General Membership Meeting: Tuesday, January 9th, 2017, 5:30 PM
688 Charnelton (AFSCME Building)
Join In! March in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Monday, January 15 at 9:00 AM (march begins at 10 AM) north gate of Autzen (parking at Serbu)
Dr. Martin Luther King is an important piece of our Union’s history. Join us and let’s use his holiday to honor his work!
AFSCME History: the Memphis Sanitation strike began on February 11, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. Citing years of poor treatment, discrimination, dangerous working conditions, and the horrifying deaths of Echol Cole and Robert Walker, some 1300 black sanitation workers walked off the job in protest. They also sought to join the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1733. Echol Cole and Robert Walker had been crushed in a mechanical malfunction on February 1; city rules forbade black employees to seek shelter from rain anywhere but in the back of their compressor trucks, with the garbage.
On Monday, February 12, the vast majority of the city's sanitation and sewage workers did not show up for work. Some of those who did show up walked off when they found out about the apparent strike. The strike grew into a major civil rights struggle, attracting the attention of the NAACP, the national news media, and Martin Luther King, Jr.
On April 3, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. traveled to Memphis to support AFSCME sanitation workers. That evening, he delivered his famous “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech to a packed room of supporters. The next day, he was assassinated.
Prior to his death on April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. also took an active role in mass meetings and street actions. He first visited the Memphis strike on March 18, speaking to an audience of thousands at Mason Temple. A demonstration on March 28 (with King in attendance) turned violent when some protesters started breaking windows. Police responded with batons and tear gas, resulting in the death of Larry Payne, a sixteen-year-old boy.
King's assassination intensified the strike. Mayor Loeb and others feared rioting, which had already begun in Washington, D.C. Federal officials, including Attorney General Ramsey Clark, urged the mayor to make concessions to the strikers in order to avoid violence.
The strike ended on April 16, 1968, with a settlement that included union recognition and wage increases, although additional strikes had to be threatened to force the City of Memphis to honor its agreements. The period was a turning point for black activism and union activity in Memphis.
[Wikipedia]
Please join us while we walk with our community partners and wear your AFSCME t-shirt. We will gather near the north gate of Autzen; parking is in the Serbu parking lot (2727 Martin Luther King Blvd). Look for us! Need a shirt? No worries. We will have one for you!
Dr. Martin Luther King is an important piece of our Union’s history. Join us and let’s use his holiday to honor his work!
AFSCME History: the Memphis Sanitation strike began on February 11, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. Citing years of poor treatment, discrimination, dangerous working conditions, and the horrifying deaths of Echol Cole and Robert Walker, some 1300 black sanitation workers walked off the job in protest. They also sought to join the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1733. Echol Cole and Robert Walker had been crushed in a mechanical malfunction on February 1; city rules forbade black employees to seek shelter from rain anywhere but in the back of their compressor trucks, with the garbage.
On Monday, February 12, the vast majority of the city's sanitation and sewage workers did not show up for work. Some of those who did show up walked off when they found out about the apparent strike. The strike grew into a major civil rights struggle, attracting the attention of the NAACP, the national news media, and Martin Luther King, Jr.
On April 3, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. traveled to Memphis to support AFSCME sanitation workers. That evening, he delivered his famous “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech to a packed room of supporters. The next day, he was assassinated.
Prior to his death on April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. also took an active role in mass meetings and street actions. He first visited the Memphis strike on March 18, speaking to an audience of thousands at Mason Temple. A demonstration on March 28 (with King in attendance) turned violent when some protesters started breaking windows. Police responded with batons and tear gas, resulting in the death of Larry Payne, a sixteen-year-old boy.
King's assassination intensified the strike. Mayor Loeb and others feared rioting, which had already begun in Washington, D.C. Federal officials, including Attorney General Ramsey Clark, urged the mayor to make concessions to the strikers in order to avoid violence.
The strike ended on April 16, 1968, with a settlement that included union recognition and wage increases, although additional strikes had to be threatened to force the City of Memphis to honor its agreements. The period was a turning point for black activism and union activity in Memphis.
[Wikipedia]
Please join us while we walk with our community partners and wear your AFSCME t-shirt. We will gather near the north gate of Autzen; parking is in the Serbu parking lot (2727 Martin Luther King Blvd). Look for us! Need a shirt? No worries. We will have one for you!
LERC will be putting on a leadership academy March of 2018. Please see attached flyer to learn more.
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The AFSCME Market Review has begun.
This comprehensive market review will be for all AFSCME 1724 classifications. It will be based on benchmarks and has the potential to affect wages. Your Officers and Stewards will be reaching out to the membership with as much information as possible; however, members are strongly encouraged to stay informed. Please see the Market Review tab at the top of the page for the most up to date information.
