Goodwill chief executive officer Dennis Pastrana publicly acknowledged that Italie was fired because of his political statements. Pastrana told the Miami Herald, "We cannot have anyone [working here] who is attempting to subvert America."

Under the auspices of the Committee to Defend Freedom of Speech and the Bill of Rights, Italie for several months toured a number of cities across the United States and Canada, winning support for his fight to be reinstated to his job and joining with other working people standing up to firings, intimidation, and attacks on the job by the bosses and the U.S. government.

Prior to moving to Miami in 2000, Italie lived in Atlanta, carrying out socialist political work as a unionist at garment plants organized by the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees; a Hormel meatpacking plant organized by the United Food and Commercial Workers union, and at Northwest Airlines.

Italie joined the socialist movement in the late 1970s as a student at Oberlin College. From 1986 to 1990 he did a stint as a volunteer in Pathfinder’s printshop, where he operated one of the sheetfed presses.

In addition to welcoming Italie onto the staff, the Militant has named Paul Pederson business manager. Jack Willey, who has carried out this responsibility since February, remains on the staff and will take on expanded writing assignments to help strengthen the paper’s coverage.  
 
 
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