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 Mary-
land, 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 Edu-
cation and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in 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 Mem-
phis, 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 malfunc-
tioned; 
Whereas Echol Cole and Robert Walker were two of the near-
ly 1,300 sanitation workers employed by the city of Mem-
phis 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 dis-
missal without cause, had no showers or other sanitary 
facilities, could not apply for supervisory jobs, had lim-
ited 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 sanita-
tion 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 strik-
ing sanitation workers to return to work by 7 a.m. the 
following day; 
Whereas that ultimatum was rejected by AFSCME Inter-
national 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 con-
gregations to boycott and march in solidarity with the le-
gitimate demands of the sanitation workers; 
Whereas, on March 5, 1968, members of the clergy an-
nounced 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 dis-
rupted 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 dem-
onstrators; 
Whereas in the aftermath of the violence, 4,000 National 
Guardsmen were deployed to Memphis and a 7 p.m. cur-
few 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 attend-
ance to remain steadfast for justice, stating: ‘‘Let us rise 
up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with 
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