The Militant Fighting Fund was established to help defend the Militant against a harassment lawsuit filed by C.W. Mining, the owner of the Co-Op coal mine near Huntington, Utah. The socialist weekly has been targeted because of its consistent news coverage and editorial support to the efforts by Co-Op miners to win representation by the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) in order to seek livable wages, safe working conditions, and dignity on the job.

The Militant Fighting Fund is also publicizing the defense efforts of the UMWA and 16 Co-Op miners, who are also defendants in the suit. The union is represented by its general counsel and individual miners are represented by counsel provided by the UMWA.

The effort to defend labor rights is winning support worldwide. New endorsers include International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1316 in Beaumont, Texas, which also donated $500; Douglas Polley, president of the North Georgia Building Trades Council; UNITE HERE Local 2 in San Francisco; and Sandra Stimpson, Georgia director of UNITE HERE.

About 20 unionists in Minneapolis/St. Paul signed up leading up to a March 25 meeting to defend labor rights held at the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 789 hall. They include Ted Ludwig, president of Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association Local 33, which has been on strike against Northwest Airlines since last summer; Ken Hooker, president of International Association of Machinists Local 1833; Steve Nwaiwu, organizer of Service Employees International Union Local 113; and Jennifer Christenson, secretary-treasurer of UFCW Local 789.

Others who attended the National Black People’s Unity Convention in Gary, Indiana, also endorsed. They include Chris Silvera, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 808 in Long Island City, New York; Vivien Dixon-Shim, president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1363 in Miami; and Mike Payne, political/community action representative of International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1526 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Endorsements have come in from Canada, New Zealand, and Sweden too. Ray Urquhart, lead organizer for the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union in Huntly, New Zealand; Lionel MacEachern, chief steward of UFCW Local 175 at Maple Leaf packing in Hamilton, Ontario; and six members of the Food Workers Union at the Atria Lithells meatpacking company in Stockholm, Sweden, signed up.

The defense effort also won support at the First National Congress for the Decolonization of Puerto Rico held recently in San Juan. Endorsers include José Solís, a professor at the University of Puerto Rico and a former political prisoner framed up in Chicago for supporting independence for Puerto Rico; and Luis Rosa, another independentista and former political prisoner.

The fund’s administrative center has now been relocated from Salt Lake City to Philadelphia. Endorsements and contributions should be sent to the Militant Fighting Fund at P.O. Box 42896, Philadelphia, PA 19101. The e-mail address remains the same: militantfightingfund@yahoo.com  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home