Thousands take to the streets: 'No more back-alley abortions!' STOP UNION BUSTING LABOR SUPPORTS EASTERS WORKERS

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N.O.W. President Molly Yard solidarizes with striking Eastern Airlines workers at March 14 rally in Boston. Speeches and interviews With leaders of women's movement Molly Yard, president of the National Organization for Women, predicted last year that President Bush's efforts to make abortion illegal again would "awaken a sleeping giant."

If the April 9 March for Women's Equality/Women's Lives in Washington, D.C., is any indication, those predictions are See page 7.

coming true. Tens of thousands will march But more threats from the government are on their way. The most serious challenge to legal abortion begins on April 26 when the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services. The case involves a Missouri law which states that "the life of each human begins at conception" and applies strict limits to Granting legal protection to fetuses threatens more than the right to choose abortion. It opens the door to other intrusions into women's lives. By claiming an interest in fetal protection, states could force pregnant women into Caesarian births or fetal surgery, incarcerate them for substance abuse or deny them jobs which might "endanger" pregnancy.

Even if the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion is not overturned outright, access to abortion services could be severely restricted. The Missouri statute prohibits public facilities and employees from performing abortions, even if the woman pays with her own money. It also mandates testing for fetal viability for all abortions performed after 19 weeks.

By upholding any part of the Missouri statute, the Supreme Court would deal a serious blow to the women's rights movement. Those hardest hit by an adverse decision would be those most vulnerablepoor and young women—who haven't the money or the time to plow through burdensome legal restrictions on their right to control their own bodies.

Pro-choice sentiment grows

But pro-choice supporters aren't waiting until April 26 to express their outrage. The "sleeping giant" is stirring awake and into action now. In the face of intensified attacks not only by the government but by rightwing terrorists at abortion clinics, pro-choice sentiment is sweeping the country.

By mid-March, over 400 national organizations added their names to the list of supporters of the Washington march. The United Mine Workers of America, the Association of Plight Attendants, and the International Association of Machinistsamong other unions-endorsed. For some it's the first time they've endorsed a women's rights demonstration.

Pro-choice activists at more than 400 college campuses organized Washingtonbound contingents. For most of the young women involved, abortion has been legal all of their lives. They don't know what it was (continued on page 10)

Pres. Molly Yard

• Bernadette Devlin McAliskey V. Pres. Ellen Convis!

hamstring PRIL 1989 AL FC AGO Ana. eacoc usoci si Act on made it possible to cut down the airline's operations by over 90 percent.

Since that time, the pilots have remained undaunted in their support of the machinists, in spite of the company's announcement that scab pilots will be trained.

Bosses look to the courts From the beginning, the specter VOL. 7, No. 4 50 CENTS • Cinti N.O.W. Pres. Shirley Rosser • S.F. N.O.W. Exec. Dir. Helen Grieco • NARAL Ohio Pres. Paula Mindes sympathy strike at other airlines and the railroads sent the employers, governmental agencies, and the daily press into a frenzy. "Metro area transit snarl looms!" screamed the New York Daily News. It could be "the closest thing you can get to a general strike," warned the head of the Metropolitian Transit Authority in New York.

The bosses appealed to the courts to keep the strike from spreading. Northwest and Piedmont airlines got a court order barring picketing of other airlines. Then, commuter railroads in New York, New Jersey, and the Philadelphia area were awarded a series of restraining orders against picketing.

On March 24, a federal judge ordered that an examiner be appointed to investigate the financial dealings of Eastern Airlines (in regard to Lorenzo's application for bankruptcy proceedings). The examiner would also be granted powers as a mediator in order to put an end to the strike.

The judge also allowed Eastern to refuse to provide the back pay it owes the strikers— which is estimated at $24 million to $35 million. At the same time, the court placed no restrictions on paying past wages and future wages to non-striking employees. Is the government "Impartial?" Although the Eastern strikers have virtually shut down the airline's operations, they have suffered a series of defeats in the courts. And at each stage of the battle-before the com(continued on page 4, in “UAW dissident scores gains for upcoming district vote”)

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Operation Rescue routed in Los Angeles,

Africa? See pages 7-10. UF.C.W SUPPORTS EASTERN