Our union along with the others gave three very long years of concessions to "supposedly" save Northwest from a certain fate of bankruptcy. Because of these concessions, the company is in a very good financial state (over $1.2 billion in cash in the bank). Northwest and the other carriers have made massive profits while the workers have given tremendous concessions. Flight attendants at AA [American Airlines] and Alaska for example fought back and won!!
It is really an insult to us all that Northwest is not willing to negotiate in a fair way. Morale right now is very low. It has been 10 years since we have had a pay increase. In closing, I want every union member to be aware of how far below industry standard we truly are - especially in retirement.
C.W.
Los Angeles, California
Free Irish activists
In the summer of 1997, the United States government
promised Sinn Fein that the remaining Irish political
prisoners in the USA would be released and that all
deportation proceedings against Irish political refugees
would be ended. Sometime in December of 1997, the White House
decided to reject the clemency appeal of Richard Johnson, an
Irish republican political prisoner. In California, three
Irish political refugees, Terry Kirby, Pol Brennan, and Kevin
Barry Artt, are being held in federal prison, awaiting
deportation hearings. In Cleveland Ohio, another political
refugee, Noel Cassidy, will face deportation proceedings this
summer. The three prisoners in California, Terry Kirby, Pol
Brennan and Kevin Barry Artt, were republican prisoners of
war, who escaped from Long Kesh detention camp in 1983. After
their escape, they immigrated to the United States, got jobs,
married, had children, and became part of the U.S. working
class, like millions of other workers from around the world.
These three anti-imperialist fighters remained supporters of
the freedom struggle in Ireland and made speeches, raised
funds, and went to demonstrations. They engaged in legal
political activity. It is because of their political activity
that they have been singled out for persecution by the
federal government.
Richard Johnson is an Irish-American supporter of the Irish freedom struggle who was simply framed up by the FBI on charges of holding contraband for foreign insurgents.
We would like to ask other Militant readers to come to the support of our fellow anti-imperialist fighters imprisoned in the United States. First of all these political prisoners need solidarity, contact with fighters on the outside of the walls. We urge you to write to one or more of these political hostages of U.S. imperialism.
The addresses : Terrence Kirby #885 33 -011; Pol Brennan # 875 71 - 011; Kevin Barry Artt #330 20 - 198 - Federal Detention Center, 5675 8th. Street, Camp Parks, Dublin, California 94568.
Richard Johnson #17422 - 038 UA56 - Box 1000 White Deer, Pa. 17887.
Also, Irish Northern Aid is calling for letters of protest to President William Clinton requesting that he release all Irish political prisoners and end deportation proceedings against political refugees.
Roy Inglee
Wilmington, Delaware
`Go to the socialists'
I am interested in your newspaper. The Militant is a
socialist paper, I believe. I am Albanian. My country now is
socialist. So I thought this would be the best way to educate
myself. "If you want to learn socialism, go to the
socialist."
A prisoner
Fishkill, New York
Add me to mailing list
I'm writing to request that you add me to your mailing
list. I'm an inmate at Angola, Louisiana, (Louisiana State
Penitentiary) and I ran across your ad in the Prison Life
magazine. I automatically became interested!
A prisoner
Angola, Louisiana
What can I do to help?
I want to receive your newspaper. Myself and two friends
are planning to found a socialist commune when we get out. I
want to educate the masses and open their eyes to the truth.
What can I do to help the socialist movement?
A prisoner
Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas
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