THE SNCC, CORE and SW P MILITANT On Black Power Published in the Interest of the Working People S ee Page 4 — Vol. 31 - No. 40 Monday, Novem ber 7, 1966 Price 10£ BLOCK JOHNSON'S ESCALATION PLOT Get the Troops Out of Vietnam The Manila Conference of Johnson and his Asian puppets has set the stage for a new escalation of the Vietnam war. This was made crystal clear by Johnson’s “peace” offer. Stripped of its double-speak verbiage, the Johnson “offer” boiled down to this. The U.S. says it w ill pull out six months after it is satisfied the following conditions have been met: A ll forces of the “other side” have been withdrawn from the south. All north Vietnamese aid to the guerrilla fighters has been halted. A ll “ violence” in the south has subsided. The south Viet­ namese dictatorship agrees that the U.S. should leave. In short, the U.S. w ill consider leaving only after the com­ plete capitulation or crushing of the liberation movement. Such aims can only mean further escalation of the war. Arena of U.S. War W ill Be Extended Nor does Washington’s imperialist aims stop with south Viet­ nam. In addition to the daily bombings of north Vietnam, huge troops concentrations are being set up in Thailand. Troops have been moved into the demilitarized zone separating north and south Vietnam. After the U.S. elections, we can expect Washing­ ton to escalate the war against north Vietnam — possibly through invasion, systematic bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong, bombing of the dikes protecting the rice paddies of the Tonkin plain, or all of these. We can expect the war to be extended into Laos and Cambodia. Washington is aiming to inflict as much damage as possible THUMBS DOWN ON HIGH PRICES. Housewives picketing supermarket in Levittown, Pa., express against north Vietnam. The U.S. rulers hope to overturn the rev­ their view of price-gouging food chains. Determined housewives all over are boycotting and pic­ keting supermarkets to force them to reduce prices. See story page 2 olution there if they can get away with it. The imperialists’ intentions reach even beyond Southeast Asia. They are advancing step by step, testing the ground at each step, toward a confrontation with China. Particularly omin- (Continued on Page 3) 5 0 c Subscription Offer THE MILITANT is indispensable for those who want otherwise unavailable news and an­ alysis on the antiwar and political movements, fo r example, our n ext issue w ill feature: extracts from a major speech by Fidel Castro on socialism and moral incentives; an on-the-spot report on the Lowndes County Black Panther election bid; a manifesto by the Fourth International on Vietnam and the current world situation; extensive reports on the Nov. 5-8 antiwar action. IF YOU ARE A NEW READER, YOU MAY OBTAIN A 3-MONTH INTRODUCTORY SUB­ SCRIPTION FOR ONLY 50 CENTS! Send this blank and 50 cents to The Militant, 873 Broad­ way, New York, N.Y. 10003. NAME ADDRESS C IT Y ............................................................................ Z IP . STATE. Judy W h ite Paul Boutelle For governor of New York For attorney general of New York P age T w o THE MILITANT Monday, November 7, 1966 Supermarket Food Chains Boycotted Across Country Negotiators for the independent 1948 to 1965 the number of non­ United Electrical Workers have farm employes working more than By Ed Smith your parking lot. The placards raked up profit increases this reached agreement with Westing- 48 hours almost doubled. About If you’ve got a good thing going, read: ‘WHAM Against High year of nearly 30 per cent or more. house on a new three-year con­ four million workers averaged it ’s no tim e to quit. That seems to Prices.’ That’s 10 times higher than the tract. The terms, which remain more than 60 hours a week, while be the feeling of housewives across “WHAM is an acronym for average wage increase for the subject to approval by the UE over five million put in between the country as one community Women Hate Awful Merchants. whole country in 1966. O nly tw o members involved, are similar to 49 and 59 hours. O nly about two after another joins the super­ Your customers eye the protester chains, Kroger and First National, those accepted earlier by the In­ million were moonlighters. market boycott movement. The seriously and then start pouring registered lower profits. ternational Union of Electrical Admitting that at least some targets are high food prices and out of your store to hear what the The housewives committees are Workers (AFL-CIO). The new workers need more income with trading stamps, and in various protest ringleaders have to say. rapidly becoming state-wide