U.S. Makes Grab For Angola

transcript

For the Milwaukee Area and WisconsinJanuary, 1976 Seccion en Espanol 251^.

FIGHT FOR EVERY JOB!'Built in December Marcher

WORKERS EROM SEVERAL INDUSTRIES JOINED FELLOW WORKERS IN 25 CITIES ACROJ^S

THE COUNTRY TO DEMAND JOBS OR INCOME

In a steady rain on December 13th80 workers marched down Mitchell St.,unemployed workers, steel workers, auto'workers, meatcutters, veterans, andyouth yelled out, "Jobs or Income,Right Now!" Across the country in 25cities, the Unemployed Workers Organizing Committee was leadingpicketlines,'car caravans, and other actions. Forthe first time in many years, workerswere acting nationwide against^nem-ployment. 'The marchers took their banners of

"Jobs.Now! "Extend Benefits—No

Cuts! ","No Cuts^n Food Stamps!", and"We won't scab, We Won't Starve —Victory to the Meatcutters Strike!" northdoWn 7th St. toward the indoor rally.The people along the way were behindthese demands. They came out on theirporches despite the raintowaveand raisefists of solidarity. Afterwards at the indoor rally aworkerwho had joined UWOCin fighting his firing spoke for many whenhe told the crowd,"l tried fighting themalone for years, it doesn't work." A highschool student spoke showing how thefight for jobs is growing as it affectsall ages,"When you're in highschoolyoulook for work. What do you find, McDonalds! Then after 12 years of school, whatdo you find? McDonalds again!"The Mitchell St.' march was the high-

point of-months of organizing for UWOC.The C;ommittee has been taking up thefights of the fired, the laid off, youth,those frozen out of jobs, and those

^ frozen out of benefits. By fighting for

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

U.S. Makes Grab For AngolaOnce again the U.S. government is up

to its waist in a war in someone else's

country^ Once again the newspapers arefull of talk about the "national interest#"

references to "aid and advisors* and

"official denials." Once again it hasbecome necessary for the American people to oppose the ruling class' milit

ary adventures.This time it is Angola, on the west'

.coast of southern Africa, that the American capitalists hope to. keep undertheir control. For years the U.S. govern

ment aided Portugal to maintain its colonial rule in Angola and U.S. businesses

profited. Now, they have helped stir upa civil war there between organizations

which all had fought to free Angolafrom Portuguese colonialism.

The U.S. government admits having

sent $25,000,000 in cash and arms in thelast three months alone to the groupsit backs, UNITA and the FNLA. Thereis another $25,000,000 on its way right

now, plus more "advisors." The U.S.also has a friend - the racist settler

regime in South Africa - which has in

vaded Angola and is taking part in thefighting there.

The U.S. capitalist class has a rivalin its attempts to deny the Angolanpeople independence and control thecountry. This rival is the Soviet Union,which because it is nowcapitalistandnot

socialist, has become the U.S.'s chief

competitor in international robbery. Onlyafter the Portuguese were beaten and hadmade arrangements to grant independence to a coalition government made upof all three groups, did the superpowersjump in with large-scale "aid" to playon differences between the groups.

The Soviets have been pouring "aid"to one organization, the MPLA. Theyhave been pouring guns, tanks, rockets,even MIG jets into the Angolan capital,Luanda, whi'^h is held by MPLA. Duringthe long war igainst Portugal, they hadnever provided the lillibe ration forces with

such weapons. They have also broughtin 5,000 troops from Cuba whose economy is permanently mortgaged to thecapitalists of the USSRand whose leader,Fidel Castro, has pledged "Cubans willnever be disloyal or ungrateful" toBresh-nev and company.

The U.S. and USSR each point to theinvolvement of the other side and itssidekicks in the fighting to justify theirown role. What both are after, however,is control over the tremendous wealth

of Angola and its strategic location.Angola has oil, gold, diamonds, iron andother minerals in abundance and soiland climate, so favorable for agricultureit is already the world's third biggestcoffee producer. Its location is importantboth for naval ports in the south Atlantic and for influencing all of southernAfrica.

As the' war in "Angola continues, sodoes the extent of U.S. involvement.^There i^ a lot of debate within theAmerican ruling class over how bestto proceed, but one thing is clear. Theyare ready to sacrifice the - lives oftens of thousands of Angolans toadvance.their interests, and depending on developments, may even send in Americanfnrops trrstrengthen their bid.

The only solution to the current conflict in Angola is for both of the superpowers^ and the other countries they areworking through, to get the hell outand let the Angolan people settle theirdifferences. More and more the feelingof the American people is to keep ourgovernment from carving up anothercountry. ■

U.S. BACKED SOUTH AFRICAN TROOPS INVADE ANGOLA

Hein Werner StrikersWon't Give In

Some Inland workers honored one oftheir foreman with a "Detective of theyear" award last month. He recieved thishonor by tracking down a fork lift thatturned up missing one morning.When he discovered the problem, he

searched the whole department. Theworkers tried to help. "Why don't youlook in the ca:n. That's where you alwaysgo to look when you can't find us.*

Production ground to a halt while thisSherlock Holmes sniffed out every clue,"

After only three and a half hours,he solved the mystery. He found the5>ton mule just off the main aisle behind some boxes. Everyone was impressed. A few people even said heshould apply for work at Scotland Yard."Scotland Yard's good,"said the map whogot blamed for losing the mule. "Butthen, I can think of other places I'dlike to see him go." S

Workers at AOSmith feel strongly a-

bout the meatcutters strike. "We can'tallow the meat packing companies tocut their wages and bust their union.If they lose we all lose.*Many of the Smith workers, like all

workers around the city, are touched bythe strike with a friend or relative or

neighbor out on strike. And many hadquestions - why hadn't the union officials done anything for 10 months tosupport them, why was the strike goingso long , what can I do?At a membership meetingheldinearly.

November, Local 19806, Smith ^teelWorkers passed a motion to donate$200 to the Wives Committee of the

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"Meatcutters Local 248. The CommunityServices Committee sent out collectionsheets to the 150 stewards. The unionleaders had finally gotten somethingimportant beyond a union meeting intothe shop. Stewards and other activeworkers took up this opportunity tobuild more support for the meatcuttersin the shop. They actively carried onthe collection which spurred more discussion about the strike. The responsewas great with $523.75 donated plus the$200'from the union meeting.Many had already donated through the

buck-a-month club, a gate collectiontaken up by the meatcutters, -or bycontributing to a striking friend orrelative. The money collected for theWives Committee at Smith and othershops, helped buy Christmas toys andfood for the meatcutters families, andgave an extra holiday bonus to the

strikers. ■

The personal touch of the year awardgoes to G.T. Matthews, manager ofCon-trols Co. of America. He sent around

Christmas greetings to all the workersreading, "Dear Fellow Employees, Ifind that Christmas cards have taken

on a rather impersonal meaning, so Ihope you won't mind if I wish you andyour loved ones a very Merry Christmas in this way. May the magic andblessings of the season fill your lifeand home. G.T. Matthews."The workers were really touched.

"Wow, that's really personal, a Xeroxcopy of a typewritten letter stuck inwith iny paycheck.* ■

The Hein Werner strike in Waukeshais now in its fourth month and thestrikers remain as determined as ever.The two hundred lAM members arefull of holiday cheer, manning the picketlines day and night. They put up a Christmas tree on the line with a sign, "TheGrinch didn't steal Christinas, HeinWerner did*.

The workers went out demanding anend to the piecework system. Tiredof -years of rate cutting, they wanted adecent day rate. They also want anincrease in the present $7.50 pensionrate.

The company's response has been tocome back wi^h outrageous proposalsas mandatory overtime and completefreedom to schedule shifts as they please.One striker said, "They want mandatory overtime to layoff some workersand work the rest to death, before theyeven collect the measly pension.* Another worker recalled that in the last3 years, 6 older workers died beforethey- retired, some during periods oflong overtime.

The last few years Hein Werner hasbeen hit hard by competition. Justbeforethe strike, they appointed a new personnel manager, hoping to find a way outof their profit crisis. Their solutionis to try to work the guys harder for

less money. But they are finding thegoing rough for their schemes.

The workers are taking every obstacle in stride. In December, the leadership of the International Associationof Machinists, lAM, cut off strike fundbenefits as of January 1st. They saidwhen United Airlines went out, therewere too many strikes and they wererunning low on funds. Apparently, thelabor traitors sitting in the Internationaloffices got upset when they had to startpaying money out instead of collectingdues every month. Strikers have starteda petition demanding full payment ofstrike benefits.The ten other shops in the local

Lodge have voted $20,000 into a strikefund. Strikers are now receiving $25a week, a cut of $l5.At \yaukesha Motorsthe union is sending letters to the members, asking for monthly pledges. Andmost important, the strikers at HeinWerner are continuing their fight.

After four months, the picket linesare strong, a warning to the companyif they have any thoughts about bringingin scabs. The workers are building theirfight, standinguptothecompany'sattack.

The firewood is piled high on thepicket lin^ The strikers aren't aboutto give in. ■

9KTRIKE

DISTRICT N- !0

ONSTRIKE

SUPPORT THE WORKERThis paper exists to build the struggle

of the working class against the capitalist system of exploitation and op^pression. It puts forward the politicalline of the Revolutionary CommunistParty, USA on the major questionsand struggles facing the workers.The Worker for the Milwaukee Area

and Wisconsin is one of many such

RCP, USABox 3486

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papers across the country. The staffs

of these papers are made upofniembersand supporters of the RCP,USA.We want to be in touch with all the

struggles of our class. We need a'ncwelcome your letters, articles, and anjkind of contribution or criticism.

To contact us orformoreipformation,write:

The Worker for the Milwaukee

Areh and WisconsinBox 08305i

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The Worker is a paper that buildsour fight. It gets- read on the picketline, on the job and in the break rooms.It speaks for the thousands of us whoget up every morning and makethis country run, the thousands of uswho have nothing to show for it but apile of bills. It speaks.against the waythe rich capitalists deny our kids agood education, wear us out with harassment and speedup, try to turn white'against Black, and take our sons andmoney for a war of foreign aggression.The Worker is trying to build the fights

against aH these things, to. link thesefights together and build a mighty workers movement that can sweep away thecapitalist system, the source of ouroppression.To pay the printingbills,for equipment:

and supplies and for the rent on a newworkers center, we need money. Themoney from sales alone won't carry usthrough. People who can give a certainamount of moneyeach month should writeThe Worker or call 445-5816, We are

also planning abenefitpartyfor late February. Watch for the announcement.

Workers Strain Against the UAW's Chains

GEAR UP FOR '76 AUTO CONTRACTAmerican Motors- brought in the new

year with increased attacks at boththeir Kenosha and Milwaukee plants.

The Friday before Christmas a thousand workers on the Kenosha Pacer line

recieved indefinite lay-offs. In Milwaukee, the company announced the shutdown of an entire department and 60

jobs. They reported that they would besaving $500,000 a year by sub-contracting to a non-union shop. The layoffs alon^ with tightening standards andharassment are what's happening at"the motors."

But every time American Motorsmakes an attack, they're messing withthousands of workers-- and these are

the people that make the lines move

and the money roll in. IrT the middle ̂of December, AMC-Kenosha announced

a one week layoff for most of firstshift, and that 2nd ^ift would have togo on days. The workers were angry

at the company's blatant disregard oftheir schedules. "What about baby-sitting arrangements, parttime jobs, schooland rides?"Petitions went from hand tohand. They made plans to fight the shiftchange.

Thirty second shift workers came inearly one day to meet the Union Executive Board. "You better fight this outwith the company, or we'll put out a

leaflet with each one of your nameson it, showing what yon did". That,afternoon, AMC backed off, announcing that second shift would work theirregular hours.A few weeks later, the company was

planning to hold back on holiday pay forthe thousand they laid off. But fearing

more action on the shop floor, AMC all■ of a sadden got 'the holiday spirit'and agreed to hand out the checks.

The Kenosha workers won back the'Shift change by building the fight them-selves. They didn't go by the same oldprogram, vraiting for the next union orgrievance meeting. Their unity was builtthrou^ the petitions and angry talk thatwent up and down the assembly lines.The union leaders were forced to goalong because rank and file anger wasat the boiling point and the workers were

organizing themselves.

The importance of rank and file organization and unity is becoming evenclearer as the UAW leaders let griev-anc~e pile up on grievnace and hold handswith the company, more concerned withauto profits than auto workers problems.Especially since the national auto contract will expire this fall.

Right away some people at the bodyplant said, "If you want to know whatto fight for, ask us, we're the workerscatching hell every day. Send some ofus, not some executive board memberswho haven't been on the line in years."The stewards' body voted unanimously

to send a letter of protest tothelnterna-

showdown. The auto bosses have alreadyannounced they're going after everythingthey can. Autoworkers know that we willhave to fight every inch of the way tobeat back the attacks and to keep everygain we have won--steward ratio, voluntary overtime, personal relief time,right to strike and sub-pay.

► ; T

WHILE THE RULING CLASS HAS BEEN QUICK TO PUBLICIZE THE FACT THAT 80,000AUTO WORKERS REMAIN ON LAY OFF AS A SIGN OF THEIR RECOVERY, THEY FAILTO POINT OUT THAT THERE ARE 178,000 FEWER JOBS IN AUTO THAN IN THE FALLOF '73. ALL THE TALK OF RECOVERY MEANS ONLY RECOVERY OP CORPORATE PROFITS!

The contract is a chance to strike backat attacks like speedup and harassment.But to make any gains, the r^k and filehas got to break the chains the UAW putson them. And fight to the^llest to makethe contract a weapon in their hands and"not a noose around their necks.

Workers at the Milwaukee body planthave already begun to fight the UAWmachine about how to prepare for theupcoming contract battle. Recently,-theInternational called oaall locals tb sendexecutive board members to a Production Workers Council meeting in Detroit.This conference is supposed to discussthe problems of production workers andhelp plan strategy for the national contract in auto this fail.

tional demanding that two production-workers-be elected to replace the exec

utive board members or go with them.When they got no response from the International the same letter was sent, this

- time by. registered mail.

The demand also went out on a leaflet,"Fight for a Good Contract! PRODUCTION Workers to the Council Meeting!"It read, "Wedon'twantthis council meeting to be a time for the Internationalto throw a big party, but a time for autoworkers to plan a strategy to beat backthe bosses' attacks". Workers ontheas-sembly line posted the leaflet on theirwork benches and sent them on cars downthe line.

