocates of democracy, Teng and Hua may have decided could, we worked jointly with the however, have continued their cam­ that for the moment it is less risky to Q. What about the repression? POMR,4 another Trotskyist group, to organize and support the general paign. One of their tactics has been to tolerate the open organization by the A. The government, on the other make contact with foreign newspaper dissidents than to provoke a reaction strike. hand, was very well prepared. Long We have struggled to make the reporters, as a means of circulating from China's "silent majority." before the announced date of the their message and putting pressure on From Intercontinental Press/lnprecor FOCEP function in an organized way, strike, it launched a big campaign of and this is now being done. There is an intimidation, unprecedented in earlier executive committee that has begun to strikes. Lima and other cities were hold discussions and set some tasks. For the very best coverage totally militarized. Tanks, armored But the election campaign must still be vehicles, and soldiers appeared, while discussed and planned. This will be an at the same time a propaganda offen­ important opportunity to confront the of world politics sive was conducted on radio and televi­ bourgeoisie's maneuvers to demobilize sion and in the press, warning that the the workers movement. repressive forces had "license to kill." Frankly, 'Intercontinental Press/ From Intercontinental Press/lnprecor The people are not suicidal, so they Inprecor' carries far more articles, were intimidated. documents, and special features Small mobilizations did take place about world politics than the 'Militant' on the first day; for example, in Comas 2. Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Ameri­ has room for. cana (American People's Revolutionary Al­ on the north side of Lima and else­ 'Intercontinental Press/lnprecor' is liance). Peru's main bourgeois party. The where. But on the second day there published to help people struggling APRA holds the largest number of votes in was little activity in support of the for a better world learn from each the Constituent Assembly. strike. Also, hundreds of persons were other's successes and setbacks. You jailed before the strike. The majority of 3. UDP-Unidad Democratico-Popular can't afford to be without it. Fill in the them have now been released, but (Democratic People's Unity), a bloc of Mao­ coupon below and subscribe today. Insurgent Mas~ Take Tehran forty-four are still being held by State ist and centrist parties; FOCEP-Frente Intercontinental Press/lnprecor Obrero, Campesino, Estudiantil, y Popular Security. (Workers, Peasants, Students, and People's Post Office Box 116, Varick Street Station, New York, New York 10014 Q. How did this repression affect the Front), a bloc of Trotskyist parties and 0 Send me six months of 'Intercontinental Press/lnprecor.' En­ movement? independent socialists to which the PRT closed is twelve dollars. belongs; PSR-Partido Socialista Revolucio­ A. On this occasion we have really 0 Send me a sample copy. Enclosed is seventy-five cents. nario (Revolutionary Socialist Party). One of the PSR's public factions is led by Name. ______Address ______bourgeois-nationalist ex-military officers; 1. Confederaci6n General de Trabajadores the other is a centrist grouping. City ______State ______Zip. ______del Peru (General Confederation of Peru­ vian Workers), the main union federation in 4. Partido Obrero Marxista Revolucionario Peru. (Revolutionary Marxist Workers Party).

THE MILITANT/MARCH 2, 1979 25 Zionists howl over sla~~d wrist U.S. admits'instances' of torture by Israel By David Frankel Howls of outrage from the Israeli government and its supporters have greeted the State Department's 1979 report on human rights. At issue is the State Department's rr.ealy-mouthed admission that "the ac·cumulation of reports, some from credible sources, makes it appear that instances of mistreatment [of Palesti­ nians in Israeli-occupied territories] have occurred." Israeli Justice Minister Shmuel Tamir declared February 8 that such charges are an intentional attempt "to smear our country and way of life" on b~;half of "murderers." Israeli Foreign . Ministry sources, according to the February 8 New York Times, discounted charges of torture in Israeli jails with the racist argument that the information was based on "interviews with Arabs." These "sour­ ces" failed to explain how such charges can be investigated without interviewing the victims. Meanwhile, the Times itself sprang to the defense of the Zionist regime. A February 9 editorial hailed Israeli treatment of Palestinians as "exem­ plary." Blow to Zionist image It is not surprising that the reaction has been so strong. Although the over­ all State Department document is a whitewash of the Israeli record, the fact that the U.S. government has called anv attention at all to the use of torture in" Israel is a significant blow to the image of the Zionist state. As the State Department report ad­ While the State Department report copter to deal with the "uprising." have frequently approved Hebrew­ mitted, substantial evidence of the use admitted "instances of mistreatment" People were beaten in the streets. language articles for Matzpen­ of torture by the Israeli government is of Palestinian prisoners, it was gener­ When Israeli troops were not able to Marxisti, the newspaper of the Israeli available. In April 1970, for example, ally laudatory toward the Israeli re­ find people in the streets, they broke Trotskyists in the Revolutionary Com­ Amnesty International published gime. Some of its more glaring inaccur­ into houses and beat people there. munist League, while rejecting transla­ "with the greatest reluctance" its find­ acies should be pointed out. About twenty people were hospitalized. tions of the same articles in Arabic. ing of "prima facie evidence of the • The report claims that within Is­ Nor was the brutality in J att an Arab newspapers in East Jerusalem serious mistreatment of Arab prisoners rael's pre-1967 borders, "law enforce­ isolated case. Three thousand people are also frequently forbidden to report under interrogation in Israel." ment is carried out without the exces­ gathered in the Palestinian village of news of Palestinian protests and politi­ Noting that "we have in our posses­ sive use of force." Majd al-Kurum December 17, 1977, to cal meetings. sion very extensive material to support Not when Palestinians are con­ protest a racist rampage by Israeli In light of the State Department's the assumption that torture does in cerned. police the previous month that left one whitewash of the Israeli regime, its fact occur," Amnesty Executive Com­ For example, on April 4, 1977, I villager dead and dozens injured. admission that there have been "in­ mittee member Arne Haaland stated: visited the village of Jatt, Israel. The An article by Yehoshua Gilboa in stances" of torture is particularly con­ "We have rarely-if ever-had such entire village was on strike to protest the November 11, 1977, issue of the vincing. reliable material on which to base the Israeli "law enforcement." Israeli daily Haaretz, described how establishment of the fact in relation to police "broke into the houses [and] torture taking place-or not taking Five days earlier, elementary- and middle-school students had taken to smashed the glassware in the flats, the place-in a particular country." lamps and the television sets. They Unlike the Cuban government, the streets to protest the arrest of seven Fired for young villagers. The seven had com­ broke electric equipment and furniture which allowed Amnesty representa­ and even spoiled food." tives to carry out a thorough investiga­ mitted no crime. They were taken into reporting on custody because Israeli police feared Gilboa summed up his reaction by tion of the treatment of prisoners there saying, "Something in the atmosphere last year, Israel has consistently re­ they might organize protests to com­ human rights memorate the murder of six unarmed reminded me of stories about pogroms fused to allow such an investigation. in houses of Jews in Tsarist Russia." Alexandra U. Johnson, a junior A detailed summary of Israeli hu­ demonstrators the year before during foreign service officer in the U.S. man rights violations is contained in protests over the government's expro­ consulate in Jerusalem, took Presi­ the "Report of the National Lawyers priation of Arab land. A democratic society? dent Carter's human rights rhe­ Guild 1977 Middle East Delegation." Israeli authorities responded to the • According to the State Depart­ toric seriously. Although she was a (For copies, send $4.50 to Guild Report, student protests in Jatt-a village of ment report, "Preventive detention is supporter of the Israeli state when P.O. Box 14023, Washington, D.C. 4,000 persons-by sending troops, legal but is virtually never practiced" she