Street Renamed to Honor 1968 Sanitation Strikers
by Helen Cox | April 04, 2013
Beale Street in front of AFSCME Local 1733 in Memphis has been renamed “1968 Strikers Way.”
MEMPHIS – Early this morning, a stretch of Beale Street in front of AFSCME Local 1733 was renamed “1968 Strikers Way” in honor of the sanitation workers who courageously stood up for racial equality, safer jobs and greater respect.
Pres. Lee Saunders, Sec.-Treas. Laura Reyes and Martin Luther King III joined former strikers and union members from across the country at the renaming ceremony.
More than 1,500 union members and allies marched from the Local 1733 union hall to the National Civil Rights Museum. Local and nationally renowned leaders spoke in front of the historic Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his life fighting for racial and economic justice 45 years ago today.
President Saunders rallied the crowd saying, “This is the beginning of a new movement in Memphis and across the country.” Major gains have been won since 1968 but the fight continues. Once again, AFSCME members are fighting for their livelihoods and to keep strong services for Tennessee community members. Threats of privatization loom large in the city, and elsewhere, and they’re facing the largest school district merger in United States history – a merger that threatens to put children's needs last.
Saunders was joined by Rev. Dwight Montgomery of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Wade Henderson of the Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights and Van Jones of Rebuild the Dream.
Members of the International Association of Fire Fighters held signs reading, “I Am a Fire Man.” Harold Schaitberger, president of the IAFF, said, “The struggles from 1968 are the same struggles today…I don’t care if they have a ‘D’ behind their name or an ‘R,’ we need leaders who will stand up, not step back.”
“Today, we sent a message that the fight isn’t over,” said Keith Johnson, chapter chair for the sanitation workers of Memphis. “We’re going to fight on and fight harder. All we’ve ever asked for is respect for the honest work we do.”
Sec.-Treas. Laura Reyes, Martin Luther King III, Pres. Lee Saunders and IAFF Pres. Harold Schaitberger lead more than 1,500 union members and allies in a march from the Local 1733 union hall to the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. (Photos by John Focht)The Struggle Continues in Memphis as Labor and Allies Honor Martin Luther King Jr.
by Kate Childs Graham | April 04, 2013
Pres. Lee Saunders meets with the 1968 strikers.
MEMPHIS – They warned him against it. They told him it would be too dangerous. Even reckless. But Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., went to Memphis, Tenn. anyway. He took the risk, following the lead of the 1,300 sanitation workers who risked their livelihoods to go on strike.
Forty-five years ago, Dr. King stood at the pulpit of the Mason Temple in what would be his final act of solidarity. His words were more like prophecies.
“And then I got into Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out…Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead,” he said. “But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop.”
Forty-five years ago today, King was assassinated.
Attendees of Wednesday night's forum and celebration.Yesterday, hundreds gathered at the Mason Temple for an event organized by AFSCME to commemorate King’s life and his work on behalf of 1,300 striking sanitation workers of AFSCME Local 1733 in 1968. The evening started with a song and a prayer and AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker set the tone for the evening, challenging the crowd to maintain unity.
AFSCME Pres. Lee Saunders honored the 1968 strikers. “They made a demand, and their demand sounded throughout Memphis. When Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stood with them, together, they changed the course of history.”
He challenged attendees to move King’s work forward. “We must be agents of change, just as the sanitation workers were 45 years ago. We must pick up the torch that Dr. King and the sanitation workers carried, letting its flame light the path and guide us through the darkness.”
Indeed, like those famous strikers who came before them, many current workers of Local 1733 still suffer from unfair wages and unsafe working conditions.
MSNBC host Karen Finney led a panel discussion of leaders including Van Jones of Rebuild the Dream, Johanna Puno Hester of APALA and an AFSCME International Vice president, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Terry O’Neill of the National Organization for Women and Benjamin Todd Jealous of the NAACP. The panel covered everything from budgets and equal pay to voting rights and immigrant justice, focusing on the need for unity and stamina.
King’s eldest son, Martin Luther King III, stood in the exact spot his father did 45 years ago. He recalled lessons he learned from his father and mother, lessons of love and solidarity. And he ended, “We can never ever forget about organizing. Organize. Organize. Organize.”