The upcoming contract will be a big

^1 over the country, auto workersare gearing up to fight back. At Ford'sMichigan Truck Plant, 50 workers picketed the International Union headquar^

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

Recently the bulletin boards in theMilwau'C! • 3ody Plant had a men sagemo.>t everyone liked reading. Two years,nine months ag.j, AMC, with the aid oftop union officials, had tired two workersactive in fighting speedup on the assembly line. Since then, the two, along withsome of their fellow workers, have gonethr<^gh all kinds of changes fightingfor their jobs. Finally AMC was forcedto rehire them with full seniority andback pay at 6% interest.

VETNAM VETS FIGHT BENEFIT CASEPaul Allen is another vet that the

Veterans Administration is robbing likemillions of other fellow workers. Paulspent time in the Army, an eight yearhitch. He was hoodwinked into fightingin a war for the rich in Vietnam. Paulreceived shrapnel w-^unds to his rightarm and was one of the many working class brothers who paid in bloodfor the rich to profit.

After Paul was discharged in May of'69 he received a 50% disability ratingfrom extensive damage to his rightarm,wrist and fingers.

Not until March of '75 did he know thathe was eligible to file for a "StatutoryAward" for loss ofuse of limb. He immediately filed, but the VA denied him th"?award. What the VA is saying to Paulor any other vet is that he should beable to live on $208 per montlL-anddoesn't ne^ :he added $52 for the award.Even with the added $52 per month, $260per month still leaves him below thepoverty level.

On December 1, thirty vets and workers picketed the VA Regional Office. Thedemands were that Paul receive his"Statiitory Award", and that it be retroactive to May of '69; end all disabilitycutbacks; and an end to VA red tapethat serves to deny vets their benefits.Inside the hearing, with standing roomonly, the VA asked that all witnessesstep forwa rd to be sworn in. At this point

30 VETS AND WORKERS PACKED PAUL ALLEN'S HEARING TO DEMANDFULL BENEFITS, NO CUTBACKS, AND NO MORE VA RED TAPE

half the room stood upandapproached theboard in a show of strength and solidarity. With this, the tone of the hearing was set.

■ The VA Review Board then tried to usePaul's medical record as infallible truththat Paul could use his right arm.They read his medical records, whichstated that Paul can pick up a dime or

a business card with his thumb and index finger, and that ho :ould write withhis thumb and middle finger. After hearing this line of bull one vet called out,"You can be rated 50% disabled by theVA and yet be rated 100% disabled onthe job market by the bosses." To provethat what the vet had said was not justidle talk, Paul gave testimony that he

had lost jobs at the Post Office, Good-year, and General Motors because of hismedical disability. The Board was rakedover the coals with facts and questionsthat backed Paul's case and attackedthe VA's disability cuts campaign. Thiswas done by vets and workers who participated in. the open hearing.

At one point Paul noticed thattheassis-tent VA director had a brace on his leg,and asked him to wager a bet that henot only received disability but also the"Statutory Award" that Paul is applying for. The director didn't bet, he admitted that yes, he was getting both.A good example of the VA's "moneyfor the fe)v and a shafting for the rest"policy.

In the case of Paul Allen, the VA contacted him trying to smooth things oversaying that they had made a mistake.On January 6, Paul has to hav-i anothermedical exam. Vietnam Veterans Againstthe War will be there with a picket lineto continue the fight.

It's clear that across the board disability cutbacks are no mistake. Withthis rich man's system in an economic crisis the VA is forced to cutbackanyway it can. They say "If there'sno profit in it, it's expendable." VVAWalong with thousands of vets across thecountry, say "No way! We've been usedand abused too long! We're fightingback!" Join us to help build the fightagainst all disability cutbacks.■

AFTER ONE YEAR ON STRIKE

ATTACKS MOUNT AGAINSTHIATCOTTIRS

As the strite of 700 meatcutters rolls

towards its one year anniversary, theMeatpackers' Association, the NationalLabor Relations Board, and the .local

press have mounted an all out effortto smash the struggle.

In mid December, the NLRB dismissed all of the union's unfair labor

practice charges against the association. This opened the door for theAssociation to push for new union representation elections, in an attempt tode-certify local 248, An NLRB hearinghas been scheduled for January 12 todetermine if and when such an elec

tion will be held and who will be eli

gible to vote.The recent actions of the NLRB were

in keeping with their consistent effortsto break the strike. And by these actions more and more meatcuttersr-^ndother workers are seeing the "LaborBoard" as the ruling class tool thatit is. Few strikers will be countingon the board for any favorable decisions on January 12. ^e Editorialon NLR3 on this page.)

Following the NLRB's decision to denythe union's charges, the union officialsreduced the wage demands substantially.They are now asking for a dime, whenbefore the demand was thirty cents ayear. The response of the Associationwas predictable; an arrogant and ruthless effort to crush the union, cut wagesand jack up their profits, in the firstnegotiating meeting held since August,they offered only to have the de-certification election before January 25th,so that some strikers could vote as

well as the scabs.

Of course the 130 men and women,who lost their jobs when Northern andUnited Packing shut down last May,would be ineligible. And so would the45 active strikers who have been fired

during the strike. So even if the voteis held before January 25 and the rest

of the strikers are allowed to vote

(which is highly unlikely) more scabswill be eligible to vote than strikers.This type of election is like askinga man if he wants to die by hanging orpoison. •'

The workers, who man the burningbarrels in front of the packing plants,turned this sham proposal down. Theattitude of the strikers remains determined. As one striker said, " We wantour jobs back, and that includes allof us. There's too much at stake here."The Association and the press have

put on a huge publicity campaign aimedat convincing the people of Milwaukeethat the entire battle 4$ lost. Day after day, the Sentinel and Journal, aftermonths of silence run articles aboutthe strike's "certain defeat". They wantworkers to think that if some companywants to cut wages, we should just takeit or we'll be out of a job.

All this is coming right after thehighly publicized move by Mayor Ma-ier. County Executive Doyne, and Governor Lucey. These politicians who haddone nothing for the first ten monthsof the strike, called on both sides tobe reasonable and negotiate in earlyDecember. This move got these politicians some good, cheap, election yearpublicity. But it did nothing to force

S1rtk<>rs arc

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the Association to change its union busting ways. In fact, it further confusedthings by implying that the strikers werebeing just as unreasonable as the companies—when they are out there fightingto defend their union, their wa^s and thefuture for all workers.The Milwaukee Labor Council gave

the Maier, Doyne, Lucey move frontpage' headlines in their labor press.These labor big shots dragged theirfeet all through the strike, calling onlytwo support actions. But jumping tocongratulate the three top public officials showed that they are more interested in winning political favors than inwinning.the strike.

The Amalgamated Meatcutters international was of little help. Several Amalgamated locals inMilwaukeeandChicagoare working on scab meat produced inthe struck Milwaukee packing houses.The Amalgamated has made no effortto mobilize meatcutters throughout thecountry in this fight. The potential powerof our class and unions has been chained

rather than unleashed by these so-calledlabor leadeivi.

As the strike approaches the one yearmark, the meatcuttersareclosingranks.Negotiations are set for early Januarybut the workers are planning other waysto continue the fight. Meatcutters, alongwith Hein Werner'^strikers, unemployedworkers and others will picket a speechby scab attorney, Patrick Brigden onJanuary 7th. He will be speaking on"strike breaking" to executives of thetop Wisconsin corporations.

The meatcutters strike is the sharpestlocal struggle against this capitalistattempt to place their profits crisison the workers' backs. The Milwaukee

area hasn't seen many strikes thatlasted this long or were as violent asthis one. And the meatcutters strikeis an indication of what is ahead forall workers.

In these battles, big or small, ouronly choice is to pit our strength againsttheirs. To mobilize^he power of themillions of people who produce the wealth.of this country against the corporationsand their courts', politicians and police.;

In the meatcutters strike, the workingclass has made some important gains.For the first time in over 30 yearsthousands of workers have rallied in

solidarity. Workers at Lindsay meatswildcatted rather than work on scab

moat. Special contributions, collections,and "buck-a-month" clubs were startedin shops around the city. The UnemployedWorkers Organizing Committee has builtstrong unity through several joint actions between the unemployed and thestrikers. Twelve months on the picketline, injunctions and still fighting, themeatcutters are an inspiration, an ex

ample.

\tv 'baXXle and In tulure ones, wemual use ttvese gains and consolidatett\em Into an orgaiuzed fighting workers' movement. That's how we can de

fend our unions and wage levels and goon to take the offensive. ■

MEATCUTTERS, WHO HAVE BEEN MANNING PICKET LINES FOR A YEAR, ARE AN INSPIRATION TO ALL WORKERS.

EDITORIAL NLRB: TOOL FOR THE BOSSESThe National Labor Relations Board

(NLRB) is doing everything it can toundermine the strike by meatcutters'

local 248. It recently dismissed unioncharges that the Meatpackers Assn.has refused to bargain in good faith.By doing this it has cleared the wayfor an election to see if ̂ the majority of packing house workers want local 248 to represent them. This meansthat they want to give scabs the rightto vote local 248 out.

What's going on here? Wasn'ttheNLRBdesigned to protect labor's right tobargaih? Isn't it one of the few placeswhere workers can get a "fair shake"?

In fact, every action taken by theNLRB since the beginning of the strikehas been against the meatcutters andfor the companies. On February 3rd,

the Meatpackers' Assn. and the NLRBsought out an injunction against thestrikers to stop the "catcalls" and"abuse" of autos crossing the picketlilies. It was granted by Federal,JudgeRobert Warren.

On May 9th, the NLRB initiated itssecond legal action against the meatcutters. On that date, George Sq.uilla-cote of the NLRB announced he would

ask Warren to cite local 248 for con

tempt of court for recent firebombings.On June 6th, 'Judge Reynolds ordereda stop to local 248*s boycott of McDonalds, Red Owl, Elements, Sentryand other firms' buying scab meat. Heused an- NLRB ruling that secondaryboycotts are an unfair labor practice.

And now, after the Board's injunctions have helped scabs freely cross

the picket lines, they tell us the scabshave the right to vote in electionssupervised by the NLRB!

Are these the actions of a " fairand Impartial" labor board? This boardasked for injunctions on behalf of thecompanies, speedily dismissed unioncharges against the companies, and didnbthing to protect 750 union members'jobs. Ail these actions expose the NLRBfor what it really is--another weaponin the ruling class attack on all working people, taking its place along sidethe police and the courts.

The NLRB was , first brought intoexistence in 1935. Its avowed purposewas:"safeguard the right of employeesto self-organization and to select representatives of their own choosing forcollective bargaining (or other mutual

protection) \^thout restraint or coercion by their employer". This soundsgood...but what good is it if "the rightto select representatives of their ownchoosing" applies only to the scabs?

The ruling cla^s did not^pass thislaw out of .the goodness of their hearts,or because they wanted togiveworkersa"square deal." It was a concession wrungfrom the bosses by the growing struggle of the working class in the 1930's.

In the two years before the NLRB wascreated a mass movement of the working class for industrial unions sweptthe country. From coast to coast, workers struck in a struggle for unionization that challenged both the giant companies and the reactionary leaders of

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

MEATCUTTERS HISTORY PART TWO

RANK S FlU BOILD FIGHTING UNIGNSl!i the first installment of this three

part series on the history of the packinghouse workers, we saw how thousandsof working men and women streamedout of Chicago's "packlngtown* in 1886to join in the historic nationwide strikefor the 8 hour day.We also saw how meatcutt2rs stood

•up against US troops in 1894 to walk outin solidarity with nationwide railroadstrike.

We saw how packing house workers putup a hell (rf a fight in strikes againstthe meat bosses in 1904and 1921. Workers

in the tens of thousands closed down allthe majorpackingcenters.But both times-the companies used every possible tacticto divide the workers—unemployedagainst strikers, skilled against unskilled, and white, Black and foreign bornagainst each other, in both strikes,the union, with the help of the police,was brok-jn. The workers' gains were inthe unity and r^Mperience they learnedfrom standing up and fighting as oneclass of people.

These bitter lessons stayed with themen and women of {^e packing industrythroughout the 1920's. They worked longback breaking hours on the kill floors.In the freezers, on the boning lines, andin the packing rooms. The pay was about400 an hour. Speediip and harassmentwere a way of life. Job security wasnon-existent.

The bosses were locked into the all-out competition of capitalism. Armour,Swift, Cudahy and Wilson had gobbledup the two other large packers. The"Big Six " was now the "Big Four*.The scramble of competition was for-cii^ the meat bosses to squeeze theworkers for every last nickel of profit.

When the capitalist economy collapsedin 1929, the bosses cut wages and increased harassment. But a determinationto organize and fight had been smoldering since the defeated strike in 1921.Workers started talking union again.Rank and file workers who could see thepotential strength of the working classbegan to step forward.At first, the workers took small

actions. To come to a secret union meet

ing was an act of courage. One day in1933, forty union members were outrightfired from the George Hammond plant.But the workers had no choice but to

keep fighting. Union buttons started appearing—not just on one cap or apron,but all across a department.

Then came slowdowns and strikes.At the Hormel plant in Austin, Minnesota, workers, angered at new payrolldeductions, cleared out the foremen andexecutives and took complete possessionof the plant, forcing arbitration. Inthe year of 1933, over 50,000 signedunion cards. Fear thatthe workers wouldfight for union recognition forced themeat packers to give out 8% and 10%wage increases in 1933 and 1934.The workers' struggle had many ob

stacles. One was the leadership of theAmalgamated Meatcutters Which was

claiming the right to organize all meatworkers. Like the rest of the American

Federation of Labor, AFL, they had a"live and let live" partnership withthe companies. The Amalgamated's goalwas to build up a stable dues payingmembership based among retail butchers. But they did not place much importance on organizing the thousands ofunorganized workers in the packinghouses. They had poured millions ofdollars into losing strikes in 1904 and1921 and were not eager to risk fightingArmour, Swift, Wilson and Cudahy. Alsothe big packing plants were potentialbases of rank and file power—somethingthat woul^ threaten their control of theunion.

The workers also had to deal withcompany unions. These were "associations" run from the packing housefront office. They were designed togive out privileges to a few snitchesand hold down the majority of the workers. The rank and file had its ownway of^icing out snitches. They oftenshowed their disgust with the jrfioneyunions by boycotting the rigged elections.

Sick of the AFL and its policies ofnarrow craft unionism, relying on thegovernment, and not fighting for therights of Blacks and the foreign born,packing house workers began to buildfighting unions of their own. These newunions included all the workers ina plant,not just butchers in one local and sausagemakers in another. These new unions

began toiake up the fight of every worker-Black and white, native and foreign born,me n and women, skilled and unskilled.

