Ground Zero at the shipyards

[Charlotte Kates <ckates@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

**Ground Zero at the shipyards**

(Reprinted from the May 18, 1996 issue of the People's
Weekly World. May be reprinted or reposted with PWW credit.
For subscription information see below)

"This is ground zero," said Donald Cohen of the San Diego
Labor Council's Labor to Neighbor project. He was referring
to the political landscape and San Diego's unique position
in it this election year. He could just as well been talking
about the 130 acres of waterfront known as National Steel
and Shipbuilding Co. (NASSCO).

Workers at NASSCO have been fighting against union-busting
for over four years now. We have struck back in more ways
and at more times than we care to remember. Each time we
have had little or no progress with our leadership
discredited and our organization stalled. It's as if the
bosses knew what our every move would be - and they probably
did! The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently
found NASSCO guilty of using FBI/CIA-like technology to spy
on employees and union activity. Eight additional charges of
bad faith bargaining are now in court. NASSCO hired the
biggest union-busting law firm in the country to handle its
work. The fact that the firm of Littler-Mendelson is known
around the industrial relations community as the firm of
Hitler-Mussolini gives some idea as to the politics
involved.

Why is such a major effort being made at a seemingly
unimportant corner of industrial America at this time? As
head of the Shipbuilders Council of America and a member of
the San Diego Republican leadership group, NASSCO President
and CEO Dick Vortmann is going to use NASSCO to showcase the
labor policy of the right wing at the coming Republican
National Convention.

Rank-and-filers keep right on fighting in spite of all this.
We have gained enough energy to create a progressive
coalition in the local labor movement, start up a NASSCO
Communist Party club and call for a work stoppage at the
time of the Republican convention - all in addition to our
other efforts to defeat the Contract on America and snuff
out the whiff of fascism.

We are asking for national support of our fightback because
this is a fight for all of us. As Danny Morales said during
a yard meeting at NASSCO: "There is a revolution in this
country, but it isn't going to be won by running off to the
wilderness with a lot of weapons. The coming victory will be
taken by the workers - organized, united, and fighting!"

-Moe Radd
##30##
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_____________________________________________________________________________
    Charlotte L. Kates     ckates@xxxxxxxxxxxx        Collingswood, NJ

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