[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 715 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 715

 Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Memphis sanitation workers' 
                                strike.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 29, 2018

 Ms. Jackson Lee (for herself, Mr. Richmond, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. 
Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Ellison, Ms. Norton, Ms. Lee, Mr. McEachin, Ms. 
 Clarke of New York, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Cummings, 
 Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Butterfield, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Meeks, 
  Mr. Jeffries, Mr. Evans, Mr. Lawson of Florida, Mrs. Lawrence, Mr. 
Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Payne, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. Hastings, Mrs. 
Watson Coleman, Ms. Plaskett, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Rush, 
Mr. Al Green of Texas, Mr. Clay, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Ms. 
Wilson of Florida, Ms. Moore, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Ms. Maxine Waters 
 of California, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Mrs. Demings, Mr. Clyburn, 
Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Brown of Maryland, Ms. Sewell of 
Alabama, Mrs. Love, Ms. Adams, and Mr. Veasey) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and 
  in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Memphis sanitation workers' 
                                strike.

Whereas, nearly 50 years ago, on February 1, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, two 
        sanitation workers, Echol Cole and Robert Walker, were crushed to death 
        while they were sheltering from a driving rainstorm inside the 
        compacting compartment of their sanitation truck when it malfunctioned;
Whereas Echol Cole and Robert Walker were two of the nearly 1,300 sanitation 
        workers employed by the city of Memphis in 1968 who often were required 
        to work 60 hours a week but were only paid for 40 hours at the minimum 
        wage rate of $1.60 an hour;
Whereas the city of Memphis sanitation workers, who were predominately African 
        American and unskilled, faced dismissal without cause, had no showers or 
        other sanitary facilities, could not apply for supervisory jobs, had 
        limited accident and health insurance, and, due to low wages, often 
        relied upon public assistance to make ends meet;
Whereas Memphis Mayor Henry Loeb refused to recognize and bargain collectively 
        with the union representing the city's sanitation workers or to deduct 
        union membership dues from the wages of sanitation workers;
Whereas, on February 12, 1968, following the tragic deaths of Echol Cole and 
        Robert Walker, the Memphis sanitation workers voted to strike for safer 
        working conditions, a livable wage, and to redress other grievances;
Whereas the strike had a powerful message and slogan that resonated throughout 
        the community: ``I Am A Man'';
Whereas, in view of Memphis Mayor Loeb's persistent refusal to recognize and 
        bargain collectively with the American Federation of State, County, and 
        Municipal Employees International Union (AFSCME), the strike continued 
        and, according to local reports, more than 10,000 tons of uncollected 
        garbage piled up on the streets of Memphis, leading Mayor Loeb to issue 
        an ultimatum ordering striking sanitation workers to return to work by 7 
        a.m. the following day;
Whereas that ultimatum was rejected by AFSCME International President Jerry 
        Wurf, with the support of the NAACP;
Whereas, on February 25, 1968, members of the clergy throughout the city of 
        Memphis called upon their congregations to boycott and march in 
        solidarity with the legitimate demands of the sanitation workers;
Whereas, on March 5, 1968, members of the clergy announced that the Rev. Dr. 
        Martin Luther King, Jr., had responded favorably to their plea to come 
        to Memphis and support the cause of the striking sanitation workers;
Whereas, on March 28, 1968, Dr. King led a peaceful protest march from Clayborn 
        Temple to city hall that was disrupted by local police using 
        nightsticks, mace, tear gas, and gunfire, resulting in the death of 16-
        year-old Larry Payne, injuries to 60 persons, and the arrest of 280 
        demonstrators;
Whereas in the aftermath of the violence, 4,000 National Guardsmen were deployed 
        to Memphis and a 7 p.m. curfew was imposed, which was lifted three days 
        later on April 1, 1968;
Whereas, on April 3, 1968, Dr. King returned to Memphis and delivered his famous 
        ``I've Been to the Mountaintop'' speech, which unknown to the world at 
        that time would turn out to be the final address of his life;
Whereas in that address, Dr. King exhorted those in attendance to remain 
        steadfast for justice, stating: ``Let us rise up tonight with a greater 
        readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on 
        in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it 
        ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation.'';
Whereas, on April 4, 1968, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was felled by 
        an assassin's bullet while he stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel 
        in Memphis;
Whereas the dreamer may have been murdered, but the dream did not die, nor did 
        the commitment of people of goodwill--fighting so that justice rolls 
        down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream; and
Whereas, on April 16, 1968, 12 days after the assassination of Dr. King, AFSCME 
        leaders announced that an agreement had been reached with the city of 
        Memphis that ended the strike: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) honors the memory of Echol Cole, Robert Walker, and all 
        the Memphis sanitation workers who struggled for economic 
        justice and human dignity;
            (2) honors and remembers the extraordinary moral leadership 
        of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who showed no greater love 
        than giving his life in the cause of assisting his fellow men 
        and women; and
            (3) calls upon and encourages all Americans to remember all 
        those who struggle for justice and to dedicate themselves to 
        realizing the dream of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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