BY SALM KOLIS
PITTSBURGH - Socialist workers from Atlanta participated
in an April 24 support rally for members of United
Steelworkers of America Local 850, on strike at Continental
General Tire in Charlotte, North Carolina. Many strikers are
familiar with the Militant, as socialists have walked the
picket line over the seven months of their strike and have
sold eight subscriptions to the paper.
One striker bought a copy of Capitalism's World Disorder at the rally. He carefully looked over all the books on the socialist literature table. Jill Fein drew his attention to Capitalism's World Disorder, and explained it was Pathfinder's newest title. After reading the back cover this striker responded, "I've got to have this book," and purchased it on the spot. Five workers subscribed to the Militant and 32 workers bought single copies at the rally. This is in addition to several other Pathfinder books.
Workers also stopped by the Pathfinder table at a March 28 rally to support workers then on strike at RMI Titanium in Niles, Ohio. Several who were interested, but short on cash, left their phone numbers. Last week supporters of the Militant newspaper from Pittsburgh traveled to Youngstown, Ohio, to meet with one of those workers, Pat Williams, who had bought a copy of the Militant and a copy of Pathfinder's catalogue at the rally and carefully studied Capitalism's World Disorder. They spent the evening discussing the outcome of the strike, the state of the labor movement, the need for solidarity and the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.
During the course of the evening, Williams subscribed to the Militant, joined the Pathfinder Reader's Club, and purchased a copy of Capitalism's World Disorder. "I have to join the Reader's Club, because I was looking through that catalogue and there's lots of other books I want to get," he said. "But I'll start with the one that you showed me at the rally, Capitalism's World Disorder." Before leaving, they made plans to go together to the April 24 rally to support Kaiser strikers in Newark, Ohio.
Lea Sherman, a member of the International Association of Machinists in Houston, wrote: "In a week of spirited campaigning, socialist workers sold three copies of Capitalism's World Disorder here in Houston. One copy of Capitalism's World Disorder was sold to a Militant subscriber who works at an aerospace plant.
"Two copies were sold at our Friday night Militant Labor Forum on the US war against Yugoslavia. Some 25 participants discussed and debated the U.S. assault on Yugoslavia. Three locked-out Kaiser Aluminum Steelworkers - in town to organize protests at the Maxxam, the corporation that owns Kaiser - attended the forum, as well as a locked-out Crown refinery worker and several anti-police brutality activists in the Justice for Pedro Oregón coalition. One of the Steelworkers bought a Pathfinder readers club card and Capitalism's World Disorder. He had come to an earlier forum and bought Teamster Rebellion. He really liked learning about the creative tactics used by the strikers and their leadership for a fighting union and a decent contract. A supporter of the Militant Labor Forum renewed her readers club card and Militant subscription and bought a copy of Capitalism's World Disorder. Another Steelworker bought two books of Malcolm X speeches and Leon Trotsky on Black nationalism. Also sold at the forum was Lenin's Struggle for a Revolutionary International.
"Earlier in the week a team went to San Antonio and sold in front of the Levi Strauss plant. Despite the yellow ribbons in front of the plant, which is part of the campaign to whip up support for the war effort against the Yugoslavian people, workers bought 10 copies of the Militant whose headline was "Stop the U.S., NATO assault on Yugoslavia."