Anti-recall crowds grab PWW/NM in California

DELANO, Calif. – “May I have three more copies for my friends?” said a farm worker at a United Farm Worker rally here last weekend. He was referring to that week’s edition of the People’s Weekly World with a front page headline, “California Labor Thunders: No Recall.” I was glad it was on the front page of Nuestro Mundo, because most of those waiting for the rally to start were reading the article in Spanish. I distributed two bundles to the sun-bronzed workers who pick the grapes and cotton in the fabulously productive San Joaquin Valley. One young UFW member stood in front of the TV cameras holding up that PWW “No Recall” front page like a poster as UFW President Arturo Rodriguez spoke.

Everywhere I have traveled covering the fight to stop the recall of Gov. Gray Davis, distributors have been handing out the paper. When 600 union leaders met in Los Angeles to strategize against the recall, Kelly McConnell was there distributing the PWW. Ali Cooper, Political Accountability Director for the Sacramento Labor Council told us, “You guys are doing a great job. Thanks for all your coverage.”

The following weekend was Labor Day. McConnell told me by telephone that he and four other distributors gave out 1,000 PWWs at the downtown rally in L.A. and another 1,000 at the Labor Day march in nearby Wilmington.

Then on Sept. 7, a team distributed 2,000 copies to the Mexican Independence Day march in L.A. Several bundles were distributed at both the Sacramento and Alameda County Labor Day picnics.

Gerald Kucharenko said a team handed out 200 papers to the crowd at the Yerba Buena Labor Day celebration in San Francisco. “We have pretty much covered all the big antiwar and anti-recall rallies recently,” he said. “We have given out literally thousands of copies to those demonstrations.”

It underlines just how crucial the World is in exposing the role of George W. Bush and the corporate ultra-right in this recall. We are offering a generous discount on subscriptions to California readers as part of that drive. It costs a lot of sweat, tears, and money to carry on this struggle. So please, open your checkbook and write out a check to Long View Publishing to keep our presses rolling. Or donate on-line at www.pww.org. Do so today!

The author can be reached at greenerpastures21212@yahoo.com