arrived in Jerusalem, she was 20044.) armed personnel carriers, and a heli- in Israel. unable to ignore the repeated ac­ In fact, the British colonial regula­ counts of torture told to her by tions that permit preventive detention Palestinians applying for visas to were used January 26 against six Arab leave Israel. students who were accused of issuing a "I got the feeling that rather Who do you believe? leaflet stating their political solidarity than being exposed to a series of "The reaction is total denial. There conduct of law enforcement agen­ with the Palestine Liberation Organi­ aberrant instances, I was in a way is no maltreatment of prisoners in cies, and strong counter-measures by zation. taking a sample from a pattern or a Israel and there never has been your government are clearly a mat­ • "Israelis of all faiths and ethnic system," she told the New York torture of prisoners in Israel." ter of great urgency, especially now groups continue to enjoy freedom of Times. Israeli Embassy official replying that relevant authorities, including religion, expression and assembly," is Johnson reported her findings to February 9 to charges of torture. the Minister of Police and the courts, another claim made by the State De­ the State Department, which have admitted that 'unnecessary partment. claimed it was unable to substan­ force' had in at least some cases Is it freedom of expression when tiate them. Last month, the State ". . . Such a commission is unne­ been used during interrogation. Am­ cessary." Palestinian students are placed under Department refused to grant her nesty International therefore re­ house arrest for distributing a leaflet tenure after her six-year probation­ Jerrold Schecter, press secretary to spectfully repeats its request for an Zbigniew Brzezinski, replying to an the government doesn't like? ary period was over. independent inquiry into all aspects Are the students of Jatt really as­ "It is my own belief that I was appeal by the Palestine Human of this problem." Rights Campaign for a commission sured of their freedom of assembly? fired because of my human rights Letter of October 12, 1976, re­ Were the six demonstrators killed by reporting," says Johnson. of inquiry to investigate charges of printed in "Monthly Bulletin of Am­ torture in Israel. police on March 30, 1976? Meanwhile, Israeli officials have nesty International Campaign for • Finally, the State Department as­ begun spreading reports that John­ the Abolition of Torture," November serts that "both the Hebrew and son was not given tenure because " ... The conclusion seems un­ 1976, p. 1. The Israeli government Arabic press are free ... although all she is mentally unbalanced. Even avoidable that abuses in the past, has not bothered to reply to such newspapers are subject to censorship the State Department had to brand directed against Arab detainees, appeals from Amnesty Interna­ on security and military matters." that slander as "a slimy lie." have had a brutalizing effect on the tional. This is a lie. The censorship is politi­ -D.F. cal, not military. For example, censors

26 In Review Triangle Factory massacre The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal. Alan So when the crowds of people gathered on that New York City on March 12, 1977, a banner was Landsbury Productions. Starring Tovah Feld­ day in March to watch with horror the young unfurled from the arch at Washington Square in shuh and Tom Bosley. NBC television film women throwing themselves from tenth-story win­ tribute to those victims: shown January 30, 1979. dows to keep from burning to death, there was "It is up to the working people to save themselves. anger as well as sorrow. At one public protest The only way they can save themselves is by a NBC's dramatization The Triangle Factory Fire meeting, Rose Schneiderman, a leader of the union, strong working-class movement." Scandal was a nostalgic story of old New York; of told the crowd: - -Lee Martindale young immigrant women and men, their struggles "I would be a traitor to these poor, burned bodies to survive, their romances, their dreams of success if I came here to talk good fellowship. . . . Too in American where, as one of them put it, "We can much blood has been spilled. I know from my own be anything we want." experience it is up to the working people to save The fire was portrayed as a terrible tragedy that themselves. The only way they can save themselves provided an insight into the diverse ethnic and is by a strong working-class movement." On April 5, the ILGWU held a funeral procession for seven victims of the fire who had never been identified. One hundred twenty thousand men, Television women, and children marched in silence through the pouring rain to mourn their dead. Some 400,000 religious traditions the workers carried with them lined Fifth Avenue to watch. from the old country, and the day-to-day dramas of Although the owners of the Triangle Shirtwaist their adjustment to their new home. Company were tried and acquitted of any responsi­ But that fire in the Triangle Shirtwaist Company bility for the fire, the tragedy gave an impetus to on March 25, 1911, which claimed the lives of 146 the struggle for factory inspection laws and work­ workers, most of them women, is part of another men's compensation, and to the building of the story, too, which the NBC program barely touched ILGWU. on. It is the story of the fight of these young The story of the Triangle fire, where so many of immigrant workers for decent wages and working our sisters died at the hands of the bosses' greed, is . conditions and a measure of human dignity in the told in We Were There by Barbara Wertheimer (New sweatshops of the "land of opportunity." York, Pantheon Books, 1977). It is a part of our own Primitive as the conditions might have looked heritage as workers, as women, and as trade union­ when NBC portrayed them, the actual sweatshops ists. of that time were much worse. Hours ranged season­ The lessons of their experience stay with us ally from eleven to thirteen a day, six or seven days today. At the International Women's Day March in a week. Children eight and nine years old worked these hours for wages as low as $1.50 a week. Most of the women made less than $6.00 a week. The Triangle Company is notorious for more than the fatal fire-in 1909 its lockout of 150 women who belonged to the fledgling International Ladies Gar­ The Great Labor ment Workers Union led to a long, bitter strike that culminated in a general strike of the garment trades Uprising of 1877 involving 20,000 workers from roughly 500 shops. After three months of struggle against mass ar­ by Philip S. Foner rests, beatings by thugs, and arbitrary treatment by the courts, more than 300 shops went back ·with 288 pages, $3.95 paper, $12.00 cloth union contracts-but not the Triangle workers, who were unable to crack the resistance of the bosses A Monad Press book distributed by and their police .and judicial allies. The demands Pathfinder Press, 410 West Street, they did not win included adequate fire protection New York, New York 10014 and escape routes. Boardman Robinson/New York Tribune

away at the hero sandwich he has taken out of his situation, Nino perceives in a flash that they are pocket. laughing at their humiliation when they should be 'Bread He is somewhat abashed, but a moment later is angry. telling a severe-looking governess minding a child Then there is an abrupt shift in the tone of the how much he loves Switzerland, its natural beauty, film that comes as a shock to the audience and is and and its clean air. Its people are not really cold, he highly effective. Nino gets a job in which his fellow­ tells her, just civilized in their behavior. But she will workers are also without permits, a job that is a have nothing to do with him. horror-a mechanized chicken-slaughtering opera­ tion in an isolated rural area, in which the workers Chocolate' Even the child, with whom Nino seeks to play get paid according to the number of chickens they Bread and Chocolate. Produced by Maurizio soccer, disregards him. This, we perceive in the slaughter. They live in a chicken coop that has been Lodi-Fe for Verona Film Produzione. Starring course of the film, is how the 2 million immigrants converted into a barracks, where they have to walk Nino Manfredi and Anna Karina. doing the dirty work in a country of 5 million about doubled up. native-born are treated-when they do not encoun­ Dehumanized and rendered brutishly moronic by Bread and Chocolate, a 1973 Italian film that was ter more overt hostility. their life, they indulge in raucous laughter as they recently released in this country, is one of the finest Nind is competing with another immigrant imitate the gait and flapping wings of chickens. films to be shown here in a very long time. It should worker, a Turk, for a job as waiter in a posh hotel. The grotesqueness of their behavior is now not