BY CRAIG HONTS
LOS ANGELES - Supporters of the Militant in Los Angeles completed a highly successful target week April 29-May 6, selling 33 subscriptions to the Militant, 7 subscriptions to Perspectiva Mundial, and 6 copies of New International.

One of the highlights of the effort was the results of a two-person team of rail workers from Seattle and Los Angeles that traveled through rail yards in Cheyenne, Wyoming; Denver; and Alliance, Nebraska. The team sold 10 Militant subscriptions, including seven to members of rail unions; and one New International.

The team found rail workers confronting similar conditions wherever they went: pushed to the limit by the demands of carriers facing booming business conditions while operating with shortages of crews, locomotives, and other equipment. Workers wanted to talk about the new attacks rail workers will face with the current round of mergers taking place. They were interested in the Militant's coverage of a range of issues from affirmative action to the attacks on democratic rights coming after the Oklahoma City bombing.

Many of the rail workers who had only recently been hired, were astounded by the grueling 72-hours-or-more workweek and the forced "promotions" that make new hires become conductors or engineers in a matter of a few weeks or months.

Another high point of the target week was a Cinco de Mayo celebration at Citrus College where three Young Socialists spoke on affirmative action, the crisis in Mexico, and the Cuban revolution. Four subscriptions were sold along with other books and pamphlets.

Another team participated at the California State Convention of the National Organization for Women in San Diego where three Militant subscriptions and three copies of New International were sold.

Right before the target week a team sold nine copies of Perspectiva Mundial and two issues of Nueva Internacional at the contract ratification vote that celebrated the successful Justice for Janitors union organizing drive in Los Angeles.

In Christchurch, New Zealand, supporters of the socialist press set up a literature table at the University of Otago in Dunedin, where 2,000 students recently demonstrated against rising fees. Six students purchased subscriptions to the Militant and NZ$125 (US$1=NZ$0.67) worth of literature was sold. One new subscriber bought Nelson Mandela Speaks and joined the Pathfinder Readers Club. His brother bought How Far We Slaves Have Come, by Fidel Castro and Nelson Mandela, and borrowed a copy of the video The Frame-up of Mark Curtis. He offered to show the video to others who might be interested in the case.

The team also visited the Fisher and Paykel factory in Dunedin and sold seven papers to workers at the plant gate.

A sales team of Militant readers from Washington, D.C., participated in the Latino Community Congress in Arlington, Virginia, May 5-6. Five subscriptions and several copies of Perspectiva Mundial, and two copies of the Marxist magazine Nueva Internacional were sold to the 100 people in attendance.

Several young people at the conference were excited to hear about plans for the August 1-7 international youth festival in Cuba and signed up for more information. "This would be my dream come true," said one young participant who wants to get involved.

A sales table set up at a nearby Safeway supermarket received a great response May 6. Militant supporters sold 11 copies of the paper, along with 1 subscription and 2 issues of Perspectiva Mundial.

The next day Militant distributors attended a morning mass at Holy Redeemer College in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the 14th anniversary of the death of Bobby Sands and other Irish hunger strikers. Five people purchased copies of the Militant, eager to read the paper's back page article detailing the struggle of these courageous Irish freedom fighters.

Militant supporters in Atlanta participated in the annual Human Rights Festival in Athens, Georgia, May 6-7. They staffed a table that featured a display of Pathfinder books and information on Mark Curtis's fight for justice. Two people bought subscriptions to the Militant, and two copies of Nueva Internacional were sold.

More than 20 young people signed up for more information about the Young Socialists and about the upcoming international youth festival in Cuba. A young leader of the group Food Not Bombs in Athens and two Native American women invited supporters of Mark Curtis to show the video The Frame- up of Mark Curtis at meetings of their organizations.

Three shifts of supporters of the Militant and Perspectiva Mundial staffed a table featuring socialist books and periodicals at the celebration of Cinco de Mayo  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home