Sanitation Strike Cleans Up City’s Working Conditions

On May 6, 1968, more than 200 Black sanitation workers in St. Petersburg walked off the job. They were demanding fair pay and better working conditions, and they were tired of being treated as disposable.

Led by crew chief Joseph Savage, the strikers marched, picketed, and organized boycotts for nearly four months. Savage led close to 40 marches on City Hall. Many demonstrations ended in mass arrests, but the workers stayed committed to nonviolence.

The community stepped up. Money was raised. Meals were shared. Families were supported. It became more than a strike. It became a movement.

Earlier that same year, Memphis sanitation workers went on strike with similar demands. That struggle brought Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Memphis, where he was assassinated.

St. Pete’s strike gained national attention, and with help from groups like the NAACP and SNCC, an agreement was reached. The strike ended on August 30, 1968.

Explore more in our new exhibit, presented by The Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Florida, “Civil Rights in the Sunshine City” at the Museum 10am to 5pm Monday through Saturday or from Noon to 5pm on $6 Sundays!  #HistoryStPete