The campaign will be kicked off with a weeklong sales mobilization. Young Socialists and other youth will spearhead teams taking the paper to farmers along the Mississippi River affected by the social disaster in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, to working people along the Gulf Coast, as well as other areas.

Reports from just six cities—Chicago, Detroit, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and the Twin Cities—show sales of more than 800 Militants since the walkout by mechanics, cleaners, and custodians at Northwest began August 19. These have been sold at airports and labor rallies where the airline workers’ fight was featured.

Campaigners in the Bay Area have sold more than 200 to airline workers. “We sold 19 copies yesterday at an entrance to the airport where most of the United Airlines ramp workers go to work,” said Betsey Stone from San Francisco in a September 6 note. “Everyone had an opinion on the strike. Most supported it, pointing to the assaults the airline bosses have carried out against all airline workers.”

SWP candidates have joined many of these teams. In addition to expanding Militant sales, their efforts have helped extend the reach of socialist campaigns among working people.

Using the front-page statement from the SWP national campaign in response to the social disaster in the Gulf Coast region, Brian Williams reported sales of 25 copies of last week’s Militant in an evening at the Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York. “Many students were drawn to the Militant’s explanation of the class-biased and racist response by the U.S. rulers to the needs of working people affected by the disaster,” said Williams. “Another attraction was the article on Cuba’s offer to send 1,500 doctors to help in the relief effort. ‘I’m from Cuba,’ one student said. ‘I heard about this. I want to get one of those papers.’”

Socialists in New York sold another 124 Militants at the September 10 Labor Day parade in the city, largely due to the paper’s coverage of the Gulf Coast disaster.
 
 
Related articles:
How workers in battle transform themselves
Working-class response to Gulf Coast disaster at center of New York event on 9/11
SWP launches $90,000 party-building fund  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home