IV 

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 


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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, 


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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 


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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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) honors the memory of Echol Cole, Robert 

3 Walker, and all the Memphis sanitation workers who 

4 struggled for economic justice and human dignity; 

5 (2) honors and remembers the extraordinary 

6 moral leadership of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, 

7 Jr., who showed no greater love than giving his life 

8 in the cause of assisting his fellow men and women; 

9 and 

10 (3) calls upon and encourages all Americans to 

11 remember all those who struggle for justice and to 


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1 dedicate themselves to realizing the dream of the 

2 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Æ 


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