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Season 6, Episode 14

AFSCME President Saunders on the lessons from Dr. King's Legacy

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Guest Name:


Lee Saunders

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AFSCME 

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On a day dedicated to honoring civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the America's Work Force Union Podcast dove into the intertwined history of labor rights and civil rights. We welcomed Lee Saunders, President of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), to discuss the union's pivotal role in the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers' Strike and the ongoing fight for workers' rights.

Saunders, a Cleveland native and son of union members, has been at the helm of AFSCME since 2012. As the first African American to serve as president of the 1.4 million-member union, Saunders brings a wealth of experience to the labor movement. He shared his journey from a labor economist to union leadership and the drive behind his dedication to fighting for workers' rights.

The 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers' Strike exemplifies Dr. King’s message and its connection to the labor movement. The day before his assassination, Dr. King stood in solidarity with AFSCME members fighting for dignity and fair treatment. The iconic slogan "I Am A Man" emerged from this struggle, encapsulating the workers' demand for respect and recognition as human beings.

As we reflect on Dr. King's legacy and the struggles of the past, Saunders' words remind us that the fight for dignity, respect, and fair treatment in the workplace is far from over. The labor movement must continue to evolve and engage new generations of workers to carry forward the vision of a more just and equitable society.

To hear more from Saunders about AFSCME's history, current challenges and future plans, listen to the full episode of America's Work Force Union Podcast.


America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.

America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.

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