Martin Luther King, Jr. fought for workers' rights and unions as part of the struggle for civil rights. MLK famously declared, "The labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress." Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis while supporting sanitation workers in their union efforts.
Recently, a LUMEN / CenturyLink email informed all staff that as of
2021, MLK Day would be a US company paid holiday for the first time in the company's history. Yet, union workers were not given the new paid holiday, even after members asked for it. Union workers were told they could bring up the holiday at their next contract expiration, as far away as 2023.
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