Series 32: 1978 Metro Wildcat Strike, 2021
Scope and Contents
D.C. Oral History Collaborative (DCOHC) is a citywide initiative to train community members in oral history skills, fund new and ongoing oral history projects, connect volunteers with oral history projects, and publicize existing oral history collections. DCOHC is a project of DC Public Library, HumanitiesDC, and the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. This collection contains oral history interviews, transcripts, and indexes produced by DCOHC grantees.
Dates
- Creation: 2021
Creator
- Haack, Michael (Person)
- Eikenberry, Eric (Person)
Language of Materials
English
Extent
From the Collection: 1.13 Terabytes
Abstract
For six days in July of 1978, workers in D.C.’s Metro system brought the city to a halt. Angered by violence against bus drivers and their eroding real wages in an era of high inflation, Black and white workers united and walked off the job in defiance of management and the leadership of their own union. The 1978 wildcat strike helped guarantee that Metro would remain a source of family-sustaining jobs for Black working class Washingtonians. This project interviewed participants in the strike revealing how those on the frontline experienced and remember this pivotal event.
Repository Details
Part of the The People's Archive, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library Repository