Socialists workers and members of the Young Socialists are joining strike picket lines, protests to defend immigrant rights and affirmative action, and political conferences. Opportunities in the class struggle and interest in socialist ideas are helping to get the Militant subscription drive off to a good start, boost sales of Pathfinder books, and widen the response to the Socialist Workers election campaign.

The SWP and Young Socialists have announced plans for regional socialist education conferences at the end of November in the United States (see ad on front page) and are stepping up work to meet the goals of the YS recruitment drive (see article on page 6). The Militant has extended its subscription drive for one week, until November 24, so that supporters can best reach out to workers and youth across the country as they build toward these educational conferences.

The aim of the seven-week subscription drive is to win 1,200 new subscribers to the Militant and 425 to its sister Spanish- language monthly Perspectiva Mundial, and sell 550 copies of the Marxist magazine New International.

The results of September sales of Pathfinder titles from Pathfinder bookstores are published here this week, along with goals for the subscription drive. Socialists aim to utilize campaigning over the next seven weeks as a way to increase sales of Pathfinder books, while achieving the goals of the subscription drive.

Last month, 11 cities met or surpassed Pathfinder sales goals. September's U.S. total of 76 percent is another step in the upward trend since early summer.

Several industrial union fractions jumped way up in sales in September, including steelworkers in Canada, TGWU members in Britain, and textile and garment workers in the United States.

We are overflowing with examples of how socialists are involving themselves in the class struggle, selling Pathfinder books and socialist periodicals in the process, and organizing recruitment activities. Here are a few:

Socialists in southern California responded quickly to revelations about U.S. Central Intelligence Agency involvement in sales of crack cocaine in Los Angeles in the 1980s, selling 12 introductory subscriptions to the Militant, 6 to Perspectiva Mundial, and 8 copies of New International the first few days of the drive. Socialist Workers candidates for U.S. Congress issued a statement on the exposure, distributing 1,000 leaflets at a Town Meeting in the Black community in Los Angeles.

Earlier, at a debate on affirmative action between ultrarightist David Duke and civil rights figure Joe Hicks, socialists sold 22 single copies and a subscription to the Militant along with 17 Pathfinder titles.

At two protests against the anti-affirmative action Proposition 209, socialist literature tables "bustled with political discussion, as supporters sold 17 Pathfinder titles and 20 copies of the Militant," reports rail worker Craig Honts.

Hitting the streets after a judge ruled New York cop Francis Livoti "not guilty" in the death of Anthony Baez, socialists in Manhattan sold 16 copies of the Militant and a subscription.

They issued a statement condemning the verdict and encouraging further protests in this and other police brutality cases. At a march of 500 in the Bronx the next day, one young protester who met the Young Socialists asked for further discussion on how to join the youth organization.

A week earlier, supporters of Pathfinder set up a booth at New York Is Book Country, a major bookfair on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. A total of 57 Pathfinder titles were purchased by those attending the fair, plus 11copies of New International. The best seller was Episodes of the Cuban Revolutionary War: 1956-58, by Ernesto Che Guevara, with 11 copies sold.

Given the struggles of the Palestinian people and the turmoil in the Mideast, titles such as Palestine and the Arabs' Fight for Liberation and On the Jewish Question received considerable interest. Four subscriptions to the Militant were sold as well.

Supporters of the Militant in Canada have been visiting picket lines of Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) members on strike against General Motors. They are also encouraging young people interested in joining the Young Socialists to get out to the strike as well, in order to get a taste of union struggles.

"Auto workers are prepared for a long strike," said Heidi Rose, a Militant supporter in Toronto who has been out on the picket line in Oshawa, Ontario. "We had a regular plant gate sale at General Motors for a month before the strike, and we've gotten three teams back to the plant since." Each team has sold some copies of the Militant.

Laura Garza, Socialist Workers candidate for vice president, visited strikers at Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel in Steubenville, Ohio. More than half the 4,500 workers are employed by the company work at the mill there. "We got a good response," reports David Welters, a member of the International Association of Machinists who works at USAir in Pittsburgh. Welters accompanied Garza on the visit to the strike.

"We spoke with about 15 workers out on the line and introduced them to Laura and the Militant," Welters said. "Laura explained that she was there to show her support for the strike and get more information so she can let people know as she tours around the country."

Socialists in San Francisco sold three copies of Socialism on Trial to participants at a YS class series. The book by James P. Cannon, a long-time leader of the SWP, explains the basic ideas of socialism. It is the courtroom testimony during the frame-up trial of 18 leaders of the Minneapolis Teamsters union and the SWP charged with sedition during World War II.

The sales took place at a Militant Labor Forum on the Black struggle were 14 other books were sold. "We sold more than our quota last month in San Francisco," said Mary Lou Montauk, "and it looks like we'll go over this month too!"  
 
 
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