Trowe was joined by two campaign supporters at Galileo, a meatpacking plant in San Lorenzo organized by the United Food and Commercial Workers union. One of the campaign supporters, Deborah Liatos, works at the plant and is also the Socialist Workers candidate for Congress in the 8th Congressional District.

Trowe spoke with many of the workers as they walked out of the plant. She explained that she was using the campaign to give a voice to the resistance of workers and farmers. Meatpacking workers in Minnesota, coal miners in the West, and telephone workers at Verizon in New York show that it's possible for workers to win if they stand up to the bosses' attacks, she said.

The increasing number of immigrant workers with experiences from their countries helps to strengthen the working class in the United States, she explained.

"The Socialist Workers campaign believes that out of this resistance workers must take on the power of the capitalists who represent the interests of the rich and replace them with a government of workers and farmers," explained Trowe.

"The work here is very fast. It's important to stand up to the exploitation that workers face," said one Galileo worker.

Two copies of the Militant, two copies and one subscription to Perspectiva Mundial, and one copy of The Working Class and the Transformation of Learning were sold during this visit to the plant gate.

"The itinerary of the socialist campaign is different than the capitalist candidates'. We're following the lines of resistance of working people," Trowe said to a campaign rally held in San Francisco.

Trowe explained that she had just come from Louisiana where she spoke to workers at a fabrication yard that had just voted in the union.

Her next stop is Los Angeles and then Australia and New Zealand as part of the effort of the socialist campaign to reach out to the struggles of workers and farmers internationally.

"The resistance of working people is leading to revolutionary struggles that will overthrow capitalism and establish a workers and farmers government," she said. "The capitalist parties are both claiming responsibility for the boom. It's a real boom, fueled by the speed up on the assembly lines and the cuts in safety, by cuts in the social wage like social security and health coverage, by the squeeze on farmers and by increased cop brutality and use of the death penalty. And it's fueled by the ideological offensive by the rulers."

A collection at the rally raised $685 to fund the ongoing efforts of the campaign.

Three campaign supporters accompanied Trowe to talk with meat packers and farm workers in Fresno. They set up a campaign table at a local store near a large UFCW–organized meatpacking plant, which is also located near many large farms.

Trowe received a warm reception as she spoke with dozens of workers. Many nodded in agreement at what she said.

"I just want to let you know I support what you are doing," said one of the meat packers who spoke to Trowe as he bought a copy of the Militant and the pamphlet The Working Class and the Transformation of Learning.

In all socialist campaigners sold five copies of the Militant, six of Perspectiva Mundial, and two subscriptions to the Spanish-language publication as part of the effort.

Bernie Senter is a member of the International Association of Machinists.  
 
 
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