Postal Strike in March 1970

[Ian Livingston]

It's a wonder they didn't claim the experience as an excuse for what
happened in Ohio six weeks later.

On Mon, Oct 26, 2009 at 8:08 PM, rich <richard.romeo at gmail.com> wrote:
> did u guys know there was a postal strike in March 1970? the military
> distributing the mail...
>
> The strike began on March 18, 1970. More than 210,000 United States
> Post Office Department workers were eventually involved, although
> initially the strike affected only workers in New York City.
> President Nixon appeared on national television and ordered the
> employees back to work, but his address only stiffened the resolve of
> the existing strikers and angered workers in another 671 locations in
> other cities into walking out as well. Workers in other government
> agencies also announced they would strike if Nixon pursued legal
> action against the postal employees.
> The strike crippled the nation's mail system, disrupting delivery of
> pension and welfare checks, tax refunds, census forms, and draft
> notices. Businesses hired planes and trucks to deliver publications
> and letters.
> Nixon spoke to the nation again on March 25 and ordered 24 000
> military personnel forces to begin distributing the mail.[citation
> needed] Operation Graphic Hand had at its peak more than 18 500
> military personnel assigned to 17 New York post offices, from regular
> Army, National Guard, Army Reserve, Air National Guard and Navy, Air
> Force, and Marine Corps Reserve.[1] The military proved ineffective at
> the task.[citation needed]
> Negotiations, in which United States Secretary of Labor William Usery,
> Jr. played a key role, resolved the postal strike in just two weeks.
>



-- 
Ian Livingston

"liber enim librum aperit."