Railroad Unions

a number of men are working on railroad tracks — John Vachon, photographer. *Railroad workers, Minneapolis, Minnesota,* 1939. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

The history of railroads is closely tied to a number of unions and strikes as well as specific legislation related to both. Knowing what those are can help in understanding the history and development of the industry's unions. Below are just a few of note:

Great Railroad Strike of 1877
Arbitration Act of 1888
Burlington Railroad Strike of 1888
Great Northern Railroad Strike in 1894
Pullman Strike in 1894
Erdman Act of 1898
Newlands Labor Act of 1913, which created the Board of Mediation
Adamson Act, enacted in 1916
Transportation Act of 1920 established the Railroad Labor Board (RLB) and was designed as means of settling wage disputes between railway companies and their employees.
Great Railroad Strike of 1922
Railway Labor Act of 1926 abolished the Railroad Labor Board and set the laws that govern labor relations in the railroad and airline industries.

There are a number of unions that have represented aspects of railroads since the railroads were developed. While we can't include information on all of the organizations, below are the names of a few along with a highly abbreviated history.

American Railway Union (ARU)

This was a short lived union founded by Eugene V. Debs in 1893. It was involved in the successful Great Northern Railroad Strike of 1894. However, the courts and federal power crushed the union and jailed the leaders for several months, effectively killing the union.

Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) and the Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM)

Founded in 1925, the BSCP won a charter from the AFL in 1935. A. Philip Randolph was president of the union for most of its life beginning in 1925 until 1968 when C. L. Dellums became president. In 1978 it merged with the Brotherhood of Railway and Airline Clerks (BRAC, previously known as Brotherhood of Railway and Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employees). Today much of it is within the Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM).

Order of Railway Conductors (ORC)

Founded in 1868 to represent railway conductors, it eventually expanded to brakemen. In 1969, it merged with Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, and the Switchmen's Union of North America to form the United Transportation Union.

Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWE)

This union was founded in 1887 and represented those that built and maintained the tracks, bridges, buildings and other structures on the railroads. In 2004, it merged with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen (BLET)

This union was founded in 1863 as Brotherhood of the Footboard and is one of the oldest trade unions in the United States. A year later it became Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (B of LE). The current name was adopted when it joined with International Brotherhood of Teamsters on January 1, 2004.

Brotherhood Railway Carmen (BRC)

BRC was founded in October 1888 and merged with the Carmen’s Mutual Aid Association in 1890. In 1986, it was disestablished through the merger into the Transportation Communications International Union (TCU). TCU merged into the International Association of Machinists (IAM) in 2012. Martin F. Ryan served the longest term as the union's leader though Felix H. Knight, his immediate successor, is also a well known leader.

Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS)

BRS was founded in 1901 and represents those that install and maintain signal systems. It is affiliated with the AFL-CIO and the Transportation Trades Department.

International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM)

IAM was founded on May 5, 1888 by Thomas W. Talbotas the Order of United Machinists and Mechanical Engineers. The name changed to National Association of Machinists (NAM), but activity in Canada meant the union took its current name in 1891. However, in 1964, IAM changed its name to the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. It absorbed Pattern Makers' League of North America and the merged with the Transportation Communications International Union (TCU) in 2005.

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)

The IBEW represents members in many industries including utilities, construction, telecommunications, broadcasting, manufacturing, railroads and government. The history of the union goes back to the 1870s with many smaller, local unions, but in 1890, it was chartered as Electrical Wiremen and Lineman’s Union, No. 5221, or the AFL Federal Labor Union 5221.

Transportation Communications International Union (TCU/IAM)

TCU was founded in 1899 as Brotherhood of Railway Clerks and renamed itself the Brotherhood of Railway and Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employees in 1919. George McGregor Harrison served as its Grand President from 1928 to 1963. In 1967, it changed names again to the Brotherhood of Railway, Airline, Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employees. It adopted its current name in 1987. There are many other organizations to note in TCU/IAM history including: International Association of Machinists; Order of Railroad Telegraphers, founded in 1886; United Transport Services Employees Union, founded in 1937 as the International Brotherhood of Red Caps; American Railway Supervisors Association (renamed the American Railway and Airway Supervisors Association), founded in 1934; Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters; Brotherhood of Railway Carmen of America; and Western Railway Supervisors Association.

National Conference of Firemen and Oilers (NCFO)

This union was founded in 1898 as the Brotherhood of Stationary Firemen. In 1919, the charter was expanded to include oilers and helpers in the boiler rooms, and so was renamed the International Brotherhood of Stationary Firemen and Oilers. The name changed again when it became the International Brotherhood of Firemen, Oilers, Helpers, Roundhouse and Railway Shop Laborers, and the current name was adopted in 1956.

American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA)

This union was founded in 1917 and is an AFL-CIO-affiliated union. It represents employees in the nation's railroad industry who operate and dispatch trains, as well as supply electric power.

International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Blacksmiths, Iron Ship Builders, Forgers and Helpers (IBB)

This union was organized in 1880 and represents those who work in heavy industry, shipbuilding, manufacturing, railroads, cement, mining, and related industries and is affiliated with the AFL-CIO.

United Transportation Union (UTU)

The union was founded in 1969 and dissolved in 2014. It was the merger of several unions including: Order of Railway Conductors; Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen (founded as Brotherhood of Railroad Brakemen in 1883); Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen (founded in 1873 as the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen); and Switchmen's Union of North America (founded in 1894). It is now SMART, the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers.

International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART)

The history of the union traces through the combination of several unions, most specifically the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association (SMWIA) and the United Transportation Union (UTU) which merged in 2011. Both of those unions have predecessor organizations, so there are a number of names that are part of the history of SMART including: Order of Railroad Conductors and Brakemen (ORC&B was Order of Railway Conductors); Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen & Enginemen (BLF&E); Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen (BRT); Switchmen’s Union of North America (SUNA); Tin, Sheet Iron, and Cornice Workers’ International Association (later Amalgamated Sheet Metal Worker’s International Association (IA); Sheet Metal Workers’ International Alliance; and Coppersmith’s International Union. There are two parts of the union to note: the Transportation Division (SMART-TD) and the Yardmasters Department (SMART-TD-YDM).

The Unions Today

If you are looking to research the current activities of any of the organizations, union websites and articles are going to be your best resources.

Below are the web pages that represent the organizations mentioned above. There are more general resources related to labor history that may include discussions related to the above organizations on the Internet Resources page. Additionally, the Research Collections page will include links to research institutions that contain significant labor related material.

Print Resources

Many of the railroad labor organizations published their own magazines targeted at members, for example Railroad Telegrapher, Journal of the Brotherhood of Boiler Makers and Iron Ship Builders of America, Locomotive Engineers Journal, Motorman Conductor and Motor Coach Operator, Sheet Metal Workers' Journal. There are many others that have been included in our Railroad Guide.

The following materials link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to digital content are provided when available.

