The Militant - October 17, 2005 -- International support grows for Militant Fighting Fund

Vol. 69/No. 40 October 17, 2005

International support grows for Militant Fighting Fund

BY FELICITY COGGAN
AUCKLAND, New Zealand—Support for the Militant Fighting Fund is expanding internationally. The fund was set up to help defend the Militant and publicize the fight of the United Mine Workers of America, individual Co-Op coal miners, and other targets of a retaliatory lawsuit filed by the C.W. Mining Company in Utah.

In September, Local 13 of the Maritime Union of New Zealand sent a contribution of NZ$500 (NZ$1.00=US$0.69) for the fund. In a letter enclosing the check, Secretary/Treasurer of the union, Russell Mayn, said, “The Militant is a valued publication and the Local 13 executive is pleased to be of some assistance to its ongoing fight for workers rights throughout the world.”

Militant supporters have been selling the paper on the docks in Auckland since 1998, when dockworkers in Australia waged a major strike against union busting. Unionists here responded with interest to the Militant’s coverage of that struggle. Since then dockworkers have continued to buy the paper and pass it around.

Other trade unionists in New Zealand are also signing up to support the Militant Fighting Fund. Jill Ovens, senior organiser for the Service and Food Workers Union; and Paul Piesse, a member of the Southern Local Government Officers Union, have recently endorsed. When supporters of the Militant explain the stakes in this fight, how C.W. Mining is trying to stop union organizing and punish newspapers that tell the workers’ side of the story, there is a real interest in helping out.

Other recent endorsers of the Militant Fighting Fund here include well-known human rights activist Maire Leadbeater, and Morgan Johns, National Affairs Officer for the Auckland University Students Association.

BY ÓLÖF ANDRA PROPPÉ
REYKJAVIK, Iceland—Supporters of the Militant Fighting Fund here met recently with Ögmundur Jónasson, chairman of the Confederation of State and Municipal Employees (BSRB) and a member of parliament. After discussing the fight against the harassment lawsuit by C.W. Mining and the union-organizing struggle of the Co-Op miners, Jónasson endorsed the Militant Fighting Fund and contributed $100. BSRB has 18,000 members in 28 unions around Iceland.

Erlingur Hansson, a member of the Teachers’ Union in Iceland, also endorsed and made a contribution.

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