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    Vol.63/No.13           April 5, 1999 
 
 
25 And 50 Years Ago  

April 5, 1974
CHICAGO - Union women - 3,200 strong and representing 58 international unions - gathered here March 23-24 for the founding conference of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW).

They had come to discuss how they could fight through their unions against low wages, unemployment, and dead-end jobs that women workers face across the country.

The size of the conference was a clear sign that many trade- union women do want to unite to fight against their oppression. The turnout far exceeded the expectations of the conference organizers, who quickly ran out of literature, food, and hotel rooms.

Large contingents were brought by the United Auto Workers (UAW), the Teamsters, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and American Federation of State, County and Municipal employees (AFSCME).

Members of the United Farm Workers (UFW) attended, and hundreds of women wore UFW boycott buttons, and some sporting two or three.

The majority of delegates were rank and filers, not union officials, and there was strong sentiment for rank-and-file participation in CLUW activities. One reflection of this was in the elections to the National Coordinating Committee. A number of rank-and-file unionists were elected, after women voiced concern that there be rank-and-file representation on the NCC.

Unfortunately, there was little discussion of the specific issues that had brought women together at the conference. Most of the time was consumed by discussion of structure and general goals of the coalition, leaving no opportunity to talk about how to fight the different forms of discrimination women face, or the types of activities local CLUW chapters can engage in.

April 4, 1949
CHICAGO, March 25 - Even while the Stalinists themselves are under capitalist government attack, they continue to violate the democratic rights of other working-class groups. Last Saturday night, the Stalinists assaulted a group of Socialist Workers Party members and friends peacefully distributing leaflets and copies of The Militant at a Communist Party meeting at the Ashland auditorium, called to protest the trial of the CP leaders in New York.

The SWP leaflet pointed out the dangers to the labor movement in the current witch-hunt, showing the connection between the CP trial, the wartime imprisonment of 18 SWP leaders under the Smith Act, the purge of James Kutcher, and the reactionary Broyles Bills now being pushed through the Illinois Legislature. It repeated the SWP's offer to join with the CP in a united defense of all witch-hunt victims.

Many of the people entering the hall took and read the SWP leaflet with interest. The Stalinists then organized a squad of 20 to 25, who emerged from the hall and assaulted the distributors. The latter vigorously defended themselves, but were badly outnumbered and were forced to withdraw.

 
 
 
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