BY WILLIE REID

ATLANTA - Socialists who are members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union increased their pledges to the Socialist Workers Party 1996 national campaign fund by nearly $2,500 at a meeting here, June 15-16. The trade unionists had gathered to discuss how to advance the socialist alternative today, putting the sales of communist books and defense of Cuba's revolution at the center of their political work on the job. In addition to raising their own pledges, in some cases doubling them, the socialist workers also plan to ask their co-workers for contributions to the campaign fund.

This approach by the UAW members gives a needed boost to the campaign that can be emulated by others. With two weeks left in the drive, $40,770 has been sent toward the $90,000 goal.

"We find our co-workers are interested in listening to what the socialist candidates have to say," explained Susan Anmuth, who works at the Ford assembly plant in Edison, New Jersey. She and Bob Miller had organized a meeting for SWP presidential candidate James Harris at a pizza place near the factory. Twelve other UAW members came to discuss topics ranging from the capitalist economic crisis to racism to the place of the Cuban revolution in the world.

Salm Kolis and Linda Joyce reported a similar response at the Ford assembly plant where they work in Atlanta. Several of their co-workers joined them in meeting SWP vice presidential candidate Laura Garza when she visited their work site. The stance taken by these workers, Joyce explained, was particularly important because "there has been some harassment of socialist campaign supporters inside the plant."

The impact of the response by other workers and youth, and a successful one-week tour by Garza, which ended with a rally attended by 24 people on June 8, led campaign backers in Atlanta to confidently make plans to surpass their goal of $2,000.

After staying on schedule in the course the fund drive, supporters in Philadelphia have just increased their goal to $4,700. "But we also expect to exceed this new goal," said Jon Teitelbaum, who organizes the effort there.

In order to complete the fund campaign in full and on time, a special effort will be required in the next two weeks to reach out to supporters as broadly as possible.

The response by workers and young activists seeking for an alternative to the parties of war, racism and economic depression, and coverage like the interview with James Harris in the Bergen, New Jersey, Record (reproduced on page 6) are but a slight scratch in the political surface which the campaign can mine even more with a successful financial drive.  
 
 
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