do for its director, Franco Brusati, and its star The job would mean a permanent residence permit. comic but searingly painful. It is a great scene. The headwaiter and the manager look critically Also poignant is the scene in which they look out upon them as each strives with comic desperation to upon the owner's elegant children and their friends Film give the best service to the guests, the wealthy from as they come riding on horseback and engage in the United States, England, and other countries. nude bathing in a stream amid pastoral surround­ actor, Nino Manfredi, what Love and Anarchy did ings. It is as if the workers are looking upon for Lina Wertmuller and Giancarlo Giannini. The sumptuous dining of the guests contrasts creatures of another world. The film is concerned with Nino, an Italian with the hungry eagerness for the job of serving immigrant worker who has been three years in them of the competing workers. It is the contrast Nino regards his companions and asks himself Switzerland, intent on obtaining a permanent resi­ suggested by the title of the film, the contrast of the whether foreigners think of him as being like them, dence permit so that he can send for his family and hero bread that is the staple food of Italian workers whether they consider all Italians to be moronic give his son a good start in life. Nino is voluble, and the Swiss chocolate that is famous everywhere clowns. Half-crazed, he dyes his hair and moust­ outgoing, warm-hearted, and sunny-dispositioned, as a fine sweet, the contrast between one of the ache blond and seeks to deny that he is Italian. But an engaging and yet a rather clownish man, who is most exploited sections of the international working his pride does not permit him to keep up the always having funny mishaps. class and the capitalists of the advanced countries. pretense. He almost returns to impoverished Na­ At the beginning of the film we see him in a Through a series of comical accidents Nino loses ples, but he finds that he cannot go home again. beautifully kept park on his Sunday afternoon off. his job, his work permit and his painfully accumu­ Torn within himself and searching for his iden­ The comfortable Swiss burghers are there, enjoying lated savings. He asks a friend to smuggle him into tity, the immigrant worker who had thought to their baskets of luscious fruit and whipped-cream a workers barracks, which his friend does even build a better life is now homeless. From a comic cakes and listening to classical music. They glance though it means risking his own work permit. At a character he has become a tragic figure. irritatedly at him as he sits under a tree, crunching show the workers put on to laugh at their own -Paul Seigel

THE MILITANT/MARCH 2, 1979 27 In Brief Equal Rights Amendment. Jeannine Whitlow, chairper­ :.Quote unquote 'Death Exposition '79' son of the United Steelworkers By Robin Trilling Groups supporting the Sub-district 3 Civil Rights "Today Iran, tomor- ROSEMONT, IlL-Despite picket line included Grey Committee, will speak on the row Palestine." subzero temperatures and Panthers, Veterans for Weber case. - Yasser Arafat, Pales­ falling snow, 2,500 people Peace, Women for Peace, Some of the groups partici­ tine Liberation Organi­ participated in the February Socialist Workers Party, and pating in the coalition are zation leader, in Tehran 18 picket line and rally the United Shoe Workers Women Organized for Employ­ February 18. against the "Defense Tech­ Union. About 300 college ment; Retail Clerks Union Lo­ nology '79" exhibit here­ and high school students cal 1100; National Organiza­ called the "Death Exposi­ were at the action, along· tion for Women chapters from tion" by protesters. with' trade unionists from San Francisco, San Jose, and 'RADIATION IS NOT the East Bay; Office and Pro­ GOOD FOR YOU' Called together by the District 31 of the Steel­ Chicago Mobilization for workers union and auto fessional Employees Local 3; That was the profound con­ the Women's Alcohol Coalition; clusion of Environmental Pro­ Survival, the demonstrators workers from UAW Region came from Michigan, Indi­ 4. and Union Wage. tection Agency representative Labor endorsements and con­ Paul Smith after an abandoned ana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Speakers at the rally in­ Missouri, Iowa, and N e­ cluded Robert Aldrich, for­ tributions have come from the uranium dump was found un­ San Francisco Labor Council, derneath a Denver brick and braska, as well as Illinois. merly of Lockheed, who de­ Chanting, "Go home!" signed the Trident missile. Teamsters, Painters, Typogra­ tile plant. phical Union, East Bay Coali­ The thousands of tons of and "No nukes," protesters Police arrested five protes­ carried banners such as: ters at the February 18 ac­ tion of Labor Union Women, radioactive waste underneath and others. the brickyard emit more than "Money for jobs, not one tion, and thirteen more at a cent for war," "Stop the picket line the following three times the level of radioac­ THE 'MILITANT' GETS arms race," and "No nukes." tivity that the federal govern­ day. AROUND ment says is safe. And the The Workers Voice, pub­ government-approved level is lished in Hamilton, Bermuda, much too high to begin with. up this hazard, including com­ that was supposed to have A lawyer for one of the pri­ picked up part of Dick Ro­ Similar radioactive dumps pensating the brickyard gone into effect five months vate companies employing the berts's article on "Who owns ar~ believed to exist in several workers for any disruption of ago. drivers summed up the issues the railroads?" in its February other locations in Denver, in their employment. And the Koch originally complained behind the strike by saying, 2 issue. The article, commented ott er Colorado towns, and in government should stop creat­ that the wages and benefits "The board of education wants the Workers Voice, "should be Cheago and Utah. ing similar dangers with its negotiated under the teachers to delete [contract] provisions of interest to our readers, as it h uold Sudmeyer, Socialist nuclear power and nuclear contract would exceed the 4 that, you know full well, will demonstrates how a handful of Workers Party candidate for weapons programs. That percent average allowed other kill that union." wealthy families may domi­ mayor of Denver, told the Mili­ means shutting down all the municipal unions. Now he is After more than four years of nate the economy, even of a tant, "Already they are saying nukes now." trying to weaken the union by closing down schools and gut­ country the size of the United that radioactivity from this site dividing teachers from para­ ting educational programs, the States of America." could have affected Denver's UNION-BUSTING IN N.Y.-I professionals. board of education had the gall water supply. And what about On February 13, New York to accuse the drivers of having the homes built with bricks City's labor-hating Mayor While saying that he will "left our youngsters out in the GOP VS. CUBA and tiles from this company? Koch rejected for the second honor the pay increases won cold." BLOCKADE? "The government has to do time a contract with the city's by the union's 49,000 teachers Meanwhile, New York City The Republican National whatever is necessary to clean United Federation of Teachers ("increases" that really schoolchildren may really be in Committee complained Febru­ amount to wage cuts because the cold if the city government ary 12 that the Cuban govern­ they are less than the rate of continues to stall in talks with ment made between $1,500 and inflation), Koch is refusing to maintenance workers and cus­ $2,000 on each of 4,000 visits to Hansen publishing fund go along with the contract todial firemen who, among Cuba in January. Calling this As of February 20, $14,675 feature excerpts from the provisions affecting the school other things, stoke the furnaces "an exorbitant amount," the has been pledged or col­ speech by longtime Socialist system's 10,000 paraprofession­ that heat the schools. Republican statement said that lected to begin publication of Workers Party leader Farrell als. These workers, who have the Cubans channel all tours Joseph Hansen's writings Dobbs at the Bay Area meet­ been without a contract since through a Panamanian corpo­ on revolutionary strategy in ing, along with reports on last June 30, are scheduled to ration that they control, and Latin America, the workers meetings in Tor-onto and De­ walk off the job February 21. that visitors would pay less if and farmers government, troit. UNION-BUSTING-II Defying two court InJunc­ U.S. airlines were permitted to and other topics in Marxist To do your part to make S.F. WOMEN ORGANIZE tions, 2,200 striking New York compete for the traffic. politics and theory. Hansen's valuable writings RALLY City school-bus drivers vowed Not mentioned in the Repub­ The $20,000 Joseph accessible to today's genera­ A coalition representing fif­ February 19 to risk jail and lican statement is the fact that Hansen Publishing Fund tion of revolutionary-minded teen labor unions and women's it is the U.S. government-not was launched following fighters, clip out the coupon fines rather than return to work. organizations in the San Fran­ the Cubans-which refuses to Hansen's death in January. below and send it to: Jo­ cisco Bay Area is building the let U.S. airlines land in Cuba. It is sponsored by prominent seph Hansen Publishing The drivers, who transport Fourth Annual Day in the If they are really so worried figures inside and outside Fund, 14 Charles Lane, some 133,000 children, went on Park for Women's Rights. The about the price of trips to Cuba, the Trotskyist movement New York, New York, strike February 15. Their strike event is scheduled to begin at let them lift the criminal eco­ around the world. 