An Appeal for Aid to the 12 Class-War Prisoners ... (November 1944) (original) (raw)
Fourth International, November 1944
An Appeal for Aid to the 12 Class-War Prisoners and Their Families
From Fourth International, Vol.5 No.1, November 1944, p.352.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for ETOL.
Dear Friends:
Twelve members of Minneapolis Truckdrivers Local 544 – CIO and of the Socialist Workers Party have been in prison now for over ten months, solely because of their labor activities and political opinions. Six others were released on October 20th.
The imprisonment of the 18 under the vicious Smith “Gag” law makes the Minneapolis Labor Case the most important civil liberties issue in the Second World War. Already over 350 unions and other progressive organizations representing more than 3,500,000 members have supported the work of the Civil Rights Defense Committee.
Ever since the 18 went to prison the CRDC has provided relief for their wives and children. Without this aid the families of these persecuted labor leaders would suffer great hardships and privations. Today, with the high cost of living, feeding and clothing their unfortunate ones becomes an ever-increasing problem for the Committee.
The Minneapolis Labor Case directly involves you and the democratic rights of your union. Our campaign to free the 18 and repeal the Smith “Gag” Act is a campaign to defend the hard-won rights of the American labor movement.
- HELP US TO MAKE THEIR CHRISTMAS CHEERFUL!
PLEASE SEND YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS DEFENSE COMMITTEE, 160 FIFTH AVE., NEW YORK CITY 10, N.Y.
| | | Fraternally yours | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | JOHN GREEN President, Industrial Unionof Marine and ShipbuildingWorkers – CIO | JULIUS HOCHMAN General Manager,N.Y. Joint Board, Dress and Waistmakers Union, ILGWU – AFL | GEORGE BALDANZ1 Executive Vice-President,Textile Workers Union – CIO | | | WILLARD S. TOWNSEND President, United Transport Service Employees – CIO | ROGER BALDWIN Director, AmericanCivil Liberties Union | | | JAMES T. FARRELL Novelist | JOHN DEWEY Philosopher and Educator | WARREN K. BILLINGS Famous Labor Prisoner |
Last updated on 4.9.2008