7000 march to support Jay paperworkers strike

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'You've got to get the scabs out.' JAY, MAINE-On April 30 close to 7000 people from all over New England gathered in this small but now widelyknown town to participate in a march and rally in support of the United Paperworkers International Union (UPIU) Local 14, whose members have been on strike against the gigantic International Paper Company for over 10 months.

The march to the gates of I.P.'s Jay papermill was the largest labor demonstration in Maine's history. UPIU's strike against I.P. is also the longest-running strike in Maine since World War II.

The marchers returned from the plant gate and assembled in the high-school gymnasium for a raucous indoor rally. The strikers heard messages of support from a number of labor officials, including the state APL-CIO presidents from Maine and New Hampshire, and Frank Myers, AFL-CIO regional president for the New England Local support for the Jay strikers was evident from the numerous local elected officials who addressed the rally. Especially encouraging were messages of solidarity given by unionists from places across the country far from Jay. A letter from Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Jack B. Real praised the Jay strikers as being "in the vanguard of the struggle of all workers."

John Skerts of Ironworkers Local 2055 in Wyoming addressed the crowd and was interrupted by one of the frequent outbursts of feet-stomping applause when he told the story of his union's strike. Local 2055 members walked off their jobs over a year and a half ago, on Oct. 5, 1986, and have been fighting for a decent contract ever since.

Skerts said that when his union heard about the Jay solidarity rally, they decided to come and give their support in person. It was important enough to them, he said, that they somehow managed to scrape together the money for two plane tickets.

Also present were UPIU members on strike against I.P. plants in Mobile, Ala., tailored to this strike ("I.P.'s Got a Union Tiger by the Tail"). The crowd, too, periodically took matters into their own hands and led those at the podium in thunderous rounds of "Scabs out, Union in!"

"It's all one way"

UPIU Local 14 President Bill Meserve had harsh words to describe the conduct of I.P. in recent negotiations. "The bargaining process has become a laughing stock," he said, "it's all one way—their way!"

Company management had made the resumption of negotiations contingent upon the union putting its Corporate Campaign on hold for the duration of the talks. During this time money offers were made to the workers.

Gary McGrane, a spokesperson for Local 14, said, "I.P. tried to buy me out by offering me $5000 for 10 years' service." One worker commented to Socialist Action that this was merely "propaganda to get

Scabs

Andy Barclay or cummings Jack Williams Bop Marcotte Frank Hiscock •Howard Robert son Harvey Chase, Jp Dion Schrock Jr. Henry In Grillis Folder/Socialist Action service to a mass-action strategy.

For example, Rogers told the Jay rally: "There has to be some thought of massive non-violent civil disobedience. If the rank and file decide to close the plant down—do whatever it takes-I will be first in line. Corporate Campaign will be behind it all the way."

The Corporate Campaign Caravan is being supported by Jay high-school students whose parents are on strike. Seventy-five students wore strike T-shirts to school one day because, as one of them staffing a Caravan table at the rally put it: "We wanted to let them know that we are a majority."

All students were sent home because they were forbidden to "bring the dispute into the school." However, the student reported that the children of scabs had been wearing I.P. shirts to school without any intervention by school administrators. The students working with the Caravan have launched a campaign to take their message

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LABORERS LABORERS INTERNATIONAL URION OF MA LOCAL 133