1984 Democratic Presidential Primary

The Rainbow Coalition and the Labor Movement
Jesse Jackson is Labor's Best Choice

The 1984 Democratic Primary offers a unique opportunity for working people - a chance to go beyond the "lesser of 3 evils" to a candidate we can be enthusiastic about - JESSE JACKSON. For working people in this country, JESSE JACKSON's positions, and his actual history of struggle, are far superior to those of Mondale and Hart. The JACKSON Campaign can help strengthen the labor movement-since only 20% of all working people are in unions - by reaching out to the vast majority - the organized and unorganized, the disenfranchised, the "boats stuck at the bottom."

• PEACE AND NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT

The slogan, "No More Hiroshimas, No More Vietnams" summarizes JACKSON's bold views on peace. Nuclear war has always been a technological possibility since the advent of nuclear weapons in 1945. But under the madness of the Reagan administration's "nuclear war is winnable" approach, four more years could transform an ominous possibility into a horrifying reality. As JACKSON points out, the half-hearted opposition of Mondale and Hart, "with a dove in one hand and a missile in the other", is a weak alternative to Reaganism. JESSE JACKSON is aggressively demanding an immediate Nuclear Freeze, opposes the MX, Stealth, B-1 bomber and Euromissiles, supports a "No First Strike" pledge. He has brought more than just a set of "positions" to the peace issue, but a RAINBOW COALITION of Blacks, Whites, Latinos and Asians that can actually make these demands a reality. JESSE JACKSON has steadfastly called for U.S. troops out of El Salvador, Nicaragua and Grenada and is the only candidate who has demanded the U.S. withdraw economic and political support from the racist South Africa regime. His bold policy on the Mid East, recognizes both the territorial integrity of Israel, but also the right of the Palestinian people to a home land, and their own political leadership - the Palestine Liberation Organization. This is the only plan that can actually produce a long-term, stable peace in the Mid East.

• FIGHTING DISCRIMINATION

Perhaps the most shocking aspect of Ronald Reagan's victory in 1980, was the large number of working people who voted ·for him. Reagan's blatant appeals to the fears of many white workers, and his use of the White House as a forum for racism is a terrible threat to the labor movement. Many progressive white workers, as well as Black, Latino and Asian workers understand that unless we challenge the deep-rooted racism in our society, we will watch an already weakened labor movement disintegrate from within, and racist demagogues like Reagan could be re-elected.

JESSE JACKSON IS THE ONLY CANDIDATE WHO HAS ACTIVELY OPPOSED THE SIMPSON-MAZZOLI BILL: This bill would tighten restrictions on immigrant workers, set up a system of national identity cards similar to the South African "pass system" and by focusing on "employer sanctions" would further discrimination against all Latino workers.

JESSE JACKSON IS THE ONLY CANDIDATE 'WHO HAS ENDORSED THE DEMAND FOR REDRESS AND REPARA­TIONS FOR THE 110,000 JAPANESE AMERICANS WHO WERE INCARCERATED IN CONCENTRATION CAMPS
IN WORLD WAR II.

JESSE JACKSON IS THE ONLY CANDIDATE SPEAKING OUT FOR THE STRICT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 1964 VOTING RIGHTS ACT IN THE SOUTH. Even today, practices such as the double primary and dual registration cast the shadow of the plantation over Black people's continual struggle for even the simple right to vote.

• TRADE UNION DEMOCRACY

WALTER MONDALE courted and accepted the endorsement of the AFL-CIO, knowing full well that it did not come through a democratic vote of the rank and file.
GARY HART courted the AFL-CIO, and only after being rejected, hypocritically criticized Mondale for being "beholden to special interests".

JESSE JACKSON has opposed the AFL-CIO's efforts to prevent local unions and officers from endorsing candidates of their choice. He has proposed a democratic and innovative plan whereby each major union would hold a membership referendum for the Democratic candidates, and each candidate would receive a percentage of union funds based on their percentage of votes of the membership.
In fact, Jackson's proposal would increase the strength of the union movement. Under his plan, whoever won the nomination would go into the fight against Reagan on the basis of a democratized and enthusiastic membership. You can be sure that Reagan will exploit the undemocratic endorsement of Mondale in his reactionary appeal to union members in November.