All across the country, the workingclass was fighting back against the hardtimes of the depression. When the dockworkers strike in San Francisco and thetrolley car strike in Milwaukee turnedinto city wide general strikes—the work-

ould feel their nower as a class.

gHSuHSuHSR iS^

WHinumn

A NOON RALLY AT "CIO CORNER" IN CHICAGO'S PACKINGHOUSE DISTRICT.

The ruling class began shaking inits boots. As the struggle grew, unorganized workers began to hit backin a massive upsurge for unions, industry wide. In the auto towns of -Ohioand Michigan, in the steel mills ofPennsylvania and South Chicago, in thecoal fields of West Virginia and Kentucky, wherever there were industrialworkers, they were organizing branches of the CIO, Committee for Industrial Organization. A mass movementof the working -class for unionizationsweptjhe nation.The spectacular gains of the CIO"

unions inspired packing house workers

who began signing cards for the Packing house Workers Organizing r-om-mittee ( PWOC-CIO ). Many PWOCorganizers were union men who hadexperience in the bitter battles in thecoal' Fields and steel mills. Many ofthe organizers were communists--workers who saw that the fight betweei.-laboring people and the rich capitalistscould only be resolved once and for allthrough revolution.

The first CIO union in the packinghouses was built in the pork departmentof the sprawling Armour works, whereseven thousand worked under one roof.

About the same time in Milwaukee, theworkers at Plankinton Packing threwout the old AFL chartered union and

brought in the PWOC. With the AFL, anytime Plankinton workers had a grievance,they had to call in a representative of the

.Amalgamated Meatcutters outofChicago,Wim the new CIO, the workers strengthwas in.their willingness to settle grievances right on the shop floor.A striking meatcutter with 44 years of

experience in the packing industry recalled the strike that brought in the firstunion at Plankinton, a division of Swift,"All we won was a piece of-^aper, but itmeant a lot. I remember when we went

back in there and one-guy refused to jointhe union. One union mangrabbed his toolbox. And two other workers grabbed him.And we dragged him out of the plant andthrew him in the street. And when hecame back in, .he joined the union. The-Strike for union recognition in 1937 wasone where the workers didn't give aninch and anyone who dared cross theline, paid in blood.By 1943, 90,000 workers had joined

the CIO union which was called theUnited Packinghouse Workers. Only25,000 signed up with the AFL's Amalgamated Meatcutters. And only 10,000remained. in the company unions. In

Milwaukee, locals 30,40,and 50 were

strong fighting rank and file organizations in the Armour, Cudahy, andPlankinton plants.

MILITANT STRIKES OF THE *30sIN THE PACKINGHOUSES.

WON FIGHTING UNIONS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

the AFL skilled unions.

Thirty thousand miners, from previously unorganized mines, struck andwon. The strike of 60,000 garment workers, the majority as yet unorganized,resulted in victory. Nationwide, strikeswere threatened in all the major indus

tries—auto, textiles, steel.

In one year the total of workers involved in strikes jumped from 342,210to 1,168,272. Altogether, during thesetwo years, 2,583,908 workers, participated in strikes.

While the creation of the NLRB was

a concession to the working class, it wasalso an attempt by the ruling class tohold back and control the struggle of theworkers. This is part of the rulingclassstrategy to turn the workers' gainsagainst them; to try and take back whatever we win.

What the NLRB is saying is, "^Don'torganize yourself for your struggles,leave it to us." This is designed to takethe struggle, out of the hands of the workers themselves. Then the months, andeven years, they take to come to a,decision is an added guarantee that the

struggle .will "cool off."

When a number of ^vorkers from

Thurner Heat Treating Plant were firedlast year for trying to organize a union,they took their case to the NLRB. Therehas still been no decision, but even if

they do win their jobs back, they willhave lost their union drive. The NLRB,

by dragging its feet, lets the companyget away with separating the most active workers from the rest. At the same

time, the company can harass and inti

midate the workers on the job and effectively take away their right to organize. TheverythingtheNLRBwassuppos-edly set up to protect.r-

The NLRB has shown its hand. Under the velvet glove of impartiality isthe iron fist of the capitalist class, boundand determined to crush the meatcutters

and all workers' stru^les.

We don't want to reform the NLRB.

That would 6e like trying to "reform"the union busting attacks of the Meat-packers Assn., like trying to "reform"the layoffs and speed-up that are hitting workers everywhere, like tryingto -"reform" the police to act in ourinterest.

The only way to deal with them Is tosweep them away< along with the restof the capitalist class,in a^ workingclass^revolution. ■

Workers March in25 Cities for Jobs

With millions on layoff since Christmas '74 who are now spending this on^with even un«^mployment insurance running out aid iobs unavailable, the world

-is far from merry and brighi. Thenewspapers carry stories about the increase of business in oawn shops--40% at the Detroit Federal Colateral-Society, Inc., —the ms.njiger of theshop reports. Forty per cent in twoyears—art"! at an interest rate of threeper cent per month or 36% a year:

In major cities during this holidaythe Unemployed Workers OrganizingCo*^mmittee (UWCX"^) took to thi^ streetsio broadcas; the demands of the un

employed for "Jobs Now!" "Extendthe Extensions!" "Food Stamps, NotCutbacks!" Marches through downtownstreets, through shopping centers—caravans of cars stretching down the streetsand freeways decorated with signs and

Uwoe insignias - -confrontations at m-iy-or's affices—picketing inside and outside of unemployment centers—all ofthis anii more showed the stand of theunemployed.As one womd.n who look the bull

horn at the Germantown, Pa., unem

ployment center said: "We're sick andtired of the way things are going here--were going {.o deal with it, and we aregoing to win."

Onlookers listened at rallies and picket lines. TV and radio picked up andcovered che news. They had to, it wasright out there and couldn't be ignored.

Raised fists and horns greeted us.People at umcmployment offices and onthe s-treet joined .n the lines and rallies. In Philadelphia one unsmploysdsteelworker came to tho UWOC tableand told us:- "I was in linn thinkihg--you were there organizing and we're

in here doing nothing --we got to gettogether and build a movement."

BIRMINGHAM .AND HOUSTON

' In Birmingnam, Alabama, some plamclothesmen tried to stop the de.mon-sfrators. One threw somf hot coffee,but this didn't stop 'hem. The pickets

went on to confront the mayor at hisoffice and \he TV news went on io

pick up tho confrontation. In the pasthe was always claiming how sorry he

was ahout unemploymen;. UWOC asked:

then how come he sent his cops.against,the pickets.

In Houston, Texas, this was the first

UWOC action. Employed anduiemployeddid it together, marched inside the

office. The hundred or so people insidethe office waiting for their checks gavethem a warm reception, even thoughofficials threatened them with arrest.

of all nationalities showed solidaritywith the marchers. Banners proclaimedthe demands. At Chase Manhattan Bank

the picket line chanted:"Working People Say No Way—Make the Banks and

che Bosses Pay,". And the bannerthey stood next to read: "City Crisis—To Hell With the Banks and the Profits —

Make 4be Bank.s and the CapitalistsPay."

cvT&ms

MARCHES LIKE THIS ONE .'5H0WED THE STAND OF THE UNEMPLOYED

UWOC spoke about the struggle forjobs in New York City and the layoffof city workers. "The banks have mademillions and now they are trying to getout of their crisis by takiJig the moneyto invest elsewhere^ Jobs! No layoffs!"Then they marched to Union Square

'and spoke briefly at the spot wherethe first hunger' march assembled inthe thirties.

DETROIT

Detroit had a terrific response. People throughout the downtown shoppingdistrict were conscious of the marchfor jobs or income. The need for jobsis felt very strongly.

The march stopped at a small plantto support the fight of a worker whohad been fired and to confront the

boss, demanding that he pay the unemployment insurance. The boss yelledto his thugs to "get the gun." ButUW(X! pinned .nim down, made him listenand told him we'd fight. The 13 weekpenalty period'for thosa who were firedhad just been sta.r4ed in Detroit. UWOCsays, "That's three months without income to live on."

Cleveland had its first UWOC ac

tion. Many leaflets were passed out and

the response was excellent. People show

ed support and wrote letters. Workersin steel, construction, trucking and others planned and helped. The weather wassnowy and rainy but many joined cheline. Angry security guards were forcedback. One worker on the line told them,

"If you put anyone out you'll have to getme first." When the manager came people yelled at him, "Where's my check?!"He claimed he couldn't do anything.Many newspapers covered this demo.

CONTINUEDJDN PAGE 13

The feeling for them w.as so strongthat they were able to speak and singdespite the officials harassment

NEW YORK CITY

In New York City the march wentthrough the 14th street shopping area toUnion Square. Thousands of workers

Fight For Every JobCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

On December 29th, 25 UWOC membersand suHwrters jammed a Job Servicehearing to demand Denny Pauley^rbene-fits. Denny was fired from Scot Industries for voting to bring in a union..,

5cot claimed ""misconduct" and denied

Denny's benefits since Sept. 19th. Large

unionized companies likeHamischfeger,Hein-Wemer and Buoyrus-Eria subcon

tract work to Scot Industries and other

small sweatshops to cut wages and increase their profits.

Scot claimed that some pictures Dennytook in the shop were grounds for dis-

missal, an invasion of privacy. But afellow worker, also fired, told how hehad given permission for the pictures.And he brought in " exibit A" from thewall of the shop: a Playboy calendar,exposing the company's case. Why were'tthese photos "misconduct"".?The plant manager and head of per

sonnel, who showed up from Scot, ex

pected to breeze through a whitewash.But the militant solidarity of the picketline and packed hearing turned the heaton them. See next month's Worker for

the results of the fight.

every job and for every benefit and by.joining all these struggles together—on a nationwide basis—UWOC is'helping to build a single powerful forceto tell the capitalists,"We won't payfor your crisis!"

A iHcket line the previous Mondayat the downtown unemployment officefocused on the daily fights for Jobs orIncome. UWOC had asked Mr. Brooks

head of the unemployment office to meet

about workers getting cheated out oftheir checks. When Brooks refused,

UWOC called for the picket and onDecember 8th, they marched right intwenty-five strong, to get some answers. Before the UWOC spokesman couldfinish his first sentence. Brooks wasthere. Seems unity and action by theworkers had changed his mind.The crowd, swelling to over 50, sur

rounded Brooks out in the hall, ̂ ome

workers who had come down with UWOCgave their names and explained theirsituatiohs to the crowd. Several morecame off the unemployment lines whenthey saw someone taking action.

When Brooks asked for one name,a young guy unfolded a Job Servicecard showing a long string of appointments. "You've got my name. I've beencoming down here for 6 months. Myproblem is I don't have a job!"

IN UNITY AND ACTION

IS STRENGTH AND POWER

The Monday, action got some resultsright away. A guy from Rexnord hadquit his part-time job, then got laid

off from Rex. Rex used this techni

cality as an excuse not to come upwith the benefits. For weeks he gotnothing but stalling from the Job Service and he had to start working part-time again. But two days after Brookswas jammed by the angry workers,the laid-off Rex worker received two

checks.

One of the guys in the crowd was a

machinist fired for talking union at

Scot Industries, a small job shop. Heneeded benefits to keep him going whilefighting for his job back. He came downwith UWOC to get results. " My lawyer wouldn't do anything. The NLRBwouldn't do anything. But when we wentdown there as a group, they called methe next day." His hearing was movedup a month.

A new member of UWOC asked BrooksWhat are the thousands of guys supposed

to do whose benefits are running out?"Brooks could only say, "Well, I'm dealing with a set of rules and regulationshere..."

But when there's no money coming in,workers can't afford to wait on a setof rules and regulations. They are outthere working to build a mass movement nationwide for "Jobs or Income."UWOC is building key day to day fightsat the unemployment office, fightingfirings, and for every job. The December action marked another step forward, uniting the small fights for onejob here and two checks there, andbeginning to make it a bigger fight, a

fight of the whole working class. P

FORD VETOES PICKETING BILL

HARD HATS HIT BAC K-A»?T V

nmmmcTioHmKm

BOSTON CONSTRUCTION WORKERS <?HUT DOWN THE RENOVATION OF A BANK TO PUT A STOP TO NON- UNION "^ITES

C "uction workers around the coun

try are facing union busting attacks bythe contractors, and they are seeingmoreJobs go to non-union companies. On Dec

ember 22, President Ford joined the attack when he vetoed a bill on construc

tion unions. If one union had a disputewith their contractor, they would havebeen able to picket an entire construc-fion site, shutting down the whole operation, including workers in different u-nions.

Ford promised the AFL-CIO leadershe would pass the bill. At the same time,he assured the construction companies.he would get some concessions from theunions. But when it came time to sign.Ford vetoed the bill, m.iking it clearthat tiie government and companies areone ruling class.

The AFL-CIO constructionunionlead-

ers played politics with Ford. In orderto try and get Ford to pass the bill,

they agreed to limit workers' strikingpower; a second provision in the billset iip a union-employer bargainingcommittee to review disputes, postponestrikes and cry to hold down wage settlements. This would have been no real

deal for the construction workers. Work

ing people can't afford to limit theirstriking power and put their fate inthe hands of a "neutral" comnittee.

We can't be tricked by promises madeby the government or companies to giveup anything, or to let up for one minute- on organizing to fight for the thingswe need.

Construction companies are trying todrive down wages and keep profits up-in an industry where the compinies arecomioeting for fewer contracts. Manydo this,by using non-union workers, andpaying them lower wages. They also cutcosts by pushing fewer workers harder,like using nin<i workers to do the job ofthirteen warehousemen; paying less forovertime; using a minimum of skilled

workers; and having the samo work-jers perform jobs that cover differetiL•work.

The result is that union workers havebeen getting fewer jobs. For example,between 1971-73, the National Construction Association, made up of most ofthe largest unionized companies, lost78 projects to non-unionized companies.

In their drive to grind down construction workers and bust the unions, thecontractors have set up a non-unionassociation in many parts of the country called the Associated Building Con-

tractors--ABC. The Association in

cludes^ some of the biggest companiesin the business and l^as forced pay cutsin areas with particularly high unemployment.

But hard hats have been respondingwith stiff resistance. When ABC tried

to open their first site in Milwaukee in

October on Capitol and Appleton, theywere met by over 30 picketers. Team

ster drivers supported the constructionworkers and refused to deliver materials. Nothing on the site moved, and^BC was beat back on this round.