10014. was provoked by the board of noon, March 10, in Golden nomic blockade that has been Meetings to honor education, which is demanding Gate Park, San Francisco. maintained by Washington for Hansen's contributions to what it calls "reforms" in their The Day in the Park is tradi­ the past seventeen years. the revolutionary movement I contribute $ contract-the right to replace tionally held to commemorate and raise money for the Name ______full-time with part-time drivers, International Women's Day. 'RIGHT TO LIFERS' fund have been held in New and the elimination of contract Although this year's rally will DISRUPT MEETING York, the San Francisco Bay Address ______provisions guaranteeing driv­ encompass a range of issues A "summit meeting" of pro­ ers parity in wages, benefits, Area, Los Angeles, Cleve­ City including reproductive rights, and anti-abortion groups ended land, and elsewhere. Future working conditions, and senior- . education and child care, and in tears February 15, when issues of the Militant will State ____ Zip _ ity rights with New York Tran­ women in the labor force, the three anti-abortionists stepped sit Authority drivers. major focus will be on the in front of television cameras What's Cioing On

Speaker, Maceo Dixon, Socialist Workers rum. For more information call (312) 939- OHIO ARIZONA Party National Committee. Sun., Feb. 25, 0737. UTAH PHOENIX 7 p.m. Channing Hall, 2936 W. 8th St. CINCINNATI SALT LAKE CITY ATTACKS ON ARIZONA UNIONS. Donation: $1.50. Ausp: Militant Forum. WHY FARMERS ARE DEMONSTRAT­ THE WEBER CASE: THREAT TO AF­ Speakers from Construction Workers Lo­ For more information call (213) 482-1820. ING. Speaker: Steve Diehl. member of the FIRMATIVE ACTION. Speakers: Andrea cal 383 and Wilson Classroom Teachers MINNESOTA United Steelworkers. Sun., Feb. 25, 4 p.m. Sitetich, member of Salt Lake NOW chap­ Association. Fri., Mar. 2, 8 p.m. 1243 E. MESABI IRON RANGE 970 E. McMillan (Peebles Corner area). ter; Manuel Romero, member of Salt Lake McDowell. Donation: $1. Ausp: Militant THE IWW & IRON RANGE LABOR Donation: $1. Ausp: Militant Forum. For Chapter of SOCIO; Ken Morgan Steel­ Bookstore Forum. For more information GEORGIA HISTORY. Speakers: Donald Winter; more information call (513) 751-2636. workers Local 4208 and member of SWP. call (602) 255-0450. ATLANTA Ilona Gersh, Socialist Workers Party. Sun., Feb. 25. 7 p.m. 677 S. 7th East. WEBER CASE: NEW THREAT TO AF­ Sun., Mar. 4, 7 p.m. Northern Electric Co­ Donation: $1. Ausp: Militant Bookstore. THE WEBER CASE: ATTACK ON AF­ FIRMATIVE ACTION. Speakers: Jeannine op Association, 1500 16th St. S., Virginia. For more information call (801) 355-1124. FIRMATIVE ACTION. Speakers: Maclovio Stake, member of United Transportation Donation: $1.50. Ausp: Militant Labor Barraza, Subdistrict director of United Union; others. Fri., Mar. 2, 8 p.m. 509 Forum. For more information call (218) PENNSYLVANIA Steelworkers; Roy Santa Cruz, staff Peachtree NE. Donation: $1. Ausp: Mili­ 749-6327. PHILADELPHIA member, USWA; Lou Schlessinger, tant Labor Forum. For more information CHINA & VIETNAM: WHAT'S BEHIND member of USWA Local 3937. Fri., Mar. 9, call (404) 812-7229. THE WAR. Speaker: Steve Clark, editor of SOCIALIST WORKERS CAMPAIGN 8 p.m. 1243 E. McDowell. Donation: $1. the 'Militant.' Sun., Mar. 4, 2 p.m. 5811 N. KICKOFF RALLY. Speakers: Maceo Ausp: Militant Forum. For more informa­ NEW YORK Broad St. Donation: $1. Ausp: Militant Dixon, Socialist Workers Party National tion call (602) 255-0405. ILLINOIS Forum. For more information call (215) Committee; Pam Burchett. 1979 SWP LOWER MANHATTAN 927-4747. candidate for mayor of Salt Lake City and CHICAGO WHAT'S BEHIND U.S.-CHINA HONEY­ member of Steelworkers Local 4208. Sat., VIETNAM, CAMBODIA, CHINA: WHAT MOON? Speaker: Les Evans, author of Mar. 3, 7 p.m. social hour; 8 p.m. rally; 9 CALIFORNIA IS HAPPENING AND WHY? Speakers to 'China After Mao.' Fri., Mar. 2, 8 p.m. 108 PITTSBURGH p.m. party. 677 S. 7th East. Donation: $2 LOS ANGELES be announced. Sun., Mar. 4, 7:30 p.m. E. 16th St. 2nd fl. Donation: $1.50. Ausp: FILM: MALCOLM X. Fri., Mar. 2, 8 p.m. for social hour and rally. Ausp: Socialist REVOLUTION IN SOUTHERN Blackstone Hotel Gold Room. Michigan & Militant Forum. For more information call 1210 E. Carson. Ausp: Militant Forum. For Workers Campaign Committee. For more AFRICA: AN EYEWITNESS REPORT. Balboa. Donation: $2. Ausp: Militant Fo- (212) 982-8214. more information call ( 412) 488-7000. information call (801) 355-1124.

28 The Great Society Compiled by David Frankel and unwrapped baby blankets According to representatives Harry Ring to display what they claimed of both sides, the result of the were human fetuses. "amicable" and "productive" five-hour session was consen­ The meeting was originally sus on "the need for expanded proposed by Eleanor Smeal, reproductive education by par­ president of the National Orga· ents, schools and religious 'Militant' subscription, anyone?­ including global travel, plush hotels and nization for Women, as a way groups." "The Western veneer cracked everywhere restaurants, and expensive gifts for as­ to begin resolving the controv­ But any idea that the abor­ as Iran reverted to its past, to what it had sorted dignitaries. A spokesperson ex­ ersy around the issue of abor­ tion issue would simply go always been ... a deeply religious nation, plained, somewhat huffily, that the tion. away was presumably dis­ profoundly suspicious of outsiders and church is not a commercial enterprise,that But in order to get the anti­ pelled by the baby·blanket passionately devoted to Oriental political is constrained to show a profit or pay abortion groups to attend, con­ women. intrigue."-A February 12 sample of New dividends. ference organizers had to agree As if to reinforce the point, York Times analysis on Iran. not to discuss abortion! The an anti-abortion arsonist meeting was restricted to look­ torched an abortion clinic on We'll try-News item: "Don't be sur­ That's a comfort-A study jointly ing for areas of agreement on Long Island the same after­ prised if meat prices don't come down, conducted by four federal agencies con­ other birth-control-related mat· noon, jeopardizing the lives of advises the National Live Stock and Meat cluded that "most substances do not cause ters. Even so, major national fifty patients and staff Board." cancer." anti-abortion groups refused to members and engulfing the attend. building in flames. The sporting life-In our day, sports were promoted as great for America be­ A roof over her head-Among other cause they helped build a sound mind in things, Nelson Rockefeller left his widow sound body. Charles Neimas, commis­ two Fifth Avenue cooperative apartments, , Milwaukee desegregation sioner of the intercollegiate Big Eight a country estate featuring a Japanese­ victory Conference, puts it a bit differently. He style house, a restored Dutch farmhouse sees three virtues in college sports: "Win, and a lodge, plus an ocean·front home in By Tony Prince would be kept in segregated women, and money." Seal Harbor, Maine. MILWAUKEE The classes. Black community here won School Board President How concerned c~n you get?