Sang was part of a crowd of 50 people who participated in a special Militant Labor Forum to defend free speech and freedom of the press on April 23 at the Friends Meeting House here. Speaking at the event was Paul Mailhot, the organizer of the Militant Fighting Fund in Salt Lake City.

Participants in the meeting came from Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and northeast Pennsylvania. Also present were socialist coal miners from around the country who are involved in many efforts to organize and strengthen the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). “What the bosses are trying to do is to hurt the Militant, the workers’ movement, people trying to organize unions, and coal miners. I think it is important that supporters of this struggle fight hard to build support,” Sang emphasized. “The issues here: solidarity with Co-Op miners, freedom of speech and freedom of the press, go to fundamental ideas. What affects one person, affects everybody. We need to win people’s support. Explain to them that unless we fight, the outcome of this court case could and will open doors for the bosses, for more oppression and further attacks on all social political struggles.” The Political Rights Defense Fund (PRDF) is backing the Militant Fighting Fund to raise tens of thousands of dollars necessary for the legal defense of the Militant and SWP in the lawsuit. Supporters of the Bill of Rights are campaigning to win endorsers for this fund, which will also pay for literature that explains the freedom of speech and freedom of the press issues involved in this case.

Mailhot explained in his talk that there are nearly 100 groups and individuals who have been sued by C.W. Mining, owners of the Co-Op mine in Huntington, Utah, for being involved in, writing about, or supporting the fight by miners there to win better pay, safe working conditions, dignity on the job, and union representation. The defendants include 17 of the Co-Op miners themselves, the UMWA, the Militant newspaper, the Socialist Workers Party, Utah AFL-CIO, the Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret Morning News. “The courts are not a good arena for workers or for newspapers dedicated to working-class struggles. This case is designed to divert attention from the real struggle, and that is why it is so important to vigorously fight this harassment lawsuit. That is why we are asking you to become supporters of the Militant Fighting Fund,” said Mailhot.

“At the same time, as long as the bosses have dragged us onto this terrain for a fight, we intend to put up a big one,” he added. “We will use it as an opportunity to explain the stakes in the Co-Op miners fight; the stakes in the battle for free speech and freedom of the press; and in the process we will win greater respect for the Militant and the Socialist Workers Party for refusing to back down in any way in the face of this company assault.

“Attorneys for the three newspapers involved in this suit have effectively answered the Co-Op mine owners’ contention that every statement in support of the miners, or the reprinting of every statement made by the miners, is defamation,” Mailhot continued. “C.W. Mining says workers are unreliable sources because of their association with a ‘rabid labor union.’

“We are asking that the judge assigned to this case throw it out of court quickly, before C.W. Mining accomplishes more in its effort to use the courts to trample on workers rights and the rights of newspapers to tell the miners’ side of the story,” he said.

“The Militant does not have an item in its budget for harassment lawsuits,” Mailhot explained. “We have to raise the money for this legal defense from workers, students, and many other defenders of the Bill of Rights.”

“I listened to exactly what the company said was defamation,” said Mike Slavik, 20, a supporter of the Militant Fighting Fund from Cleveland who works in a sandblasting shop. “I can’t see how anything they said is defamation. I’m taking this to work. Tradesmen come into the shop all day long, and we always talk about work and the unions. If I can get a guy a day to donate $5, that’s $35 a week for the fund. Most workers are sympathetic when they hear about the exploitation of other workers. For me, it’s not that the miners make $5.50 an hour, it’s what they do for that wage. My sister started at McDonald’s for $7.00 an hour.” Romina Green, a garment worker and member of UNITE-HERE Local 168-C, chaired the meeting. She brought with her a message from a co-worker, Franz Kopp, that said in part, “I support the miners at Co-Op and I am a worker myself. I’ve been a union member since 1956 and appreciate the benefits we had, but now we get less and less. I support the Militant and Socialist Workers Party because I believe we have the right to free speech. I am also making a financial pledge in support.” Following Mailhot’s presentation, Norton Sandler gave a brief fund appeal presentation. Sandler is the national organizer for the Militant Fighting Fund.

“The Militant has been telling the truth about the struggle of miners in this country for decades,” Sandler said. “Because of this, the paper has respect from coal miners from Appalachia to the western coal fields.”

The bosses at Co-Op want to silence the Militant and keep it from telling the truth, he said. They intend to drag the paper into time-consuming and intrusive discovery proceedings while draining the paper financially.

Sandler described the Militant’s unique contributions, noting the series the paper is currently running on the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II and the hidden lessons that working people need to know about the causes of the war, and the consequences for workers and farmers of U.S. imperialism’s “victory.” He pointed out that the paper in coming issues will tell the true story of the Vietnamese workers’ and farmers’ defeat of Washington that culminated 30 years ago.

More than $3,400 was contributed at the meeting. Sandler also asked for help and ideas to win donations from other individuals who believe it is important to fight for freedom of speech and freedom of the press. A literature table at the entryway to the meeting provided fact sheets, endorser cards, and other materials.

Contributions to the Militant Fighting Fund can be sent to the Political Rights Defense Fund, P.O. Box 761 Church Street Station, New York, NY 10007.
 
 
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Miners, unions respond to coal bosses  
 
 
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