Tues, Nov 24, 1998,

Mumia's Solidarity with ABC Workers

Supporting the struggle of locked-out workers at ABC television, Mumia Abu-Jamal refused to be interviewed for the network's "20/20" news program. As a result, "20/20" was forced to pull a story about Abu-Jamal, a political prisoner on Pennsylvania's death row, from its Nov. 20 broadcast.

Some 2,400 members of the National Association of Broadcast Engineers and Technicians, an affiliate of the Communications Workers union, have been locked out by ABC since Nov. 3. The union is fighting for a new contract from the network and its union-busting parent, the Walt Disney Co.

The People's Video Network also honored NABET's picket line. PVN refused to provide ABC with footage of recent demonstrations supporting Abu-Jamal.

Workfairness leader Larry Holmes said: "This was an unprecedented act by a political prisoner whose life is endangered, but who puts class solidarity and political principles first. "Mumia Abu-Jamal is very conscious that the struggle against the bosses and the struggle against the racist death penalty are one and the same.

It time for the labor movement to respond in kind by mobilizing to save Mumia's life and demand his right to a new trial."

From Greg Butterfield