-The a big victory February 8 Anthony Busalacchi has National Restaurant Association said Social science department-A fed­ when Federal Judge John been a leading opponent of eral study established that people on food Reynolds ordered the Mil­ busing in Milwaukee for sev­ that in response to dietary concerns of customers, restaurants were reducing the stamps tend to buy cheaper cuts of meat waukee School Board to eral years. He and his sup­ and eat out less. desegregate its schools on a porters claimed that segre­ size of their portions. It would, of course, city-wide basis. gation in the schools was be too much to ask that they address solely due to segregated themselves to their customers' inflation­ Noting that the school ary concerns by reducing prices. Inflation fighters at work-The pres­ board had helped to rein· housing. But the judge found that ident's Council on Wage and Price Stabil­ force racist attitudes, Rey­ Just the good book-Officials of the ity asked for funding to double its staff. nolds said in his decision: school boundaries were changed to maintain Worldwide Church of God racked up ex­ Of the 133 added employees, two-thirds "Had the defendants oper­ penses of $1.7 million in a single year, will be paid $32,400 a year or more. ated the school system in a separate-and-unequal educa­ racially neutral manner, tion. Milwaukeeans would have Reynolds had originally received a different ordered Milwaukee's schools message-that a govern­ desegregated in a January mental institution was ap­ 1976 ruling. But a June 1977 Union Talk proving equal treatment of U.S. Supreme Court decision Blacks and whites.... ' forced a review of the earlier ruling. Among the examples of The fact that the February racist practices that Rey­ 8 decision was as strong as nolds cited was the board's the first one, if not stronger, policy of "intact busing," is a blow to the racist forces Against sexual harassment whereby Black students that have been fighting Following are major excerpts from "misunderstanding" their superior's in­ bused to white schools against desegregation. a resolution adopted by the No­ tentions. A study conducted on this sub­ vember 1978 convention of the Brit­ ject in 1975, showed that in 50 percent of ish Columbia Federation of Labor. the cases where complaints were regis­ More than 1,000 delegates, repre­ tered no action was taken. In one third of senting a quarter of a million Cana­ those cases where the complaints were dian workers, were present. The re­ filed, negative repercussions resulted. solution was submitted by the Many of these women are organized federation's Women's Rights Com­ and we have a responsibility to protect mittee. them from this very real threat to their livelihood. Unfortunately, in many in­ Sexual harassment is difficult to define. stances they do not believe that anything It may range from sexual innuendo made can be done or that the union would be at inappropriate times, perha'PS in the willing to protect them. The labour move­ guise of humour, to coerced sexual rela­ ment must clearly demonstrate that it is tions. not prepared to allow any of its members Harassment at its extreme occurs when to be intimidated or coerced. To this end a male in a position to control, influence, the Women's Committee makes the follow­ or affect a woman's job or career uses his ing recommendations: authority and power to coerce the woman into sexual relations, or to punish her Internally refusal. -affiliates should adopt policies oppos­ Because the male is in a position of ing sexual harassment. authority, as a supervisor, a woman, -stewards and officers should be therefore, may be at great risk if she trained to deal with this type of problem objects to the behavior or resists the in an effective manner. overtures. It is this context which under­ -the membership must be advised that lies the gravity of the problem of sexual the union is opposed to sexual harassment harassment. and that union officers and stewards are A woman cannot freely choose to say trained to handle the problem. yes or no to such sexual advances. The fear of reprisal looms formidably for Externally many women when deciding how to react -negotiate language in collective agree­ to sexual harassment. To refuse sexual ments to provide protection against sex­ demands may mean jeopardizing her fu­ ual harassment. ture or her career. In the case of working -develop a separate grievance proce­ women, the decision to simply quit a job is dure if necessary for these complaints to a luxury she may not be able to afford. ensure protection for the members. Like rape, sexual harassment has been -insist that the employer issue a state­ a hidden problem, treated as a joke, or ment prohibiting sexual harassment on blamed on the victim herself. Because of a the job and post this on bulletin boards. long history of silence on the subject, -issue a pamphlet advising women of many women feel uncomfortable, embar· their rights and warning male supervisors rassed, or ashamed when they talk about of the repercussions of incidents of this personal incidents of harassment. They nature. are afraid that it will reflect badly on their Sexual harassment is not a joke. It's an character, or that they will be seen as issue that will not go away. The labour somehow inviting the propositions. movement must recognize the seriousness When women do speak out they are of the problem and effectively represent often ignored, discredited or accused of our members who are its victims.

THE MILITANT/MARCH 2, 1979 29 )ur Revolutionary Heritage Letters ·:rrotsky on Mexican oil it could help show us how to President Carter's trip to Mexico The Mexican revolution is now carrying Radical Economists effectively fight against this out the same work as, for instance, the ighlighted the direct hand the U.S. The West Coast conference of type of action. overnment is forced to take in nego­ United States of America accomplished in the Union of Radical Political The Militant could explain ;ations over Mexican oil. Part of three-quarters of a century, beginning Economists met at Riverside, any real significance of the /ashington's problem is that instead with the Revolutionary War for indepen­ California, February 2-4. One march and describe important f being owned by foreign corpora­ dence and finishing with the Civil War for of the best-attended sessions of details, like the composition ions, all Mexican oil is nationalized. the abolition of slavery and for national the weekend was a dialogue (race, age, income brackets) of 'his action was taken in March 1938 unification. The British government not between Stephanie Coontz, the marchers, and how they only did everything at the end of the y President Lazaro Cardenas. professor of history at were funded. Nationalization of foreign oil hold­ eighteenth century to retain the United Evergreen College and a Only the Militant can lgs provoked an imperialist cam­ States under the status of a colony, but member of the Socialist adequately provide the type of aign against Mexico. The following later, in the years of the Civil War, sup­ Workers Party, and Stanley coverage we pro-choice people rticle is abridged from a reply to ported the slaveholders of the South Aronowitz, professor of need to help counter the lies of 1is campaign by Leon Trotsky, who against the abolitionists of the North. comparative culture at the the anti-abortionists. 'as then in exile in Mexico City. The world press, in particular the University of California at Millie Phillips ogether with Lenin, Trotsky was French, preposterous as it may seem, Irvine and member of the New Phoenix, Arizona ne of the central leaders of the continues to drag my name into the ques­ American Movement. ussian revolution. The original arti­ tion of the expropriation of the oil indus­ The two debated the topic e appeared in the June 25, 1938, try. "America's Road to Socialism" sue of the 'Socialist Appeal,' as the before an audience of 150. Two aims are pursued in interjecting Woman behind bars lilitant' was then known. my name. First, the organizers of the Coontz argued that the key I have read the Militant and The international campaign which im­ campaign wish to impart to the expropria­ element in any revolutionary find the articles very )rialist circles are waging over the expro­ tion a "Bolshevik" coloration. Second, struggle will be the industrial interesting. I am very ·iation of Mexican oil enterprises by the they are attempting to strike a blow at the workers. interested in the struggles rexican government has been distin­ national self-respect of Mexico. The impe­ She called for a clear within and outside of this llished by all the features of imperial­ rialists are endeavoring to represent the rejection of programmatic country. m's propagandistic bacchanalias­ affair as if Mexico's statesmen were in­ collaboration with bourgeois Since I am not financially >mbining impudence, deceitfulness, spec­ capable of determining their own road. A parties, countering arguments able to pay for a subscription, lation in ignorance, with cocksureness in wretched and ignoble hereditary slave­ that a "rightward shift" in would you please send it free of s own impunity. holders' psychology! America required coalition charge. I promise to keep up The signal for this campaign was given The French weekly Marianne, a notor­ with bourgeois liberals. "The with all the events that are y the British government when it de­ ious organ of the French People's Front, issues are clearer today, and taking place. ~ared a boycott of Mexican oiL Great even asserts that on the oil question the polarization has occurred," Being in prison will l'.ritain was until recently the largest government of General Cardenas acted Coontz said. She pointed to strengthen my head