Martin Luther King Support for Unions
By bobmnu
@bobmnu (8157)
United States
March 18, 2011 10:08pm CST
It seems that many Union leaders are trying to convince us that the march in Memphis to support the Union Movement. Maybe they need to recheck their history. Dr. King went to Memphis to support the black city workers who were being treated differently than their white counter parts. The strike started over black workers who were sent home with no pay because it was raining while, whites were allowed to stay and later in the day return to work and receive a full day pay while the Blacks got no pay. The next incident were two Black Garbage men killed when a crusher malfunctioned in a truck and killed them as they were trying to stay out of the driving rain. The Black Workers were trying to form a Union
http://rhapsodyinbooks.wordpress.com/2009/02/12/february-12-1968-black-sanitation-workers-strike-in-memphis/
It seems that Dr. King went in to protect the rights of the Black Workers.
1 person likes this
2 responses
@TheMetallion (1834)
• United States
19 Mar 11
You really need to read these links more carefully. Here's King's own words, from the last speech he gave before his assasination, as quoted in the article, linking the rights of Black Workers to the rights of workers in general:
Our needs are identical with labor’s needs — decent wages, fair working conditions, livable housing, old age security, health and welfare measures, conditions in which families can grow, have education for their children and respect in the community. That is why Negroes support labor’s demands and fight laws which curb labor. That is why the labor-hater and labor-baiter is virtually always a twin-headed creature spewing anti-Negro epithets from one mouth and anti-labor propaganda from the other mouth.
Nice try at driving a wedge between racial justice and worker's justice, but they are one and the same.
1 person likes this
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
19 Mar 11
This is a different world than the esteemed Dr. King lived in. He'd be ashamed of the irresponibility and non accountability of the black leadership of today. Many conservative blacks are, and agree with me. Dr. King lived in a world where racial hatred (institutionalized racism) was paramount, we live in a world where white guilt over this past hatred rules the mind set of most of America. And the likes of Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton know this and play on it, much to the detriment of their race. In a world where CHARACTER and responsibilty mean nothing, I doubt Dr.King would be happy at the turn the civil rights movement took, nor the role unions play in buying political power. You really need to read Shelby Steele's book; White Guilt.
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
19 Mar 11
and the angels in heaven await your pronouncement of their worthiness oh esteemed one. 
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
23 Mar 11
Martin Luther King wanted equality and justice for everyone, regardless of race or ethnicity. Often the only way for some workers to get that equality and justice as well as protection is through a union. That might not be as true today as it was back then but it still is in many cases.
Annie
