Page 9 - Work Force January 2020

Working People’s History: Honoring Dr. King
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks at Mason Temple, Memphis, Tenn. on April 3, 1968.
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. fought tirelessly to advance civil rights, human rights and economic and social justice.
As we honor Dr. King’s life and accomplishments, we also remember his work on behalf of the labor movement.
King often connected the ongoing struggles for workers’ rights with civil rights, noting that labor rights are key to helping working people find prosperity.
“The labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope
and progress,” King told union members at the Illinois AFL-CIO State Convention in October 1965. “Out of its bold struggles, economic and social reform gave birth to
unemployment insurance, old age pensions, government relief for the destitute, and above all new wage levels that meant
not mere survival, but a tolerable life. The captains of industry did not lead this transformation; they resisted it until they were overcome.”
In early 1968, King visited Memphis, Tenn.
on several occasions to support striking sanitation workers who were seeking to form a union with AFSCME as part of their fight for dignity on the job.
On April 3, 1968, the night before his assassination, King delivered his famous address, “I’ve Been to the
Mountaintop,” to those sanitation workers.
Weeks after King’s death, AFSCME reached a deal with the
City of Memphis that not only ended the strike, but recognized their union, today known as AFSCME Local 1733.
More than 50 years after King’s death, his fight for civil, labor, economic and human rights is as relevant as ever.
As we celebrate his birthday, we join our allies in labor, faith, civil rights
and human rights groups in the ongoing fight to realize his dream of equality and dignity, including an end to all discrimination.
“The labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress.”
Honoring our nation’s heroes
BATH — Winter weather didn’t deter CSEA members who came out in force to attend the national Wreaths Across America event at the Bath National Cemetery and VA Medical Center in Bath.
The Wreaths Across America effort is anchored by several wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as more than 1,400 additional locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea and abroad.
The mission of the event is to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and teach younger generations the value
of freedom. Organizers estimate
volunteers, including about
50 CSEA members and their families, some traveling more than 100 miles to participate, placed more than 5,000 wreaths at headstones and monuments at the Bath National Cemetery.
CSEA Western Region President Bob Pyjas said he was very impressed and proud of our members for participating. “The Wreaths Across America event is a terrific way to honor our veterans past and present,” Pyjas said. “To be part of something like this is truly a
humbling experience.” Western Region Executive Vice President Tim Finnigan,
who served in the U.S.
Army from 1981-90, said the ceremony was very impactful. “It was very heartwarming to see so many people willing
to honor our Armed Forces,” Finnigan said. “After we finished the wreath-laying, it was an awesome sight to scan the landscape and see what we accomplished in just a short period of time. I loved being part of this.”
— Ove Overmyer
Left, Western Region President Bob Pyjas places a wreath.
Above, Western Region Veterans Commitee Chair Amy Owczarczak prepares to place a wreath.
January 2020
The Work Force 9