The First 75 : History of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, 1901-1976 by Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen
Call Number: HD6515.R39 L9
Published/Created: 1976
A history of the union.
Good, Reliable, White Men: Railroad Brotherhoods, 1877-1917 by Paul Michel Taillon
Call Number: HD6515.R1 T35 2009
ISBN: 9780252034855
Published/Created: 2009-10-27
This engaging study provides an account of the independent railroad brotherhoods from the period of their formation in the 1860s and '70s to the consolidation of their power on the eve of World War I. By commanding the attention of U.S. presidents and establishing the eight-hour workday, railroad brotherhoods employed responsible trade unionism to their advantage. Paul Michel Taillon focuses on the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, the Order of Railway Conductors, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, and the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen to investigate the impact of these unions on early twentieth-century politics and society. Notorious for their conservative bent and exclusiveness based on race and trade, the unions also demonstrated a capacity for change and a particular acumen for negotiating in political and public circles, all but guaranteeing brotherhood survival. In highlighting the successes and failures of these railroad unions, Taillon shows how they employed capitalist principles; how they were influenced by considerations of gender, race, and class; and how they prompted momentous debates about the proper relationships among government, private enterprise, labor, and management. - Description from the publisher
History of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees by Denver Hertel
Call Number: HD6515.R43 H4
Published/Created: 1955
This is a general history of the union.
Through Fifty Years with the Brotherhood Railway Carmen of America by Leonard Painter
Call Number: HD6515.R25 P3
Published/Created: 1941
Available online from the Hathi Trust External
This is a history of the union that is largely presented chronologically.
Report of Proceedings [of the] National Convention
Call Number: HD6515.S5 I573
Holdings 1941-1978
Presents the activities of the union for the year and the events of the convention.
The Locomotive Engineer, 1863-1963; A Century of Railway Labor Relations and Work Rules by Reed C. Richardson
Call Number: KF3580.R2 R5
Published/Created: 1963
Available online from the Hathi Trust External
The first section is devoted to the situation that existed at the writing of the book, section two covered the period 1863-1873, section three 1887-1920, the fourth covered 1920-1963. Each looked at the railroad situation at the time, as well as the union, and new work rules or labor issues.
Marching Together by Melinda M. Chateauvert
Call Number: HD6515.R362 B763 1998
ISBN: 0252023404
Published/Created: 1998-01-01
Introduction : the brotherhood story -- The case against Pullman -- It was the women who made the union : organizing the brotherhood -- Striking for the new manhood movement -- The first ladies' auxiliary to the first Negro trade union in the world -- A bigger and better ladies' auxiliary -- The duty of fair representation : brotherhood sisters and brothers -- Union wives, union homes -- We talked of democracy and learned it can be made to work : politics -- Disharmony in the official family : dissolution of the International Ladies' Auxiliary, 1956-57 -- Appendix : BSCP Ladies' Auxiliary membership, 1940-56.
Tearing Down the Color Bar by Joseph F. Wilson
Call Number: HD6515.R362 B768 1989
ISBN: 0231064780
Published/Created: 1989-06-01
Traces the history of the most influential Black American union, discusses its link with the Civil Rights movement, and looks at the reasons for its success. - Description from the publisher

Library of Congress Digital Resources

The resources here are specific to the Library of Congress. Some may only be available on-site.

A. Philip Randolph, Labor & Civil Rights Activist Born
This is an entry in Business Reference's This Month in Business History guide about A. Philip Randolph the long-term president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.
Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU)
This is an archive of the ATU website from 2002 and is part of the Library's Web Archive. Some content may be under embargo. Full online access to this resource is only available at the Library of Congress.
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters Union Formed
This is an entry in Business Reference's This Month in Business History guide about the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters founded on August 25, 1925 in New York City and led for many years by A. Philip Randolph.
Chronicling America, Historic American Newspapers
This newspaper project from the Library of Congress is free to use and contains many digitized newspapers from around the country. If you search the union name or even the companies.
Communications Workers of America (CWA)
This is an archive of the CWA website from 2002 and is part of the Library's Public Policy Topics Web Archive. Some content may be under embargo.
Digital Image Collections
Find photographs and prints in the Library of Congress collection by doing an Advanced search on the names of individual unions or people as well as events like strikes and lockouts. picket, picketing, strikes, union, union workers, workers, industrial workers, specific strikes, names of people involved. You can also search on union names or the names of union presidents. The photo collections also include images related to congressional activity as well as images of people working.
Eugene Debs: Topics in Chronicling America
This guide from the staff in Newspapers & Current Periodicals includes articles and search strategies. After the 1894 Pullman Strike, Eugene Debs' extensive socialist political career led to him losing his US citizenship. This guide provides access to materials related to "Eugene Debs” in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.
International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
This is an archive of the IBEW website from 2002 and is part of the Library's Web Archive. Some content may be under embargo. Full online access to this resource is only available at the Library of Congress.
Pullman Porters: Topics in Chronicling America
This guide from the staff in Newspapers & Current Periodicals includes articles and search strategies related to “Pullman Porters” in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.
United Transportation Union (UTU)
This is an archive of the UTU website from 2001 and is part of the Library's Web Archive. Some content may be under embargo.
Great Southwest Railroad Strike of 1886: Topics in Chronicling America
This guide from the staff in Newspapers & Current Periodicals includes articles and search strategies. In 1886, Knights of Labor led a strike, spanning over four states, for better wages and treatment. This guide provides access to material related to "Great Southwest Railroad Strike" in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.