BY JOEL BRITTON
CHICAGO - I met Rodney Garman at the Militant Labor Forum
here last August 1. Rodney was on a panel that included fellow
Blue Shirt Tom Smith.
The topic was "Union Fightbacks Deepen" and the meeting hall was packed. Special guests included Socialist Workers from all over the United States active in unions in the meatpacking, rail, and oil industries. A half dozen Young Socialists from Sweden were also in town, taking part in a volunteer effort to refurbish the Pathfinder bookstore and learning about the class struggle in the United States. I understand Rodney asked some time later how the youth from Sweden were doing.
Garman and Smith spoke at length on the long fight of their union against Caterpillar and offered their experiences and example as vanguard combatants of the working class to all those present. They passed out copies of the letter to the editor that Rodney had gotten published in the Peoria paper (see accompanying article) and Rodney read this manifesto of sorts as part of his talk. He was real proud of it. And, he said, "We're with you" if we can actually take on the powers that be "all the way." After the presentations and a lengthy discussion period, informal discussion with these fighters continued past midnight.
Working people honor the memory of Rodney Garman every time we join together at strike picket lines and solidarity events.
Joel Britton is a member of the Trade Union Committee of the Socialist Workers Party.