40th Anniversary of the 1970 Postal Strike

On March 18, 1970, Local 36 of New York City's National Association of Letter Carriers began a wildcat strike protesting low pay and poor job advancement. Postal workers in more than 30 cities joined the strike, crippling businesses nationwide. President Richard Nixon tried using the National Guard to process mail in New York City before negotiating with workers to end the strike almost two weeks after it began.

Vincent R. Sombrotto (president emeritus of the National Association of Letter Carriers and member of Local 36), William Burrus (president of the American Postal Workers Union), and George Gould (former Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Postal Operations and Services) discuss these momentous events and the dramatic changes the strike sparked in the nation's mail service and its employees' lives.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Post Office
• Postal Service
• Union
• Unions
• Strike
• Labor Relations

[SmithsonianNPM]

Thanks, standardno1, for your comment. Judging from the standing ovation on Saturday, postal workers really appreciate Vince's leadership! - Erin, programs coordinator at the Postal Museum

[SmithsonianNPM]

Thanks, FlashBack1963, for watching! We're glad you enjoyed the video. We were honored to have such distinguished speakers speak at the museum. - Erin, programs coordinator at the Postal Museum

[FlashBack1963]

Thank you Smithsonian for posting this video. And thank you Vince Sombrotto, Brother William Burrus and George Gould.

[standardno1]

The actions of the letter carriers, led by this great man, Vince Sombrotto, made it possible for millions of postal workers to have a decent liddle class life.