BY RAY PARSONS AND AMANDA ULMAN
EAST MOLINE, Illinois - A team of Militant supporters from Chicago and Des Moines discussed strike preparations and contract issues with members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) at Case Corp. here April 4. That day, they sold 31 copies of the Militant and one subscription to the unionists, who have been working without a contract since March 29.

Some 3,300 workers are affected at five Case plants in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. Case, a major builder of farm and construction equipment, is seeking increased mandatory overtime and cuts in retirement benefits.

Five plant gate sales of the socialist newsweekly have been organized in East Moline and Burlington, Iowa, since March 3. UAW members in these plants have purchased three subscriptions and 130 copies of the Militant.

First time and repeat buyers of the Militant have been attracted to coverage of the fight of the UAW at Caterpillar and growing labor struggles internationally. In addition, coverage of broader struggles of working people, like the independence fight of Albanians in Kosovo, and of the Quebecois in Canada are of interest. One worker explained his reason for buying the socialist newsweekly was to see where it stood on U.S. president William Clinton's visit to South Africa.

Through these plant gate sales, Militant sales people have learned more about solidarity actions organized in recent weeks.

According to the Local 1304 newsletter Union Voice, an informational meeting and strike vote was held March 15. The East Moline unionists voted 98.6 percent in favor of striking if necessary, and the overall vote of all locals was 99.2 percent.

Since early March UAW Local 1304 in East Moline has organized solidarity rallies every Thursday. At times, the union has held four meetings a day to reach production workers on all three shifts, and some 900 local members have turned out the last two Thursdays. With a total of 1,300 workers in the plant; 1,160 are members of Local 1304, and two other UAW locals represent clerical and skilled trades workers.

Unionists have used the rallies to raise questions about their rights while working without a contract.

Amanda Ulman is a member of UAW Local 450 and Ray Parsons is a member of USWA Local 310 in Des Moines, Iowa.  
 
 
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