The fund helps finance the work of the Socialist Workers Party.
Fund-raising meetings, especially those organized in the first half of the drive, have helped to reach out to workers, farmers, and youth for new pledges and contributions.
In Atlanta 32 people attended a program October 23 where Tom Leonard, a party veteran, spoke on “War and the Trade Unions in the Epoch of Imperialism: Some Experiences from World War II and the Korean War.” Bill Arth reported that $2,323 was collected—$905 of that in new pledges or contributions. “Pledges now total $6,480,” said Arth. “And since our quota is $5,500 we will be discussing in the next few days how much to raise it.”
Jacob Perasso, a leader of the Young Socialists, spoke October 21 in New York on “The Revolutionary Party and Working Class Resistance.” The program included Dan Fein, SWP candidate for New York City comptroller, who described the increased receptivity to the Militant among working people. Those present donated $2,200, including $400 in new contributions and pledges.
Michael Ellis, a Young Socialist from Chicago who recently returned from visits to the United Kingdom and Sweden, spoke October 22 at a similar forum in Des Moines, Iowa. Zakaria Ibrahim, a member of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 401 on strike against a Tyson-owned slaugtherhouse in Brooks, Alberta, addressed the meeting through a phone hookup. “We have the picket line up 24 hours a day,” he said. “There are 1,000 workers who participate. We are fighting for basic rights at Lakeside Packers.” (See front-page article.) Edwin Fruit, a member of UFCW Local 1149 at the Tyson plant in Perry, Iowa, had joined the strikers on the picket line at Brooks and spoke from there through the phone hook-up too. Joe Swanson said those present made new pledges amounting to $455 and contributed $360.
Please send payments on local quotas or individual donations to the SWP at 306 W. 37th St., 10th floor, New York, NY 10018. Make checks or money orders payable to SWP.
Click here to see the fund chart