MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The 1968 Sanitation Workers' Strike in Memphis gave rise to the memorable slogan, "I am a man", and ultimately wrote a decisive chapter in the Civil Rights Movement.Sumber: [Link]
Forty-one years later, sanitation workers and the city are at odds again, and some Memphis streets are seeing trash pile up for weeks.
City leaders say the modern day hiccups in trash collection don't compare to the 1968 work stoppage.
"I think what we have right now is a few disgruntled employees that would like to orchestrate some sort of work slowdown," said Dwan Gilliom, Public Works Director. "I believe that there's a few disgruntled employees that are doing everything that they can to sabotage this plan."
The plan Gilliom refers to went into effect July 1, the start of the new fiscal year. It cut some sanitation worker positions, and awarded a $3.8 million annual contract to All-Star Waste Systems. Under the contract, Gilliom said the company will collect garbage and materials to be recycled, in annexed areas like Cordova and Hickory Hill.
Veteran sanitation workers like William Stevenson, who has 16 years with the city, worries that the 50 to 55 additional stops, which is also part of the new plan, will mean more work and longer hours for him, with no additional pay.
"I used to be able to finish my route, dump and go home by one o'clock," Stevenson said. "Now, it's basically a 7 to 3 shift."
In the wake of the 1968 strike, sanitation workers negotiated an "incentive program" into their memorandum of understanding with the City of Memphis. Under that plan, if a sanitation crew finished their five hundred stops in three hours, they could go home for the day and get paid for eight hours.
"It's pretty nice to come to work two and a half, three, hours and get paid for eight hours under the incentive plan and whenever you disrupt that, there's going to be complaints, and those complaints are coming from a few disgruntled employees," Gilliom said.
Mary Richards lives in one of the "contracted areas" and has lived in this house since 1995.
There is a large trash pile in front of the house across the street from her house. She says this is the first time she's seen a pile of trash on her street for three weeks.
"They need to improve their service is what it is," said Richards. "They keep saying, well, they're learning the new routes, but I believe in three weeks they can learn a new route."
Gilliom says if there are isolated cases of trash still on curbs, blame the sanitation workers.
"Nobody should have debris, that has been placed on the curb three weeks ago, and that debris is still sitting there," Gilliom said.
"It's not a very good sight to see."
Richards remembers the 1968 strike and doesn't want to see that again. And by the end of next week, she said she hopes she doesn't see that big pile of trash across the street either.
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