IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, November, 20 – "I used to get that newspaper before. How can I get it again?" a UC campus worker asked a Red Flag distributor.
"Give me your contact information and we will get it to you," answered our comrade, and wrote down the information. "I would like to know more about your Party," said a student after receiving Red Flag. She gave us her telephone number.
"I will write to your paper about racism against black students on this campus. But I'm not a communist," said a student and gave us her telephone number.
These are some of the many conversations ICWP members had while distributing Red Flag and a leaflet to striking UC hospital and campus workers and teaching assistants. About half of the hundreds of workers participating at two picket lines gladly took our literature. They were part of the 35,000 UC workers staging a one day statewide strike against the university of California system's continuous attacks on their wages and benefits.
Their response to our literature shows that UC workers are open to communist ideas, like millions of workers in motion worldwide against the ravages of capitalism.
"They do those things to us because they have the power. Last year UC big bosses got a $70,000 bonus. We got $200. They charge us for parking. Last year I paid almost $800," said a campus worker.
"That is why we need a revolution. As long as they have state power they will oppress us, and we will forever be fighting them for crumbs. Whatever we win, they take back again. That's why the union struggle is a futile, never-ending struggle. Only revolution can end it," said our comrade, adding, "we need a different system, a different society and a different world." That was the message of our leaflet to these workers:
"We need a communist revolution and a communist society where the working class – without the capitalists, money, profits or empires – will be society's main concern. Communist production will be for need. Nothing will be sold or bought. Everyone will contribute to society according to his or her commitment and abilities, and will receive according to need.
"A world without money will have a different set of social and production relations: communist relations. Communist education will play a big role in developing these relations. Communist education will foster collectivity and cooperation, not capitalism's individualism and competition that reproduces the dog-eat-dog mentality of the capitalists.
"Communist education will unite theory and practice to break down the division between mental and manual labor. No one will only do mental work and no one will only do manual work. The farm worker and the agronomist will be the same person; so will the construction worker and the engineer; the orderly and the doctor.
"Communism will eliminate the fancy titles and diplomas that capitalist education fosters. No one is better than any one. We are all useful to society and as such we should all be treated with the same respect and appreciation, and most importantly, should receive everything we need to live the most comfortable and dignified lives possible. "Only in communism – with no money to put a price on our labor or lives – can everyone have the best health care possible. Only in communism can we have our needs fully guaranteed from cradle to grave."
The response of these workers and students shows that our future is bright! That future is communism! Let's hasten it by joining ICWP!