Private Sanitation Workers in NYC Hold Moment of Silence to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Yesterday, Teamsters Local 813 and private sanitation workers in New York City held a moment of silence to memorialize the 50^th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The moment of silence was followed by a discussion of his campaigns for civil and labor rights. 

Civil rights, religious and labor organizations throughout the U.S. also commemorated the anniversary. In Memphis, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees organized a rally with sanitation workers who marched with Dr. King before his death, and Local 813 President Sean Campbell spoke with workers at Action Environmental Group in the Bronx about what Dr. King’s legacy means for today’s sanitation workers fighting for economic and racial justice at work. Teamsters at Action will soon begin contract negotiations with workers, demanding a five-day work week and significant raises after past wage cuts.

“Everyone knows Dr. King’s role in our civil rights history, but he was also a champion of workers,” said Campbell in a statement. “The reason he came to Memphis, where he was assassinated, was to support African American sanitation workers who had been on strike for months seeking dignity and justice. We are doing our part to keep his work alive and empower today’s sanitation workers.”

Workers across the industry, who collect commercial trash and recycling during overnight hours, took part in the moment of silence before or after their shifts. A delegation of Action workers and Teamster leaders also participated in a rally in Memphis.

“We owe it to MLK, and to ourselves and our families, to continue fighting,” said Denzel Alvin, a worker at Action Carting, in a statement. “It’s no secret that when this industry was mostly white, the workers got paid more than we are making today, now that private sanitation workers are mostly black and Latino. We deserve fairness.”

A third of black workers and more than half of Latino workers in New York’s private sanitation industry earn less than $35,000 annually. Wage theft is also widespread.

The New York City Department of Sanitation is moving forward with reforms that can raise labor conditions in the industry through wage standards and safety requirements, and it’s also pushing forward with a commercial waste zone plan. Private sanitation workers are organizing with the Teamsters to ensure the plan lives up to its promise.

Below are some of the moments captured during yesterday’s memorialization: