The team’s efforts are part of the eight-week international drive to sell subscriptions to the Militant and Perspectiva Mundial, as well as copies of several issues of New International, a magazine of Marxist politics and theory, and the Pathfinder title, Capitalism’s World Disorder: Working-Class Politics at the Millennium by Jack Barnes.

This was day four of the Midwest trip, explained Ellis. "On day one we set up a literature table at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and enjoyed a busy hour talking to students and selling a bunch of Militants and a Pathfinder title," she said. "Later we set up for two hours at the front gate of the Oscar Meyer packing plant in the city. Workers bought 34 copies of the Militant."

Ellis reports that a number of students and other young people have been joining the UFCW Local 538 picket line. At the April 26 rally a student from the University of Wisconsin in Madison bought a subscription on behalf of his socialist group.

"Now we’re headed to Cherokee, Iowa, to sell the Militant to workers at a meatpacking plant there," Ellis said. "Tyson strikers, who have joined Truth Squads to build solidarity with their struggle, told us that workers at the plant had given $2,000 at a plant gate collection."  
 
Discussions on Iraq war
Ellis said that the Militant’s editorial stance in opposition to Washington and London’s assault on Iraq has sparked some civil disagreement. "Many of the young supporters of the strikers are against the war, but that’s not the majority view in Jefferson," she said. "The manager of one local bar has printed a T-shirt with two slogans: ‘Support Local 538’ on the back and ‘Support our Troops’ on the front."

From Utah, Alyson Kennedy reported "big progress" for socialists working in the coal-mining industry with a renewal sold to a miner in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, an introductory subscription in a Birmingham coal mine, and five PM subs sold to miners in Utah.

Supporters of the socialist press in Charlotte, North Carolina, "picked up three Militant subs and one Perspective Mundial subscription in door-to-door campaigning," wrote Willie Cotton.

At the moment, the overall international effort has fallen slightly behind the pace, in spite of the excellent results recorded by volunteers in Sydney, Australia; Vancouver, Canada; and a number of U.S. cities.

With more than 500 subscriptions or books sold to date, this column looks forward to receiving more stories of sales efforts and the discussions and experiences that are a part of them. Photographs of sales teams in action are also needed.

See chart for this week’s results  
 
 
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