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Vets Join Fight Against Foreclosures

By VVAW

A group of unemployed steelworkers, including a number of Vietnam vets, marched outside the Allegheny County (Pittsburgh) offices to protest a sheriff's sale; signs said "No Work, No foreclosures."

"We are facing the potential destruction of our communities with rising mortgage foreclosures. We will not allow this to happen, said Robert Anderson, spokesman for the Mon-Valley Unemployed Committee, a group first organized by laid-off steelworkers. The committee helped remove two unemployed workers' homes from this month's sale—one family was able to file bankruptcy to stop foreclosure, temporarily, and another family is working out a payment plan with their bank.

Ron Richards of McKeesport, whose home was one of those saved from the auction block, said he tried for 9 months to work out a payment schedule with a savings and loan. He was laid off from Westinghouse in September and fell behind on payments. "We were making no headway, but once the delegation (from the Unemployed Committee) contacted them, they seemed more than willing to work out terms, "Richards said.

Anderson said the Unemployment committee's mortgage project was more successful than individual efforts because "It makes the problem more public. It lets them know it's not isolated incident. It's an epidemic, " he said. "If we all stayed individuals, we'd be strangled to death."

Material sent in by Bob Anderson, VVAW Homestead, PA.