The Issues

The objectives of the strike were outlined by Jerry Wurf, president of the AFSCME (AFL-CIO) as follows:

(1) Union recognition and a contract with the city.

(2) Effective grievance procedures ("So if it rains they don't send a man home like a dog without wages -- or worse, send you home and give the white man wages.")

(3) Union payroll deduction, or dues check-off.

(4) Merit promotion -- without regard to race.

(5) Equal treatment in the retirement system.

(6) Payment of overtime.

(7) Decent wages.

Something like accord was reached early in the strike on all of the strikers' demands except union recognition and dues check-off. At the start of the strike, wages averaged about $1.70 per hour, and the strikers were demanding $2.35. The mayor and councilmen made an offer of a five per cent raise immediately, with another five per cent scheduled for the next fiscal year, and the sanitation men seemed willing to accept this. The other points apparently did not present insurmountable problems, either. As previously noted, Mayor Loeb said publicly that he would never sign a contract and could not agree to a dues check-off. The union tried to give him a face-saving way out by suggesting an exchange of letters between him and the president of the union in lieu of a contract, and collection of dues through the independent employees' credit union. It was reliably reported that the mayor was considering such a letter, but when a news report labelled the projected letter a "compromise," the mayor was incensed and resumed his stance.

After the Negro community, led by the preachers, got into the fight other issues were defined. Dr. Ralph Jackson, director of the Department of Minimum Salary of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, was principal speaker at the mass meeting on Monday night, February 26. "We're going to march until the sanitation workers say 'Satisfied'!" he told the crowd, and the crowd shouted its affirmation. "But I have news for you: we're going to march after that!"

And again the crowd let it be known that he was speaking for them. He listed the following issues:

(1) Police treatment.

(2) Housing. ("The housing authority has announced plans for 12,000 units -- 8,000 for whites and 4,000 for Negroes. Well, they'll never get off with it!")

(3) Jobs. ("And the days of the one Negro are over. You know what I mean, -- one here, one there, and one over yonder -- and look what we've done for you!")

(4) Wage scales.

(5) Justice in the schools.