The Militant - February 5, 2001 -- Volunteers needed for red weekend' of repairs, maintenance at Pathfinder Building

Vol.65/No.5 February 5, 2001

Volunteers needed for 'red weekend' of repairs, maintenance at Pathfinder Building
(feature article)

BY GREG MCCARTAN
Socialist workers, Young Socialists, and other supporters of Pathfinder Press are planning a volunteer weekend Friday, February 2 through Sunday, February 4 to carry out needed maintenance and repairs to the building that houses the publisher and its printshop. The project follows up on a successful international volunteer mobilization of more than 120 people December 14-24 that focused on transferring Pathfinder's inventory and customer and financial information onto an Internet-based program.

"A large building that is heavily used needs constant upkeep and repair so it remains in topnotch condition," said Ruth Robinett, a garment worker in New York and a member of the steering committee for the volunteer project, known as a Red Weekend. "The work will include painting, plumbing, electrical work, carpentry, cleaning, masonry, and, weather permitting, some roof repairs." Robinett, a leader of the Garment District branch of the Socialist Workers Party in New York City, one of four branches in the area hosting and organizing the effort, invited "all supporters of Pathfinder to contribute volunteer labor in a collective project that will advance the production and distribution of Pathfinder books and pamphlets."

In order to make the most of the weekend project, some volunteers are needed in the days leading up to February 2 to figure out what each job involves, order materials, and put together teams with necessary skills. Some jobs may take a few days longer than the weekend to complete, said Robinett, so any volunteer who can plan to stay a few extra days is encouraged to do so.

There will be several Militant Labor Forums over the weekend and the SWP branches and Young Socialists are planning a social event for the evening of February 3. Volunteers will meet at the Garment District hall in Manhattan each morning to plan the work for the day.

"The Red Weekend is taking place at a good time," said Paul Mailhot, who is also helping to organize the volunteer work effort. "Pathfinder is in the middle of producing several new books, including Fertile Ground: Che Guevara and Bolivia and Haciendo historia. A team from Pathfinder will be in Havana setting up for the international book fair there, where the full range of Pathfinder titles will be available to thousands of working people and young people, not only from Cuba but from other countries as well.

"At the same time we are planning the Red Weekend," said Robinett, "supporters of Pathfinder here in New York and elsewhere are getting organized to sell books and pamphlets it distributes to bookstores and libraries on an expanded basis. We're having continued success setting up literature tables on the streets and in the subways too."

Last week during bad weather two teams each sold more than $100 of socialist literature from tables set up in the subways. One young woman who met the team attended a Militant Labor Forum on defending women's rights several days later. "So the Red Week is part of this ongoing work to reach out to workers, farmers, and youth with revolutionary and Marxist books and pamphlets," she said. Robinett encouraged anyone interested in joining the project to call (212) 695-1809 for more information.

Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home