(12515) AFSCME Atlanta Local 1644 members, City Hall

Atlanta city workers from AFSCME Local 1644 hold signs as they approach the steps of City
Hall for a pay raise. The May 1982 issue of AFSCME's Public Employee magazine covered the story:
"Demanding a pay raise, some 600 Atlanta city workers arrive at the steps of city hall
for a rally. The city council had turned thumbs down on any raise, but pressure from
Local 1644 led to a $600 across-the-board wage hike. 'We fell short of what we were
seeking,' says Local 1644 Pres. Willie Morris, 'but it was still better than what the city
wanted to give in the first place—nothing.' The struggle isn't over, explains Morris,
because city workers now have to pay part of their health insurance premiums. 'We're
not giving up on that issue either,' he says."