Thousands march for right to abortion in Ireland

Vol. 82/No. 40 - October 29, 2018

“We voted to repeal the 8th, now it‘s time to legislate!” chanted thousands of defenders of women’s right to choose abortion at a Sept. 29 march in Dublin, pointing to the victory for women and all working people scored in…


Thousands come to Erbil book fair in Kurdistan

Vol. 82/No. 40 - October 29, 2018

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region, Iraq — The 13th Erbil International Book Fair opened here Oct. 10, with exhibitors from some 35 countries. Titles in English are much sought after, as many young Kurds are learning the language. On display is a…


Striking Rhode Island bus drivers win union pension

Vol. 82/No. 40 - October 29, 2018

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — After 11 days on strike, members of Teamsters Local 251 voted Oct. 13 to ratify a new contract with First Student Inc., winning a union pension plan. This correspondent met several dozen of the striking school bus…


Hurricane Michael: Latest social catastrophe caused by capitalism

Vol. 82/No. 40 - October 29, 2018
Workers face total destruction in Mexico Beach, Florida, where pro-builder codes allowed use of inferior material to boost profits. As storm neared, gov’t told people “you’re on your own.”

Hurricane Michael is one of the strongest storms to hit the Florida Panhandle in decades. The sustained winds reached 155 mph and the storm surge in places was 10 feet. But that doesn’t explain the unfolding social catastrophe there. Capitalist…


Korea denuclearization talks in interests of working people

Vol. 82/No. 40 - October 29, 2018

President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced they are planning a second summit meeting soon, marking progress in reaching agreement on a formal end to decades of Washington’s hostility to the North and denuclearization of the…


Montreal march hits gov’t plan to ban religious symbols

Vol. 82/No. 40 - October 29, 2018

MONTREAL — Several thousand people marched through the downtown streets here Oct. 7 protesting plans announced by the newly elected Coalition for the Future of Quebec (CAQ) to follow through on a campaign promise to ban the wearing of religious…


UK Uber drivers strike 24 hours over pay, right to join union

Vol. 82/No. 40 - October 29, 2018
Uber workers in London march around company office Oct. 9 during 24-hour strike, demanding drivers be treated as workers, not contractors, with improved pay and right to join a union.

LONDON — Hundreds of angry drivers chanted “Shame on Uber” as they marched around the Aldgate office of Uber U.K. here Oct. 9. Noisy drumbeats accompanied the chanting. The action marked the beginning of a 24-hour strike by Uber drivers…


Ky concrete workers strike over health care, two-tier

Vol. 82/No. 40 - October 29, 2018

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — “This strike isn’t really about wages. It’s about health insurance and being able to take care of your family,” Ed Sadler, head mechanic with 21 years at Allied Ready Mix, told the Militant as he picketed outside…


Ingush protests demand, ‘End attack on national sovereignty’

Vol. 82/No. 40 - October 29, 2018
Thousands gather in daily protests in Magas, capital of Ingushetia, to oppose ceding of land to neighboring Chechnya by leader appointed by Vladimir Putin government in Moscow.

Thousands have taken to the streets daily since Oct. 4 in Magas, Ingushetia, to protest a “land swap” that turns 5 percent of the country over to the rulers in neighboring Chechnya. Protesters have set up an encampment there, with…


‘Working people need to organize, to build unions’

Vol. 82/No. 40 - October 29, 2018
Campaigning door to door in Woodhaven, Queens, in New York Oct. 14, Socialist Workers Party member Willie Cotton, right, speaks with an airport worker who had been involved in organizing a union at his workplace. He purchased The Clintons’ Anti-Working-Class Record, a Militant subscription, and said he wanted to talk more about unions and the party’s activities.

Supporters of the Socialist Workers Party and its candidates in the 2018 elections are campaigning on workers’ doorsteps all across the country, introducing them to the party, its program and perspectives, the Militant  and books by party leaders. They are…