Washington campaign fails to push struggle forward

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won a comfortable majority in this city's recent Democratic Party primary. Washington received 573,962 votes (53 percent) against Jane Byrne's 504,275 votes (47 percent).

Washington now faces three major opponents in the April 7 general election: Tom Hynes, a representative of the old Daley forces on the Chicago First Party ticket; Ed Vrdolyak, the central leader of the racist bloc opposing Washington in the city council, on the Solidarity Party ticket; and Don Haider, a representative of Chicago's weak Republican Party.

Although nothing is certain in the Immigration (continued from page 1: “["It's simple really. If you FLOAT, we give…]”) unions and legal-aid organizations attended and exposed various threatening aspects of the new law.

The analysis presented by the speakers showed that Simpson-Rodino is basically an anti-labor law, an interference with employer-employee relations, and an intrusion into unions and their mem -bership. Employers have to verify that their workers have legal status, but some companies have put this burden on the unions. They demand that hiring halls check documents and certify their members' citizenship status before they are sent on the job.

It is possible that unions will be liable for damages if they refer an ineligible worker. They must also keep files on the citizenship status of every member-files that are open to INS inspection at any time.

The way unions can fall into an INS trap was recounted by David Sicker, regional director of the AFL-CIO. Strikers at a plant with many undocumented workers called the INS to get scabs deported. Then the boss called the INS to deport undocumented strikers. Union campaigns in Southern California were sabotaged when employers called in the INS just before the workers were to vote on union representation.

"Unions have no place in enforcing immigration laws," said Francisco Garcia, a Mexican-American legal defense lawyer. Instead, he pointed out, unions are the best organizations to defend workers against INS-instigated firings.

The law provides a "grandfather" clause Vote for SWP A special election will take place in California's 5th Congressional District on April 7 to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Rep. Sala Burton. This district includes most of the city of San Francisco.

The San Francisco branch of Socialist Action recommends a vote for Cathy Sedwick, candidate of the Socialist Workers Party. The SWP's election campaign calls for "money for jobs, not war," "no contra aid," "stop racist attacks," and "break all ties to South Africa." The SWP campaign also calls for a break with the Democrats and the formation of a labor party. 6 SOCIALIST ACTION A turbulent world of Chicago politics, it appears as if Washington will win the general election. The consensus here is that the racist opposition to Washington will be divided among the three white candidates, and that this will allow Washington a victory.

While there was an increase in racial tension during the election campaign, the atmosphere here is certainly not as charged as it was during the last campaign in 1983.

Washington has virtually the complete support of the Black community. However, this time around, there was not such an intense feeling of moral crusade in the Black community as there was during the last campaign.

"A referendum on racism?"

For a large number of white people supporting Washington, wearing the mayor's popular blue and white campaign buttons was seen as affirming a strident anti-racism. For their wearers, especially among students, the Washington campaign buttons became an anti-racist symbol, somewhat similar to the Touche pas a mon pote (Hands off my buddy] buttons of the French SOS-Anti-Racism movement.

Despite all these good intentions, this election was not a "referendum on racism." The Washington campaign was completely within the framework of the Democratic Party, which is a racist party.

which is supposed to protect undocumented workers who were hired before Nov. 6, 1986, when the bill was signed. But workers who have been on the job as long as six years are being fired. Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union, Local 2, in San Francisco has forced several restaurants to rehire union members who were illegally fired.

Immigrants face Catch-22

Simpson-Rodino is presented as an opportunity for undocumented workers to achieve legal status. But according' to Michael Calabrese, an official of the national AFL-CIO, the INS has designed the law to fail—to keep down the numbers. The rules are so complex that the refugee is constantly running into Catch-22 situations.

While waiting the many months required to determine his or her status, a refugee must have a job. But the INS says it will not issue work permits in these cases. So the refugee can stay temporarily, but may have to go on welfare. Here Catch-22 operates again. If applicants have ever been a "public charge," they may not be eligible, even if they meet every other requirement.