In Boston construction workers shutdown the renovation of the old "^haw-mut Bank to put a stop to non-unionsites. The hard hats smashed the bank's

picture windows and threw up a picket line against ZVI, a non-union company. They kept the picket line up until vthe end of the week when union contracts were signed. Then they movedth^ line- ten blocks ^way to anotherZVI non-union site. On November 12,2,000 construction workers from several trades filled the streets around

the Shawmut' Bank. They rallied foran hour and made It clear their fightwill continue.

These types of fights are going on incities across the country--Atlanta, New

York, San Francisco--where construc

tion workers face unemployment, wagecuts and union busting attacks. •

. But-many of the contractors attackshave been helped along by the top officials in the building trades unions.Increasingly, they are forcing unionmembers to take pay cuts in the nameof keeping "union labor competitive,"In St. Louis, the union leaders made anagreement with Daniel International, thefifth largest construction company inihe country, to build a $1.8 million power plant. But the agreement said theunions wouldn't stop work during the lifeof the project and that Daniel wouldbe able to set crew sizes and assignwork. The workers would have to give«p official coffee breaks, although theycould carry' coffee to their work site,and work rained out during the weekmust be nvade up at regular pay onSaturday.

Trying to get jobs by giving up whatconstruction workers have won and needis like counting on Ford to sign the picketing bill. Construction workers can onlywin jobs and protect their wages andunions by doing what they did in Milwaukee and Boston—fighting to keepnon-union companies from opening sitesand unionizing more construction workers. ■

HOFPA : No Fighter for Working ClassJimmy Hoffa i, former president of the

Teamsters, disappeared July 30. Sincethen, the newspapers and TV news reports have beentryingtofigure out wherehe went. CBS even got ripped off for$10,000 by someone who said Hoffa'sbody could be found off the coast of Flor

ida; The FBI is hunting for him _Ln adump in New Jersey.

What's all the excitement about? Let's

take a look at the Ufe of Jimmy Hoffa.

Hoffa began his tareer in 1937 as amember of Detroit Teamster local 299.

Then the Teamster membership totalled75,000 milk, bread and ice truck drivers. The union "leadership" at thattime refused to organize workers in thegrowing over-the-road trucking industry, saying they weren't concerned with

"rabble-"

In 1934 in Minneapolis, long haul drivers were organized for the first time.Rank and file Teamsters lead a completeshutdown of the twin cities. The successof the strike lead to union organizingin other Midwestern cities. Hoffa, seeing dollar signs, moved to Minneapolisand jumped on the band wagon to organize long haul truckers.

Hoffa organized by using the "leverage" tactic. Through this tactic, leaders like Hoffa would "strike" one cityat a time, tying up shipments by onlyletting union trucks through. Throughthis tactic the drive t-s were organized.nto unio.T>--wliich is good—but it u-nionized them without really relying onand mobilizing the workers.-rhe successess did get Hoffa an im

portant union position. He was rewardedthe job of negotiating 'rhairm3n of theCentral States Drivers Council (CSDC)

n 1940.

By 1955, the CSDC under Hoffa negotiated the Central and Southern StatesPension Fund. The contract covered

100,000 workers and poured over $1million per month into the fund. But thecontract never spelled out how the fundwould" be administered nor the level

of retirement benefits. This gave Hoffaa free hand with millions !)f workers'

dollars.

Hoffa bought banks and other fina.ncialinstitutions, makingthis self-proclaimedfighter for'the working class in realitya member of the ruling class.

With all that money in a few hands,Hoffa and his partners started makingloans and other deals with orga.nizedcrime. Truck driver pension money wasa ready source of capital for underworldinvestments and a way for Teamsterleaders to skim o'f a piece of the action.

But most Teamsters never see this

pensio.n money. When they are ready tocollect, retired tru-:k drivers must submit evidence for each job they have heldand prove that there was no break in

their "continuity of service."' The fundand union keep no records themselves.Because of the instability of the trucking industry--layoffs, job changes, firmsgoing out of busim^ss, etc.--this "continuity of service" is almost imiwisibleto prove. One rank and file truckersgroup says that 90%of eligible Teamstersare cheated out of pension money.

In an attack on unions and workers'organizations in general, the rulingclasswent after Hoffa with Senate investigations and federal ind.ctments--m."5inly

because he was becoming too powerful..

In 1964, he was convicted of jury tampering. He bought a not guilty verdictin a trial charging him with acceptinga half million dolla-" bribe from Frue-

hauf, the semi-trailer manufacturer.Fruehauf had bribed Hoffa not to u-nionize the workers. This was a clearexample' of sell-out union leadershipat its best.

In 1967, Hoffa was sentenced co pri-.son, but paroled in '71 by Nixon. ■

JIMMY HOFFA

While in prison, Hoffa's "trusted^friend, Frank Fltzslmfnons, looked afterthings. Fitzsiminons liked "looking after things" so much that he took thejob for real. Hoffa recently made' itknown Chat lie planned on running foroffice again. This probably had a'lotto do with his disappearance. There isa lot of power and money at stake. Inorder to control it, the ruling class will

go to any length--including murderingeach other.

Even with Hoffa's and Fitzsimmons'

mis-leadership, rank and file Teamstershave fought for themselves and otherworkers. This toagl^nsss, spirltandpower always frightened Hoffa, He tried tokeep it down, at the same time he peddled publicity about being the workers'biggest chamiDion.

Instead of joining the workers, Teamster leaders have fought against thorn.They attack their own locals, and other

unions, like the Farmworkers with goons',threats, sweetheart contracts, bribery,extortion--all the low, sell-out tacticsnecessary to keep on the " good" sideof the bossss--whether they're corporation executives or syndicate leaders.

Many rank and file Teamsters stoodwith Farmworkers whep their "leaders"tried to raid the fields. Rank and file

groups have fought back--againstbossesand Teamster leader corruption Thisspirit caused the Madison, Wis. Teamster local to be taken over by the International.

This year, Teamsters will negotiatetheir master contract, covering 400,000drivers nationwide. Already many rankand file Teamsters have made It known

they are determined to .fight for a contract that they want, not what Fitzsimmons and other leaders say the dri

vers want.

There will be more publicity aboutHoffa, especially if he turns up wearing"cement shoes." But with Hoffa, Fitzsimmons, or any other sell-out, driversand all workers have no choice bytto build their own fight. ■

1975: A Tear of Attael

injunctions the coal companies couldstall grievances in the coal field. Theproductivity offensive by the coal com-paines-roeant more contract violationsand worse safety conditions—a life ̂ nddeath question for the miners.

Although the month long wildcat wasnot able to stop the injunctions, theminers dealt the coal bosses a powerful blow. It was the first time in manyyears that the miners had gone outall over the coal fields. Just as im

portant , workers all over the countrydemonstrated working c las s solidarity bysending telegrams, contributions and letters of support

The meatcutters strike won wide support throughout the working class. For^the first time in over 30 years, over1,000 workers rallied to support theirbrothers and sisters. The meatcutters

spoke for thousands of workers as theytold the packinghouse bosses—we refuse

to be slaves!

. And whenever60,000 workersemploy-

WORKERS NATIONWIDE SHOWED THEIR SOLIDARITY,FOR THE RIGHT TO STRIKE

WITH MINERS WILDCATTING

The coming of the New Year holdsmany things in store for us. Theworking class can look over the-pastyear and look ahead to the growingstruggle. '75 saw the ruling class gofrom asking us to brte the bullet totrying to force us to swallow the shells.We fought back against these attacksand to keep the hard won gains of thepast years.

Shrinking markets, recession, inflation, overproduction— all meant thatthe bosses real profits were falling.The bosses launched an all out attackon the working class to try to increasetheir profits: union busting, wage cuts,speed-up, lay-offs, etc.

spread layoffs and job eliminations werefollowed by intense speedup. But inmostcases, the union leaders §at^ on thestpuggles that developed. And not onlyin auto, but for postal, telephone, andother workers, union leaders united withthe capitalists to increase profits bycutting labor costs through job elimination.

The Meatcutters year long strike

fought the Packinghouse bosses in thdirattempt to bust the .union and drive

their union leaders.

Strikes got longer as the stakes gothigher. It was a question of whetherthe working class would be driven intothe ground and made to bear the bruntof the bosses' crisis.

Unemployment rose everywhere. TheUnemployed Workers Organizing Committee (UWOC), a nation-wide organization grew to 33 chapters. Milwaukee

UWOC took up the fight a^inst lateunemployment checks and united workers

VOODOO ■

CK EXORCIST:\sm DAUGHTE

down wages in order to stay competi-, under the slogan, "Employed, Unem-tive.

Workers at Stroh waged a 6 monthbattle for higher wages and against the

bosses drive to increase productivity

by cutting breaks.

ATTACKS ON

WORKERS MOUNT

Anger rose in the auto plants as wide-

Pressed Steel workers went out for10 weeks demanding higher wages anda better pension plan. But workers atboth Stroh and Pressed Steel were soldout by behind the scenes dealing by

ployed, Same Crisis, Same Fight." UWOCforced the state to. speed up mailing ofi^checks and launched the movement for

jobs.The ruling class cut back spending

for social services to shift some of

the burden of the crisis. These cut

backs sparked more struggle. Over 1300North and South Division high schoolstudents walked out and crasheda school

board meeting to demand an end toschool .board stalling in building their

new hi^ schools. Teachers defied lawsagainst strikes by public employeesto' force the school board to come upwith higher wages.

December 24th marked a year sincethe murder of 16 year old jerry Brook-shire. His killer—cop Raymond Marlowe—went free. An organized movementagainst police repression and the op-

-pression of minorities was built. This

movement united workers and peoplesof all nationalities, and forced an inquest to be held. When the coroners

jury ruled justifiable homicide, the. copsand courts were shown for what theywere, tools of the ruling class to protect its rule.

DEMAND FOR JOBS OR INCOME GROWS

ed and unemployed massed in Washingtondemanding joba, the bosses trembled.The workers were saying loud and clear."Many of us are out on the street and alot of us close to the door. Promises

can't buy meat and speeches alone can'tstop unemployment. We demand jobs!"

It was the New York City sanitationworkers that led the battle against cut-

RESISTANCE GROWS

In the fight against these attacks,the working class began to flex itsmuscles. They rolled over the unionhacks and bureaucrats that worked hand

in hand with the bosses.

PRESSED STEEL WORKERS WHO MANNED THE PICKET LINES FOR TENWEEKS WERE SOLD OUT BY UNION LEADERS

Nationally, 90,000 miners wildcatte«.for the right to strike and againstcourt injunctions'on wildcats. With court

MILITANT TAKEOVER BY MEN0MINEE5

[s - A Tear of Strngglebacks and for jobs as 3,000 wildcattedagainst layoffs. They returned to workafter temporarily forcing the rulingclass to stop layoffs. This showed that-you can fight layoffs and win jobs.

RULING CLASS\

DESPERATE

Unable to control the crisis and the

stu^le against it, the ruling class grewdesperate. They tried to create confusionamong the masses. School busing plansin Boston and Kentucky were designed tobuild up antagonisms among workers andpeople of different nationalities, andprovide a cover for drastic cuts in ed

ucation. An.important question for dieworking class was how to fight these•attacks and unite against the rulingclass* divide and conquer schemesi

The crisis meant that there were less

spoils to divide up and problems became

ATIONWIDE AS WELL AS IN MILWAUKEE

harder to solve. Fighting within the ruling class increased. Exposures of FBIplots against civil rights and anti-warmovements followed reports of CIA assassination plots abroad.

They played up the SLA and PattyHearsiT^ying that revolution was thework of small bands of crazies and

terrorists and not a real solution for

MEATCUTTER'S YEAR LONG STRIKE DREW THE LINE AGAIN^rr

CAPITALIST'S WAGE CUT^G, UNION BUSTING ATTEMPTS.

5PARKED INDIAN STRUG<a.E NATIONWIDE

tha masses of people these bosses holddown.

This desperation grew more intenseafter the defeat of US imperialismby the workers and peasants ofVietnam.In a last ditch effort to stir up patriotism behind their bloody aggression, theUS imperialists ordered an attack onCambodia to "rescue" the arms car

rier Mayaguez, US marines sufferedclose to 50% casualties and left witha boat they could have easily got back

through negotiations.

No longer top dog in the world, theUS scrambled to protect itself againstthe gains of Russian'imperiallsm. WhileKissinger toasted detente with Sovietembassadors, Russian and Americanbacked troops fought it out in the MiddleEast, Asia, Portugal and Angola. Onceagain i£ proved that for the superpowersthe battle field was rhore decisive than

the dinner table. Despite their talk ofpeace, the superpowers are preparingfor vrar—-each trying to protect andexpand their interests all over the world.

LESSONS OF

STRUGGLE

There's a lot we can learn from 1975.The struggles were scattered. So whenpowerful fights broke out in one place,they had to be spread as far as possible.

The Nfonominee take dVer on lastNew Year's eve was a good exampleof a fight that sparked others. Aftertheir victory at the abbey in Gresham,forty armed members of the NavajoWarrior Society took over the Fairchile Electronics plant in .Shiprock, New

Mexico. They demanded that a hundredfifty fired workers be re-hired and fourhundred on lay-off be given full unemployment benefits. And then there wasanother takeover at a pork processingplant by the Yankton Sioux in SouthDakota.

In October of 1975 the new party ofthe vYorking class was founded. The .Revolutionary Communist Party is a

product of the struggle of the workingclass. The importance of a party rooted

in the working class that consciouslybuilds and spreads the struggle wasdemonstrated in the miners wildcat andpostal workers contract fight The PartyUnited with miners to help spread theirwildcat across the coal fields. Acrossthe country the Party played a rolebuilding support by spreading the newsand collecting money.

In the postal workers struggle, the•Party helped build a natibn wide organ-i-zation, Postal Workers for^a GoodC ontract that fought wage cuts and jobeliminations. This kind of nation wideorganization was a big advance and agood example for the working class—especially with so many major contractscoming up in 1976.

AHEAD TO 78

The Bicentennial promises to have alot of fireworks. With elections in thefall, the politicians will be runningaroundblaming each other for the crisis.The democrats will be saying how they

can bring back jobs. The Republicanswill brag th^ they are cleaner thanNixon. Both will be trying to hide theOppression of the system behind theflag-waving of the Bicentennial.Our job is to build and broaden our

own struggle. We have to take the advances of 1975—and build on the ex

amples set by the miners, the meat-cutters, the New York sanitation work

ers, and the thousands who marched for

jobs oiT Washington D.C. We'll fightthe divide and conquer schemes of the

bussing plans and continue the fightagainst police repression and the threatof war. With auto, rubber, transportation, construction, and other contractscoming up this year, its time to breakthrough - the chains set by the. unionhacks and make some gains.

