The Militant (logo)  

Vol. 79/No. 16      May 4, 2015

 
(front page)
‘Militant’ kicks off subscription, fund drives
 
BY EMMA JOHNSON  
The Militant subscription campaign is off to a good start! In the first 10 days supporters around the world won 481 new and renewing subscribers toward the quota of 2,000. Several areas are already considering raising their goals.

The seven-week drive runs concurrently with the annual Militant Fighting Fund, crucial to putting the paper out — and underwriting the introductory subscription offer of 12 weekly issues for $5. Just over $6,800 came in last week.

“We sold four subscriptions in the first half hour,” John Staggs from Philadelphia said by phone April 20. “We did two blocks with family houses in northeast Philly. In three hours we won eight new readers.”

“This was a new area, mostly Caucasian with many union members” Staggs said. “Among the new readers are a union postal worker and members of the Teamsters, the Carpenters union and the Communications Workers of America.”

The team, made up of Staggs and two Walmart workers, found support for the fight to raise the minimum wage, for safety and against one-person crews on the railroads. The postal worker said all new hires where she works are on lower tiers and treated like temps.

“The Militant seems to be a paper with the real news, not the fake news,” she said as she filled out the subscription blank.

The majority of the new readers signed up when partisans of the paper knocked on their doors in working-class neighborhoods in big cities, small towns and rural areas. The drive got a boost at the April 15 national day of action for $15 and a union, where dozens of protesters signed up to get the socialist newsweekly.

Supporters in New York joined actions April 15 in different parts of the city. Throughout the day they sold 35 subscriptions and more than 100 single copies of the Militant.

Everyone who signs up can buy books published by Pathfinder Press and issues of the New International magazine at half price. Eighteen of the new readers in New York took advantage of this offer. Seven went for Malcolm X, Black Liberation, and the Road to Workers Power by Jack Barnes and three picked up Teamster Rebellion by Farrell Dobbs.

In Montreal, Josette Hurtubise renewed her subscription and decided to get Mother Jones Speaks.

“I’m a teacher, a job mostly occupied by women, and reading these stories is a good source of inspiration to continue the struggle for women’s rights and to keep what we have gained,” she said.

The Militant Fighting Fund lets readers who appreciate and respect the paper join in financially backing it.

“We sent in $1,055 toward our goal of $10,000,” reported Ilona Gersh from Chicago April 20. “A member of the United Auto Workers at an Illinois plant that makes train locomotives contributed $70 to the fund as he renewed his subscription.”

“I am very pleased with your paper. It gives me news about workers all over the world,” wrote a Florida prisoner, renewing his subscription. Workers behind bars are some of the most loyal readers and have a very high rate of renewal. Six have already sent in subscriptions, putting them well ahead toward the goal of 15. The Prisoners’ Fund makes it possible to offer the paper to prisoners at no cost or sharply reduced rates.

Join other readers in reaching out broadly with the paper, and please send a generous contribution to the fund. Contact a distributor listed on page 8. And send us reports on your progress.
 
 
Related articles:
Sign up 2,000 subscribers! April 11 – June 2 (week 1) (chart)
Militant Fighting Fund April 11 – June 2 (week 1) (chart)
 
 
 
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