The Molders Union in California has filed suit to force the INS to grant work permits to refugees while their cases are pending.

Many refugees have given up hope for sanctuary in the United States and have headed for Canada. But Canada nas tightened up its more liberal laws on political sanctuary. Refugees must now stay in the United States while their Canadian application is being processed. This means they might find themselves back in Central America if and when Canada finally says yes.

While all unionists condemned SimpsonRodino, many speakers concentrated on ways union locals could help their undocumented members get through all the obstacles to legalization. Much time at the conference was devoted to details of the new regulations, many of which are not yet in final form. The INS is providing 30 days for public comment on its rules as they are promulgated.

One rule that has already raised protest is the $185 fee for a single application for legalization. A man and his wife would be charged $370, and each child a further $50up to a maximum of $420 a family. Legal fees and the cost of medical PRIL 1987 Washington has gone out of his way to repeatedly stress his commitment to the Democratic Party, and he lambasts anyone who questions this commitment. He and his supporters, including Jesse Jackson, have vigorously campaigned for national Democratic Party support and called for party discipline to be taken against Democrats who don't support Washington.

Nor has Washington's campaign aided independent mass action or "created a better climate for struggles," as his left-wing supporters would say.

The boycott of Revlon by Operation PUSH is virtually the only protest activity going on in the Chicago Black community today. The lock-out of the Chicago Tribune workers lingers on without mass support being organized for the workers.

Washington's stance toward the recent decision of Sears & Roebuck to lay off 1800 workers at their westside plant is instructive. He talked privately with Sears & Roebuck executives and gained an "understanding" that only 800 workers would be laid off. Sears' bosses then turned around and said this was "inaccurate;" in reality all 1800 would be out the door!

There is simply no evidence from the Washington campaign to back up the assertions that Washington is straining to the limits his ties to the Democratic Party or that his campaign has increased the level certificates could run the expense up to Unions must do more While admitting that undocumented union members need help, other speakers pointed to the danger of playing according to INS rules. A more militant stance of opposition was urged.

David Sicker, regional director of the AFL-CIO, called for a drive to organize the unorganized. "There is as strong a need for organization today as there was 40 years ago," he said. "We must be concerned also with the interests of the millions of workers who will not qualify for legalization. These workers can be organized if we respond to their concerns."

A weakness of the conference was that it was limited mainly to the nuts and bolts of Simpson-Rodino. No one challenged the 12 months for $6 6 months for $3 Enclosed is a I want to join information.

Name.

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Send 3435 Army of independent social electoral politics.

Hampers antiwar organizing

The draining of activists' energy into the Washington campaign has seriously weakened the antiwar movement here. In most of the country, coalitions building the April 25 demonstrations are gaining momentum every day. In Chicago the coalition's base has been relatively small and the coalition has been hampered by internal problems.

The reason for this weakness is clear. Many of the activists who normally build antiwar actions in Chicago have thrown all their time and resources into the Washington campaign.

Chicago Socialist Action is supporting the write-in campaign of Pedro Vasquez of the Socialist Workers Party for mayor. This campaign, unfortunately, has been organized in a very low-key way.

However, Vasquez clearly calls for working-class opposition to the Democrats, support for a labor party, and building independent mass actions such as the April 25 demonstrations. For these reasons his campaign merits support.

While many people in Chicago are forgetting this reality today, there is only one force that is going to bring about real social change-the independent action of the working class.

capitalist use of immigration control solely to regulate the supply of labor. No one raised the point that farm workers were given special status so that agribusiness could pay low wages. There was little emphasis on the right of asylum.

A number of demands that should have been considered at the conference include the following:

That all refugees be granted asylum.

That all immigrants now in the country be given legal status, the right to work, and the opportunity to acquire citizenship.

That Simpson-Rodino be repealed, INS raids halted, and the U.S. borders opened to free passage.

It is hoped that such proposals will be insidered by the labor movement at future bor/community meetings. contr Action. I Tel..

St., Rm. 308, San Francisco,

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