New York City Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee Hearing Transcripts and Records, 1939-1947
Collection Number: 5251

Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Cornell University Library


DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
New York City Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee Hearing Transcripts and Records, 1939-1947
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Collection Number:
5251
Abstract:
This collection contains materials produced by the New York City Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee and submissions to the committee from the various parties involved in the mediation. These records include transcripts of the hearings, exhibits from labor unions, submissions from the New York City Transit Authority, correspondence of committee members, and drafts of committee documents.
Creator:
New York City Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee
Hoffman, Anna Rosenberg, 1902-1983.
Rosenman, Samuel I. (Samuel Irving), 1896-1973.
Kheel, Theodore Woodrow.
Mulroney, Edward P.
Knowlton, Thomas Anson.
Friedman, Clara H.
Quanitities:
2 cubic feet
Language:
Collection material in English

Biographical / Historical

The New York City Transit Board was established in 1924 as the operating agency for the New York City mass transit system. In 1932, the Transit Board completed the construction of the Independent Subway [IND] and its employees became part of the Competitive Civil Service System in 1935.
There were two private companies providing subway service in New York at this time: the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Company [BRT] and the Interborough Rapid Transit Company [IRT]. Their employees had negotiated system-wide closed shop agreements with the Transport Workers' Union [TWU] in 1937, except for motormen and signal maintainers. They were represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers [BLE] and the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen [BRS], respectively.
In 1940, New York City purchased the BMT and the IRT and as part of the purchase agreed to respect the contracts of the three unions, which were set to expire in 1941. However, the relationship between the City and the unions degenerated and the TWU made two separate strike threats. The mayor of New York, William O'Dwyer, eventually responded to these threats by creating the Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee in 1946. The committee was charged with studying the issues and making recommendations regarding working conditions, wages, and labor relations with the NYC Transit Board. The chairman of the board was Arthur S. Meyer. The other members of the committee were Theodore W. Kheel, Edward P. Mulrooney, Anna M. Hoffman (nee Rosenberg), and Samuel I. Rosenman. Dr. Thomas Knowlton, United States Conciliation Service, and Clara Friedman (nee Handleman), labor arbitrator, served as executive secretary and committee economist, respectively.
The central issues addressed were the desirabiliity and permissibility of collective bargaining, the process for resolving grievances, the legality of public employees striking, and monetary issues concerning both wages and maintenance of an extensive transit system. Hearings were held in the spring and summer of 1946.
The final report of the committee was delivered to Mayor O'Dwyer on September 9, 1946.

Inclusive date range: 1937 -1947
Bulk date: 1946
This collection consists of records submitted to and created by the New York City's Mayor's Advisory Committee. The collection is divided into four series, listed below, to help distinguish the creators of the records in this collection. "Series I: Hearing Transcripts" consists of fourteen bound volumes conaining the transcripts of the thirteen public hearings held in March, April, and May 1946 and for the hearing in June 1946 held with the Board of Transportation. "Series II: Union Exhibits and Submissions" consists of memoranda, demands, briefs, supplemental briefs, exhibits, and other submissions made by the sixteen unions representing the employees in the NYC Transit System. In addition to the records of these sixteen organizations which appeared at the hearings, this series also conatins the briefs of an additional seven labor orgnizations which did not participate in the hearings, but did file their papers with the Committee (for a complete list of these organiations, see pp. iii-iv in the final report of the Committee). "Series III: Board of Transportation Exhibits and Submissions" consists of the Board of Transportation [BoT] response to the demands of its employees in a memorandum with exhibits and additional submissions with data that the BoT alleged supported their position in denying the demands of their employees. "Series IV: Mayor's Committee Drafts, Correspondence, and Reports" consists of the records generated by the Committee itself. These papers include multiple drafts of the final report submitted to the Mayor, detailed analysis of monetary matters and labor relations with regard to civil service employees in other municipalities as they relate to the demands of the employees, annotated copies of civil service laws, correspondence between committee members, and a copy of the final published report of the Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee.
Series I: Hearing Transcripts, 1946 (Box 1, Folders 1 -13)
Series II: Union Exhibits and Submissions, 1939-1946 (Box 1, Folders 14-28)
Series III: Board of Transportation Exhibits and Submissions, 1943-1946 (Box 2, Folders 1a-4)
Series IV: Mayor's Committee Drafts, Correspondence, and Reports, 1946-1947 (Box 2, Folders 5-18)
Processing Information

From note found in collection: "These are Mr. Meyer's papers of the complete file of the Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee."
Access to the collections in the Kheel Center is restricted. Please contact a reference archivist for access to these materials.
Conditions Governing Use

This collection must be used in keeping with the Kheel Center Information Sheet and Procedures for Document Use.

