Question

the afternoon of february 1, 1968, was rainy and cold. two black sanitation workers, echol cole and robert walker, struggled to complete their route. they had little choice, even in the midst of a torrential downpour, but to put in a full days work. they and the 1,300 other black sanitation workers in memphis, tennessee, knew that working through adverse conditions was the only way to earn their meager paychecks, which provided barely enough to feed their families in the best of circumstances. but the rain became too much for cole and walker, and they finally sought shelter in the back of their compressor truck. city rules forbade black employees from taking shelter from the rain anywhere else while on their routes. as they tried to stay out of the rain, something went horribly wrong. due to a mechanical malfunction, the compressor began to run and within seconds cole and walker were pulled into the machinery and crushed to death.
the deaths of echol cole and robert walker were the last straw for
what were the causes of the memphis sanitation workers strike of 1968?

Explanation:

The passage indicates that the deaths of Echol Cole and Robert Walker (due to a mechanical malfunction while they were working in adverse weather as black sanitation workers with meager pay and restricted shelter options) were a trigger. The underlying causes likely included poor working conditions (like having to work in torrential downpour), low pay (meager paychecks barely enough to feed families), and racial discrimination (city rules forbade black employees from taking shelter elsewhere).

Answer:

The causes included poor working conditions (working in adverse weather), low pay (meager paychecks), racial discrimination (restricted shelter rules for black employees), and the triggering event of the deaths of Echol Cole and Robert Walker due to a mechanical malfunction while they were working under such harsh circumstances.