S.F. coalition sets fall peace actions

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SAN FRANCISCO—In response to the bipartisan U.S. war drive and continuing attacks on the standard of living of working people, two important fall events have been announced in the Bay Area. A concert/rally is scheduled to take place on Oct. 26 and a conference for peace, jobs, and justice will take place on Nov. 2.

The conference is designed to deepen the involvement of labor and its allies in the antiwar movement and to initiate plans for a massive Bay Area demonstration in the spring of 1986. Both events will focus on four demands: no intervention in Central America and the wrote, "We've got to have the strength and character to hold out for as long as necessary to achieve what we believe is right. It is not going to be easy but we will win."

A united and massive response of solidarity with the Wheeling-Pittsburgh workers will send the right message to the steel corporations. That message was summarized by one striker, quoted in the New York Times, "We've been trod on for years and we're not going to take it anymore."

Sheet metal worker: oppose concessions LINN, Ohio-The 500 members of Sheet Metal Workers Union local 141 are on strike here against several contractors who want to cut wages by 40 percent. The strike, which began on July S, is also protesting company demands to replace tine skilled workforce with pre-apprentice workers paid little more than minimum wage. There would be no guarantee that these low-wage workers would ever be accepted by the contractor into full apprenticeship status.

A journeyman sheet metal worker Caribbean; freeze freeze and reverse the nuclear arms race; jobs and justice, not war; and no U.S. support to South African apartheid.

A Mobilization for Peace, Jobs and Justice organizing committee was formed to assemble the Bay Area forces who agree to build fall protest actions. The committee was initiated by a big majority of the leaders of the April 20 San Francisco demonstration, which attracted 50,000 people.

The goals of the new organizing committee were outlined in a statement distributed at the final meeting of the Spring Mobilization for Peace, Jobs, and Justice. Signed by 24 members of the former Spring Mobilization steering committee, the statement pointed to the need for continuing antiwar mobilizations:

"The need for broadly sponsored, large-scale protest in support of the four Spring Mobilization demands therefore remains more urgent than ever.

"The Spring Mobilization's success was largely due to its ability to reach new and powerful sectors of the population. It is our central objective to continue this process. We want to expand the involvement of the labor movement, minorities, the religious makes $17.60 an hour. This may seem like a large salary, but most only work seven to eight months a year. The average salary comes out to less than $20,000 a year.

The union faces many problems in the strike, which has led some scabs to return to work. At a recent union meeting attended by 350 striking workers, the leadership explained that both Roofers Local 42 and Teamsters Local 100 were crossing the picketlines.

Since the contract of the roofers expired before the sheet metal workers went on strike, they can recognize the picketlines without legal penalties. Roofers outnumber sheet metal workers by four to one. It would be a lot easier to win better contracts for all the workers if the two unions stood together.

groups, youth, gays, lesbians, the disabled, and the elderly."

Signers of the statement included Al Lannon, president, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 6; Walter Johnson, secretary treasurer, San Francisco Central Labor Council; Art Pulaski, secretary treasurer, San Mateo Central Labor Council; Jan McCroskey, Marin County Central Labor Council; David Aroner, state executive director, Service Employees International Union (SEIU); Tom Rankin, research director, California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO; Bill Daley, secretary treasurer, Painters District Council 8; Mary Bergan, state representative, California Federation of Teachers; and Margaret Butz, deputy director, SEIU local 790.

Also included are Charlene Tschirhart, director S.F. Nuclear Freeze Campaign; Matthew Hallinan, Project National Interest; Pat Norman, Alice B. Toklas Lesbian/Gay Democratic Club; Carmen Carrillo, Alameda Board of Education; Carlos Munoz, Faculty Committee on Human Rights in El Salvador (FACHRES); community leader Bob Hernandez; Sister Judy Cannon, Sisters of Mercy; Ed Roberts, World Institute on Disability; Gene Royale, cochair, S.F. Rainbow Coalition; Howard Wallace, co-chair, Lesbian/Gay Labor Alliance, and others.

A sizable number of trade unionists have already broken with the reactionary AFL-CIO policy of supporting Washington's interventionist policies. Among these are top officials from 23 international unions who have supported the objectives of the National Labor Committee in Support of Democracy and Human Rights in El Salvador (see July 1985 Socialist Action).

Just as activists in the antiwar movement are learning that working people are an essential ally, a number of trade unionists are finding that the success of their struggles also depends on their capacity to build broad alliances with all the victims of exploitation and oppression.

It would be a mistake to look at the developments in the Bay Area as an exception. The natural alliance between labor and the community, which found an expression in the antiwar actions of April 20, will be repeated in city after city as experience demonstrates that the struggle against the U.S. warmakers abroad is no different than the daily battles which confront working people in this country. 'ON ON AUGUST 1985 5

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ANTIWAR CHALLENGE • with the insurgents. Rather, PACCA proposes