Pledges also increased substantially last week. They now stand at $42,537. Every cent is needed. Partisans of the socialist newsweekly should make every effort to collect all outstanding pledges. Because this issue goes to press the day the fund ends, it is not possible to receive all funds on time and report them here. All donations received as of next Wednesday, December 22, will be counted in the final tally.

The fund was launched October 31 to help the socialist newsweekly defend itself against a harassment lawsuit filed against it by the Kingstons, the owners of the Co-Op mine in Utah (see article in this issue). The Militant, its editor, web administrator, and 20 of its reporters who have covered the Co-Op miners’ fight to unionize are among the nearly 100 defendants cited in the suit on allegations of “unlawful labor practices” and “defamation” against the company. Other defendants include the United Mine Workers of America, 17 current and former Co-Op miners, and the two main dailies in Utah—the Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret Morning News.

Contributions and pledges to the fund from participants in the December 10 Militant Labor Forum in New York City brought area pledges to just over $10,000. That’s almost a third of what has been collected so far and $1,000 over the local goal of $9,000. The forum featured Militant staff writer Doug Nelson, who spoke about the place of the Co-Op miners’ unionization effort in the struggle to organize all of the western coalfields and broader efforts to mobilize union power to defend workers against the bosses’ antilabor offensive.

Militant editor Argiris Malapanis chaired the program and gave the fund pitch. Many of those present paid off their pledges or added to contributions they had already made, and a number pledged or donated for the first time another $900.

Organizers of the Militant Labor Forum in Tampa followed up a mailing publicizing their fund-raiser with phone calls. They were able to double initial pledges of $500 and have collected nearly $1,100. Partisans of the Militant in Los Angeles raised their goal to $3,500 and quickly exceeded that. They have already sent in more than $3,800. And in New Zealand supporters of the Militant have raised $1,050.

The fund will cover initial legal fees and costs for organizing a public defense campaign. Please send reports on the final fund-raising efforts by Monday, December 20, so they can be used in the wrap-up column next week. Checks or money orders should be made out to the Militant, earmarked “Militant Fighting Fund,” and sent to: The Militant, 306 W. 37th Street, 10th floor, New York, N.Y. 10018.  
 
 
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