Vol. 75/No. 36      October 10, 2011

Militant/Janet Post

Selling Militant and books on revolutionary working-class politics at Sept. 22 rally for workers locked out by Armstrong World Industries outside corporate headquarters in Lancaster, Pa.

Partisans of the paper will be reaching out to working people and youth in urban and rural neighborhoods, in coalfields and oil fields, on picket lines and at other actions where workers are standing up.

“Workers locked out by Armstrong World Industries, members of United Steelworkers Local 285/441 in Lancaster, Pa., have welcomed coverage of their fight by the Militant,” wrote Janet Post from Philadelphia. Since their fight began July 17, nine workers have subscribed and three have bought copies of Teamster Rebellion by Farrell Dobbs, one of the five books on sale during the drive. (See ad on page 3.)

“The Steelworkers have copied Militant articles on their struggle and made them available to workers in the picket line tent outside the Armstrong factory in Marietta and in the union hall,” adds Post. “Many are interested in learning about the fight by American Crystal Sugar workers in the Upper Midwest, and have expressed solidarity.” (See front page article.)

Some 100 workers in battle against American Crystal Sugar have subscribed to the paper since they were locked out August 1.

Members of the Socialist Workers Party from Seattle joined a protest in West Kelso, Wash., September 24, of about 50 members and supporters of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Ladies Auxiliary who had been assaulted by cops. The longshore workers were trying to stop a railroad car from entering EGT Development terminal at the Port of Longview in response to EGT’s disregard for the port’s employment agreement with the union.

“More than one woman nodded when we showed them the article on Troy Davis, commenting that now they know the cops do lie,” wrote Mary Martin. Five bought copies of the paper. Davis was framed up for the killing of a police officer in 1989 and executed September 21 by the state of Georgia.

Knocking on doors in working-class neighborhoods and talking with a broad section of working people will be a key aspect of the campaign.

The Militant will also be getting around at protests and other events.

Joe Swanson reported that participants in a September 24 meeting in Omaha, Neb., on the ongoing fight against the frame-up of Ed Poindexter and Mondo we Langa bought four subscriptions to the paper and four books by Pathfinder Press, including Malcolm X, Black Liberation, and the Road to Workers Power by Jack Barnes. “We talked with people there about the frame-up case of the five Cuban revolutionaries held in U.S. jails since 1998,” Swanson said. (See articles on front page and page 7.)

Twenty-five subscriptions, 58 copies of the paper, and 33 Pathfinder books were sold at a recent book fair held in Gothenburg, Sweden. Nineteen subscriptions—a record number—along with 124 Pathfinder books were sold at the Fête de l’Humanité, a three-day street fair in Paris sponsored by l’Humanité, the daily newspaper of the French Communist Party.

Initial quotas adopted by distributors around the world total 2,145. Starting next week, charts on the front page will keep readers informed of the drive’s progress in each area. Send your comments, exchanges and experiences by 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, EDT. To join the campaign contact distributors listed on page 8.

Along with the subscription drive, the SWP is also organizing an eight-week Party-Building Fund to raise $100,000. Initial quotas adopted by branches total $100,900. Starting next week, the Militant will run regular articles on the effort.
 
 
Related articles:
'Militant' Subscription Drive October 1 to November 20 (chart)
$100,000 Party Building Fund (chart)  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home