INFORMATION FOR USERS

Preferred Citation

New York City Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee Hearing Transcripts and Records #5251. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.

Related Materials

Related Collections: 5321: U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour and Public Contracts Division Special Industry Committee #12 Records 5252: Arthur Meyer Papers 5114: New York City Transit Authority Fact Finding Panel Records 5118: New York City Board of Transportation and the Transport Workers Union Records

SUBJECTS

Names:
Meyer, Arthur S. (Arthur Simon), 1880-1955.
New York (N.Y.) Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee.
Subjects:
Transport Workers Union of America.
New York (N.Y.). Transit Police Department. Employees.
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.
Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen.
Civil Service Forum.
AFSCME.
New York City Board of Transportation
Collective bargaining. Government employees. New York.
Strikes and lockouts. Civil service. New York.
Transport workers--New York (State)--New York.
Wages--Local transit--New York (State)--New York.

CONTAINER LIST
Container
Description
Date
Series I: Hearing Transcripts, 1946
Scope and Contents
This series contains fourteen volumes transcribing the hearings held by the Mayor's Advisory Committee. Thirteen hearings were open to the public. Nine of these hearings, held between March 12 and April 14, 1946, were concerned with monetary matters, such as wages, vacation, promotions, and holidays. Four hearings concerning labor relations were held with the employees organizations between May 15 and May 20, 1946. Finally, a hearing with the BoT regarding labor relations was held on June 4, 1946.
Box 1 Folder 1
Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee Preliminary Hearing Transcript. Pages 1-34 and Pages 35-139.
1946
Scope and Contents
In the Matter of The Board of Transportation of the City of New York and The Transport Workers' Union.
Box 1 Folder 2
Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee Preliminary Hearing Transcript. Pages 140-219.
1946
Scope and Contents
In the Matter of The Board of Transportation of the City of New York and New York Transit Police Association; New York City Police Sergeants' Association; The Transport Workers' Union.
Box 1 Folder 3
Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee Preliminary Hearing Transcript. Pages 220-326.
1946
Scope and Contents
In the Matter of The Board of Transportation of the City of New York and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers; Brotherhood of R.R. Signalmen of America, New York Transit Police Association; New York City Police Sergeants' Association; The Transport Workers Union.
Box 1 Folder 4
Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee Preliminary Hearing Transcript. Pages 327-465.
1946
Scope and Contents
In the Matter of The Board of Transportation of the City of New York and Civil Service Forum; Claim Examiners, IRT & BMT, Grades 1, 2, & 3; Claim Examiners, BMT, Grade 2; Provisional Claim Examiners, et al.
Box 1 Folder 5
Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee Preliminary Hearing Transcript. Pages 466-595.
1946
Scope and Contents
In the Matter of The Board of Transportation of the City of New York and American Federation of Municipal Transit Workers, Local 21193, A.F.L., et al.
Box 1 Folder 6
Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee Preliminary Hearing Transcript. Pages 596-659
1946
Scope and Contents
In the Matter of The Board of Transportation of the City of New York and Board of Transportation, Local 624; American Federation of State, County, & Municipal Employees, AFL; et al.
Box 1 Folder 7
Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee Preliminary Hearing Transcript. Pages 660-806
1946
Scope and Contents
In the Matter of The Board of Transportation of the City of New York and Civil service Technical Guild, et al.
Box 1 Folder 8
Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee Preliminary Hearing Transcript. Pages 807-847.
1946
Scope and Contents
In the Matter of The Board of Transportation of the City of New York and The Transport Workers' Union, et al.
Box 1 Folder 9
Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee Preliminary Hearing Part II, Transcript Pages 1-128.
1946
Scope and Contents
In the Matter of The Board of Transportation of the City of New York and The American Federation of Municipal Transit Workers, Local 21193, et al.
Box 1 Folder 10
Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee Preliminary Hearing Part II, Transcript. Pages 129-226
1946
Scope and Contents
In the Matter of The Board of Transportation of the City of New York and Board of Transportation Local 624, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, AFL; Civil Service Forum, et al.
Box 1 Folder 11
Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee Preliminary Hearing Part II, Transcript. Pages 227-402
1946
Scope and Contents
In the Matter of The Board of Transportation of the City of New York and Civil Service Forum; Civil Service Technical Guild; Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers; Brotherhood of R.R. Signalmen; New York Transit Police Association; Yardmasters; Association of Administrative and Clerical Employees; Independent Division of Train Dispatchers Grievance Committee.
Box 1 Folder 12
Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee Preliminary Hearing, