Events across nation connect labor struggles to civil rights movement, 1968 Memphis SanitationStrike

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Commercialappea (Tn)

By Bartholomew Sullivan

WASHINGTON -- This year's commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination in Memphis during a 1968 labor dispute has galvanized union activists and progressive forces against what they see as a wholesale assault on labor rights.

Events scheduled for today and Monday's official 43rd anniversary have been organized by the AFL-CIO's "We Are One" campaign and individual unions from coast to coast.

Local 1733 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represented the striking sanitation workers King came to Memphis to assist, will hold its annual march to the government plaza Downtown Monday as well as events at the National Civil Rights Museum today.

"The attack on workers is something that's happening across the country, from state capitol to state capitol," Local 1733 administrator Shelley Seeberg said last week.

Read more: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/apr/03/leaning-on-king-unions-are-fighting-back/

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FULL title didn't fit: Events across nation connect labor struggles to civil rights movement, 1968 Memphis sanitation workers strike


Photo by Barney Sellers/The Commercial Appeal files

Memphis sanitation workers march Feb. 13, 1968, the day after they began a strike that led Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the city. This year's observance of King's death is a rallying point for labor.

[freshwest]

1. Who has had the courage to speak these truths since he died?

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Labor, Wealth and Justice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ec7rtxytHs

His speech the day before he was murdered:

GRITtv: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: Fighting for Workers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVHxV71WlLw&NR=1

And great advice from MLK on Economic Justice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB4FGR-Rin8&feature=related

The people in Wisconsin are doing all the same things that he calls for in that last video. Get fired up people, take back your power.

[tavalon]

2. I do wonder what the final spark will be?

I just reread my union's contract tonight as we're voting on a new one next Tuesday (and the only way we can see the changes is if we come in to the hospital on day shifters hours. What, no Internet?) and it said we have no right to strike, sympathy strike, work slowdown etc. And that any of those would be grounds for firing. Do all unions have such odd contracts? I knew my union was weak, but I had missed that part.

[Omaha Steve]

5. Usually that only applies to when the contract is in force, once it expires its no holds barred

Your union board should have the correct info. As for during days hours only for explaining the contract, it sounds like that was the unions decision. But I'm only guessing.

[tavalon]

6. I was thinking about if a national general strike was called

And as far as the daytime union vote, yeah,that's them. I was on the negotiating team last go around and I was appalled at how bad they were at letting management dictate things even during the planning meetings. I can't count the times the lead negotiator would say, "management won't go for this or that". It was unreal that I spent so much time arguing with " our" team. I didn't join up this year.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

3. Find Events Near You - link

http://local.we-r-1.org/

[bobthedrummer]

4. K&R n/t

:fistbump: