Members of Local 848's Civil Rights Committee walked in the 2.9 mile parade
that commemorated the life and meaning of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr in Dallas
on January 15. Ricardo and Pauline Medrano, children of Local 848's great civil
rights activist Pancho Medrano, walked with us. UAW Local 276 activists joined
our group, and members of the Communication Workers of America were in the Jobs
with Justice group just behind ours.
Union members remind everyone that Dr King supported unions during his lifetime. He opposed anti-worker laws and said, "In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, as 'right-to-work.' It provides no 'rights' and no 'works.' Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining... We demand this fraud be stopped."
Local 848's archives
include a recording of Dr. King speaking to the UAW international convention.
Pancho Medrano and UAW International President Walter Reuther joined King on
some of his historical mass actions. King was working to help the unionized
sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, when he was shot to death.
According to the Dallas paper, over 6,000 people lined up to watch the January
15 parade.