AMERICAN air traffic trollers and their families must now know, and doubtless appreciate, what it is really like to live in the 'land of the free'.
Of course it is rather a different freedom than they had originally believed in. In a few short, sharp brutal days they have learned that President Reagan employers believe that the making of profit is what freedom is about, and that uppity workers who interfere in that sacred pursuit are challenging 'democracy' and American way of life.
It is defence of the capitalist version of freedom that has made the White House and the judiciary launch a series of unprecedented measures against the strikers. Measures by the way, which must turning Thatcher green with envy, doubt there is many a stalinist bureaucrat in Warsaw wishing to christ he could do the same to Solidarity.
Sacked Thirteen thousand workers have been sacked • They and their families have lost all their medical and life insurance. None of them will be allowed to work in the Federal sector again. Five union officials have been jailed. The President of the Virginia local, Steve Wallaert sentenced to 60 days jail for refusing to order his members back to work. The judge, in a display of ruling class savagery then had him taken from the court in handcuffs and leg irons.
Right acros. judges are slapping fines on the union con- which total around $100,000 an hour The judges are neutral and if the bosses want the air traffic controllers' then they are ready and willing to do their bit.
against Controllers members, is that they broke their vow as Federal employees not to strike. As the air traffic controllers' strike has Americano Socialist borkers pare American Socialist has just finished. brought against the US Government and its agencies like the FBI and the the Nixon By proof in court, mittances of the FB themse ves was shown that with the approval of the US Government these police agen Mrs cies had engaged and no tapping, burglary:
had worked with right wing extremists to organise ohysical attacks on SWH members. was a violation of the vows taken b the Government officials who sanctioned them agents who carried them out.? old before and after his resignation as President found to be a liar and a cheat who fiddled the Treasury out of millions of dollars in income tax, Norfolk, spired in burglary and bribery was defiance of the constitution he had sworn to uphold. Nixon even illegally ordered the bombing of which was a breaking of his vow thai caused the deaths of thousands of peorixon did not go to jail in irons. He got a pardon and is now doshowing that when i BONES smashed Wall Reagan's excuse for this onslaught the Professional Air Traffic Organisation and their class Workers The SWP suit was hope. dust they , and on the ad- Government.
illegal wire ing very nicely on the money he got out of the American people. None of the capitalists who have looted the na consoleo agains peoples' civil rights, and waged illegal were imprisoned They do not lose their jobs and their money which buvs them health care and insurance They have an advantage over the air traffic controllers — they own a piece of the action. The President is their man. The judges belong to them and All the cards are stacked on their side. This is why they can unleash such a fury against 13,000 air traffic controllers. T. ir iney grind Ao itohe is just the beginning they are confident that other strike will think twice, nay three or four times before they take on the employers and the An AFL-CIO official is reported