At week five of the nine-week circulation campaign, the sub drive continues to outpace previous efforts, as workers show greater interest in the paper. Another 270 people subscribed last week, bringing the total sold to 1,671, on schedule to win 3,000 new readers by November 20.

A number of working people attracted to the Militant’s coverage of labor struggles and world politics are also taking steps to back SWP tickets in the November elections.

“Because your campaign supported us I am going to support you any way I can,” Ron, a cab driver in Broward County who recently was on strike, told SWP campaign supporters in Miami. On his own initiative, he made 300 copies of the campaign leaflet publicizing the Socialist Workers ticket of Omari Musa for mayor and Eric Simpson for city commissioner in Miami’s District 5, and distributed them in the city’s Little Haiti neighborhood. Ron said he looked forward to meeting with the candidates and discussing the campaign further.

In many cities, socialist campaigns are organizing special plant gate visits to introduce socialist candidates to workers who have been buying the Militant regularly. Such efforts can net new subscribers, not only in the United States but other countries too.

“Four subs have been sold to meat packers at Primo where we have been doing a regular plant gate sale, with increased interest in the paper as a result of a fight going on there against the company taking back a paid meal break on Saturdays,” wrote Linda Harris from Sydney, Australia, in an October 11 e-mail.

In a follow-up note two weeks later, Harris added, “We got a good response from miners at the Appin mine last week, also meat packers at Primo, selling 14 single copies and getting promises for subs.”

Six members of the United Auto Workers union at the Delphi auto parts plant in Fitzgerald, Georgia, subscribed during an October 22 visit there by Militant readers from Atlanta. The company had announced a week earlier it was entering bankruptcy proceedings and seeking to slash wages. Two of the new subscribers asked to get together with socialist workers in coming weeks to continue the discussion on how to resist the unrelenting attacks by the employers on the working class.

At the picket lines outside the giant Lakeside Packers plant in Brooks, Alberta, where a battle for union rights has been raging, 18 strikers have subscribed (see front-page article). Dozens more have purchased copies along with 11 books and pamphlets on revolutionary politics.

Three Militant supporters in the United Kingdom had good results in reaching out to workers October 21-22 at two meat plants in York and Haverhill, lorry (truck) drivers in the area, and students at Leeds University. They netted seven subscriptions and 23 copies, with most of the subs sold on campus.

Every reader can help. You can order a bundle at 70 cents per copy to sell subs to friends, relatives, co-workers, or fellow students. Or you can join others in subbing teams (see directory on page 8). Feel free to call the Militant any time with questions on what’s needed to make the sub drive a smashing success.

Click here to see the sub drive scoreboard. 
 
 
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