And when the bosses hoist Old Gloryand calls on us to share their burdens,American workers jyill be standing upand shouting back, "We've carried therich for 200 years, Let's get them offour backs!" ■ .

3000 NEW YORK CITY SANITATION WORKERS WILDCATTEDTO WIN BACK JOBS LOST DURING CUTBACKS

STlll RAKK AND Fllf ON THE MOVEFor rank and file steelworkers our

future has always been wrapped upwith fighting The steel companies. Thatgoes for so-called good times and badtimes, although these days it's hardto distinguish between the two."Don't worry, steel is different,"

bragged the owners of the big steelcompanies as layoffs started hitting

other industries. The leadership of theUnited Steel Workers of America chimed

in with an article in their paper entitled ''Steel—an Island of Stability."According to the USW leadership, workers should give thanks for having ajob to the leadership's policy of company-union cooperation and the Experi

mental Negotiating Agreement (ENA)thatgave away the workers right-to-strike

until 1980.

But no sooner had the article in theUSWA's paper Steel Labor appearedwhen layoffs hit full force throughoutthe steel industry, and the workersleft in the plants were pushed that muchharder.

Hardly any rank and file workers iikethe steel companies. Very few thinkthat union-company cooperation policieslike the ENA are super ideas, and everybody knows they haven't brought goodtimes. But for the rank and file, thereal question hinges on whether we canfight and win against the steel companies. We steelworkers have never stoppedfighting the companies, but like otjierworkers, our struggle has had its Highand low points.

Right now the rank and file is beginning to build a big and powerful

movement throughout the industry. It isa movement that fights for what wesneed, not only for what the companiessay they will give us; a movement thatdemands unity among the ranks, betweenbasic, nonferrous, and fabrication, between the employed and unemployed,and among the ranks of the entire

US working class.

Two events are good examples of this

movement. One is the struggle that isnow developing in the Bethlehem SteelC ompany and the other is the publicationof a nationwide newspaper called TheSteelworker which will be a bigin building the fight against the steelcompanies.

BETHLEHEM INTENSIFIES.NATIONWIDE ATTACK

The Beth Steel Corporation, the se.cond

largest steel producers in the country.

has in recent months launched a newwave of attacks on workers across thecountry and a growing struggle is developing against this. There are severalexamples of this.They threaten to close down their

four fabrication plants across the country, with almost 3,000 workers, unless

the workers take jan immediate $1 anhour pay cut, plus a freeze on wagesover tbe next couple of yeai;s. This would

DEMONSTRATION AGAINST-LAYOFF? AT BETHLEHEM, "if WE STAND UP AND FIGHT, WE'LL WIN!*

Ford's ChinaTrip Underlines

President Ford's trip to the PeoplesRepublic erf China in December under

lines the growing danger ̂of world war.

Since Ford's visit didn't result in

any new agreements , there has beena lot of speculation as to exactly whyhe went there in the first place. Fordcertainly had in mind "looking presidential" for the coming elections. Butmainly he went because he had to recognize the growing strength of socialist

China and because of sharpening rivalry between the U.S. and their chiefcompetitor-the Soviet Union.

armed forces and carrying out armedconfrontations with each other ̂all ovefthe world, such as in Angola today.And as part of their expansion, bothsuperpowers have threatened China.

China used ^e occasion to warn ofthe danger of war between the superpowers and expose the real nature ofthe situation so as to help alert peopleand delay the outbreak of such a war.

China also used die Ford trip to makeit more difficult for~ either superpowerto attack China, especially the USSR.

The press in the U.S. .has tried to

CHINA WARNS OF WORLD WAR

Ford and other spokesmen for theruling class in this country braggedabout how taking this trip was moreevidence of their tireless efforts towardspeace in the world. But at the official

banquet for Ford, the Chinese vicepremier said that "detente" betweenthe U.S. and USSR is a fake and thatthe conflict between them is increasinglyleading the world towards a new worldwar.

This is the truth of the matter, despite Ford's hypocritical denial. Evenwhile they're trying to fool people bytalking peace, the rulers of both theU.S. and the USSR are building up their

turn the truth up side down on this.Calling every nation warlike except theirown, they claimed thatFord went seekingpeace while the Chinese urged the U.S.on to war. But the drive toward war

between the superpowers is a fact "independent of man's will," as the Chinese said. It is the capitalist systemand its constant-drive for profits thatforces both the. U.S. and USSR to ex-

pand, and each other is the major ob

stacle to die other as long as these;capitalists exists. Their test of strengthcan only be settled by war.

BIG CHANGES IN WORLD

Trips to China, unthinkable only afew years ago, now seem tohave becomealmost a matter of course for U.S.

presidents. Part of the reason is thatafter decades of trying to "contain"China and overthrow socialism there,the U.S. ruling class now has to facefacts. Before its revolution, China wasonce so weak that almost half a ̂ozenimperialist countries^were, able to ripoff a chunk of it. Now the Chinese wor

kers and peasants are a major forcein the world.

And this change has been accompaniedby others. The position of U.S. imperialism is growing weaker as the U.S.capitalist class faces a cri^s at homeand is battered on all sides- by revolutionary struggle. Their attempts tooccupy and militarily dominate Asiahave led to some big defeats, such asin Vietnam.

The other major change is that the

Soviet Union has become a capitalistcountry, even though it calls itself socialist. In the mid 1950's^ Khruschevand a small group around him were able

to take power out of the hands of the

Soviet workers. Since then this nevycapitalist ruling class has lived highon the hog at the expense of the workers.Along with the U.S. ruling class, todaythe new Soviet rulers have become one

of the two main bands of capitalistrobbers bringing misery to the people

of their own countries and around the

world.

Just as in the U.S., the capitalistsystem has caused economic crisis inthe USSR, To "solve" this crisis, therulers pf both countries are trying tosqueeze more than ever out of theworkers at home and everywhere.As a latecomer to the international

thieve's banquet, until recently headedup by the , U.S. rulers, the USSR isgrabbing wildly for a big portion ofinvestments, markets, raw materials

and space for military bases in allcorners of the globe. Everywhere thepeople's struggle has forced the U.S.to retreat, the USSR is trying to take

advantage of the situationto snatch thingsup for itself.

These are the conditions tJiat have

WaY Dangerforced the U.S. ruling class to sqaledown their attempts to encircle anddestroy China and to Improve relationswith China somewhat Right now, beatingback the growing Soviet challenge andextending the U.S. empire at Soviet expense is the main goal of the U.S.imperialists, and attacking China is secondary to" that. Thafs why Ford wentto China, like Nixon before him.

CHINA'S VIEW

Besides making use of the trip toexpose and help delay the outbreakof war the Chinese agreed to Ford'svisit for other reasons, too. As a coun

try where the working class has putan end to capitalism, China wants tolive in peace with other countries, including the U.S. It has given supportto revolutionary struggles around theworld, such as their aid to Vietnamand their positions againstthe two superpowers in the UN. At' the same timethe Chinese know that revolution in each

country must be made by the peopleof that country themselves.

But China exists in a world wherethere are still butchers on the loose.Part of its policy must be aimed atdefending itself from attack. The rulersof the two superpowers fear each othernjore than they fear China right now,'because China is not a rival for world

domination. But as part of their attacksworldwide and against the people oftheir own countries, the imperialistswant to attack China. They want tcboost their profits by exploiting workers there, and they can't stand whatChina represents. The successes ofsocialism in China, in transforming acountry so long kept poor and oppressedby the imperialists, stands as an example to people everywhere that theydon't have to live the way the capitalistsnow force them to.

Even though the U.S. capitalist classhas been forced to change its tacticstoward China, they also "hate it andcan't help dreaming of overthrowingsocialism there. The U.S. still hasthousands of soldiers stationed in Chi

nese territory in Taiwan^. against the

worker fiction

WE'LL STAY OUT WHILE Al STAYS INThe judge's gavel came down. "Con

tempt of coart, 90 days. Court dismissed." AlJackson's shoulders slumped at the verdict. Ninety days—and only a week till Christmas.

The court room was in an uproar.It was filled with guys from his shopall down there to back him up. "Whatkinda crap is that?" shouted CurlyPhillips, one of tiie men in Al's department "This is a raw deal." Others yelled out, "The courTs are working with the damn company, that's thetruth!" At this point the cops moved inand started shoving people out of thecourt room. Two big deputies led Alout a side door into a room off the courtand plunked him down ona wooden bench.The shouts outside died down. Alireachedfor a cigarette and began to think aboutwhat came next—the drive across townto the work house, 90 days away .fromhis family. And the strike—we 11, they'rea good bunch. It had been only four days

since they set up. the first mass pick

et. Al drew in on his cigarette and almost laughed out loud as he remembered the first carload of scabs that

tried to go through'the line. Twentypickets surrounded their VW and started rocking it back and forth. The lookson those guys faces! Unbelievable. WhentheyTinally got put to rest they took offlike bats out of hell. Nobody else tried

to cross that day. But then there was the"court injunction prohibiting picketing,the cops ushering in scabs and in thethick of the fighting that followed Alhad been picked out and busted. He wasto be an "example" as the judge said.Sack him for 90 days and watch theother strikers start shaking in theirboots. Well, Al thought, I sure hope

The deputies got up. It was time togo. They moved down tlie empty corridor and down an elevator to a wait

ing car. As they made their way through

heavy traffic Al watched the Christmasdecorations on almost every store window..."BUY HERE" they yelled. Yeah,he thought, with what--my good looks?This was to have been a special Chris-mas, His Mom was coming up fromKentucky. And for Donna--she was 5now—he and his wife had saved enoughto buy her the best looking bicycle inthe store. Now? Well, who knows whatwould happen. His fists clenched insidethe handcuffs.The deputy driving the car looked

back. "Here we are, sonny. Ninety daysin the slam. Merry Christmas." Theremark cracked up the other deputy." And happy New Year, too." They turned

the last corner in front of the work

house. The deputies were still glglinglike a pair of idiots. "O.K., jailbird,let's go."

Suddenly there was a roar of voicescoming from up the block as a line ofpeople turned the corner and marched

toward the car. Fifty, 100, 2D0--theyjust kept streaming from a seeminglyendless source. Their voices were clearer now—" We'll stay out while Alstays in"--over and over. The deputiespiaralyzed at first tried to start up thecar and head for the rear entrance.

But the workers had seen them by thenand. stormed all around the car, blocking out daylight completely. Al waslaughing out loud, stomping his feetand "chanting, with them. There was Andy, and Big Ed up on the hood pounding the windshield with his huge fist.

' "'■y' -'.'i 1

Even old man Sanders was there witha big sign yelling at the top of hislungs. It went on for 10 minutes. Allearned later that a bunch of other copshad tried to break through the crowdbut had been forced to.go for reinforcements.

By this time there was a smallarmy of police on the scene and theybattered their way to —the car anddragged Al back to the building.

Once inside the deputies cursed andmade wild threats about what they woulddo. But to Al they looked smaller now—and as the strikers set their picketson the sidewalk outside all the cops didwas continue- to scream and blusteras the workers marched on.

They hurried Al off down a long hallway to a detention cell. Butas they roughly pushed him along he held his headhigh and smiled to himself. The eventsof the day flashed through his mindand he felt a new confidence about whatlay ahead. He thought of his 'daughterand the bicycle she wouldn't see onChristmas morning. And the presentthat she and the children of all thestrikers would receive instead—thecourage and sacrifices their fathers andmothers were makiTig in the fight tochange things for all working people.Al took in a deep breath. Yes sir, hethought, this is going to be one helluvaNewYear.

FROM THE CLEVELAND WORKER

SUDDENLY THERE WAS A ROAR OF VOICES COMING FROM UP THE BLOCK AS A LINE OF PEOPLE TURNED THECORNER AND MARCHED TOWARD THE CAR,

INDIAN STUDENTS PROTESTDISCRIMINATION AT KOSCIUSZKO

Monday, December 15th, over a hundred Indians and supporters picketedKosciuszko Junior High School in response to some anti-Indian remarksmade by a teacher. A few days earlie^Kenneth Wuerl had told his math classthat Indians were always drunk, couldn'thold their liquor, and that they livedin shacks.

today with the present struggle atMATCagainst cutbacks of special programs,and at Kozy.

These struggles are part of a broaderfight by all working class parents andstudents for a decent education. Studentswalked out of North and South last yearand jammed a school board meeting,demanding the new schools tiuLt were

promised, .but never started due to cutbacks. It was this kind of action thatgot bi-lingual programs for Spanish-speaking students, and lunches for thosewho couldn't afford them.

Parents and students from all neighborhoods, of all nationalities will bestepping up the fight against cutbacksand for a decent education.

SUBSCRIBE TO

THE WORKER!$4 PER YEARRO BOX 08305

MILW. WIS.

One student, angry at the remark^told his parents. They contacted otherIndians and groups, who organized thepicket line. The school administrationgot very shook- up by the whole thing.Students who wanted to leave Kosciuskoto join the protest were keptfromgettingtheir coats by the teachers. The demandto have die teacher fired is still beingfought.

Parents and students carried signsreading "Teach Education, Not Discrimination." They were demanding that thetruth be taught— not racist stereotypesabout any nationality, A couple years agothe same concern for a true educationprompted a take-over of the CoastGuard Station and the establishmentof an Indian School. And education wasa demand of the Abbey take-over oflast year. On the Menominee reservationthere is no high school. The fight byIndians for a decent education continues

MEATCUTIERS HTSTDRYCONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

STUDENTS PICKET OUTSIDE KO^IU^^ZKO JR. HIGH.

In the next itistallment we will seehow the packinghouse workers pickedup their fight after World War Two.And we will also see how the US rulingclass attacked fighting unions in the1950's through the Taft Hartley law,anti-communism, and some of the samesell-out leaders the packinghouse workers, had been fighting for decades. Wewill also see how the "Big 4" decentralized, leaving the stockyard areasof Milwaukee, Chicago and other citiesfull of big empty buiidings--and thousands unemployed. And how all this set

'the stage for the present union bustingattack in the meat industry which iscentered righLhere on the picket linesat Peclt and Wisconsin packing companies. And.jYC will go .into some ideasabout the continuous fight of the packing house workers.