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• JOBS AND SOCIAL WELFARE
  

"Full employment and functional job training is the prerequisite and foundation for all other progressive economic and political change."
JESSE JACKSON's demand to cut the defense budget by 20% is a major step towards world peace. But it is also essential if we have any hope of funding vital social services such as social security, aid to families with dependent children (AFDC), job training, pre-school programs for our children, schools, hospitals, parks and training for the disabled. For Hart and Mondale to criticize Reagan for massive federal deficits, and promise the people the re­storation of vital social services in one breath, and then call for increasing the military budget by 4% in the next breath, is the height of election-year deception.
JESSE JACKSON understands that unless giant conglomerates stop bleeding healthy industries, only to finance unproductive takeovers, and are forced to reinvest profits to rebuild industry, capital flight will lead to a massive depression and the bankrupting of our nation's industries.

THE CHRYSLER AID LOAN - COMPARE THE CANDIDATES
MONDALE - supported the Chrysler bail-out loan, takes credit for being a junior Lee Iaccoca in "saving jobs."
HART - opposed the Chrysler loan, saying it was a "band-aid" and he is in favor of a
"comprehensive" approach based on "new ideas" which he never explains.
JESSE JACKSON points out that while he does not oppose the Chrysler loan in principle, there were no protections in the bail-out plan for workers. In order to qualify for the Federal loan guarantees, Chrysler forced their workers to give up $3 an hour in wages, closed down 13 plans, and permanently laid-off tens of thousands of workers, while Lee Iaccoca received over $1 million in bonuses for his "genius". JACKSON pointed out, "It looks like a recovery at the top while the boats are still stuck at the bottom."

• THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CALIFORNIA PRIMARY

"Against all odds" aptly describes the amazing string of victories by the Jackson Campaign. But as the Campaign becomes a more serious threat to the establishment, the unprincipled attacks in the media have escalated. At first, the Jackson Campaign was caricatured as a futile exercise in moralism - "let's be practical" was the chorus, even among many who admitted Jackson was far and away the best candidate. But now, after victories in South Carolina and Virginia, sweeping New York City and Philadelphia, and the astounding develop­ment of a 3 person race for the Democratic nomination, the attacks have shifted. Now, the press is marketing the term "power broker" to describe Reverend Jackson. In a few short months, we have gone from powerless to too powerful - and article after article implies the Jackson Campaign will either use that power for personal gain, or to split the Democratic Party.
     Working people who experience company propoganda every day can cut through these dis­tortions. First, the Jackson Campaign will use that growing power to fight for the issues, the platform that the Campaign has used to build the Rainbow Coalition - reducing the defense budget by 20%, fighting for plant closing legislation, restoring urgently needed social services, demanding a Nuclear Freeze and a No First Strike Pledge, demanding a dramatic increase in corporate taxes, and placing affirmative action, civil rights and voting rights and women's reproductive rights squarely on the agenda. It is power for principle, power for the vast majority, not power for personal advancement that is what make the JACKSON CAMPAIGN so unique.
     Secondly, rather than split the Democratic Party JESSE JACKSON IS EMPHASIZING THAT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY CANNOT DEFEAT RONALD REAGAN WITHOUT ADOPTING SUBSTANTIAL ELEMENTS OF THE JACKSON CAMPAIGN - ITS PLATFORM, ITS APPROACH, ITS RAINBOW COALITION, AND HOPEFULLY, ITS CANDIDATE.
     For a labor movement that has watched as Reagan broke PATCO, Greyhound broke the Transit Workers Strike, Continental broke its contract, and the Reagan Supreme Court is breaking almost every law that workers have fought to pass, the Jackson Campaign offers a chance for working people to gain an unprecedented victory - a chance to go into the Democratic Convention with real influence on its platform and choice of candidate. In the interests of strengthening the Democratic Coalition, and defeating Ronald Reagan in November, we need the strongest possible showing for Jesse Jackson on June 5th - the California Primary. In short, WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT, AND YOUR ACTIVISM. LET'S WORK TOGETHER FOR A JACKSON VICTORY ON JUNE 5th.

YES, I AM INTERESTED IN WORKING ON THE JESSE JACKSON FOR PRESIDENT CAMPAIGN.
NAME:____
ADDRESS:___
PHONE:____       LOCAL UNION OR WORKPLACE____

PLEASE RETURN TO:  JESSE JACKSON FOR PRESIDENT
4015 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA  90010  (213) 382-...

ATTN:  Eric Mann, UNITED AUTO WORKERS, Local 645 / Bruce Hobson, OPERATING ENGINEERS, Local 501

FOR MEMBERS OF YOUR LOCAL OR WORKPLACE ACTIVE IN THE JACKSON CAMPAIGN, PLEASE CONTACT:

Jesse Jackson for President / California    Jules Glazer, Treasurer
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