[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 198 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 198

Recognizing the coordinated struggle of workers during the 1968 Memphis 
    sanitation workers strike to voice their grievances and reach a 
           collective agreement for rights in the workplace.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 1, 2011

Ms. Edwards (for herself, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mr. Jackson 
 of Illinois, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Payne, Mr. Butterfield, Ms. 
      Fudge, Mr. Richmond, Mr. Rush, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Thompson of 
Mississippi, Mr. Gutierrez, Ms. Richardson, Mr. Meeks, Ms. Norton, Mr. 
Fattah, Ms. Moore, Mr. Watt, Mr. Moran, Mrs. Maloney, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. 
Cummings, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Brown of 
   Florida, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mr. 
Filner, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. 
McGovern, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Pallone, Mr. 
Kildee, Mr. Michaud, Ms. Sutton, Ms. Pingree of Maine, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. 
   Braley of Iowa, Mr. Honda, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Yarmuth, Mr. Lewis of 
  Georgia, Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Holt, Mr. Dingell, and Mrs. Christensen) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                     on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing the coordinated struggle of workers during the 1968 Memphis 
    sanitation workers strike to voice their grievances and reach a 
           collective agreement for rights in the workplace.

Whereas in 1968, 1,300 African-American sanitation workers in Memphis, 
        Tennessee, fought for collective bargaining rights and equality in the 
        workplace;
Whereas in the struggle for workers' rights, the American Federation of State, 
        County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) integrated the labor movement 
        and the civil rights movement in a demand for basic human rights and 
        respect for all men and women;
Whereas Black employees had almost no health care, pensions, or vacation, worked 
        in deplorable conditions, and were disrespected by White supervisors;
Whereas 40 percent of the workers qualified for welfare in order to supplement 
        their low salaries, and were denied the opportunity to improve their 
        working conditions by Memphis Mayor Henry Loeb and the city council;
Whereas, on January 31, 1968, 22 sewer workers who reported for work were sent 
        home when it began raining, losing a day's pay, while White workers were 
        not sent home and received a full day's pay;
Whereas the following day, February 1, 1968, sanitation workers Echol Cole and 
        Robert Walker were fatally crushed by a malfunctioning city garbage 
        truck;
Whereas, on February 12, 1968, Memphis sanitation and public employees went on 
        strike after attempting last-minute negotiations with Mayor Loeb and the 
        city on the terms of their employment, demanding that the city recognize 
        their union, provide a pay increase to $2.35 an hour from an average of 
        $1.70, overtime pay, and promotions based on merit irrespective of race;
Whereas, on February 23, 1968, 1,500 strikers and supporters organized a march 
        to the Memphis City Hall, where, 11 days after the initial strike, the 
        city council refused to recognize the union;
Whereas in the following days, 500 White labor union members joined members of 
        the clergy and sanitation workers in a march downtown, 116 strikers and 
        supporters were arrested during a peaceful demonstration, and hundreds 
        of high school students joined in another march led by members of the 
        clergy;
Whereas, on March 4, 1968, a proposal by State Senator Frank White to create a 
        State mediation board to resolve the stalemate was rejected by Mayor 
        Loeb;
Whereas, on March 28, 1968, a 16-year-old boy was shot to death by a Memphis 
        police officer, police arrested 280 mostly Black demonstrators, and the 
        State legislature authorized a 7:00 p.m. curfew which involved 4,000 
        members of National Guard moving in to Memphis;
Whereas, on April 3, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., addressed a rally of 
        10,000 Black workers and residents, members of the clergy, White 
        liberals, and union members for what would be his last speech, forever 
        known for the phrase, ``I have been to the mountain top,'' linking the 
        civil rights and labor movements and urging compromise;
Whereas, on April 4, 1968, the day after his rallying cry for compromise, Dr. 
        Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated by a sniper on the balcony 
        outside of his hotel room in Memphis;
Whereas, on April 8, 1968, an estimated 42,000 people, led by the wife of Dr. 
        King, Jr., Coretta Scott King, peacefully marched in memory of Dr. King 
        and in support of the union's request; and
Whereas, on April 16, 1968, AFSCME announced that a 14-month contract had been 
        agreed to and accepted, and included union dues check-off, a grievance 
        procedure, and wage increases of 10 cents an hour in May and another 5 
        cents in September, ending the 3-month strike: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the coordinated struggle of workers during 
        the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers strike to voice their 
        grievances and reach a collective agreement for rights in the 
        workplace;
            (2) honors the perseverance of the 1,300 members of Local 
        1733 in urging social and economic equality in the workplace; 
        and
            (3) recognizes the contributions of all those unnamed who 
        participated in the fight for justice during the strike.
                                 <all>