in the consumer of Mexican oil; naturally not not only as one with Trotsky but al­ evidence that working people right direction, and that's why out of sympathy for the Mexican people, so ... in the interests of Hitler. It is a are becoming more militant. I need the Militant. but out of consideration for her own ad­ question, you see, of depriving the great­ Aronowitz put forward an A prisoner vantage. hearted "democracies" of oil in case of entirely different perspective. Kentucky Heaviest consumer of oil in Great Bri­ war and, contrariwise, of supplying Ger­ He argued that American tain itself is the state, with its gigantic many and other fascist nations. capitalism had successfully navy and rapidly growing air force. A separated economic and hoycott of Mexican oil by the British But then the "democracies" possess a political spheres for workers government signifies, therefore, a simul­ simple way of paralyzing this "fascist" and that the mood of workers Change of taste taneous boycott not only of British indus­ plot: let them buy Mexican oil, once more may be economically radical Please discontinue my try but also of national defense. Mr. Mexican oil, and again Mexican oil! To but remains fundamentally subscription. Although I think Chamberlain's government has shown every honest and sensible person it is now nonpoliticaL the world needs folks like you, with unusual frankness that the profits of beyond all doubt that if Mexico should "We have no brief for the on the whole I find your find itself forced to sell liquid gold to Britain's capitalist robbers loom above Democratic Party," he added. newspaper too dogmatic and state interests themselves. fascist countries, the responsibility for "But the issue is not whether overstated in its politics. In In order to compromise the expropria­ this act would fall fully and completely we make formal alliances with These Times better suits my tion in the eyes of bourgeois public opin­ upon the governments of the imperialist the Democratic or Republican tastes, and thus I switch my ion, they represent it as a "Communist" "democracies." parties. It is whether any subscription to them. measure. Historical ignorance combines Without succumbing to illusions and section of the labor movement, Alma Blount here with conscious deceit. Semicolonial without fear of slander, the advanced even the labor bureaucracy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina Mexico is fighting for its national inde­ workers will completely support the Mexi­ any section of the academic pendence, political and economic. This is can people in their struggle against the liberal community or the public the basic meaning of the Mexican revolu­ imperialists. The expropriation of oil is administration that is liberal tion at this stage. The oil magnates are neither socialism nor communism. But it and concerned, is prepared to Con Ed ripoff not rank-and-file capitalists, not ordinary is a highly progressive measure of na­ undertake a principled struggle A January 30 meeting at the bourgeoisie. Having seized the richest tional self-defense. for their own services. We will World Trade Center in New natural resources of a foreign country, The international proletariat has no join them." York City, called by the Public standing on their billions and supported reason to identify its program with the In rebuttal, Coontz declared Service Commission to mollify by the military and diplomatic forces of program of the Mexican government. that the perspective of a long opposition to the latest Con their metropolis, they strive to establish in Without giving up its own identity, every period of political quiescence in Edison rate hikes ($228 the subj_ugated country a regime of impe­ honest working class organization of the the working class was million), turned into a shouting rialistic feudalism, subordinating to them­ entire world, and first of all in Great tantamount to denying the match. selves legislation, jurisprudence, and ad­ Britain, is duty-bound to take an irrecon­ importance of the economic While Commissioner Karen ministration. Under these conditions cilable position against the imperialist analysis of capitalism's crisis. Burstein tried to confine the expropriation is the only effective means robbers. The cause of Mexico, like the She declared that the left public protest within this of safeguarding national independence cause of Spain, like the cause of China, is should take as a top priority special meeting "designed only and the elementary conditions of demo- the cause of the international working the task of fostering a political for people to make specific cracy. class. break with the parties of the comments on specific points in employing class. the rate-making Mary Malloy recommendation and not for Riverside, California criticism of either Con Ed or Our party is your party the PSC," the complaints of the residents of Westchester County were more to the Anti-abortion march point. THE MILITANT is the voice of 0 I want to join the SWP. 0 Send me ___ copies of Prospects After receiving the Con Ed bills that were $40.52 the Socialist Workers Party. disgusting news of the January in 1970 are now $138.21, for Socialism in America at $2.95 each. Enclosed$ ___ 22 "compulsory pregnancy" reported a senior citizen·:' He IF YOU AGREE with what march of 60,000, I hoped to added that we have to choose 0 Please send me more information. you've read, you should join read an analysis of it in the between eating and heating. us in fighting for a world Name Militant. I'm disappointed that Others repeatedly charged so far the only mention of this Con Ed with lack of concern, Address without war, racism, or march has been a passing being greedy, and with exploitation-a socialist City reference in the "Women In starving the people. When Con world. State ______Zip Revolt" column. Ed's lawyer rose to defend the An event of this size monopoly, he was met with Telephone ______shouldn't be ignored. A shouts of "ripoff artist." JOIN THE SWP. Fill out this SWP, 14 Charles Lane, New York, N.Y. mobilization like this one is The PSC administrative judges admitted that their coupon and mail it today. 10014 demoralizing to pro-choice forces and others fighting decision in favor of the $228 oppression. A Militant article million increase would "pose a could place the march in its hardship." historical context and explain But in addition to being good why it was not a sign of a economics for Con Ed, they JOIN THE SWP supposed rightward drift. And offered a further sociological

30 Learning About Socialism

justification, which revealed the kind of thinking behind the austerity program of some Learning from Malcolm X sections of the ruling rich: In State and Revolution, Lenin, the central leader of the talks Malcolm gave at the Militant Labor Forum in NeV\ "The root problem may be Bolshevik Party and of the October 1917 revolution in York in 1964 and 1965. that our society's conception of Russia, wrote: "During the lifetime of great revolutionaries, One thing that stands out in these works is Malcolm'E" social justice is unworkable in the oppressing classes have visited relentless persecution on internationalism. In an interview with Jack Barnes anci tandem with its economic them and received their teaching with the most savage Barry Sheppard, at that time leaders of the Young Socialis~ structure. If a day of reckoning hostility . . . hatred . . . lies, and slanders." Alliance, Malcolm declared: is inevitable, perhaps its coming should be hastened While the Bolshevik leader was writing about Karl Marx, "You can't separate the militancy that's displayed on thr rather than retarded so that we these words are also appropriate for Malcolm X. African continent from the militancy that's displayed righ' can proceed with our next This outstanding American revolutionist dedicated his here among American blacks.... You can't separate the experiment in civilization." life to fighting racism and forging a powerful and indepen­ African revolution from the mood of the black man in Let us be prepared in time to dent Black movement. America" (By Any Means Necessary). make sure we are not on the Capitalist politicians and journalists used lies and distor­ Today's generation of militants, organizing the campaign receiving end of their tions to combat him. He was-accused of advocating "reverse to break all U.S. ties with the racist regime of South Africa, "experiment." racism" because of the ruthless way he exposed the racism can see how right Malcolm was. Howard Mayhew of this society; of being "ultra-reactionary" because he saw Another example of his internationalism is provided in Preston Hollow, New York through the liberal politicians; of "advocating violence" "Message to the Grass Roots" (Malcolm X Speaks) where he because he favored the right of self-defense; and of "preach­ says: "The black revolution is worldwide in scope and in ing