Why Martin Luther King Was Killed

Behind the FBI RevelationsIn the last months more outrageous

practices by the FBI and CIA have come

to ligtit: drug experiments on innocentvictims, spying on millions of people,partnerships with Mafia figures, as.sas-ination of foo;ign leaders, and all outattempts to infiltrate and wreck Blackand anti-war groups in the late 1960'sand early '70's.Even Martin Luther King, who preach

ed non-violence in .the face of the violemrepression of Black people was not safe.

ectly behind ihe finger that pulled thetrigger, then they were indirectly involved in setting up the target. The FBImade plans to ha/e King switch hotelsto the one where he was shot.

WHY DID THE FBI DO THIS ?

These low life tactics are nothingnew for the FBI or their counterpartsin the CIA. While the public image promoted for these agents of the state is

lence against leaders and active workers.

But why Martin Luther King? He wasfar from a revolutionary, in fact, theRockefellers, Kennedys and others likethem promoted and praised King for hisefforts to channel the storm ofBlackre-bellion against generations of exploitation and oppression,inlo pacifist attemptsto reform the system. Popular songshave linked "Bobby, Martin and John" asthe three great champions of civil rights

THE FBI TRIED TO DESTROY THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT OF THE 60'S FOR THE RULING CLASS

Senate investiga^ons have shown an FBI

conspiracy to discredit, blackmail andeliminate him. Few people ever felt satisfied with the explanation that JamesEarl Ray killed King all by himself.Many suspected the direct government

involvement that is now being madeclear by these FBI revelations.

Why wasn't the FBI, which followedKing everywhere he wont, on the scenewhen he was shot? And why was King'saccused assasin pressured into pleading

guilty against his wishes and then denieda new trial, allowing the goveriL-nent to

hush the whole thing up? Well, the FBIwas on the scene. If they were ootdir-

that of clean cut, Elliot Ness type'crimefighters and. patriotic warriors agtimstforeign subversion, their main purposehas been to protect the wealth and powerof the capitalists. This has meantevery-thing from overthrowing anti-U.S. gov-ernmonts in m-iny countries to disrupting all types of mass struggle againstthe American ruling class, in particular",attempting to destroy progressive andrevolutionary organizations.

In the 30's and 49's the FBI tried to

do this to the workers' movement and

the old Communist Party. And they'restill at \ti During the recent miners*wildcat they ran all over the coal fieldsharassing, slandering .and plotting vio-

and great budd .es. But the fact is thatthe ru'ing class used King against moreradical leaders like Malcolm X and

others who were beginning to make thepoint that you can't "reform exploitation," that it wa.s the system of capitalism itself that Was responsible.

For instance, the 1963Marchon Washington was orgimilly planned to be amilitant protest against the oppressionof Black people. But as Malcolm-X

exposed in Message to the GrassrootSjthe Kennedys used their power to' putKing and other "moderates" at the headof it ^nd to water it down to a rally infavor of the Kennedy civil rights bill.

But the Kennedys also wanted to keepcontrol of King and keep a lid on the

stru^le against Black oppression, so"John and Bobby" authorized wiretapsand other forms of bagging against King.

And when you cut all the bull, the U.*^.capitalists could not even tolerate King*snon-violenl dissent. To even expose theoppression of capitalism, to so much asspeak out against part of it, drives thesepeople mad with anger. With MartinLuther King, a well-known leader, itmade them determined to wreck his life,and failing that, to kill him.

LIBERALS EXPOSED

The ruling class would like to blamnall the actions of the government andits agencies on .1 few politicians or somebureaucratic fall guys. J. Edgar Hooveris becoming the arch villian. All of a

sudden Mr. G-min, promoted for yearsas the folk hero, is accused of being.asrotten and underhand 2d us the scummiestMafia hit men. He is made out to be thepower behind the Presidents and Congress, making the whole ruling classkow-tow and shake with fea^-, controllingall with twc.nly file cabinets full of dirton everyone from Henry Ford and NelsonRockefeller to Nixon and JFK.

There's no denying that J. Edgar getstop honors as an A-1 pig. or that thedegeneracy of the ruling class providesenough factual material for a wholewarehouse of sleazy novels. But it'sonly in science fiction movies that theghouls and monsters can control theirmasters. Cops don't order around the

capitalists. They do what they are told.

But if the big capitalists who controlthe governmet>t and its police, courts,laws, and ijoliticians are the real sab-

ctuers, murderers and assasins, whyare they letting all this dirt hang out?

WHY EXPOSURES ARE HAPPENING

Mainly it is because different sectionsof the capitalist class of bankers andowners of big industry have differsnl

interests to protectand different ideas onhow best to maintain their rule and over-

mean an over $3 wage cut over the life

of the present contract. The company further stated that they wanted to breakthe fabrication locals out of the basic

steel contract so the locals would be in

a weaker bargaining position.

Workers in all four fabrication shops

refused to choose between poison andthe noose and told the company to-go tohell with their offer. In Pottstown, Pa.,

where the largest shop is located,workers have begun to organize againstthe threatened shutdown. The Steelwork-

er ran an article on the struggle call

ing for resolutions of support for these

fabrication loc.als and somii of these

have already been received by the workers.

In the Beth Steel Lackawaai Plant in

upstate New York workers have faced

very heavy layoffs (over 7,000 are onthe streets now), with the com^tany in

tensifying the attack on the workers inside. Faced with these attacks, the workers thera have for strike aulhor-

ization to flghi the layoff's, aal to cnakj:he company live up to certain provisions signed in the 1373 local coairact.As of^this date no one has heard a wordfrom I.W. Abel, the union president, onthe question of strike authorization, butin any case workers there have begunto meet to plan to fight.

Also in the Beth Steel Mill in Seattle,Washington, where there were alreadyover 200 workers laid off, Bethlehemattempted to cut the operator crew sizefrom 6 to 5 on oa?h shift. The workersresponded to this with a three day walkout in August and with a recent marchand rally against layoffs and crew reductions. The workers there have formed

a committee of employed and unemployedsteelworkers to build the fight againstthe company.The company has also come down hard

in the Beth Steel Sparrow's Point plant,the scene of dome heavybattlesandwild-cats in the coke ovens. Layoffs reachedinto almost every departmentand speedup ' has increased. With many peoplelaid off, the International union pushedthe local at the Point plant to comply

with an Internalional union by-law whichremoves workers from "good standing"status when they have been laid off fora year, or more. This blatant companyby-law was soundly defeated by the twoSparrows Point locals but union leadership there has done little to actuallyunite the employed and unemployed tofight both the by-law and the companyattacks.

This fight, howeverj^has been taken upamong the rank and file. A petitionopposing the by-law, and putting forththe need to unite together to fight, wascirculated and the struggle has advancedoff this. The Steelworker carried bothan article on the i events in SparrowsPoint anil h :all for all steelworkersin all divisions o! the u.u'on to opposethe establishment of the by-law.

A problem up until now has been thatmany of these struggles are isolated fromeach other and the company has spreadlies in the vacuum. But now the new

newspaperj The Steelworker, is playingan important role in communicating details of the struggle In Beth and in calling for support frOm all steelworkers.

The idea for suk^h a newspaper sprang

up when *ank and file forces, including some members 'of the Revolutio.n-ary Communist Party, united to holda picket line and rally at the last USWAconstitutional convention in Atlantic City,

N.J. The .event, which called togetherabout 300 people, was called to voiceopposition to the sellout ENA, no-strikedeal. In building for the picket line,steelworkers in the East and some ;n

the Midwest decided it would be a real

help in the struggle if we could hav.ebetter cominun:cation between the differ

ent mills throughout the country.

The first issue of The Steelworker is

filled with articles from around die

country--articles written by rank andfile groups, individuals, or taken fromlocal worklngclass newspapers. Articlesthat talk about ,siowdowns being built,wildcats, strikes, and demonstrationsand rallies against speedupand jobelim-inations. There are also editorials and

calls to action in support of particularstruggles, like the fabrication locals atBeth and the fight ̂ against the by-lawschange.At this point much of the struggle a-

gainst the steel comiianies is still scattered and isolated. The key question forthe rank and file still hinges on whether the steel companies can be foughtand beaten. But the struggle is Row

ing. in the face of these vicious company attacks.And as these struggles become stronger and better organized andas the lessons of these struggles arespread throughout the industry, they

will deal sharper and more powerfulblows to the enemy. ■

WORKERS MARCH

FOR JORS

In C incinatti and Dayton lots of people responded to the presence of thedemonst^a^ors, In Ohio they liave cookedup a scheme where they are giving one13 week extensjon now, while cutting outtwo extensions 'a!:^r. This will come dowrvon the insurance for m-iny and they hopeto sneak this one through when people don't yet see what they are doing.UWOC is getting together on that.

,SEATTLE AND LOS ANGELES

Seattle had a good response even thoughthe weather was poor. They added a demand of their own to stop iheir state'sSenate bill 2373 which is a local ver

sion of several national proposals tocut back on unempioi-ment insurance.

In Los Angeles 75 to 80 people demonstrated at the unemployment center.

New people came forward to buMd diedemonstration and participate in the

action. One woman waited from 8 a^m.when she thought it started until 9:30and went through (he whole day and then

asked, "When's the next one?"

There were good chants and much response. There were some questions like"Oh, that won't d:) anything." But as oneworker said, "I've been out of workfor three years now looking for workand what I found is TJWOC."

ROCHESTER, BUFFALO AND ATLANTA

' In- Rochester and Buffalo, New York,people went to the downtown area to thelocal chamber of commerce, as the leaflet said, "This is where big businessgets together to carve mure profit outof our hide." The speech related .o thethree demands and also "No Layoffs.""To those still on the job--sJow down,

let things pile up, force them to rehireand hire more workers."^An employedworker ̂ poke:"One week of work andI'm laid off, I can't lay off my family.or my bills. And that's why I'm hereto l.ght this rotten system ' Speechespointed ,o the fact that Rochester's

Dnemploymeni Council had held its first

jobless as the stores they were workingin are torn down to make way for asubway and no job arrangements aremade for them. There they held a rallyand spoke. As they went through thestreets many unemployed and emplo^-edjoinecf '.n . Some old as well as some

new members of UWOC.

BALTIMORE, PORTLANDAND CHICAGO

In Baltimore, Maryland, demonslra-tors went to City Hall where they demanded that longproposedsubway jobsbeopened for hard hit construction workers. They told the government that"We're tired of hearing you don't havethe money. Your economic system is incrisis. People need jobs...people needservices!" Another action was to picL-itthe city papers in support of the strikingworkers of the Washington Post who areputting up a strong battle against jobeliminations.

On December 15 Portland UWOC tooktheir rally into the Unemployment 0-

ffice. The supervisors were unible tostop it. They s.3ng a song to the tuneof-White Christmas called "I'm Dreaming of a Fiill Paycheck."—" Not justthe crumbs-1 used to know...there willbe no more layoffs or weekly payoffsfor making the bos.ses lots of dough."And another to the tune of "The twelve Days of Christmas called the "Five

Months of Layoffs."--"In the 5th monthof layoff I joined some of my friends,WE'VE HAD ENOUGH!"

- In Chicago UWOC held a very spiritedpicket line in front of an unemploymentoffice in the city, and hundreds of unemployed workers were wearing buttons thai said, "Jobs Now" and gavethe date of the rally.

At the picket line a UWOC memberran down how for years he hid beenworked for 12 or 16 hours a day untilsuddenly the plant closed 'iown. Anelec-tronics worker spoke about the struggle

against layoffs in that industry.

New people joined in. A young worker spoke of the trouble young peoplehave in finding work or any kind ofdeceit life. A veteran spoke about howhard it is to find work, especially because of the great number of "dishonorable dischar^s." A woman fromthe Electronics Workers OrganizingCo-mmittee told of thousands being laid offand the low fiay and poor condiilonson their jobs. Prairie Fire, a workingclass singing couple was muclTapplau-ded.

The following Monday a large picketline was .held. T|ie regional supervisorof unemployment in.surance was confronted. He said he did all he couldand was told that it wasn't anything.He'd better tell the companies and thegovernment there were no jobs and wemean to have themi Also that we'd have

employment insurance until they openedthem up! One radio station in Oakla^dtaped and played the spirited confron

tation between UWOC and the unemployment director.

A special skit was written for the rallyto the theme" Twas the Night BeforeChri.stmas" but the lines read: "Butnot all is quiet as one wou)d :hink,with unemployment and inflation.SOME-THING STINKS!"

And "We workers are strong we'llaccept no defeat. We made everythingfrom the building above lo the shoeson our feet, from the clothes that wewear to the food that we eat." And"So we stand up together as they tremble with fright, as we millions or^h'zewith all of our might. In the factoriesand the streets we do battle that we willhave jobs or income low."

These demonstrations are building themomentum. But it is just the beginning.The fight goes on—^it grows. ■

ICTORY

MEATCUTTERS AND YOUTH JOINED OTHERS IN MILWAUKEE MARCH

big rally on March 31, 1930, which was

Internationiil Unemployment Day. Oneand a quarter million people marchedin this country and many in Capada andin Europe. The unemploymo t insurancewe won and the so-cial security we won

came from their fight.

In Atlanta a Jobs Convoy headed Ihr-

ough town to the downtown shoppingareawhere liu.ndrcds of workers are left

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

In the San Francisco Bay .\rea inCalifornia UWOC had a three part cara

van from San Jose, San Francisco, theEast Bay. They linked up in the parking lot of a very large shopping centerand then "Held a rally at a park. Thiscaravan distrubated thou.saids of leaflets and got peititions signed. UWOCfanned out and spoke to many people.

all U.S. power in the world. Over thd

past few years the .size of the pie ilieydivided amoiig themselves has beenshrinkin;?, and they've started to fightlike hell among themselves over whogets what share. There h;is been moreand more sh.irp disputes over whichpolicies ivill bcstprotec! U.S. interestsand which politicians will best carrythem out.

In addition to using,thoi,r secret police to attack the struggle of the people,the different sections of the ru'ing classhave increasini?Iy attemoied to use theseagencies against each' other. So whenone side ^rts exposing the Nixon administration, others leak out some dirton JFK. By now Jhey arc all the- wayback to Truman and Roosevelt, saying"they did it too".

They are also using .these exposuresto try and give .some credibility to theirgovernment arid to overcome (he growingcynicism and contempi with which a 'otof people look at the government. "Theremay hav-e been some things done wrong",they say of all these atrocities, "but atleast wo expose It and try and got rid.of the bad guys.. It shows that Americandemocracy really works."

