Andrew Pulley, tional.
Phil Hearse and Tessa Van SWP, about the US elections. ported the Equal Rights Amendment? siderable labour movement ac- there has been contion in support the AmendSeveral big tions took place in the past year, one in Virginia, which consisted primarily of labour organisations, and a huge march Springfield Illinois, in which they played a prominent part.
Only three more states need to ratify the Amendment and it becomes part of the Constitu1° The National Organisation of Socialist Challenge 6 November 1980 THE United States has elected a new president. In Britain, TV and press concentrated on the match between Carter and Reagan, but these were not the only candidates. Also standing for the presidency was steelworker the candidate Socialist Workers Party, an organisation in political solidarity with the Fourth InternaGelderen spoke to DOUG JENNESS, a leader of the Women is striving for an alliance labour movement. agreements at the top, legitimises the idea of an alliance amongst the base of both movements. has the blacks declined in the In the late 1960s black people were inspired by the success the civil rights smashing legal segregation, and they went on to win concessions like jobs' and anti-poverty programmes. We think that desegreFor The menau years the living standards o American workers are bein airfies, the employers want to How are they drive down the real income of the the American worker;
business profits they have cut SOCISCIVICES. tion and held down wages. But the workers, defeated in no major struggle, are becoming angry, and Trustl alcus There has number of wildcat strikes and big but this struggle of 1970s?
of movement shipyards in Virginia, black responfor many years. even seem to feel boost towards they were a decade ago. resisted unionisaIrao. There has Iran.
open to been a growing to recover the hostages.
the 1930s. time the enders sations like the Black battles over unionisation. At the draft (or Newport News, and white workers shared in the most im- unpopular. portant strike victory in America On White workers less hostile black rebellions than tions on America's rulers have failed Wto work up a patriotic fervour workers over events in for example, been a total unwillingness to sup port the idea of using US troop:
leagan out The move to re-introduce the gation was the most important victory in the class struggle since the construction of the CIO in go forward.
But today the leadership of the black movement is in crisis.
In the new ecanomic climate, the runng class Is granlig icw con cessions to the black community SWP so that black leaders of a middle class outlook have nothing to ofAt the same most militant black of the late 1960s were assassinated and militant organiPanthers -were smashed by repression. oine draft registration) following the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, was thoroughly the other hand, labour leaders have persuaded some of their followers to accept the idea or import controls and testic immigrant workers, whom they accuse of stealing the jobs of Americans.
What does the SWP think of the suggestion that workers should vote for Carter to keep 'he American party system Only by joining forces with labour can the black movement The Democrats and Republicans have millions of dollars to spend on TV advertising. Can small workers' party like the hope pact? It was hard for you even to get on tne danor Despite the struggle we had to get on the ballot, our candidates eceived some publicity on loca . TV and radio Still our ideas, in some form or reach millions of people. different to the European. T two big parties the Democr are bo same capitalist party there significant bourgeois party.
The problem is that althou a substantial portion of the dustrial working class is organ ed in powerful trade unions th is no mass party of labour. T idea of forming such a party t been at the forefront of our ca paign.
We get to talk to thousands peopie in factories, on campust and at our forums. It all helps win people to the party.
we will or course not will l presidency 100,000 votes. But the vote is n the main thing; it is the oppo ideas and to in new recruit t tunity to get out and fight fo socialism.
The SWP has been involved a major legal battle with tl FBI and other state agencie What is the result?
Watergate revealed inform
Jamaican elections