hatred" because he inspired people to make no com­ nature. The black revolution is sweeping Asia, is sweeping promises with injustice. Africa, is rearing its head in Latin America. The Cuban On 'Militant' priorities The attacks on Malcolm X became even more frenzied Revolution-that's a revolution. They overturned the sys- I would like to express a when he began to say things like, "You can't have capital­ tem." . concern I have about the ism without racism," and "Show me a capitalist and I'll As you read and study Malcolm, it becomes clear that he priorities a revolutionary show you a bloodsucker." was not just a fighter, but a considerate and responsible newspaper should set for itself. leader and educator. He always sought to impart what he I feel that the articles Malcolm X was an example of Black pride and strength­ "our Black prince," the actor Ossie Davis called him-who learned to all he could reach. relating to the arts and other This is illustrated in Malcolm X on Afro-American His­ cultural endeavors are escaped from the traps capitalist society sets for Black youth (slums, drugs, prison) to become a liberation fighter. tory, another Pathfinder Press publication. His remarks in interesting but not essential. one section there could appropriately be placed in the The class struggle has begun to How he did it is well described in his autobiography. advertisements on the current exhibit on King Tutankha­ accelerate around the world. I He was cut down fourteen years ago at a meeting of the feel that since .we must cut men and the artifacts of ancient Egyptian society: "The Organization of Afro-American Unity, the organization he Egyptian civilization . . . was a black civilization. It was back to fewer pages in our founded after breaking with the Nation of Islam (now World excellent publication, it should along the banks of the Nile which runs through the heart of Community of Islam). Africa.... In that day, the black man in Egypt was be the nonessential category of The facts about the suspicious role of the FBI, CIA, and wearing silk, sharp as a tack, brothers. And those people up articles that should be left out. New York cops in Malcolm's murder are discussed in The in Europe didn't know what cloth was." I would be the last to say Assassination of Malcolm X, by George Breitman, Herman Since its initial publication by Pathfinder in 1967, more that revolutionaries take no Porter, and Baxter Smith. than 100,000 copies of this book have been printed. interest in these subjects, but The Socialist Workers Party did what it could to counter In reading Malcolm, you will find that it was his convic­ we are still not at the point the capitalist slander campaign against Malcolm. The that we have the resources to tion that full social, economic, and political equality for Militant was the only radical newspaper that consistently spend so much of newsprint Blacks could not be won short of a fundamental transforma­ printed Malcolm's speeches and explained what he was space on these subjects when tion of society. saying and doing both before and after his break with the there is so much current Constantly seeking to unite the oppressed and exploited ferment of the working class to Nation of Islam. masses, and encouraging militant struggle as opposed to The reason for the SWP's high regard for Malcolm can be report on. dependence on the capitalist parties, Malcolm stood in stark A.R. Y. found by studying his ideas. contrast to other Black leaders, then and now. Houston, Texas Writings by and about Malcolm X are among the best­ The assassins who cut him down were not able to kill his selling books and pamphlets offered by Pathfinder Press. revolutionary outlook, his words and thoughts. They are These include the works already mentioned, as well as available for today's generation of militants in his writings. Probing analysis Malcolm X Speaks and By Any Means Necessary, two You can get them by stopping off at a Pathfinder book store collections of speeches and interviews edited by George in your area (see directory below) or writing to Pathfinder I have thoroughly enjoyed Breitman. Among other speeches in these books are the Press. -Paul Montauk reading the Militant. It is providing an analysis of events that is educational and probing for me at this point in my life. Keep up the good work! Tom Jaax Marathon, Wisconsin If You Like This Paper, Look Us Up Where to find the Socialist Workers Party, Young Socialist Alliance, and socialist books and pamphlets

ALABAMA: Birmingham: SWP, Box 3382-A. Zip: MARYLAND: Baltimore: SWP, YSA, 2117 N. Charles sity. Zip: 45701. Tel: (614) 594-7497. Cincinnati: 35205. Tel: (205) 322-6028. St. Zip: 21218. Tel: (301) 547-0668. College Park: SWP, YSA, 970 E. McMillan. Zip: 45206. Tel: (513) ARIZONA: Phoenix: SWP, YSA, 1243 E. McDowell. YSA, c/o Student Union, University of Maryland. 751-2636. Cleveland: SWP, YSA, 13002 Kinsman Zip: 85006. Tel: (602) 255-0450. Tucson: YSA, Zip: 20742. Tel: (301) 454-4758. Rd. Zip: 44120. Tel: (216) 991-5030. Columbus: SUPO 20965. Zip: 85720. Tel: (602) 795-2053. MASSACHUSETTS: Amherst: YSA, c/o Rees, 4 YSA, Box 106 Ohio Union, Rm. 308, Ohio State Thank the lord for lunch CALIFORNIA: Berkeley: SWP, YSA, 3264 Adeline Adams St., Easthampton 01027. Boston: SWP, Univ., 1739 N. High St. Zip: 43210. Tel: (614) 291- About November the Dodge St. Zip: 94703. Tel: (415) 653-7156. Los Angeles, YSA, 510 Commonwealth Ave., 4th Floor. Zip: 8985. Kent YSA, Student Center Box 41, Kent Truck Assembly plant in Eastside: Slf:/P, YSA, 2554 Saturn Ave., Hunting­ 02215. Tel: (617) 262-4621. State University. Zip: 44242. Tel: (216) 678-5974. Detroit started a "Friday night ton Park, Zip: 90255. Tel: (213) 582-1975. Los MICHIGAN: Ann Arbor: YSA, Room 4321, Michigan Toledo: SWP, YSA, 2507 Collingwood Blvd. Zip: Angeles, Westside: SWP, YSA, 2167 W. Washing­ Union, U. of M. Zip: 48109. Detroit SWP, YSA, 43610. Tel: (419) 242-9743. chapel service" for employees. ton Blvd. Tel: (213) 732-8196. Zip: 90018. Oak­ 6404 Woodward Ave. Zip: 48202. Tel: (313) 875- OREGON: Portland: SWP, YSA, 711 NW Everett. Now instead of going to lunch, land: SWP, YSA, 1467 Fruitvale Ave. Zip: 94601. 5322. Mt. Pleasant: YSA, Box 51 Warriner Hall, Zip: 97209. Tel: (503) 222-7225. we can all go praise the lord for Tel: (415) 261-1210. San Diego: SWP, YSA, 1053 Central Mich. Univ. Zip: 48859. PENNSYLVANIA: Edinboro: YSA, Edinboro State 15th St. Zip: 92101. Tel: (714) 234-4630. San a half hour and, I suppose, be MINNESOTA: Mesabi Iron Range: SWP, P.O. Box College. Zip: 16412. Philadelphia: SWP, YSA. Francisco: SWP, YSA, 3284 23rd St. Zip: 94110. 1287, Virginia, Minn. Zip: 55792. Tel: (218) 749- 5811 N. Broad St. Zip: 19138. Tel: (215) 927-4747 inspired to produce even more Tel: (415) 824-1992. San Jose: SWP, YSA, 942 E. 6327. Minneapolis: SWP, YSA, 23 E. Lake St. Zip: or 927-4748. Pittsburgh: SWP, YSA, 1210 E. trucks. Santa Clara St. Zip: 95112. Tel: (408) 295-8342. 55408. Tel: (612) 825-6663. St. Paul: SWP, 373 Carson St. Zip: 15203. Tel: (412) 488-7000. State The chapel services are held COLORADO: Denver: SWP, YSA, 126 W. 12th Ave. University Ave. Zip: 55103. Tel: (612) 222-8929. College: YSA, c/o Jack Craypo, 132 Keller St. Zip: Zip: 80204. Tel: (303) 534-8954. MISSOURI: Kansas City: SWP, YSA, 4715A Troost. 16801. in the company's "Labor DELAWARE: Newark: YSA, c/o Stephen Krevisky, Zip: 64110. Tel: (816) 753-0404. St. Louis: SWP, RHODE ISLAND: Kingston: YSA, P.O. Box 400. Zip Relations Office," which is 638 Lehigh Rd. M4. Zip: 19711. Tel: (302) 368- YSA. 6223 Delmar Blvd. Zip: 63130. Tel: (314) 02881. Tel: (401) 783-8864. where they usually take people 1394. 725-1570. TEXAS: Austin: YSA, c/o Mike Rose, 7409 Berkman FLORIDA: Miami: SWP, YSA, 8171 NE 2nd Ave. Zip: NEBRASKA: Omaha: YSA, c/o Hugh Wilcox, 521 Dr. Zip: 78752. Dallas: SWP, YSA, 5442 E. Grand. to be written up or fired. 33138. Tel: (305) 756-8358. 4th St., Council Bluffs, Iowa. 51501. Zip: 75223. Tel: (214) 826-4711. Houston: SWP. Tom Smith GEORGIA: Atlanta: SWP, YSA, 509 Peachtree St. NEW JERSEY: Newark: SWP, YSA, 11-A Central YSA, 6412-C N. Main St. Zip: 77009. Tel: (713) Detroit, Michigan NE. Zip: 30308. Tel: (404) 872-7229. Ave. Zip: 07102. Tel: (201) 643-3341. 