Vol. 81/No. 31      August 21, 2017

 

25, 50 and 75 Years Ago

 

August 21, 1992

On August 16 work in U.S. coal mines will become a little more dangerous, and miners’ fight for health and safety on the job a little more difficult.

On that date, revised regulations governing ventilation in coal nines are scheduled to go into effect. Miners and their union, the United Mine Workers of America, have opposed such proposed changes for the past seven years.

Coal miners explain that the revised rules on balance favor mine owners. They will encourage practices that could lead to more tragedies like the 1984 Wilberg Mine fire in Huntington, Utah, which left 27 miners dead.

August 21, 1967

HAVANA, Cuba — The first conference of the Organization of Latin American Solidarity closed with one of the most important speeches made by Fidel Castro since the beginning of the Cuban Revolution.

The main theme of the conference was reaffirmation of the program of socialist revolution as opposed to the line of “peaceful coexistence” with the so-called “progressive” sector of the national bourgeoisie. One of the highlights of the conference was recognition of the close interconnection between the Latin-American revolution and the struggle of Black people in the United States.

August 22, 1942

The Civil Rights Defense Committee announced this week that briefs on behalf of the eighteen members of the Socialist Workers Party and leaders of Minneapolis Teamsters Local 544-CIO, who were convicted last December and sentenced to prison terms under provisions of the Smith “Gag” Act, have been filed with the Circuit Court of Appeals.

The defendants were accused of “ advocating” overthrow of the government.

There is no proof in the record of the prosecution’s case that the alleged conspiracy created any danger of the overthrow of the government, or the creation of insubordination in the army.  
 
 
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