Hogwash! It is not just one bureaucrat,or a handful of politician.s, ' or abuse ofpower in some agencies. The problem isthe capitalists themselves and their(Whole dam~ tystem, and you will nev^orjhear that on Walter Cronkite;, They are{the ones who build secret po-lfce forcesand intelligimcG agencies to concentrateeven more than (heir regular cops do onrepressing the struggle of the workingclass and other people.

As much as they want to co/er it up,these investigitions and revelations doshow just how rotten their ru'e Is. Nonew agency or legislallon can pretty itup. More importani, they show'Just howscared those capitalists .are of ourstruggle. And the fight against theirrepression should be streiiythened andbuilt as pa-t of our struggle. ■

FORDCONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

spirit of the agreement reached duringNixon's trip to China. Recently, theU.S. has given the Taiwan rulers newdiplomatic encouragement and militaryaid to keep the island from being reunited with the mainland. They hope touse it as a base for more threats and

aggression against China. This is onlyone of a whole series of recent hostile

acts by the U.S.

But tpday , the most immediate threatof attack on China comes from the Soviet

Union. The new Soviet rulers have startedseveral battles with China by trying tosnatch up^ Chinese territory. They'veencouraged other countries, like India,to attack it, while the Soviets themselves

have a million troops stationed on theChinese border. They've also tried to

overthrow socialism by using agentswithin China. These Soviet capitalistshave a special hatred for China because

China has exposed their phoney "socialism" and their real capitalism andimperialist expansion and aggression.The Soviets are counting on their fake

"socialist" label to help them deceivepeople and take over positions once heldby the U.S. imperialists.

To defend itself, as its vice premiertold Ford, China depends first on itsown strength-on "independence, self-reliance, and millet plus rifles," as he

put it. In addition, China is using tactics, including diplomacy such as theFord trip, to get the U.S. to back offChina and even to use the U.S. as anobstacle to Soviet plans to attack China.

The necessities of capitalism itselfare driving the superpowers to war.Their talk of "detente" is a smoke

screen to hide their real bloodthirstynature. In exposing this and delayingthe outbreak of war, China is helpingthe revolutionary struggle against thesetwo big oppressors to gather strength.The existence of China Itself is proof

that the working class can break freeof the system which has already causedso many wars.

ters demanding workers fired and suspended for leading a work stoppage berehired. At GM's plants in Saginaw,Michigan and Wilmington, Delaware,workers have put the company on noticewith strike votes as part of the fightagainst speedup and work standards.

Here in Wisconsin, workers at AMCin Kenosha and Milwaukee are startingto organize themselves for the important battles ahead. With a future of

layoffs and speedup, there is no otherchoice. In the companies drive to compete for profits, they will stopatnothing.Auto workers can pay no respect tothese profits, nor can we be bound bytheir rules.

A3 yet, most of these battles in autoare. disconnected and many are shortlived. But more and more workers are

seeing through the illusion of individualsolutions to the crisis and pointing outthe co-oi^atioh between the companyand the union leadership.Many workers are getting organized

to take matters into their' own hands

and keep them there. The skirmishes

going on now are the beginning of morewidespread and conscious struggle ofthe working class that Is bound to bedeveloped in opposition to the desperate profit drive,,-^which the capitalistclass calls its ̂ recovery" .

Like one young worker in kenoshasaid, "We won a big victory when theycouldn't make us second shift peoplework first shift. We've got to tell everyone how we got together and we wona victory. That's what it's all about.Just look at how many of us thereare". ■

d"RECOBRO"?OBREROS DE AUTO DICEN NO!

La economia se va recobrando. Ya

se aj:aba la 'peor recesidh desde losafibs 1930s. Ahora viene la prosper-idad. Eso es lo q,ue dicen los porta-voces del govierno y la industrla.Como prueba, apunlan al aume.ito daventas de carros,

Pero de veras es todo el opuasto.A ellos , el "recobro" no tiene oadaque ver con inas trabajos, menos in-flaci(^ o mejo'as condiciones de tra-bajo. Cuando dicen que viene el re-cobro, significa que estan haciendo todo

lo posible para aumentar sus gananciasy echar hacia abajo aun mas a la genteobrera.

Preguntala a cuitiguier obrero de autoque significa el "recobro^n la Industrieautomotriz. De hecho, en rauchas plan-tas, la prodiccion esta subiendo alnivel de septiembre 1974, antes de .latremenda ces.anlla. Pero eso se alcanzamayormen'-e por acelerar el trabajo.Las compamas estan llamando a regre-sar a trabajar a los mas pocos obreros

posibles.Tratan de usar ciertos estadistlcas

para esconder ia verdad. Segun laclase dominante, hay "solo* 80,000 obreros de auto despidos todavia, de los278,000 cesaites el invierno ^sado.Pero lo que no dicen es que ahora hay

178,000 menos trabajos en la Industrieque habfa en el otdno de 1973. A losque han sido echados o jubiiaios j auehan renunciado, se anade los millaresde obreros que han perdidosusderechos

de ser llamados a trabajar otra vez,

pues que han estado tanto tiempo delayoff que los economistas no les tomanen cuenta como obreros de auto.

■ La planta Dodge Main- de Chrysleren el area de Detroit es an buen ejem-

plo de ese tipo de "recob"o*. El septiembre pasado rcalizaba 120 carrospor hora, con '0,030 obreros. Este

ano, al mom';nto de ̂ mbiar el modelosl5lo acerca de 7000 obreros produ^fanel mismo numero de carros; Y ahora,

despue^s del cambio del modelo, laChrysle,r ha sentado nueva mciquinariapara nuevos randolos de" carros loscuales requieren aun mas trabajo, mien-tras se ha anadido el mas mmimo

numero de obreros posible.Junto con el apresuramlento que esta

pasando en todas plantes las companiasde auto tambien estan usando todos otros

metodo.'i posibles para "recobrar" altasganan^ias. No se repara bastante lamaquinaria. Como resultado, durantelos cuatros meses pasados se les mate

a obreros en el curso de trabajo a tres

plantas en el area de Detroit: La SterlingStamping de Chrysler, la Sterling Axle deFord y la Maintenance and ConstruccionUnit de Ford a River Rouge. Tambienhay habido un gran aumento en el numerode obreros perdlendi) los dedos y lasmanos.

Ademas, de eso, los obreros son for-zados a aguaniar el ultraje de sobre-tiempo masivo en algunas plantas mien-tras millares de obreros de auto, inclusoen el mismo local, quedan sin trabajo!

. Ni la habladuna del recobro ni elfrib maneradeesos ataquespuede esconder el hecho de que las tres grandescompanies deautq ahora sehallanenunasituacion desesperada. La competencia

.entre las companias de auto y entre e-llos y sus rivales extranjeros esta cre-ciendo mas aguda. La meta mas fundamental de esa rina esquienpued^pro-ducir a la taza de ganancia mas lu-crativa, pues que la renta de todas hasjdo bajando. Les es necesario tenerganancias mas altas para reemplazar lamaquinaria para produclr carros m^spequenos, y comprar nueva tecnologiapara acelerar el paso de trabajo en losmodelos existentes. Asl* tratan de ex-pandir su porci<m de un marcado diminuendo al costo de sus competidores.

Desde 1974 se han usado las grandesalzas de precios para mantener sus

ganancias. Pero esa solucion ha liegadoa ser menos y menos posible porquela gente ya no pueden comprar los carros de alto precio. Al fundo, la competencia entre las companfas es unacompetencia de explotacion, dequienpu-eda sacar lo mas del trabajo de los o-breros de auto con el menos gasto.Pero los obreros deautonohanaguan-

tado todo eso sin resistir. Mientras

crecen los ataques barbaros, sube elenojo dD los obreros de basCo Batallaspequenas han surgido en mu;has plantasen Detroit y a traves {fel pafs.

como parte de la lucha contra el ap-resuramiento y normas de trabajo.Una lucha semejante y muy signif-

icativa se llevo a cabo recientemt'itea la Ford en Mahwah , New Jersey.A esa planta se producan el Granaday el Monarch, dos carros bien impor-tantes a la Ford. En un departamentolos obreros tuvieron un mitfn dondediscjjtieron el apresuramijnto viciosa,el atropelloy lamliminacionde trabajos.Pues que aprendieron lasleccionesdeunpare aplastado en 1973 en 4de participos4lo un departamnnto, resolvieron a

guridad.

4. Toda aceiwi disciplinaria, inclusosuspenciones, que se llevo a cabo desdeel I de junto ya no tiene vigencia, conpaga atrasada para todos los obrerosefectuados.

5. La compama acordo a suspendirpor 60 dias, mientras se negocmn otrasquejas, la provision del contrato la :ualprohibe al^looa^ salir en buelga sin laautorizaeion de la jefatura internaclonalde'l^ union.

Aunque la fech vigente del puntoquintoya se havencido^la amenzadeunahuelga

merican

MotorsMilwaukee BodyPlant

En cuanto a eso el liderato de laUAW, como los altos ofieiales de tod^slas uniones m>yores en los EstadosUnidos, han jugado un papel bien impor -tante per las comjanfas. Han hechotodo lo posible para lievar los obrerosde fila a cajones sin sa'lda y embas-cadas. Les gustan decir,"Lo que sea

bueno para la com,.anfa es bueno parael 'obrero'". A fin de cuontas, lo que

luieren decir es que los obreros debenle apresurarse para ayudar a las compamas y el "recobro" de sus gann-cias, y renir entire; si mismo.s paralas sobras.

' Pero aunque-esos lobos de^frazadoscomo ovejas han sido un obstaculo diff-cii, no han podido preven'r que Idsobreros de fila se defiendaoiA la plantaDodge Truck de Chrysler en el ^reade Detroit los obreros pusleron frenoal plande dividir yconquistarfomentadopor los ofieiales locales quienesquerfanbacer inelegibies a tener puestos. deunion a los obreros suspendidos o despidos. Clncuenta obreros de la Michigan Truck de Ford piquetearon a la jefatura de la union para adelantar ialucha para volver a trabajar obrerosdespidos y suspendidos quienes habiandirigido un para de trabajo<- A lasplantas de CM en Saginaw, Michigan,

y Wilmingto.i, Delaware los obreroshan votado por avisar a la componiaque son listos para irse en huelga,

llevir la lucha a toda la planta. Debi^a sus eSfuerzo tomo lugar un mitinde union d-s la planta entera. Tresciento gente participaron, yotando un-—animtJ-m-jhte en favor de tener un votede huelga el 9 de septiembre.

El votqjêûlto 2,462 en pro de dec-lararse en huelga y 752 en contra.Aunque los ofieiales de union empe-zaban aêntorpecer las _cosas, los obreros siguieron impalsandolas. FrejiUa la amenaza de huelga, la compmjatrataba de fijar sobretiemix) para aum-tentar el inveutorio. Pero eso solo echom/s coraje a los obreros y inten.5ifi-caron su determinacion po: sallr enhuelga. Cada dfa -il 90 porciento dela mano de obra Uevaban botones im-primidos con la sola palabra,HUELGA.

Enfrcntada asi, la compama fue for-zada a anunciar las sigulentes conoes-siones el 1 de octubre:

1. La Ford acordo a despedir a sudirigente de la planta actual, indicandosu "desacuordo con sus practicas deatropello,"2. No mas sobrecargando de trabajoso eliminandolas.

3. La Ford acordo a empezar negocla-ciones para resolver todas las quejas

tocante a las normas de trabajo y se-

local forzo a la con^nia marcheratras un poco por 60 dias, Fue unn gran

victoria, pues que una de las trampasusadas por las companfas y los ofieialesde unionespostergartodaaccioiidespuesde un voto^en favor de la huelga a unlocal y esperar hasta que la situacion"se calma". Asf los ofieiales de lainternaciosial y las com;-mas han tra-bajado codo co.i oodo para ntrasar lalucha en toda la induslria. Lo que ahora

se plantea es como desarrolla- la luchaa base de tales victorias y no permitir

que la compama y sus lacoyos de unionestasajaj" esas avances com;i ya se vantratando de hacer.

Todavia esas batallas en la industria

de auto por lo mas, no son ligades ytnuchas son cortas. Pero mas y mas lospbrerosc'se estan dando cuenta de queno hay ningun solucion individia! a lacrisis, Mas y mas -obreros s^ilan lacooperacion entre la comi.»ama y elliderato de union.

Muchos obreros se van organizando

para tom^r la Iniciativa en sus propiosmanos y mantenerla. Las pequel^s batallas actuales son el embrion de una

lucha mas ampiia y conciente de^losobrero^ que seguramente surgira erioposicion al empuje desespierado paraganancias el cual los capitalistas llamanel "recobro".®

Pagina 3 ,

Trabajadores da Kraft airopaiianlas esqulraias y las corlas

Durante el verano, los obreros deuna de las plantas de Kraft Foods en

Allentowp, PA., mar,I ' .'on una luchaabierta para conseguir el derecho dereconocimiento de la uniffn.

En esa lucha, 1000 huelguistas demo-straron como se debe tratar a los

policias, sus reglas y esquiroles.

Cuando los obreros se declararonenhuelga, Kraft consigultf que un juezdiera una orden para limitar el piquetede los huelguistas permitiendo que losmayordomos y camiones cruzaran laslineas.

EjCsde el principio, los huelguistasdijeron, al diablo con los mandatesde la corte, no nos quedaremos sen-tados a depender do Ibogados, tampocoesperaremos por la NLRR.

Ellos se dieron cuenta de que necesi-

taban apoyp de otros obreros. Trabajadores del Srea respondieron contri-buyendo con miles de dolares en apoyoa la huelga.

Un boicoteo local de Kraft foods se

llevo a cabo en ,todo el valle de Le-

high y en una planta cercana de Kraftfoods que tampoco tenian uni€n, sedeclararon en huelga por un. dia ensolidaridad. En Bethlehem Steel en. la

ciudad de Pottstown, 1500 obreros seofrecieron para hacer piquetes.Este tipo de solidaridad de clase puso

a los senores de Kraft muy preocupa-

dos, de manera que publicaron un artfc-uio en un perlodico local dic^ndo quela huelra habiaterminado, que los obreros debian volver a sus trabajos y quela policia estaria alia para prote^r alos esquiroles, como lo expre^o unobrero de Bethlehem, "Kraft esta dec-larando la guerra a cada obrero de"esta area.*

Al otro dia el sheriff y los esquiroles tuvleronque volverse cuando vierona 400 huelguistas de Kraft y a otrosobreros del piquete queestabanarmadosde gruesos palos.Uno de los esquiroles le hecho el

auto encima a uno de los obreros

cual estaba en muletas, por lo quehuelguistas le destrozaton el auto yle gatabatearon "ESQUIROL', enpinturaroja las murallas de su casa.

