Reagan's America

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IN the world's richest country, the USA, an estimated iwo million people are now destitute, homeless, and on the streets.

Unemployment stands at 12 million - 11% overall, and a much bigger percentage among many groups like young blacks - and the unemployed get state benefits cut off after six months.

The effects are shown by a story sent to us by a St Louis reader from the local Globe-Democrat newspaper.

"About 1,000 people -some of them unemployed union members - stood in the mist and rain outside a Bridgeton motel Friday in hopes of getting one of about 50 jobs offered by a St Louis grocery wholesaler to replace strikers.

'I know it's rough being a strikebreaker, but, hell, there's 16 million people out of work, including me, rad i have a family to feed' said Ronald Washington, 36, of Maplewood. The unemployed truck driver who mas laid off in August is a former member of Teamsters Local 610.

Those hired from among the applicants will replace nearly 125 members of Teamsters Local 688, who vent on strike Thursday agminst Associated Grocers' Co. of St Louis, after they rejected the company's lat. est contract offer.

That proposal would redace wages by about 20 per ceat and initiate other contract concessions, a com. pasy spokesman said. Twenty-seven other employees, members of Teamsters Local 610, are honouring the picket lines.

The company spokesman said the non-union replace. Berts sould be paid $8.14 a si 42 an hour - which is 5. is ar hour than the "i padio the strik5 EC Fi == 330 tions said they were reluctant to cross the picket line, they said they had no other choice.

'I feel if anyone's going to turn down $8 to $9 an hour, they don't deserve the job' , said Scott Laurent, 22, of Jennings. 'I've got bills to pay, and I'm more than willing to work for half of what they are turning down. ' 'So, what am I going to do: worry about them, or feed myself?' , said the unemployed mail clerk who was laid off in March".

The edgy, aggressive rejection of the union by these workers becomes easier to understand in the light of another item in the same newspaper. The Globe-Democrat reports steelworkers' president Lloyd McBride deploring his members' vote to reject 10% cuts in wages and benefits demanded by the bosses.

"I was convinced that the proposal was essential. I'm disappointed, obviously' said McBride.

With leaders like this, some workers are bound to give up and go for a philosophy of 'look after no.l' Their prospects are not good - the wholesalers refused to give any assurance that the strikebreakers' . jobs would be more than temporary. And sooner or later the anger and frustration will turn itself against the real enemy -the US ruling class. reform the Stalinist bureaucracy from below: it is necessary to prepare for its tance from the international labour movement.

The danger at 1982, Jayawardene comfortpathetic new state 'unions' established by the Warsaw bureaucracy.

One-third of the Sri Herald asks, "surely they can now do the same for Comrade Mugabe?"

by Harry Sloan While Bandaranaike and