Importance of Che Guevara's THE communist perspective in Cuba Page 8-10 A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE VOL. 53/NO. 45 DECEMBER 1, 1989 $1.00 Attacks by Salvadoran regiiDe bring mounting civilian toll Towns bombed, Thousands priests protest U.S. assassinated aid to regime BY GREG McCARTAN "They are bombing on top of us. Tell them BY RONI McCANN to take away the airplanes," a woman in a Thousands of people in protests across the working-class neighborhood of San Salvador United States have issued a resounding "No!" told a reporter. "They are tearing us to to the U.S. government's continued, full­ pieces." fledged support- to the tune of some $1.4 Refusing calls for a cease-fire by religious million a day -of military rule in El Salva­ leaders, the U.S.-backed government of El dor. Salvador stepped up its use of helicopters and Students, unionists, church officials, polit­ C-47 gunships to machine-gun, bomb, and ical activists, city government representa­ rocket whole neighborhoods. tives, and immigrant workers, many from On November 21 rebel forces occupied Central and Latin America, are loudly voic­ sections of the El Salvador Sheraton Hotel in ing their outrage at the criminal actions of San Salvador. Among the hotel residents the Salvadoran government and calling on were eight heavily armed U.S. military ad­ Washington to halt all aid to that regime. visers and Green Berets. A spokesperson in the national office of Calling the occupation of the hotel "an the Committee In Solidarity with the People outrageous act of terrorism, putting civilians ofEl Salvador (CIS PES) reported on Novem­ at risk," State Department spokesperson Mar­ Relief workers evacuate residents of Conacaste neighborhood in San Salvador No­ ber 20 that protests have taken place in more lin Fitzwater said the U.S. government was vember 13. Jose Vallejo lies wounded after his house was rocketed by Salvadoran air than 100 cities since the fighting began No- considering "all options, including military force. Continued on Page 13 ones." A special U.S. military unit, Delta Force, was readied to intervene. Operating under the cover of a dusk-to­ dawn curfew, 30 people in military uniforms Pact reached in 16-week NYNEX strike - widely believed to be either from the army or a right-wing death squad- invaded the BY RUSSELL DAVIS insurance and wages was reached on Novem­ In addition to the workers victimized dur­ country's most prestigious university on No­ BOSTON - A tentative settlement of the ber 13. Negotiations broke down over local ing the walkout, one striker was killed shortly vember 16 and assassinated six Jesuit priests, 16-week strike by the Communication Work­ issues, especially the company's refusal to after the strike began. The CWA member, the housekeeper, and her daughter. ers of America (CWA) against NYNEX tele­ grant amnesty to 142 CWA members. The Edward Horgan, was struck by a car being The priests were well-known for their ef­ phone company was announced November union demanded that the suspension or dis­ driven through a picket line by a scab in forts in the country. This included publishing 21. Members of both the CWAand the Inter­ missal of workers during the strike be set Valhalla, some 30 miles north of New York works from around the region, seeking a national Brotherhood of Electrical Workers aside. Charges ranged from assault and bat­ City. political solution to the war, and documenting (IBEW) struck NYNEX August 6. tery and destruction of property to intimida­ In the November 21 accord, the CWA Continued on Page 13 An initial regional accord covering health tion and harassment. negotiating committee agreed to review each striker's dismissal on a case-by-case basis. The regional agreement, which has to be voted on by CWA members, covers 60,000 workers- 40,000 CWA members in New Pathfinder mural dedicated in New 'York York State and another 2,000 CWA and 18,000 mEW members in New England. The mEW negotiating committee had rec­ ommended accepting both the original re­ gional and local pacts, and a vote took place November 19. Some 13,000 mEW members voted. On the regional proposal, which covers basic wages and health benefits, the proposal passed by 9,000 to 4,000. The local agree­ ment passed by a narrower margin, around 8,000 to 5,000. Under the local agreement, the cases of dozens of IBEW members who have been suspended or frred for strike ac­ tivity will be arbitrated on a case-by-case basis. mEW members have now returned to work. Unity between the two unions on the regional pact was key, explained one CWA official, who said CWAmembers understood the mEW's decision to go back after agreeing to the proposals. The mEW will continue to honor picket lines that the CWA is setting up at two worksites