Sandler, from San Francisco, is a leader of the SWP and a member of its Trade Union Committee. This committee is responsible for a campaign led through the trade union fractions of the party to distribute Capitalism's World Disorder: Working-Class Politics at the Millennium.

"Since September the SWP and Young Socialists joined forces to sell the book and to place it in libraries and shops where many people will see it for the first time. Our aim in this campaign is to introduce the book to those engaged in struggles, and to work with them in bringing the book to other fighters either directly or by placing it in outlets.

"We have found that when we do it right, selling Capitalism's World Disorder lays the basis for a serious discussion on the depth of the capitalist crisis and the need for working people to overthrow the rule of the exploiters," said Sandler.

He gave a number of examples, such as in early October when a farmers' cooperative member and political fighter in Georgia "wrote a report of a successful trip to promote Pathfinder titles in that state," said Sandler. This work with socialists from Atlanta was part of helping to recruit a new member to the Young Socialists in south Georgia as well.  
 

Read and discuss with fighters

An auto workers union member at Caterpillar in Peoria, Illinois, who has been reading the Militant every week told a socialist worker from Chicago that until fairly recently he had skipped over the Cuba part and focused mainly on the labor solidarity articles. Reading Capitalism's World Disorder has clarified what the Cuban revolution is all about. "Now when I read the Militant, I read the Cuba articles as well."

Socialist workers and students sold 89 copies of the book in the "clash of ideas" in the streets of Seattle during the meeting of the World Trade Organization in early December. Sandler also noted sales by members of the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) to workers either currently on strike or recently involved in struggles.

Discussing this report, Cynthia Baker, a St. Louis-area garment worker, described the discussions socialists from there have been having with a recently retired coal miner who is reading the book and wants to help circulate it to other miners.

"Where we have really taken up the campaign in the right spirit," commented Sand-ler, "it is not just a 'sales drive' but a vehicle for becoming more one with the struggles and experiences of working people.

"Since the book was printed last March, 4,000 copies have been distributed around the world. From beginning of September until the end of the year, 800 were sold to individuals or placed in bookstores, through the direct efforts of socialist workers and Young Socialists. Pathfinder's business office reports these efforts resulted in the publishing house winning 114 new accounts during this period.

"Socialists working in the United Transportation Union (UTU) and the International Association of Machinists (IAM) exceeded their goals they set both in selling the book, and in placing it in stores and libraries," said Sandler. "Those working in the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees union made their goal of selling to individuals, and socialist workers in the United Steelworkers of America union came close." In total the industrial union fractions of the party sold 203 copies of Capitalism's World Disorder to individuals out of their goal of 224. They placed 229 of their goal of 307.

Three meetings of socialists in the meatpacking, garment and textile, and coal mining industries proposed the campaign be continued into March.

Taking the recommendation of these national industrial fraction meetings, the National Committee voted to extend the campaign through March 15. "The Spanish-language edition of the book that will be printed in early February, and the French-language version due out a month later, will add powerful new ingredients into the campaign," said Sandler. "Let's start taking orders for the Spanish and French now," he said.

Sandler said the party should use the extension of the campaign on Capitalism's World Disorder to help the Young Socialists win new members. Joining the YS on campus book tables to engage youth in political discussions, is one of the most important and pressing tasks facing the communist movement in the coming months.

"Last year's experience reminds us of the value of building a long-term readership for working-class literature and newspapers," said Sandler. "A good effort on the book campaign will put us in a strong position to launch an eight-week drive to increase the circulation, and especially the subscriber base, of the Militant and Perspectiva Mundial in the spring." This circulation drive will run from March 25 to May 21.  
 

Strengthening party finances

During the latter half of last year the SWP also made progress in stabilizing and centralizing its finances, Sandler reported. Since last April, SWP branches and branch organizing committees have reduced their total back debt to the party's national office from over $19,000 to under $10,000. By the end of December, 11 party units were completely debt-free, and the average contribution per member sent to the National Office each week was over $10 by year's end, the target the National Committee had set for the fall.

"The basis has been laid for setting and achieving further goals along the same lines during this year," said Sandler. The National Committee adopted his proposal to aim to lower the back debt to $5,000, to raise the number of debt-free branches from 11 to 16, and to raise the weekly contribution per member to the National Office to $10.75 by the end of June.

Several participants in the discussion emphasized that the financial priorities "start with the needs of the party nationally." Paul Mailhot said that principle should guide major decisions of socialists organized in any given area or unit. "We have to start by asking: 'what best fits the needs of the party nationally, not what best fits our needs viewed locally?' " he said. "This should guide us in major decisions like a shift to a new headquarters and bookstore."

The SWP has moved to establish several smaller units in more geographic areas where struggles are taking place, especially outside of the big cities and where strongholds of key industries like coal mining, meatpacking, and garment are to be found.

In cities with an established party branch, the old offices are often too large and expensive for the today's needs. They have become a millstone and a shift to a new location can help break habits that developed the past 15 years during the retreat of the labor movement. A location that fits the party's current size and resources breaks the routine and helps spur socialists out into political struggles and discussions, many of which are taking place in rural areas.

"Our headquarters should be organizing centers and launching pads for those who want to participate in struggles and sell socialist literature. Socialist workers and Young Socialist activists take pride in these facilities, and ensure they are open and available within the limits of our time and resources. And socialists ensure the security of these premises as well."  
 

Contribution of supporters

Sandler described the immense contribution that supporters of the SWP are making today. He highlighted the success of the financial campaign to raise monthly contributions to the party from supporters. Since the beginning of last summer they have increased the amount they are contributing to the party annually from $125,000 to more than $220,000. Socialist workers are confident that this can be expanded further with real attention in every area.

Sandler saluted the nearly 150 volunteers around the world working on the Pathfinder Reprint Project. This is a "large-scale and long-term effort," he said. The first stage of it is "to convert the 350 titles in Pathfinder's catalog into digital files." This allows shorter, higher quality, and more timely runs of books in Pathfinder's printshop.

"Some 150 supporters have formed themselves into a veritable army in this project," said Sandler. This includes volunteers in several other countries. Through the initiatives and dedication of the supporters of the communist movement, the reprint project has scored some notable victories. Scan2000 was a key milestone." By the end of 1999 the volunteers met their goal of getting every Pathfinder title scanned. "They are confident they can soon turn out seven, eight, or nine books to the printshop each month.

"There are two central ways that we ask every supporter to maximize their own and the international movement's striking power: by joining the Pathfinder reprint project and winning monthly financial contributors for the national party needs," he said. "Every party unit needs to discuss these two goals with the supporters at each monthly meeting," said Sandler.

Reading, discussing, and working on political developments, responding as working-class politicians and fighters—these are essential to winning new members of the Young Socialists and the party.

Socialist workers in the UTU, USWA, IAM, and United Auto Workers will meet February 5–6 in Birmingham and Los Angeles. They will be discussing these campaigns, how to deepen their work in their unions to build solidarity with strikes and social struggles, and how to be effective in bringing a socialist perspective and explanation to co-workers and other fighters.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home