So Long, “Owlcatraz”
by Kyle Weidleman | April 04, 2013
Maybe naming a college football stadium after a company that cuts costs at the expensive of public safety wasn’t such a good idea. (Photo: artist’s rendering)
A private prison company has withdrawn its financial gift that would have given it naming rights to a state university stadium for more than a decade.
GEO Group was on track to give Florida Atlantic University $6 million to place its name on the school’s football stadium for 12 years. Following student outcry, a letter signed by more than 60 anti-private prison groups including AFSCME, and media attention from the New York Times to The Colbert Report, the so-called “Owlcatraz” deal was called off by GEO.
These private prison corporations often cut a deal with state governments promising to bring down corrections costs – while still making a profit – although the alleged savings prove illusory. GEO, one of the largest prison privateers in the county, has been under attack for years for its cost-cutting methods that put all stakeholders at risk, from corrections officers to the general public and even the prisoners themselves.
Private prison companies, including GEO, use cost-cutting methods that include: refusing costly (i.e. violent, ill or otherwise high-needs) prisoners and forcing them into the public prison system; setting mandatory capacity quotas on the state government; for-profit overcrowding; cutting corrections officers’ salariesby tens of thousands of dollars; dangerous understaffing and allowing facilities to fall into cruel and unusual disrepair.
The public backlash against private imprisonment – including an official condemnation by the New Hampshire House of Representatives – is unsurprising in light of the facts of for-profit corrections facilities. AFSCME will continue to fight against for-profit prisons and state privatization which serve to line the pockets of corporate fat cats at the expense of public services and the working families who provide them.
Inspired by Dr. King, Member Terry Walker Travels to Memphis
by Pablo Ros | April 03, 2013
Terry Walker
Like many others this week, Terry Walker, an AFSCME member, is in Memphis to celebrate the life and solidarity of Martin Luther King, Jr., who was shot to death in this city 45 years ago. He was there to support the struggle of a group of 1,300 striking AFSCME city sanitation workers.
Walker hails from California, and is grateful for having the opportunity to represent her fellow UDW home care providers.
“Today I got caught in the rain and had to buy a hat,” she said. “It’s rainy and cold in this city – I decided to stay in to save up my energy for tomorrow. I’m going to need it.”
Like other AFSCME members, Walker will be getting up bright and early Thursday to participate in a Volunteer Member Organizer blitz program to help her AFSCME brothers and sisters who work in the Memphis city schools. They are fighting back against widespread layoffs due to a recent decision by the school board to privatize custodial services.
“I’ll be visiting both AFSCME members to turn them out to this week’s MLK events and non-members to move them to join the union,” she said.
Walker also said she is looking forward to the events in the evening.
“We’re having a panel discussion on economic justice at the historic Mason Temple,” she said. “We will be joined by civil rights and community leaders, including Martin Luther King III.”
She added, “I’m excited to make a difference in this civil rights movement and I thank God for allowing me to see this day…. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for this opportunity to honor Dr. King and AFSCME Local 1733 sanitation workers.”
AFSCME Family Scholarship Program Winners Announced
by Clyde Weiss | April 03, 2013
Ten high school seniors – dependents of AFSCME members – will receive financial support for college through this year’s AFSCME Family Scholarship Program.
The program is open to graduating high school seniors who are also a child of (or financially dependent grandchild of) an active or retired, full dues-paying AFSCME member. In addition, the person must be an applicant to an accredited college or university and subsequently accepted as a full-time student in a four year degree program.
Each $2,000 scholarship, which may be used for any field of study, can be renewed each year for a maximum of four years provided the student remains enrolled in a full-time course of study.
The 2013 winners are:
- Cody Brown, Oklahoma Local 2875
- Alisha Donnell, California Council 36
- Alyssa Friedman, Rhode Island Council 94
- Samantha Glass, New York District Council 37
- Maceo Gutierrez-Higgins, Oregon Council 75
- Selena Hamer, Georgia Local 1644
- Hannah Kangas, Minnesota Council 5
- Brianna Messner, Wisconsin Council 40
- Kevin Simpson, Pennsylvania Council 13
- Leamon Wilson, Michigan Council 25
Click here for applications and further details about the AFSCME Family Scholarship, or call AFSCME’s Department of Education and Leadership Training at (202) 429-1256.
