Vol. 73/No. 2      January 19, 2009

Farley was among those addressing some 80 people at a victory celebration for workers from the Republic Windows and Doors factory. The celebration was held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.

Farley, a long time socialist and union activist, received a round of applause as she explained the importance of the six-day sit-in that led to the workers winning 60 days’ pay and medical coverage due them after the bosses closed the plant December 5. Farley visited the workers during their sit-in at the plant and built solidarity for their fight.

Farley launched her campaign after Democrat Rahm Emanuel announced he would vacate the 5th District congressional seat to become White House chief of staff for Barack Obama. Emanuel officially resigned January 2 and a couple days later Governor Rod Blagojevich set April 7 as the date for a special election.

Addressing a meeting of campaign supporters on December 20 Farley said, “I am launching this campaign because of the depth of the growing economic crisis, the beginnings of workers’ resistance, and the necessity for a workers’ voice to bring the only solution to the crisis that can work—strengthening the fight of the working class to take power.”

Farley said that since the beginning of 2008 over 2 million jobs in the Unites States have been cut. Unemployment in Illinois is 7.3 percent. In East St. Louis, which has an overwhelmingly Black working-class population, unemployment stands at 15.3 percent.

She said that Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley raised taxes and fines $330 million and laid off hundreds of workers during the last several months of 2008.

On January 2 she joined a demonstration of some 4,000 here protesting the Israeli invasion of Gaza. The youthful, majority Palestinian crowd rallied in front of the Chicago Tribune building and marched to the Israeli consulate.

A statement issued by Farley condemned the Israeli invasion and demanded an end to the bombing attacks on Gaza and a withdrawal of all troops.

“Washington’s support for Tel Aviv assault is completely bipartisan… . Under the banner of the ‘global war on terrorism’ the U.S rulers seek to defend their class interests in the Mideast and worldwide,” the statement said.  
 
 
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