SEIU 721 Sanitation Workers Recognized for Service to the Community
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa congratulated Simboa Wright on Jan. 17
after he accepted an award on behalf of all city of L.A. sanitation workers for
“outstanding contributions to labor and community
representing the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”.
At this year’s Martin Luther King, Jr. labor tribute, sanitation workers represented by SEIU 721 received an award from the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor for “outstanding contributions to labor and community representing the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”
Simboa Wright, a wastewater collection worker for the city of Los Angeles, accepted the award on behalf of all SEIU 721 sanitation workers.
“I was really honored to receive such an award on behalf of sanitation workers under the SEIU umbrella,” said Wright, a steward and bargaining team member. “Words can’t explain the honor. I was really glad that folks appreciate sanitation workers and all that we do for the community.”
Forty years ago Dr. King went to Memphis, Tennessee to support striking sanitation workers as they fought for union recognition. The award paid tribute to Dr. King’s legacy by honoring Southern California sanitation workers who’ve long enjoyed the benefits of union membership that allow them to support their families and serve their communities.
The plaque included a quote from Dr. King, which serves as a reminder to union members of the larger stakes of the labor movement: uniting more workers for everyone’s benefit.
“All life is interrelated. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever effects one directly, affects all indirectly.”—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.