and contract provides higher wage which to meet increased living stores throughout the nation, What do you do next?” national organizations. A New rates, two cost-of-living increases, costs, the report says, “ These in ­ prices are going down and stamps A good question. In a number of York group called New York Truth special raises for skilled workers, clude men in the 25-44 age group are going out. areas, supermarkets are hiring Squad lists membership in more and added fringe benefits. with growing families and work­ Madison Avenue public relations than 300 communities. “ Women on According to the Associated The International Brotherhood ers in low-paying jobs, notably in men. The only thing they’ve come the Warpath” has members rang­ Press, the revolt has hit in 21 of Electrical Workers (AFL-CIO) trade and service.” up w ith so far, however, seems to ing from Dallas to Buffalo. And has not yet reached a settlement states. In Denver, where the boy­ be the fantastic line that super­ Ruth Kane, one of the originators * * * cotting began, a major victory has with Westinghouse. The main markets only make a one percent of the movement in Denver, is already been gained. In one week, areas of disagreement are said to Delegates to the recent conven­ profit. What that is supposed to touring the country to build the be wage rates for skilled workers the sales volume of store chains mean, we don’t know, but the fol­ “National Housewives for Lower tion of the International Brother­ had been reduced 25 percent. Safe­ and pensions. hood of Electrical Workers gave lowing figures are easy enough to Prices.” way Stores announced in news­ understand: Appearing on a series of tele­ Current estimates of union mem­ the shorter work week a top prior­ paper ads that it was prepared to bership at Westinghouse credit ity in its goals. Pressures on the According to the same Wall vision programs in Baltimore, meet the prices of “any major Street Journal article, profits for Philadelphia and Boston, Mrs. the IB E W w ith 14,000 and UE w ith issue from the union’s 85.0,000 chain or discounter, including the 7,400. (E a rlie r reports erroneously members were reflected in the key­ the giant food chains in the last Kane stressed the importance of major advertised specials of all three months have increased these organization: “You know how put the figures in reverse order note address of IBEW president major competitors.” for the two unions). Reports on Gordon Freeman. amounts over the same period last labor organized,” she stated. The dilemma of supermarkets is year: A&P, 2.1 percent; Jewel Cos., “There’s power in organization. We other membership figures have Freeman called for a union consistently listed the IUE at 40,- the subject of numerous articles in 2.8 percent; Food F air, 4.4 per­ housewives need a big voice to wage policy, unhampered by the financial press. “You’re a su­ cent; W inn-D ixie, 9.9 per cent; speak for us.” 000 and the Independent Salaried “guidelines that are not imposed Unions (white collar) at 14,000. permarket manager,” the Wall Grand Union, 11.6 per cent; Safe­ In some cities, trade unions have on profits and dividends,” adding Street Journal complains Oct. 31, way, 29.6 percent; N ational Tea, been reported coming to the sup­ that the IBEW also placed spe­ “and all of a sudden an army of 33.2 per cent; and Acme Markets, port of the boycott movement. cial emphasis on a “push for the Transport Workers Union mem­ angry women, shouting and wav­ 45.7 percent. T hat’s rig h t. Three These include locals of the United shorter work week here and now bers have voted to accept a new ing huge placards marches into of the giant chain stores have Auto Workers, United Electrical . with no loss in pay.” contract negotiated with American Workers and United Papermakers Airlines. The terms, as reported Union. In New York City, Harlem in the TWU Express, include three Youth Unlimited, a division of wage increases of five percent In a 2-to-l vote, the U.S. circuit Haryou-Act, has entered the move­ within 18 months, the first retro­ court of appeals has upheld the Dead Malaysian Picket ment. active to May 1, 1966. The third conviction of Teamsters Union raise w ill be received 11 months president James R. Hoffa and six before there has been full imple­ co-defendants on charges of con­ mentation of wage increases won spiring to defraud a union pension -Symbol of LBJ Tour Weekly Calendar by the Machinist Union strike at fund. A dissenting opinion by other airlines, but no mention is Judge Luther Swygert said, “The By Dick Roberts Government’s proof sustained BOSTON made of a cost-of-living escalator OCT.