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60,000 Workers Shout: 'We Want Jobs Now'

By VVAW

On April 26, East Coast members of VVAW/WSO participated in the largest labor rally held in Washington, DC since the depressions of the 1930s. Well over 60,000 rank-and-file union members came to DC for an AFL-CIO sponsored "Rally For Jobs Now" held in DC's Kennedy Stadium. The union big shots and the liberal politicians had planned on dishing up a lots-of-talk-no-action program to the angry workers, hoping to keep them 'peaceful and out of trouble.' They were rudely surprised, however.

No sooner had their little song-and-dance program begun when furious workers charged out into the playing field towards the stage chanting "we want jobs now!" Waving placards saying JOBS OR INCOME NOW and FIGHT, DON'T STARVE, militant workers hooted down Senator Hubert Humphrey, who had been trundled out to blither on about unemployment and how nasty it is. The workers utterly freaked out the Hump, seized the stage and forced the union heavyweights to slink off to their wall-to-wall carpeted offices. The workers in DC on the 26th served notice on the bigtime liberal politicians and their labor hack buddies that they were tired of the bullshit runaround they've been given. People want action. They want jobs and now! Not flowery words and empty promises. The workers in DC made it damn clear that if those jobs are not forthcoming in a big hurry there is going to be hell to pay.

Our contingent in the march demonstrated among the thousands of workers that stood around outside the stadium while the short-lived rally was being held inside. VVAW/WSO members led two marches around the stadium and initiated chants with the crowd for JOBS OR INCOME NOW and WE WON'T FIGHT ANOTHER RICH MAN'S WAR. The reception we received was over-whelming.

Part of our action included a little skit on unemployment. In the skit a young worker is trying to find a job at the unemployment office. After being told that there weren't any jobs, the unemployment office director 'helpfully' steers the young worker to the nearby Army recruitor's table. About to enlist in the service out of desperation, a VVAW/WSO member stomps in and lays out exactly what military life, and imperialist war is all about. Together they then unite and beat hell out of the recruiter--a dummy made by GIs from a local military base.

It's been a long time since the depression and the massive labor struggles of the 1930s. Since then a lot of things have changed in this country. But one thing that hasn't changed is the system of imperialism we lived under in the 1930s and still ive under now. It may be getting old and infirm but it's still around to oppress us. And as long as this system continues to exist, it's going to continue make our lives miserable. But just as surely as the imperialist system insures massive unemployment as we have today, it also ensures that people are going to rise up and fight back.

JOBS OR INCOME NOW!