Kraft consiguio una ley nueva y me-jorada qua ordena a los huelguistas amantenerse a cuarto de milla de dis-

.tancia de la planta.

El primer dia, la ley tuvo su efec-to con los oficiales de la union dlciendo"No hay nada que se pueda hacer*.Pero al ̂egundodia 150 obreros marcha-ron hasta las mismas puertas de Kraft,

mientras sus filas engrosaban hasta 300obreros, marcharon decididos hasta loscuarteles de los Policias del Estado yles dieron una lecciona los esquirolesantes que los policies pudieran res-catarlos.

DOS seraanas mas tarde Kraft cedloa reconocer la union UAW Local 1881,una ver^dera victoria, empezando unafundacion^firnie para lucha que viene,Los policias y esquiroles habianfallado.

POR^LOS TRABAJADORES DE KRAFT FOODS, LA UNICA MANERA DECONSEGUIER LA UNION ERA FUE NO DEAR ENTRARA LOS ESQUIROLES.

DESEMPLEOSCONTINUA DE LA PAGINA 1

arrestarles, la gente alla'tantolesapoy-aban que pudieron quedarse sueltosrcantando y haciendo discursos.

nueva YORK

En Nueva York la marcha paso porel area comerclal de la calle catorcehasta la Union Square. Millares deobreros de todas nacionalidades mos-traban su solidaridad con la marcha.Frente al banco Chase Manhatten lospiquetes gritaron, "Dice la gente obre-ra—que paguen los bancos y patrones."En su bandera teni^^ las palabras,"Crisis de' la Ciudad—Al Diablo conlos Bancos y las Ganancias—Que Paguen los Bancos y Capitalistas.* Unrepresentante de UWOC hablode la luchapor trabajos en este ciudad y los des-pidos de obreros municipales. "Losbancos han realizado millones y ahoraestan tratando de salir de su crisis

dirigente de la oficina de de^empleohabia avisado que no podia reunirse conel UWOC. Le dijeron a el, "De todosmodos, regresaremos." M^Ts tarde esecambi^ la mente cuando los obrerosmarcharon en la oficina y le confron-taron. Los obreros le quejaban de suscasos, y ̂ 1 respondia prometiendo re-sultados. El UWOC el dijo que regre-sarm si no fueron satisfechas sus pro-

mesas. Muchos de los esperando en laslineas le dijeron, "Bueno, apunta elnombre nub tambien."El otro dia habfa dos resultados.

Se avanzo la fecha del examen de tes-tigos de^un obrero quien se habia des-pido por organizar una uni6n y ahoraes miembro activo del UWOC, Otro per

sona reciblo dos cheques que antesr habian sido detenidos. Habia dejados u

por modo de quitar el dinero de aquipara invertirlo en otra parte. Queremostrabajos, no despidos!" Despues marcharon a Union Square, donde la pri-mera "marcha de hambre' empezo'^enlos anos i930's.

MILWAUKEE ^En Milwaukee la gente marcho en la

lluvia fria. A pesar del tiempo muchosobreros juntaron la marcha, inclusoobreros jovenes y algunos estudiantesde secondaria. Al fin de la marcha hubouna asamblea en una sala, donde unosde los obreros jovenes hablaron de

como no hab(a ningunos trabajos ob-tenibles a ellos menos que unos aMcIX>nalds a unsueldodebajodelmfnimolegal.Una semana antes de la protesta el

.trabajo de part-time para tomartrabajo de tiempo completo/y en se-guida fue despido. Por cso se le habianegado sus beneficios de desempleo.

DETROIT, CHICAGO

En Detroit habia'um tremenda res-puesta a la accicTn. La gente en el centre fue conciente de la demanda yv.lamarcha por trabajo, pues que se sen-

ti^ mucho falta de trabajos alla^"

La marcha -se paro''frente a unafactoria'pequena para respaldar la luchade uh obrero expulsado. Confrontaronal patron para demandar que pagarael seguro de desempleo al obrero. Elpatron ordeno''a sus gorillas a "tra-yer la pistola.* No obstante, los obrerosle inmobili^o*^a este, y le forzaron aescuchar. Le dijeron que el UWOC ibaa pelear.En Detroit recientemente se empezo

a poner una pena de 13 semanas sincheque a los quientes han sido echadosde trabajo. El UWOC dice, "No pode-

mos vivir tres meses^ sin ningun in-

greso!*Se llevo^a cabo un piquete mfiy ani-

mado frente a una oficina de desempleo en-Chicago. En la semana anterior el UWOC habian repartido ojassuel-tas a casi cada oficinai en la ciudad,y cientos de obreros desempleados lle-vaban botones con 4a lema "TrabajosAhorita* y la fecha de la manifesta-cidn. Al piquete un mJeml^o de UWOCdiscribio como desde anos habi^ sido.empujado a trabajar 12 o 16 Floras aldia hasta que de repente la plantase cerro.'^Un obreros de la industria•electronic^ hablo'^de la lucha contralasce^ntia en esa industria.

LOS ANGELES, SAN FRANCISCOTambien en Los Angeles habia' una

linea de piquete a la oficina de desempleo. Participaron acerca de 80 per- •sonas. Una senbra habia estado esper

ando desde las ocho de la manana, cuan

do pensaba iba a comenzar, hasta las9:30. Participaba todo el dia, ,y al finpregunto,'^ "Cuando sera'la^roxima ac-cio^" La gente en las lineas respon-dio con entusiasmo a unos cantos muybuenos. Unos preguntaron, "Pues, quepuede lograr cantando?" Pero comodijf? un obrero, "Hey llevado tres anossin encontrar trabajo y lo que heyencontrado es el UWOC." ,

En el Area de la Bahia de San Fran

cisco tres caravanas de carros desd|San Jose, San Francisco y la Bahiade Este se juntaron en la playa de es-tacionami.ento de un gran supermarcado..Despues tuvieron una concentracion enun parque cercano. La caravana dlfun-dio'^millares de volantes y consegui(/firmes en la peticion de UWOC. Alparking, los miembros de UWOC habla-ban con mucha gente y muchos se jun-

.taron la protesta,Un obrero joven hablo de como era

difi^il encontrar trabajo y hasta viviren una manera decente.Un veterano se

dirigio''a los problemasdelosveteranos,a como un tercero de todos prisionerosson-yeteranos, y como les es tan difi-cil encontrar trabajo sobre todo de-bido al gran numsro de licencias de-shonradas. Una miijer del Comlte''Or-ganizador de Obreros de la Electronica

hablo'^ de los millares de cesantes yla paga de hambre y condiciones pdsi-mas en el trabajo en esa indestria.

Cantaron una pareja de clase obrera

que se llama Prarie Fire, entre muchoaplauso.^1 otro lunes se llevo^a cabo una

linea de piquere grande. Confrontaronal dirigente regional del serguro de

desempleo. Este t^taba de disculparsediciendo que habia hecho todo lo pos-ible. Le respondieron que no habia

hecho bastante, que debiera de avisaral gobierno y la industria que no haytrabajo^ y estamos resueltos a tenertrabajo, y hasta lo consigamo's, segurode desempleo. Una emisora en Oaklandrecord©''y difundio la confrontacion entre el UWOC y el director, v

En Rochester, Nueva Yofk, un obrerodeclarof "Trabajaba una semana y derepente me despidieron. Nopuedodes-pedir a me^familia ni a mis cuentas.Por eso estoy aqui para luchar contraeso y todo el maldito sistema!" Esofue un sentimiento comufi a las acciones

de UWOC que tambien tomaron lugareh Cleveland, Cincinnati, Denver, Dayton, Portland, Seattle y otras ciudades.

Estas demonstraciones estan desar-

rollando nuestra fuerza. Pero todavia

estamos empezando nomas. La luchava siguiendo, y creciendo.'

Pagina 2

Para e I Area de Mi/waukee y Wisconsin

ener 0 1976 Vol.1 Numero 4 25 t

La demanda resuena mas fuerte: *. .-.S»

iTradalos Ahoral

LOS OBREROS DESDE VARIAS INDUSTRIAS JUNTARON OTROOBREROS EN VIENTE Y CINCO CIUDADES AL ATRAVE« DELCAMPO DEMANDAR TRABAJOS 0 INGRESOS ~

Ya se va agotando hasta ol ssgurode desempleo de Iqs obreros despidDSdesde las Navidades de 1974. y.todaviano hay trabajos obtenlbles. En Ids diaries se lee las noticias sobre el au-mento de comercio a las casas deemp^os. Alcanza al 40 porciento enDetroit a la Fedoral Collateral Society,segun el gerente-^40 po'vJ snto mit^s altoque hace dos anos, y con la taza deinteres a tres porcien!;o por m?s, osea 36 porciento al anbj Nadie quieredejar en prenda sus cosas, sobre todoa. las Navidides, y cuando^t^ne quohacerlo ss porque es el ultimo re-curso para conseguj.r . un poquidito -dedincro _o una comida mejor para lasfiestas. Eso muestra como estan tra-tandu .le forzarnos a vivir.En las ciudades principales durante

las fiestas el Comite"' Organizador daObreros Desempleados (UWOC) marcho'en las calles para difundir lasdemandasde los desempleados: "Trabajos AhoralExtiende las Extensidhes! Que No *=^6Rebajeii las Estampillas de Comida!"

Habia marchas por' las calles dedistritos commerciales demonstra-ciones frente a los supermarcados, car-avanas de carros alargando por lascaravanas de carros alargando por las,carrete-ras llevando decoraciones decarteles y'la insignia del UWOC, con-frontaciones a la oficina de un alcalde,piquetes adentro y afuera de las ofici-

nas de desempleo--todos mostrando laactitud firme de los desempleados.Como

dijo una mujer a la oficina de des-empelo a Germantown en Filidelfia,"Ya estamos harto de como. van lascosas aqui. Vamos a bregar con eso,y ganaremos!"'Los especta^ores escuchaban a las

protestas y lineas de piquete. Apere-cieron en las noticias en el radio yla TV. Pues, teni/n que hacer caso,porque la gente_prestaba atenciofu

La gente saludo' a las accibnes conputws alzados y . tocas de boclna, Alas pficinas de desempleo y en las calles muchos se juntaron a las marchasy manifestaciones.

BIRMINGHAM, HOUSTON. En Birmingham, Alabama unos detectives trataron do impedir los mani-festantes. Uno loS tiro"^una ta^a decafe a ellos, pero sin exieo. Lospiquetes siguieron a confrontar al alcalde en su oficina, y la protesta apere-cio en la TV. El alcalde siempre pre-tende ser preocupado oor el desem.oleo.El UWOC le pregunto—entonces porquemando la policia para atacar a la nnr-eha? ' "

Era la primsra accion del UWOCen Houston, Tejas. Obreros emoleadosya desempleados unieron, con acercade 100 gente ̂ dentro de la oficina dedesempleo. Aunque se les amenazaba a

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Otra vez el gobie^o de EE.UU. seha metido en otro pals donde no corre-sponde. Otra vej en los diarios selee del "interns nacional" y menclonesde "ayuda y consejeros militares" y"negatives oficiales". Otra vez le tocaa la gente americana oponerse a lasaventuras militares de la clase dom-

inante.

Esta vez lo que los capitalistasamericanos quieren tenerbajasucontroles Angola. Desde aflbs el gobiemo deEE.UU ayudaba a Portugal para sos-tener su mando colonialista alM mien-

tras sacaban provecho las corporacionesde EE.UU . "Shora han tornado parteen incitar una guerra civil entre lasorganizaciones las cuales habianluchado

para librar Angola del colonialismoportugue<El gobierno de EE.UU. ya admite

que ha enviado $25 millones en efectivoy armas durante los tres meses ̂ Itimospasados a la UNITA y el FNLA, losdos grupos que son re^paldados porlos EE.UU. Ya est^n enviando $25millones mas , y aiin mas "consejeros."Los EE.UU. tiene como aliado elregimen racista y colono de Sudafrica,que ha invadido Angola y participadoen la guerra.

La clase capitalista de EE.UU. tieneun rival en sus intentos para negacal pueblo de Angola su independencia

y controlar el pais. El rival es laUnion Sovietica. Pues que ahora este

A AngolaAgarrar

es capitalista y no socialista, es elcompetidor principal de los EE.UU.para el robo internacional.

Despiles de que se cumplld la victoriacontra los Portugueses y se form(5 ungobierno de coalicirfn compuesto de lostres grupos, las superpotencias se met-

ieron con motones de "ayuda"' paraaprovecharse de las diferencias entre

las tres organizaciones. Anteriormentenunca prestaban ayuda consecuente.Los sovi^ticos han llevado mucha

ayuda a una organizaci(fti, el MPLA.Han echado armas, tanques, cohetes yhasta aviones de MiG a Luanda, laciudad capital de Angola. Tambie'n hantraido 5000 tropas de Cuba, cuya economic es gravada con una hipoteca alos capitalistas sovie'ticos. Sulider FidelCastro ha prometido, "Nosotroscubanosjama's seremos desleales ni, desagre-decidos" a Breznef y compania.

Para justificar lo que esta haciendocada superpotencia apunta al envol-

vimiento de la otra y sus partidiarios.Pero las dos estan en busca del control

sobre la tremenda riqueza de Angolay su situacion estrategica. Angola tienepetroleo, oro, diamantes, hierro y otrosminerales, ademas de una tierra yclima tan buenas que ya es el terceroproductor del caf^ en el mundo. Susituacitm es importante para puertosnavales en el Atlantico del sur y parainfluir todo el cono sureno de Africa.

Mientras la guerra en Angola estasigmendo el envolvimiento de EE.UU.esta creciendo. Hay un gran debatedentro de la clase dominante americanatocante a como mejor proceder, peroson todos listos para sacrificar lasvidas de millares de la gente de Angolapara servir sus intereses. Depiende enlo que pasa, podrian mandar tropasamericanas alia para reenforzar sus

intentos.

La unica solucibn a esa guerra enAngola es que deban de quitarse lasdos superpotencias y los otros paisesque -son sus aliados. Que dejen en

paz al pueblo de Angola para re solversus discordias. '

Mas y mas el sentimiento de la genteamericana esta por impedir que el

gobierno nuestro taje otro pais.W

LAS TROPAS AFRICA DEL SUR INVADEN ANGOLA

U.S. Makes Grab For Angola

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