861-9960. San Antonio: SWP, YSA, 112 Frede­ ILLINOIS: Champaign-Urbana: YSA, 284 lllini NEW MEXICO: Albuquerque: SWP, 108 Morning­ ricksburg Rd. Zip: 78201. Tel: (512) 735-3141. Union, Urbana. Zip: 61801. Chicago: City-wide side Dr. NE. Zip: 87108. Tel: (505) 255-6869. UTAH: Logan: YSA, P.O. Box 1233, Utah State SWP, YSA, 407 S. Dearborn #1145. Zip: 60605. NEW YORK: Binghamton: YSA, c/o Larry Paradis, University. Zip: 84322. Salt Lake City: SWP, YSA, Tel: SWP-(312) 939-0737; YSA-(312) 427-0280. Box 7261, SUNY-Binghamton. Zip: 13901. Capital 677 S. 7th East, 2nd Floor. Zip: 84102. Tel: (801) Chicago, South Side: SWP, YSA, 2251 E. 71st St. District (Albany): SWP, YSA, 103 Central Ave. 355-1124. Zip: 60649. Tel: (312) 643-5520. Chicago, West Zip: 12206. Tel: (518) 463-0072. Ithaca: YSA, WASHINGTON, D.C.: SWP, YSA. 3106 Mt. Pleasant The letters column is an Side: SWP, 3942 W. Chicago. Zip: 60651. Tel: Willard Straight Hall, Rm. 41A, Cornell University. St. NW. Zip: 20010. Tel: (202) 797-7699. open forum for all view­ (312) 384-0606. Zip: 14853. New York, Brooklyn: SWP, 841 Clas­ WASHINGTON: Olympia: YSA, The Evergreen INDIANA: Bloomington: YSA, c/o Student Activities son Ave. Zip: 11238. Tel: (212) 783-2135. New State College Library, Rm 3208. Ztp: 98505. Tel points on subjects of gen­ Desk, Indiana University. Zip: 47401. Indianapolis: York, Lower Manhattan: SWP, YSA, 108 E. 16th (206) 943-3089. Seattle: SWP, YSA, 4868 Ratnter eral interest to our readers. SWP, YSA, 4163 College Ave. Zip: 46205. Tel: St. 2nd Floor. Zip: 10003. New York, Upper West Ave., South Seattle. Zip: 98118. Tel (206) 723- Please keep your letters (317) 925-2616. Gary: SWP, P.O. Box M218. Zip: Side: SWP, YSA. 786 Amsterdam. Zip: 10025. Tel: 5330. Tacoma: SWP. 1306 S. K St Zip: 98405 Tel 46401. (212) 663-3000. New York: City-wide SWP, YSA, (206) 627-0432. brief. Where necessary they KENTUCKY: Lexington: YSA. P.O Box 952 Univer­ 853 Broadway, Room 412. Zip: 10003. Tel: (212) WEST VIRGINIA: Morgantown: SWP. YSA. 957 S will be abridged. Please in­ sity Station. Zip: 40506. Tel: (606) 269-6262. 982-8214. Universtty Ave. Zip: 26505. Tel: (304) 296-0055 dicate if you prefer that Louisville: SWP, YSA, 1505 W. Broadway, P.O. NORTH CAROLINA: Raleigh: SWP. Odd Fellows WISCONSIN: Madison: YSA. P.O Box 1442. Ztp Box 3593. Zip: 40201. Tel: (502) 587-8418. Building, Rm. 209, 19 West Hargett St. Zip. 27601 53701 Tel. (6081 255-4733 Milwaukee: SWP. your initials be used rather LOUISIANA: New Orleans: SWP. YSA, 3319 S Tel: (919) 833-9440. YSA, 3901 N 27th St. Zip 53216. Tel (414) 445- than your full name. Carrollton Ave. Zip: 70118. Tel: (504) 486-8048. OHIO: Athens: YSA, c/o Balar Center, Ohio Univer- 2076

THE MILITANT/MARCH 2, 1979 31 THE MILITANT Calif. lettuce strikers fight for living wage By Catarino Garza and Della l_lossa CALEXICO, Calif.-Striking lettuce workers not on picket duty cluster in front of the United Farm Workers headquarters on Imperial Avenue here, just a few blocks from the Mexican border. They are talking angrily about the cops being brought in from other areas to help protect the scabs and harass the pickets. "Who pays the police?" one worker asks. Another answers, "Taxes." "I pay taxes," the first responds. "That's what I tell them. And I ask them why they don't act justly. "It seems," he adds, "that some people pay the taxes, and others get the benefit." The workers have good reason to be angry. Last week one of their members, Rufino Contreras, was shot dead when he entered a field to per­ sua.de scabs to quit. Three foremen were arrested as sus­ pects in the murder. The usual bail on a murder charge in this county is $250,000. But two of these strikebreak­ ers were released on bail of $7,000. The third, who has two arrest warrants outstanding against him in another county, was let free for $8,500. UFW members, on the other hand, have been hit with bail up to $5,000 for Co-worker of Rufino Contreras protests his murder Militant/Jesus Santos such minor charges as rock-throwing or trespassing. The union has struck ten of the an agreement would be reached during Many of the growers operate in both banner waving. twenty-eight growers it holds contracts the coming week. The two parties, he regions. The union has not said what Women had brought their children, with here in the Imperial Valley. When said, are still far apart on wages and action it is considering if contracts are and preparations were under way for a the contracts expired December 31, the other contract issues. not agreed to before the Salinas harv­ makeshift community meal. Older union demanded that the minimum He noted that harvest time is practi­ est begins. women sat along the road with their wage be raised from $3.70 an hour to cally over here in the Imperial Valley, Here the strike, involving more than knitting. $5.25. and the struck growers can no longer 4,000 workers, has been solid, and the They pointed to the few scabs in the After weeks of stalling, the growers recoup their losses, which he said run growers have had no real success with fields, mainly anglo students and have begun negotiating with the in the millions. their attempts at strikebreaking. housewives. union. The issue, he said, will probably be We talked with the workers on picket The scabs can't really do the work, One lawyer for the growers told settled when lettuce harvesting begins duty at one of the ranches. They were the strikers explain. "They just want to reporters February 18 that he doubted soon up north in the Salinas area. gathered on the roadside, their un~on Continued on page 20 Crystal City fights move to void elections By Miguel Pendas incensed since the election irregulari­ where the Democratic contender had selves. For example, during the can­ CRYSTAL CITY, Tex.-A district ties used to justify voiding the elec­ come within 5 percent of the RUP vass, a Democrat was found slipping judge has voided last November's Za­ tions had been committed not by Raza winner. To the surprise of no one, they an extra 100 votes into the column of vala County elections in which the Unida, but by the losing Democrats! declared the defeated Democrat the one of his party's nominees. Raza Unida Party made a clean sweep. The backing off by Judge Williams winner. Judge Gutierrez commented, "This He also found County Judge Jose was characterized by Judge Gutierrez But they could conduct only one such opens a precedent. You can invalidate Angel Gutierrez, a prominent RUP as a victory for the RUP. "re-count" since Texas law provides an election you lost by committing leader, and two others guilty of con­ He told the Militant that earlier the that a re-count can be requested only if fraud yourself." tempt. judge had made it plain he was consid­ the winner's margin is 5 percent or "Three times," he said, "the Demo­ Judge Troy Williams made several ering removing the Raza Unida county less. All the other Democrats had lost crats got their spoon into the menudo. significant concessions, however, ap­ commissioners pending a new election by substantial margins. So they The only time we touched the ballots parently feeling the need to placate and jailing of Gutierrez, Perez and claimed fraud. was when we voted." deep-going community anger. Villarreal for contempt. Gutierrez also There were charges that "aliens" The attempt to void the election, He allowed the Raza Unida winners said there is a solid legal basis for had voted and that various other of­ Gutierrez told the Militant, is part of to remain in office pending appeal of winning reversal of the judge's order in fenses had been committed. But even an "orchestrated effort by officials of his ruling. And he declined to impose the appeals process. with these challenges, the Democrats the Democratic Party to administer sentence on Judge Gutierrez, County Gutierrez attributed the judge's re­ couldn't come up with enough to death-blows to the center of power of Commissioner Alejandro Perez, and treat to the community outpouring. change the outcome. So the judge the RUP." Perez's attorney Alonzo Villarreal, the In the election, the RUP had re­ accepted testimony regarding election His assertion is given added cre­ victims of his contempt ruling. turned Judge Gutierrez to office, records that had been misplaced. dence by the long-standing efforts of He also permitted expiration of a elected several other county officials, This provided the basis for the Feb­ the state Democratic administration to court order freezing county funds, and won a three-to-two majority on the ruary 9 ruling voiding the election. smear and slander Raza U nida, thereby enabling the Raza Unida ad­ county commission. The most astonishing thing about coupled with the persistent but futile ministration to function. The Democrats then moved to steal this is that the election material was efforts to establish evidence of fraud A throng of 800 angry, placard­ back the RUP victory. misplaced not by a Raza Unida person, by the Raza U nida administration bearing Chicanos had massed at the At a rump meeting ·of the outgoing but by a Democrat. No fraud on the here in Crystal City. Crystal City courthouse for the hear­ county commission, on which they had part of Raza Unida was ever proven. At the mass rally, Gutierrez summed ing and 2,000 participated in a rally a majority, the Democrats appointed a However, in the process of trying to up the mood of the crowd when he that night. · committee of three Democrats to re­ drag Raza Unida through the mud, the declared, "You put us in. Only you can The community was particularly count the one commission election Democrats fell into the puddle them- take us out."