EL SALVADOR—"I've overcome my fear," said a comrade in a meeting with workers from several factories, mostly women. "In the last strike we almost got killed. We had some very difficult days. The union negotiated with the bosses. I had read Red Flag, but had not attended any activity. When we got to the first meeting I felt relieved when I heard the people leading the meeting talking about the role of unions, saying that they only prolonged the enslavement of the workers."

"I could not believe it. A fellow worker and I were in total agreement. It was exactly what we were living through. We were fighting in the streets; they were spraying us with fire extinguishers and beating us while the union leaders negotiated," pointed out a very excited new comrade of the International Communist Workers' Party. "I am very happy to be here. Thanks for inviting us; I want to learn more about the line of ICWP," she concluded.

When the meeting started, each of the participants introduced themselves. After the international report, a comrade asked if anyone knew that today the World Cup ended.

Immediately a comrade responded: "In the factory where I work, the bosses organized a competition for production and have called it the World Cup. They placed a flag on each module representing a country. Where I am is Ivory Coast. This week the factory round of sixteen is ending, and at the end of each round at 3 pm they tell us which modules have qualified."

"What the bosses want is to raise the bar and set it there," pointed out a leader of the workers.

"The prizes," the worker continued, "are, for first place, a trip to a resort, and for second place, lunch with the factory owners."

"Wow, what prizes!" said sarcastically another comrade from the same factory who was assigned to Croatia.

"The person who supervises my module likes to win and wanted us to increase production, the quality and quantity. I don't go along with these things just because the supervisors order it, because I believe that this is super-exploitation. They don't want us to go to the bathroom so as not to waste time; also if there are three mistakes in the clothes they take it out of our pay."  When the comrade recounted this, all the comrades reacted with outrage.

A worker indicated that it was necessary to read Red Flag, and that working men and women have to pay attention to the MTA articles and how they relate to workers' struggles all over the world and how they can be resolved in favor of the working class.

"I have decided to join ICWP. I want to learn more and organize more comrades to communist ideas. I'll be at the next meetings of ICWP, plus I'll have a notebook and pen to write down everything we go through in the factory," the worker concluded.

The meeting was attended by young men and women workers who are beginning to work in factories and want to know more about the International Communist Workers' Party. Some of the comrades, women garment workers, brought their parents, one of whom was very active in the meeting and made ​​it clear he wants to continue in ICWP

We ended the meeting with tasty chicken and rice and, for dessert, snow-cones which were welcome in the midst of the 36° C (97° F) weather. At the factory the world cup has not ended, but workers, men and women, will score one on capitalism, organizing for communism. Read and distribute Red Flag.

Join ICWP!

July 15—The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) wants to double workers' contributions to health care and make them pay into the pension funds forever (instead of for 10 years).   MTA also wants to double the time it will take workers to reach top pay, from 5 years to 10 years.  Workers have been on the job without a contract since 2010. 

LIRR strikers block a station during their 1987 strike

The bosses seem to want to force a long strike that they hope will weaken the union.  New York Gov. Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, and the New York Congressional delegation agreed that the US Congress will not intervene to prevent a strike.  NY MTA chief Tom Prendergast said that "the MTA today has a far stronger . . . plan. We're better prepared than we were in 1994." 

Thus, LIRR workers are on the defensive.   Trade-unionism can't get them – or any of us – out of the box we're in.  Even a militant strike that tied up the city beyond the bosses' expectations wouldn't move them forward.  These workers, and all of us, need to make our fight against capitalism itself. 

Red Flag readers, especially bus operators, mechanics and service attendants at Los Angeles MTA, should prepare for communist solidarity with the LIRR workers in case of a strike.  That means spreading the call for a political strike against capitalism and for communism.  It means spreading Red Flag further than ever – if possible, to transit workers in New York City.

Thanks for calling me regularly. I like very much to talk to you about the politics of what is happening in India, Bangladesh, Qatar and the world. I want to tell you that now I also speak to my friends about these things. My friends come from many countries like Syria, Gaza, Iraq, Philippines, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. I always tell them to read the Red Flag so they know what is happening. My friends like very much the article in the Red Flag about Qatar. We workers have a very difficult life here but when we read that many workers are organizing to end this system, it gives us many hopes for the future.
We also face much racism here. I work with many Arabic workers and they don't speak English but I feel we have the same problems. I want to talk to them about what I am learning about communism but I know now that the only way I can explain communism to them is if I learn Arabic. My friends and I work many hours and different days so it is hard to make regular meetings as you suggested to me, but we talk about communism and some articles of the Red Flag when we are able to have time. I hope I meet you soon.

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