3rd Annual Memphis Labor Council Picnic
Free Concert · Free Food · Overton Park Shell
Teamsters Local 667
Memphis, Tennessee — Carrying the Legacy Forward
Teamsters Local 667: Memphis Strong
From sanitation workers to UPS drivers, from freight haulers to warehouse workers — Local 667 has been fighting for Memphis working families for decades.
667
Memphis Local
1968
Sanitation Strike Legacy
28%
2023 Strike Wage Win
IBT
1.3M+ Members Strong
Who We Represent
Teamsters Local 667 represents workers across a wide range of industries in the Memphis area. Our members keep Memphis moving — hauling freight, delivering packages, collecting waste, distributing goods, and driving school buses.
The 1968 Legacy
On February 12, 1968, over 1,300 Memphis sanitation workers walked off the job after the crushing deaths of Echol Cole and Robert Walker in a malfunctioning garbage compactor. The workers, mostly Black men earning as little as $1.60 an hour, demanded union recognition, safety equipment, fair wages, and dignity. They carried signs that read "I AM A MAN."
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. came to Memphis to support the strike as part of his Poor People's Campaign. On April 3, 1968, he delivered his prophetic "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech at Mason Temple. The next day, April 4, he was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel. On April 8, a silent march of 42,000 people walked through Memphis in his honor. The strike ended on April 16, winning union recognition, wage increases, and dues checkoff.
While the 1968 strike was led by AFSCME Local 1733, Teamsters Local 667 carries that legacy forward as the union representing Memphis sanitation and waste workers today. In 2023, for the 55th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination, Local 667 made King an honorary member and awarded plaques to descendants of the original strikers. President James E. Jones III has stated that the fight for dignity in sanitation work never ended — it simply found a new generation of workers willing to carry the signs.
"I AM A MAN. Those four words changed Memphis forever. We carry them with us every day."
2023: The Fight Continues
In April 2023, Local 667 members at Republic Services went on strike for 9 days over wages and safety concerns — echoing the very same issues the 1968 sanitation workers fought for. Tragically, a Republic Services worker had died on the job shortly before the strike, drawing direct parallels to the deaths of Cole and Walker 55 years earlier.
The strike was a victory. Members won 28% wage increases over 5 years, improved safety protections, and better benefits. It proved that the spirit of 1968 is alive and well in Memphis, and that Teamsters Local 667 is willing to stand up and fight when workers are being treated unfairly.
In 2018, Local 667 also negotiated a strong contract with Waste Management, securing 8.5% raises for Memphis drivers. Time and again, this local has shown that when workers stand together, they win.
Community Impact
Teamsters Local 667 is deeply woven into the fabric of Memphis. Our members don't just drive trucks and haul waste — they coach youth sports, serve on school boards, volunteer at food banks, and show up for their neighborhoods. Under the leadership of President James E. Jones III, the local has expanded its community engagement, endorsing and electing worker-friendly candidates to the Memphis City Council and championing economic justice for working families across Shelby County.
In a city built on the labor movement, Local 667 understands that union power means community power. Every contract we win lifts entire families. Every safety standard we enforce saves lives. And every time we stand together on a picket line, we remind Memphis what solidarity looks like.
Teamsters National Black Caucus — Memphis Delta Chapter
For more than three decades, the TNBC Memphis Delta Chapter has been empowering Memphis youth through education and community engagement — proving that Teamster power reaches far beyond the workplace. Their community education programs build partnerships between schools, businesses, and civic organizations so that no child gets left behind.
31 Years of Scholarships
Three decades of investing in the dedication and promise of Memphis youth through their annual Black-Tie Scholarship Gala.
In the Community
Educational, recreational, social & cultural programs that keep local youth focused on their education year-round.
Building Partnerships
Connecting schools with public & private service providers, business, industry, and civic organizations.
🎓 31ST ANNUAL BLACK-TIE SCHOLARSHIP GALA
Saturday, July 25, 2026 · The Coronet, 570 Shelby Oaks Drive, Memphis — an evening of elegance, purpose & impact celebrating education and the next generation, emceed by Action News 5's Joy Redmond with guest speaker Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
"From the sanitation workers of 1968 to the UPS drivers and waste haulers of today, Teamsters Local 667 has always been about one thing: dignity on the job and justice in the community. Memphis made us. And we'll never stop fighting for Memphis."
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