Vol. 76/No. 33      September 10, 2012

Below is an Aug. 17 statement in support of the Socialist Workers Party election campaign by Sydney Coe, a member of Teamsters Local 117 in Kent, Wash.

Coe has been a stalwart of the fight by members of Teamsters Local 117 in their three-month strike against Davis Wire in Kent. The workers walked out May 21 over health insurance costs, working conditions and concerns over job safety. On Aug. 16 they approved a contract that granted a small wage increase. Some workers began returning to work Aug. 21.

Workers at Davis Wire will now continue our fight inside the plant. We have decided to accept this poor contract and “live to fight another day” is how I see it. I want to thank the Socialist Workers Party candidates and the Militant newspaper for their support during our strike.

I didn’t expect presidential candidates to come to our picket lines. I wish Obama had come but he didn’t. For James Harris to come to our picket lines was a shock really. Maura DeLuca came next and listened to me and asked me to come to her campaign rally and be part of the panel and tell our story to the audience.

I’m planning to vote for these candidates because they are true to life. They have fought struggles like the one I am going through. They have worked all their lives. James told me that at an early age he too got tired of “taking it” and decided to fight.

We workers are given labels. They call us “terrorists” when we stand up like when we stand up to Davis Wire. That’s how they see us. They think we are dumb and will keep acting as martyrs for the millionaires. We keep making them billions and billions of dollars. But I see change coming.

The Socialist Workers campaign is great news for working people. Someone is listening to us and standing with us to protect our rights. We will continue to fight.
 
 
Related articles:
‘Socialist campaign starts with the world’
SWP vice pres. candidate tours in Montreal
SWP candidates confirmed on ballot in 7 states so far
Communist League candidate in Australia defends asylum-seekers
SWP candidates tour schedule
Socialist candidates turn over bosses’ ‘blood money’ bribes  
 
 
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