KYW Flashback: Unwanted Aroma Fouls The Chilly Cheltenham Air
CHELTENHAM, Pa. (CBS) - It was February -- a quiet time of year in a quiet suburb. But Cheltenham Township on the Philadelphia border was on edge.
It was 40 years ago and KYW reported that the township trash collectors had parked their trucks and were on strike.
They were led by a flamboyant Teamster business agent named John Morris. He liked to remind reporters that he was descended from the feared "Molly Maguire's." They were a form of union that plagued Pennsylvania coal mine owners and were jailed or executed for their troubles.
Morris was known for disruptive tactics during the 127 day strike. Residents were taking their trash to local parks while Cheltenham commissioners were trying to figure out what to do with it.
Before the strike ended, Morris had enlisted unions from Philadelphia and elsewhere to surround the township and blockade it. That brought neighboring police and sheriff's departments to break the blockade.
The tumult ended in June with the strikers getting richer by 95 cents an hour.