Re: SWP

[glevy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

David Walters wrote:

> 5. If you respond to any of the above, please explain why Pathfinder decided 
> to
> jump up their prices to that usually accorded to university presses? With over
> %75 of the printing done on West St being commercial printing (you all know 
> that
> the SWP is one of the largest commercial printers in NY) you think they would
> lower the prices of the books they'd actually like to sell?

What do Pathfinder employees, all of whom are party members, NOW earn?

As of 1980 they were paid a subsistence wage (remember this is in NYC!)
of, I believe, $65/week. Of course, they were expected to give part of
that $65 back to the SWP in dues and weekly payments.

Is this not super-exploitation?

BTW, if you wanted to organize, you were not only told that you would be
expelled but also fired.

Given the starvation wages paid to employees, one would think that
Pathfinder could easily sell their books at below market prices.

On the other hand, they need the extra $ to subsidize the HUGE
bureaucracy at West Street. I bet that the SWP has more full-time
functionaries/capita than any other group on the US Left.

Jerry


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