Atlanta transit strike of 1950
Encyclopedia
The Atlanta transit strike of 1950 was a lengthy transit strike that lasted from May 18, 1950 to November 16, 1950 in Atlanta
, Georgia
.
A month after author Margaret Mitchell
was struck and killed by a taxi
during a year when trolleys had killed five, there was a call in the city to increase safety on city streets.
The city council passed an ordinance which required all cab and trolley drivers to apply for a permit.
It required a $5 fee and a fingerprint which was the only method at the time to trace criminal records.
The fingerprinting in particular was fought by Jesse Walton, president of Amalgamated Street Car
Local 732, first in court cases which losses he appealed up to the United States Supreme Court (who declined to hear).
Still not willing to comply, Walton called for a strike which began on May 18, 1950.
Police Chief Herbert Jenkins
suspended all force vacations to staff downtown intersections all day long to handle the great increase in automobile traffic.
Mayor William Hartsfield called for legalized jitneys
(which required a similar permit) to help reduce some of the traffic.
The strike was to last 37 days and as Hartsfield's law was written, jitney permits were immediately revoked.
The union voted to get permits on November 16, 1950 and found themselves working for a new company, the Atlanta Transit Company
, as the former transit operator in Atlanta, Georgia Power
, used this opportunity to get out of the transit business.
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
A month after author Margaret Mitchell
Margaret Mitchell
Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell was an American author and journalist. Mitchell won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1937 for her epic American Civil War era novel, Gone with the Wind, which was the only novel by Mitchell published during her lifetime.-Family:Margaret Mitchell was born in Atlanta,...
was struck and killed by a taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
during a year when trolleys had killed five, there was a call in the city to increase safety on city streets.
The city council passed an ordinance which required all cab and trolley drivers to apply for a permit.
It required a $5 fee and a fingerprint which was the only method at the time to trace criminal records.
The fingerprinting in particular was fought by Jesse Walton, president of Amalgamated Street Car
Amalgamated Transit Union
The Amalgamated Transit Union is a labor union in the United States and The Amalgamated Transit Union Canadian Council in Canada, representing workers in the transit system and other industries...
Local 732, first in court cases which losses he appealed up to the United States Supreme Court (who declined to hear).
Still not willing to comply, Walton called for a strike which began on May 18, 1950.
Police Chief Herbert Jenkins
Herbert Jenkins
Herbert Turner Jenkins was the longest serving police chief of Atlanta.- Early life :He was an automotive pioneer in Atlanta, working at its earliest car dealership.That experience led to his last book.- Policing :...
suspended all force vacations to staff downtown intersections all day long to handle the great increase in automobile traffic.
Mayor William Hartsfield called for legalized jitneys
Share taxi
A share taxi is a mode of transport that falls between taxis and conventional buses. These informal vehicles for hire are found throughout the world. They are smaller than buses, and usually take passengers on a fixed or semi-fixed route without timetables, usually leaving when all seats are filled...
(which required a similar permit) to help reduce some of the traffic.
The strike was to last 37 days and as Hartsfield's law was written, jitney permits were immediately revoked.
The union voted to get permits on November 16, 1950 and found themselves working for a new company, the Atlanta Transit Company
Atlanta Transit Company
The Atlanta Transit Company ran the public transit system in Atlanta, in the U.S. state of Georgia, from 1950 to 1972.Since the 1920s, the Georgia Railway and Power Company , had been losing money on transit. It commissioned a study from Beeler in 1926, but the suggestions were not enough to help...
, as the former transit operator in Atlanta, Georgia Power
Georgia Power
Georgia Power is an electric utility headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is the largest of the four electric utilities that are owned and operated by Southern Company....
, used this opportunity to get out of the transit business.