in Boston. Fight over health insurance The proposed regional settlement repre­ sents a victory for the unions on the main issue in the strike- the company's demand that workers begin to pay up to $1,500 for their medical insurance, a demand known as "cost shifting." Under the proposed agree­ ment, workers will not pay health insurance premiums currently paid by the company. Union members also won wage increases ml::vFJiiiriiie'ti~ Siem of 6 percent over three years and a cost-of­ Pathfinder mural in New York is completed. Some 400 people gathered for celebration November 19. Dedication drew artists, living adjustment in the second and third political activists, strikers, and many other supporters of the international project. See story on page 5. years if inflation exceeds 2% annually. The Continued on Page 13 Toronto Cuba supporters welcome'Tablada BY ROBERT SIMMS president of the Canadian-Cuban Friendship volvement in the growing movement of tens Maxine Jones, a striking community col­ TORONTO- Cuban economist Carlos Association. of thousands of voluntary workers. lege teacher and provincial executive board Tablada addressed one of the biggest political Mary-Ellen Marus - a member of the In­ Lennox Farrell, a leader of Rally Against member of the 60,000-strong Ontario Public meetings ever held in Canada in defense of ternational Association of Machinists who Apartheid who participated in a tour to Cuba Service Employees Union, asked the audi­ the Cuban revolution when he spoke to an charred the meeting - outlined the main this summer, explained that what's important ence to "try to imagine Michael Wilson, audience of 225 people here on November theme ofTablada's book and of the gathering: about Cuba's voluntary labor movement "is Canada's finance minister, asking workers to 11. Ernesto Che Guevara's insistence that build­ not just the changes you bring about in the work for eight hours for no pay." No one ing socialism must involve more than trans­ course ofbuilding a socialist society, but what would respond, she pointed out. The fact that The meeting, sponsored by the Pathfinder forming and developing the economy; human changes inside you." "last week, half a million Cubans did just Bookstore, celebrated the publication in En­ beings must transform themselves as well. Zaheer Bhyat of the African National Con­ that" underlines the fundamental difference glish of Tablada's book Che Guevara: Eco­ between Cuba, a society organized to meet nomics and Politics in the Transition to So­ Michel Prairie, editor of the new Path­ gress of South Africa, praised the·decisive finder French-language edition of Socialism role of the 300,000 Cuban volunteers who human needs, and Canada, which is not. cialism by Pathfinder. The meeting was and Man in Cuba by Che Guevara, explained went to Angola over the past 14 years to help translated into English and Spanish. Jones quoted Guevara from Tablada's how the Cuban toilers' self-confidence and defend that country's independence in the book on the kind of society he fought for: "It 'fablada was introduced by Nadia Geith, social solidarity increased through their in- face of South African aggression. is not a matter of how many pretty things from abroad you can buy... It is a matter of making the individual feel more complete, with much more internal richness and much Unionists to miners: 'Your war is our war' more responsibility." BY NANCY BROWN Guevara's ideas timely CARTERTON, Va.- Unionists and "Che's ideas are timely," given what's strike supporters from six states arrived here happening in today's world, Tablada told the at Camp Solidarity November 15 and at­ meeting. When Guevara, as minister of in­ tended the weekly Pittston strike support dustry, began his study of how to develop rally. socialism in Cuba, Tablada explained, he Some 1, 700 miners, members of the foresaw that if capitalist methods and capi­ United Mine Workers of America, have been talist-style incentives continued to be used in on strike against Pittston Coal Group since the "socialist countries" that this would have April 5 in Virginia and West Virginia. The "very damaging consequences. Che's think­ two hundred Pittston miners in Kentucky ing showed how political economy could be joined the walkout a few weeks later. The humanized." 10-acre camp is near some of Pittston's big­ gest operations in southwest Virginia and In the mid-1970s, the Cuban government serves as a strike support center. began to copy the economic model developed Two striking Eastern Airlines workers - in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, myself and flight attendant Sandra Palmer - Tablada explained. This led to social, politi­ joined other airport workers and strike sup­ cal, and, eventually, economic problems.