Historical Spotlight: Memphis Sanitation Strike
The Civil Rights Movement was a volatile time in American history when the Black American community put foot to pavement to fight for their rights and better treatment. Many lives were lost, including notorious ones like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, and even regular, everyday people who got caught in the crossfire. Join me as we shine a Historical Spotlight on the Memphis Sanitation Strike, a response to an unfortunate situation that could’ve been completely avoided.
On February 1st, 1968, Echol Cole and Robert Walker reported for their shift as sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee. Unfortunately, the weather, which was later described as torrential rain that overflowed the sewers and flooded the streets, threw a monkey wrench into their daily tasks. Due to the segregation laws at the time, the two Black men were unable to use a nearby building for shelter from the rain.
Fearing for their safety, they took shelter in the back of their truck at around 4:20 PM while en route to the next stop. Sadly, the truck’s garbage compactor malfunctioned and both men were crushed to death. Echol was 36 and Robert was only 30 at the time of their deaths.
Their widows didn’t receive any insurance benefits and the city of Memphis offered only one month of pay for each man and just $500 for funeral expenses. The Black community came together and donated $100,000 to support Echol and Robert’s surviving family members. The United Auto Workers, an American labor union, also donated $25,000.
The city of Memphis and its Department of Public Works has had a long history of segregation and unfair treatment towards Black Americans. Many of the city’s police force had influences and members from the Ku Klux Klan who terrorized residents and maintained Jim Crow. Black people were paid significantly less than their white counterparts and were excluded from unions.
The tiny win of Black people finally being able to organize as part of the Congress of Industrial Organizations was quickly rescinded after anti-communist fear rose due to World War II. The miniscule step in the right direction was quickly reversed, and in many places, conditions even got worse for Black workers.
Tensions were already running sky high in the area and the unethical deaths of the two men made things bubble over. The incident was the catalyst for the Memphis sanitation strike, which was organized after over 400 workers attended a union Local 1733 strike meeting on February 11th and aired their grievances over the city’s lack of decent wages, poor working conditions, and negligence. Two other men had died like Echol and Robert had just 4 years earlier, but the city refused to replace the defective equipment.
Most of the sanitation workers in Memphis were Black, and unlike other workers, they could be fired without warning. In 1960, the average sanitation worker earned between $0.94 and $1.14 an hour. By 1968, wages hadn’t improved much as sanitation laborers earned $1.60 an hour and garbage truck drivers earned $1.90 an hour. They also didn’t earn overtime and many had to work other jobs or receive welfare and public housing just to survive.
The very first strike attempt happened in 1963 but failed due to inadequate organization. Many in the area were afraid to unionize because of persecution, termination, and even physical violence. The union Local 1733, which eventually organized for the successful strike in 1968, was formed in November 1964 by T.O. Jones, and was supported by organizations like the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the local NAACP branch.
Unfortunately, the union wasn’t recognized as legit by city officials. The city actively prevented the second strike attempt in 1966 by threatening jail time for all those who participated. The strike failed that time mainly because of lack of support from the religious community and middle class residents.
Mayor Henry Loeb was elected at the end of 1967 after previously serving as the elected Public Works Commissioner who oversaw grueling work conditions including no city-issued uniforms, no restrooms, and no grievance procedure for the numerous times that the workers were underpaid. As mayor, he increased regulations even further.
On February 12th, 930 out of about 1,100 sanitation workers went on strike and didn’t show up to work. Only 38 of the 108 garbage trucks worked their regular routes and many workers who didn’t initially know about the strike walked off in the middle of the day. Their demands included higher wages, time and a half of overtime pay, dues check-off, safety measures, and pay for rainy days when they were unable to work.
They held a peaceful march for their rights and Mayor Loeb refused to meet with them. Instead, he sent 40 to 50 police officers to lead the crowd to a nearby auditorium where he eventually yelled at them to go back to work. The crowd, frustrated at the conditions, laughed and booed him off the stage.
Within 3 days, there was 10,000 tons of noticeable piled up trash and Mayor Loeb began to hire strikebreakers, current or new employees who continued to work and keep the business running despite the ongoing strike. Oftentimes, these strikebreakers weren’t positively received by the strikers and typically faced violence for counteracting the movement.
On February 18th, AFSCME International President Jerry Wurf provided support for the strikers and insisted that the strike would only end once the workers’ demands were met. The list was revised to be more specific and included a 10% wage increase, a grievance procedure, fair promotion policies, sick leave, pension programs, health insurance, payroll deduction of union dues, and union recognition through a written contract.
As the strike dragged on, the workers developed a daily march routine, held a sit-in at city hall, and were frequently assaulted by police with mace, tear gas, and billy clubs. Demonstrators carried “I Am a Man!” signs to remind the public that they were human beings who deserve dignity, despite the lasting tropes, sentiments, and infrastructure that lasted well past slavery.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. also supported their efforts through encouraging speeches and joining in the marches. The protest held on March 28th unfortunately erupted into violence from the massive crowd that gathered, and Mayor Loeb declared martial law. About 4,000 National Guardsmen were deployed to enforce the 7 pm curfew.
On April 3rd, MLK returned to the area and delivered his famous “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech and scheduled another march for April 5th. Unfortunately, he was assassinated the evening before, which intensified the ongoing strike. Mayor Loeb started getting pressure from the federal government because of the potential for rioting, but he refused to give in to the strikers’ demands.
Another march was held on April 8th and had 42,000 participants, including SCLC members and Coretta Scott King. The striking workers received a $50,000 donation from Walter Reuther, making it the largest contribution from any outside source at that time. The strike officially ended on April 16, 1968 with a settlement that included union recognition and wage increases, but additional strikes had to be threatened to force Mayor Loeb to honor the agreements.
This victory was a turning point for Black activism and union activity in Memphis. In July 2017, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland announced that the city would offer $50,000 in tax-free grants to the 14 surviving strikers who were either still on payroll to maintain their standard of living or who could not retire in relative comfort after forgoing their pension to receive a small monthly Social Security check.
While awards, museums, and grants are important for remembering the hardships that people had to endure, the only true way to rectify the past grievances is for Black Americans to get reparations for the egregious 400-year-long slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, and discrimination pipeline.
1968 wasn’t that long ago and it’s insane to see how poorly the Black population was treated in the area. It’s truly a shame that people had to lose their lives all because of prejudice and bigotry, but it serves as a reminder that the fight for equal rights, treatment, access, and opportunity is far from over.
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Signed,
Jessica Marie
