Cohen Honors T.O. Jones with Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition

MEMPHIS, TN – Yesterday, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) presented the son of T.O. Jones with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for his role during the 1968 sanitation strike. T.O. Jones was president of Local 1733 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) at the time of the strike. T.O. Jones passed away on April 12, 1989.

“T.O. Jones was a hero and a legend for his work before, during and after the 1968 sanitation strike,” said Congressman Cohen. “I was honored to secure a Certificate of Special Recognition for T.O. Jones because it is well deserved and should have been given to him decades ago.”

Martin Luther King Jr.’s support of the Memphis Sanitation workers during the 1968 march to gain the right of bargaining, job safety, better wages and benefits was his last campaign before his death. The workers had the support of their union, AFSCME, and many others.

In April 2011, a Labor Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was held to honor the workers of the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike. The event was hosted by the Secretary of Labor, Hilda L. Solis, at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. The 1,300 workers who took part in the historic 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike were inducted into the Labor Hall of Fame.