The Militant(logo) 
    Vol.62/No.9           March 9, 1998 
 
 
Caterpillar Workers Snap Up `Militant'  
 The stories below are highlights of the third week of the campaign to sell copies of the Militant and Perspectiva Mundial, along with New International no. 7 and Celebrating the Homecoming of Ernesto Che Guevara's Reinforcement Brigade to Cuba.

EAST PEORIA, Illinois - Supporters of the Militant from Chicago; Des Moines, Iowa; and Minneapolis, St. Paul, sold nearly 80 copies of the paper in central Illinois February 21 - 22. We kicked off the weekend selling 12 copies outside Caterpillar factories in East Peoria and Mossville. Sales continued into the evening as we sold 14 papers in a working- class community and near a local college campus.

During the contract vote a team of Militant supporters went to Decatur and sold six copies of the paper to Caterpillar workers. In Peoria, 45 papers were sold before and after the union meeting.

"U.S. hands off Iraq" was one of the main signs on our literature table. Several unionists who walked by made pro- war comments like, "Bomb him"; "nuke `em"; "we should have finished him off"; and "don't you know what anthrax is?"

Mack Street, a UAW member from Local 974, said he disagreed with the war moves because his son was part of Desert Storm in 1990 - 91. Another Caterpillar worker in Decatur said he "didn't agree with the headline on Iraq," but bought the paper anyway because it took up union issues. Paul Miller, a United Auto Workers member who has read the Militant before, wanted to talk about Cuba. "I have a friend from Canada who's been to Cuba and says it's not the way it's portrayed in the media here," he said. He bought a paper.

Along with sales to Caterpillar workers, a few students from Bradley University and some high school students stopped by to talk about the U.S. military buildup in the Persian Gulf. Two students are members of the Islamic Student Association and are planning a demonstration to protest the war moves.

Some 25 members of UAW local 786 at Caterpillar in York, Pennsylvania, bought the Militant February 22 outside Dallastown High School, where their contract vote was held. Before sales we stopped for coffee at a fast food place. An "illegally terminated" Cat worker who joined us explained why he would not vote for the contract. "Since I was in Vietnam, I've learned that the media lies. And they always take the company's side." He picked up a Militant, saying, "I may not always agree with you, but you say it like it is."

Sarah Katz and Bob Miller

*****

SYDNEY, Australia - The high points of this week included selling two Militants at the Port Botany wharves, where we have established a regular sale in response to a fight by dock workers in the Maritime Union of Australia against a union-busting drive that is being championed by the government. We've also sold 17 Militants on the job in the Amalgamated Manufacturing Workers, leaving seven to get in the last week to reach our goal. At a protest of more than 1,000 February 21, which began at the Australian Defence Offices and marched to the U.S. consulate, we sold 10 Militants and three pamphlets.

Bob Aiken

*****

MINNEAPOLIS - Supporters of the Militant sold 25 copies of the paper to workers at Honeywell plants in the area during and after their 14-day strike, which pushed back some of the company's concession demands. We sold 17 copies of the Militant to striking Teamsters at the picket lines, rallies, and union meetings. Since the contract was narrowly approved, we have fielded two teams to Honeywell plant gates and have sold eight more copies.

A worker with 14 years in the Golden Valley heating controls plant saw the team selling and walked back from the parking lot to talk with them and buy a paper. "I personally won't volunteer for any overtime now and I wouldn't recommend getting a job here to any of my friends after what the company did to us," he told the team.

Jeff Jones

*****

DETROIT - Two supporters of the Militant went to Selfridge Air National Guard base near Mt. Clemens, Michigan, February 14 and sold six copies to military personnel and their families. We wore placards which showed our opposition to the U.S. war moves, with slogans like "U.S. Hands Off Iraq." A number of those who paused to talk said they definitely were going to be sent to Iraq. Some expressed enthusiasm for bombing that country, but most did not. One man saw our signs and the newspaper headlines, and had his car window rolled down with $1.50 ready.

Marty Ressler

*****

NEW YORK- Ellie García, an assistant conductor at Amtrak and member of the United Transportation Union, reported that communist workers there have sold eight New International no. 7 out of a goal of four and 15 Militant copies out a goal of 20. "One thing that helped was relating to a fight of track workers more than a month earlier. We sold at least three copies of NI no. 7 in the fall as part of talking to track workers who were demanding a contract." García and Ruth Robinett, another communist worker there, teamed up to visit a track worker who had bought the Militant twice. As other workers passed through the break room area, debates broke out over Iraq. One declared, "You don't belong here," and prevented any discussion for nearly 10 minutes. When he left, an even bigger civil discussion resumed. "After an hour, the worker we came to visit, still unsure of his position on the war drive, bought a third paper," said García.

Selling the `Militant' to workers at Boeing
Socialist workers in Philadelphia and Seattle are selling every week outside Boeing factories in their areas. Sales were up the third week in February in both places. Autumn Knowlton, a member of the Young Socialists in Seattle, said workers at the Boeing plant in Renton, Washington, bought eight Militants and a copy the book U.S. Hands Off the Mideast! Cuba Speaks Out at the United Nations. "One young worker was excited about the `U.S. hands of Iraq' banner on the table and bought a Militant. Another worker commented, `You guys must think this is really important to have a table out here,' " Knowlton wrote.

"This week we sold more papers than ever - five - and also got our first negative reaction by a worker," wrote Bob Stanton from Philadelphia. He is part of a team that sells at a stop light where workers turn to drive into the Boeing parking lot. "Since the U.S. war threats started, we've had a sandwich board with slogans placed on the road divider about 50 feet in front of us," he said. "One worker nudged our sign with his car, driving up on the curb to get at it. Most workers did not express hostility, and those who rolled down their window were happy to take leaflets or papers."  
 
 
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