Activists Gather in Memphis to Commemorate Dr. King’s Life
by Kate Childs Graham | March 27, 2013
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks at the Mason Temple in Memphis, Tenn., on April 3, 1968.
Forty-five years ago, 1,300 sanitation workers in the city of Memphis did the unthinkable. Dissatisfied with unfair wages that left many to rely on welfare and food stamps, frustrated with unsafe working conditions that took the lives of two of their own, the workers went on strike. They declared, simply, “I am a man.”
On April 3, 1968, a heavy storm rumbled in Memphis and threatened to keep union members, civil rights leaders and community activists at home. But the activists braved the storm and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. headed down to the Mason Temple. When he got there, Dr. King commanded the pulpit. He preached on the story of the Good Samaritan and said, “The question is not, ‘If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me? If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?’ That’s the question.”
On the following day, Dr. King was assassinated. Twelve days later, the sanitation strike ended. The city agreed to recognize the workers’ union and raise wages for the workers.
This year marks the 45th anniversary of Dr. King’s final act of solidarity. In commemoration of his life and his solidarity, union members, civil rights leaders and community activists are again gathering in Memphis for a series of historic events.
On April 3, the community will gather from 7-10 p.m. in the historic Mason Temple at 930 Mason St., Memphis, Tenn. Highlights a panel discussion on economic and racial justice including Karen Finney of MSNBC, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Benjamin Todd Jealous of the NAACP, Van Jones of Rebuild the Dream and Terry O'Neill of the National Organization for Women. Civil rights leaders the Rev. Al Sharpton, AFL-CIO Exec. Vice Pres. Arlene Holt Baker, AFSCME Pres. Lee Saunders and Martin Luther King III will also give special remarks.
On April 4 at 8:30 a.m., we will rename a local street 1968 Strikers Lane, then march from AFSCME Local 1733 (485 Beale St.) to the National Civil Rights Museum (450 Mulberry St.) and end with a rally.
The invitation from Martin Luther King III, AFSCME Pres. Lee Saunders and Rev. Al Sharpton reads, “We look back this year and remember, because we know that the foundation laid in the most triumphant and tragic days of the civil rights movement – of our economic justice – must inspire and guide us in the struggles we now face.”
For more information and to RSVP, please visit www.memphis2013.org.
Unity Puts Santa Clara Workers Closer to a Contract
by Karina Hernandez | March 22, 2013
Members of United EMS Workers-AFSCME Local 4911 show unity with Local 101 members at a meeting of the Santa Clara City Council. (Photo by Karina Hernandez)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Members of AFSCME Local 101 last week won significant contract gains after rallying before the City Council and reminding them that they are the workers who keep the city running.
They pushed back loudly against the council’s previous approach of balancing the city’s budget at the expense of working men and women, and in response the city came back to the table with a new proposal removing furloughs for the second year.
Although not originally on the council’s agenda, the workers – a sea of AFSCME green T-shirts – made themselves heard and became part of the agenda. In the last four years, when the city faced hard economic times, the workers understood and made tough sacrifices to help the city. Now, when the city is on firmer financial footing, officials have been unwilling to negotiate fair contracts with the workers that are more reflective of the economic health of the city.
“Do you enjoy your warm offices in the winter and your air-conditioned offices in the summer?” member Garrett Brown asked the council, pointing out that his unit kept them running, along with keeping the lights on and the trucks running for the city. “We produce 11 percent of the revenue for the city and that is something you all need to remember at the table.”
Joining with their Local 101 brothers and sisters in solidarity were United EMS Workers-AFSCME Local 4911.
“I’m here to stand in unity with my union brothers and sisters of AFSCME,” said Jason Brollini, a paramedic at Rural/Metro 911. “I’m also here because I take great pride in how beautiful our city looks, and that’s all thanks to these folks.”
Next Wednesday, city workers will head back to the table to continue negotiations for a fair contract.
