November 18, 1977
The U.S. Court of Appeals has upheld federal Judge Thomas Griesa’s decision to make files about FBI informers available to attorneys for the Socialist Workers Party and Young Socialist Alliance.

As Griesa explained, the informers’ work has been "the most important activity undertaken by the FBI against the YSA" and SWP. It is a major issue in the socialists’ $40 million lawsuit against government harassment and disruption.

The spies must be kept secret, says the government, because "anonymity provides a free flow of information."

Files released in lawsuits and congressional hearings have shown that the FBI does not use informers simply to snoop and collect information for government blacklists (repellent as that work is).

Rather, the informers have also been carrying out disruption plots, burglaries, and other criminal work.

But the socialists intend to press for disclosure. "We intend to fight this issue through to the end," said Syd Stapleton of the Political Rights Defense Fund, the group organizing support for the lawsuit. "The so-called informer privilege, which is being defended so vigorously by Carter’s Justice Department, is nothing but another ‘national security’ trick to hide government crimes from the American people."  
 
November 17, 1952
CHICAGO--"Operation Scab," International Harvester’s big push to smash the strike of farm equipment workers, has been stopped short by the spirited picketing and organized action of the strikers.

The company offensive shifted from the McCormick works over to the Tractor plant after failing to dent the strike in the former plant. The Tractor plant strike-busting moves began with the usual mounting company claims of "workers returning to work," and this was followed by a barrage of letters to strikers in which an attempt was made to sugar-coat the yellow-dog agreement the company wants to force on the union.

An army of scab-herding foremen began personal calls at the homes of strikers, where they coaxed, pleaded, and finally threatened the workers in an effort to start a back-to-work move. Proposals were adorned with offers of free chauffeur service to and from work, with cigars and whiskey thrown in. The company has also sought to get landlords to evict strikers from their homes. In spite of all this the Tractor workers have held solidly. Their wives have told foremen off and shown them the door. Despite 13 weeks on the picket line, determination is strong. As one worker put it, "It’s bad enough working at Harvester with a contract to think of going back without one."  
 
 
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