IV 
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. NOR-
TON, 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 Illi-
nois, 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) sub-
mitted 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. 
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•HRES 198 IH 
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, pen-
sions, 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 re-
ported 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 rec-
ognize their union, provide a pay increase to $2.35 an 
hour from an average of $1.70, overtime pay, and pro-
motions based on merit irrespective of race; 
Whereas, on February 23, 1968, 1,500 strikers and sup-
porters organized a march to the Memphis City Hall, 
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•HRES 198 IH 
where, 11 days after the initial strike, the city council re-
fused to recognize the union; 
Whereas in the following days, 500 White labor union mem-
bers 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 au-
thorized a 7:00 p.m. curfew which involved 4,000 mem-
bers of National Guard moving in to Memphis; 
Whereas, on April 3, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., ad-
dressed a rally of 10,000 Black workers and residents, 
members of the clergy, White liberals, and union mem-
bers 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 com-
promise; 
Whereas, on April 4, 1968, the day after his rallying cry for 
compromise, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assas-
sinated 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, peace-
fully marched in memory of Dr. King and in support of 
the union’s request; and 
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•HRES 198 IH 
Whereas, on April 16, 1968, AFSCME announced that a 14- 
month contract had been agreed to and accepted, and in-
cluded 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 work-
ers 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 mem-
bers 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. 
Æ 
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