Lean In, Learn During AFSCME’s Upcoming Webinar on Eleanor Roosevelt
by Kate Childs Graham | March 22, 2013
Eleanor Roosevelt – the very model of a modern woman leader – once famously and facetiously recommended to future first ladies, “Lean back in the parade car so everybody can see the president.”
During this year’s Women’s History Month, there has been a lot of talk about the need for women to “lean in” – or step up – in order to move up in the workplace. In Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead, author and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg tells women they need to “lean in” to claim their place at the table. Some have criticized Sandberg for not understanding the real plight of working women. Others have praised her work as a step forward.
Amidst this chatter about “leaning in,” Brigid O’Farrell, author of She Was One of Us: Eleanor Roosevelt and the American Worker, said that the best way for women to improve their working lives is by joining a union. O’Farrell wrote:
In 1936, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt wrote in her My Day column that there were only two ways to bring about protection for workers – “legislation and unionization”…Sisters can cheer on the struggle for equality among the CEOs, but also use that struggle to remind people of what is needed in the “other women’s movement.” We can seize this moment of discussion and organize. As Eleanor Roosevelt told delegates to a CIO convention, “We can’t just talk. We have got to act.”
This Wednesday, March 27 at 8 p.m. EDT, O’Farrell will lead the AFSCME Online Leadership Academy’s newest webinar, “Eleanor’s Voice in Leadership and Labor History.” This leadership course for women will examine Roosevelt’s leadership and her relationship with the labor movement. Like many union women, her labor story is not widely known. A proud union member for more than 25 years, Roosevelt was a champion for all working people, especially women.
This course will be initially offered as a live webinar and later launched as an OnDemand course with interactive learning activities. Click here to attend the live webinar on March 27 at 8 p.m. EDT. If you are unable to connect to the online portion of the course, you can listen in by dialing 1-877-534-5630 and entering access code 2265380409.
Contact AFSCME’s Education Department at 202-429-1256 or education@afscme.org if you have any questions.
AFSCME.TV: Comprehensive Immigration Reform
by Pablo Ros | March 21, 2013
Since the beginning of the year, AFSCME has been at the forefront of the fight to pass comprehensive immigration reform that includes a full path to citizenship for all immigrants. We’ve been holding rallies to mobilize our supporters, lobbying our representatives in Congress, and working with our friends and allies to do the right thing by millions of immigrant workers.
Watch the latest episode of AFSCME.TV to see how our efforts make a real difference in the push for reform, and why it’s the right thing to do.
Victory for Humboldt Home Care Workers
by Kate Childs Graham | March 21, 2013
Homecare workers and supporters rallied in front of Humboldt County Courthouse in February.
The lowest paid home care workers in California live in Humboldt County. The more than 1,400 members of California United Homecare Workers (CUHW) Local 4034, have never received a wage increase above the state minimum wage. So, two years ago, after winning a hard-fought recognition campaign, Humboldt home care workers looked forward to bargaining a contract that would give them a fair shake.
Since February 2011, these home care workers put every effort into bargaining their first contract. They held weekly testimonies at Board of Supervisor meetings. They rallied. They executed strategic media campaigns. They garnered support from elected officials, community partners and faith leaders. They attempted mediation again and again.
Last week, these workers finally saw victory when, behind closed doors, the county’s Board of Supervisors, acting as the Governing Board of the IHSS Public Authority, approved an agreement that included a historic wage increase for county home care workers.
Margaret Lewis, a home care worker from Garberville, Calif., and member of CUHW, said, “I’m glad we’re finally able to move forward. The real winners today are the people we care for. Better pay for county caregivers means better care for our seniors and disabled.”
CUHW statewide Pres. Gail Ennis called the agreement a “great victory for home care workers who have lived in poverty for over a decade.”
AFSCME Sec.-Treas. Laura Reyes – who volunteered for weeks on the local’s recognition campaign – added, “When I knocked on the doors of Humboldt home care workers back in 2011, I saw how many were struggling to make ends meet while caring deeply for the people they serve. I’m so proud that these workers will now be able to continue providing quality care while earning a fair wage.”
The agreement must be ratified by county home care workers and receive final approval from the state and county before the wage increase takes effect.
