The Militant (logo)  

Vol. 72/No. 27      July 7, 2008

 
Socialist campaign completes
Washington ballot effort
(front page)
 
BY DAVID ROSENFELD  
SEATTLE—Workers gathered around Alyson Kennedy to talk with the socialist candidate for vice president as she campaigned outside the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 19 hall at the Port of Seattle. Kennedy toured here June 18-24 at the close of a successful petitioning effort to get the Socialist Workers Party ticket on the state ballot.

John Fischer, a retired longshore worker, gave Kennedy a hug, saying, “I’m really glad to see you again.” In 2004 Fischer helped organize solidarity with striking coal miners at the Co-Op Mine near Huntington, Utah. At the time, Kennedy was one of the striking miners who traveled to Seattle to speak to members of the longshore union. Several veteran union members recalled the visit and the solidarity and money that was raised for the miners’ fight.

Kennedy told the workers that “my running mate, Róger Calero, and I are candidates because the Democrats and Republicans don’t represent the working class. We need a labor party based on unions that really fight for the working class. The Democrats and Republicans will always do what they are told by their wealthy masters.”

Kennedy and her supporters also met younger longshore workers, called casuals because they are not in the union and have no guarantee of getting job assignments. “We are lucky if we get one day of work in a week because of the recession,” one told the socialist candidate. Kennedy explained that “when Calero and I are in office we will fight for public works programs to provide jobs at union scale, repairing and expanding affordable housing, and build reliable transportation, quality schools, and much needed infrastructure improvements.”

Kennedy also stopped by the PCC Grocery Store where some of her campaign supporters, members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21, work the night shift. A group of workers expressed their support for Kennedy’s campaign and offered her samples from the dessert case. “I haven’t signed your petition yet but I want to,” said one woman who gave her name as Cara.

“I heard you were a coal miner,” said Marie. “I’ve read about the life of coal miners and the dangers they face. What can be done about the safety issues?”

While Kennedy was in Seattle, supporters reached their goal of gathering 2,000 signatures to place the SWP candidates on the ballot. “This is double the amount of signatures required by the state,” said Mary Martin, SWP candidate in the 7th Congressional District. “We are confident that we are in a strong position to win ballot status for the working-class alternative in 2008.”
 
 
Related articles:
SWP certified for Colorado ballot  
 
 
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