25, 50 and 75 Years Ago

February 24, 2020

February 27, 1995

The Clinton administration’s 1994 “crime bill” is a broadside assault on democratic rights of working people. Amid the depression conditions spreading throughout the capitalist world, the U.S. rulers are preparing the cops and courts for the struggles they know will be fought by working people to defend our living and working conditions, our unions and our political rights.

It is the dog-eat-dog values of capitalism, and the breakdown of human solidarity this social system breeds, that produces crime. And it’s through struggles by working people against the class injustice, racism, oppression of women, and wars endemic to capitalism that solidarity among the toilers can and will be strengthened.

February 27, 1970

CLEVELAND — A spring program of intensive antiwar activity culminating in massive demonstrations April 15 was approved by the Student Mobilization Committee conference here Feb. 14-15.

There were 3,469 people registered for the conference. They converged on Case Western Reserve University from 39 states and the District of Columbia. There was representation from some 300 college and university campuses and a hundred high schools.

The central action proposal before the body was that the SMC tie in with the slated April 13-19 week of antiwar activity projected by both the Moratorium and New Mobe, as well as their previously selected date of April 15 for mass demonstrations throughout the country.

February 24, 1945

The organized workers in every industry are anxiously awaiting the outcome of the CIO United Automobile Workers’ referendum on the no-strike pledge.

Regardless of the voting results, the battle of the UAW militants to rescind the no-strike pledge has helped educate millions in the labor movement about the disastrous consequences for the workers of the no-strike surrender policy and the need for a return to a militant union program.

The struggle for such a program is bound to continue. It is ensured by the Rank and File Caucus, which organized and led the fight against the no-strike policy at the last UAW convention, and conducted a campaign nationally to win a majority vote in the referendum.