Building April 20 across the country

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SAN FRANCISCO-The Spring Mobilization for Peace, Jobs, and Justice coalition, which is building the April 20 demonstration in this city, has been endorsed by all seven of the San Francisco Bay Area AFL-CIO labor councils; the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU); the largest Teamster local in the area; the majority of the city council members in San Francisco; and hundreds of religious, community, peace, and student organizations.

The extent of labor support for the April 20 action is unprecedented. The Santa Cruz Labor Council, for instance, has chartered a 4000-seat passenger train to transport unionists and community activists the 70-odd miles to San Francisco.

"This is perhaps the broadest coalition of labor and community groups ever put together in this area, said Al Lannon, president of Local 6, ILWU, who serves as co-chairman of the mobilization.

Regularly scheduled Saturday working-committee meetings of the coalition have been well-attended as the momentum of the action continues to grow. Two benefit cocktail parties, a dance, and a music concert are being organized to help raise the $60,000 budget.

Office space, equipment, printing facilities, and several thousands of dollars in donations have already been received from the ILWU, the Service Employees International Union, the International Molders Union, the California Federation of Teachers, and the Painters union.

Three paid staff members are helped by several other full or part-time volunteers. Community Latino organizations have provided a staff person to specifically concentrate on involving Latinos in the demonstration. Similiar eftorts are being made to involve the Black community; lesbians and gays; and women's, studênt, and religious organizations.

Special events and materials are also being prepared to encourage the formation of contingents in the demonstration. For example, a Labor Speak-Out against the War in Central America and Apartheid is being proposed for March 21, and coordinated campus actions are being suggested for April 11. In addition, the coalition will seek •to strengthen its links to religious organizations when a delegation meets with San Francisco Archbishop John Quinn.

The coalition has established headquarters at the SEIU offices at 240 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco 94102. For further information call (415) 771-0882—CARL FINAMORE • New York NEW YORK-The building by the New York April Actions Coalition of the April 20, Washington, D.C., demonstration and of the events associated with it is picking up momentum.

The second meeting of the steering committee of the coalition was held on Feb. 13 at the headquarters of District 65 of the United Auto Workers union. As at the first meeting, over 100 members of local trade unions and Central American solidarity, peace, anti-apartheid, Black, and Latino organizations were present.

After discussion, it was agreed that all events of April 19-22 will be described in a bilingual leaflet but that the April 20 demonstration will be highlighted, as this action will undoubtedly draw the largest number of people.

It was announced that the coalition has already secured the endorsement of several labor leaders from the New York area. Other prominent endorsers include the Rev. William Sloane Coffin, City Council member Ruth Messinger, g SOCIALIST ACTION and New York Assembly member Frank Barbaro.

The next meeting of the steering committee, the decision-making body of the coalition, will be on March 6 at 7 p.m. in the headquarters of District 65, 13 Astor Place, second floor. All interested individuals and organizations are welcome to attend.

Those seeking information or wishing to participate in the work of the coalition may call or write the New York April Actions Coalition, 19 West 21st St., New York, N.Y. 10010. Tel. (212) 242-1040 or 673-1808.

Los Angeles LOS ANGELES-The Los Angeles April 20 Coalition was formed last Jan. 31 at a meeting here attended by 125 activists. Participants came from a wide range of peace organizations, labor unions, Central America solidarity groups, and socialist organizations.

The coalition is planning a march on April 20 along Broadway in the Latino community, culminating in a rally at City Hall. It also adopted the four sets City Hall on Feb. 5 of demands of the April Actions for Peace, Jobs, and Justice in Washington, Most proposals for other demands were rejected by the participants, but there was agreement to add support to rights of undocumented workers, an end to deportation of Central American refugees, and support to the sanctuary movement. These were considered particularly important for the action in Los Angeles, where there is a large population of refugees from Central America.

To implement the plans of the April 20 coalition, several work committees have been meeting. In addition, meetings to build the Los Angeles action have taken place in San Diego; and there are plans underway for participation from numerous cities in Arizona.

The Los Angeles April 20 Coalition can be contacted c/o WILPF, 4603 Prospect Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027.—MARC BEDNER Cincinnati..

CINCINNATI-The second meeting of the Cincinnati April Actions for Peace, Jobs, and Justice coalition took place on Feb. 9 with the participation of representatives from the Central American Task Force, CARE, the NBIPP, the Organization of Arab Students, as well as various unionists and community activists.

The coalition is planning to send a large contingent to the April Actions in Washington, D.C., on April 19-22. Supporters of Socialist Action have urged an all-out mobilization for April 20 and have advocated that the decision-making in the coalition be on the basis of "one person, one vote" as opposed to "one group, one vote."

A third coalition meeting is scheduled for Feb. 23 with the purpo of organizing outreach to the labor 1 vement and to the students. —MARGA RET KELLEY movements urges attendance at four ing coalition meeting Feb. 23. curr plans are to send at least two Ises the Washington demonstration. —SHIRLEY PASHOLK Ann Arbor.

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—The University of Michigan chapters of the Latin American Solidarity Committee (LASC), Faculty for Human Rights in El Salvador and Central America (FACHRES-CA), Michigan Alliance for Disarmament (MAD), and the Puerto Rican Solidarity Organization have all endorsed the April 20 demonstration in Washington, D.C., as the culmination of winter-term 1985 activities against U.S. intervention in Central America.

In January LASC organized several demonstrations against CIA recruitment on the University of Michigan campus, and MAD held a two-day "Conference on Deadly Connections" among nuclear war, interventionism, and social oppression.

On Jan. 31 over 150 people attended a FACHRES-CA talk by Professor Tommie Sue Montgomery of Dickinson College on "El Salvador: Five Years of Civil War."

Ms. Montgomery spent many months among the guerrillas in the liberated zones of El Salvador as well as in Nicaragua.

A few days later, on Feb. 4, hundreds attended a debate between Peter Rossett of LASC and Lt. Col. James Sivells of the U.S. State Department on the nature of U.S. intervention in Nicaragua. Shortly afterwards, LASC announced plans for a "Central America Week" to be held in late March. -ALAN WALD Houston HOUSTON-A broad coalition of forces met here on Feb. 13 to establish a Coalition for a Texas Spring Mobilization. A series of peace, solidarity, student, and Hispanic organizations decided to call for a regional demonstration in Houston on April 20 in support of the four demands put forward by the national April Actions coalition.

The coalition will work with groups and individuals in Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and the Valley to build this demonstration. In addition, the coalition will focus its efforts to mobilize around some issues especially important to Texas. These include the deportation of Central American refugees, the persecution of sanctuary workers, and the participation of Texas National Guard units in the April maneuvers on the Honduras border with Nicaragua and El Salvador.

For more information on the April 20 demonstration call (713) 529-0446.Boston BOSTON-The Boston April Actions for Peace, Jobs, and Justice coalition is mobilizing for the Washington, D.C., actions. The initial endorsers include various union locals and peace and solidarity organizations. Discussions are still under way as to whether or not priority for buses and publicity will be given to the April 20 national demonstration.

With just a few weeks left before the action, the task remains to broaden the coalition and to do massive outreach work. An important step in this direction will be the mass leafleting scheduled for March 23, 24, and 30.

The outreach task force meets every other Saturday at the Old Cambridge Baptist Church, 1151 Massachusetts Ave. The next meeting is scheduled for March 2. For more information call (617) 491-4214.—DAVE WALSH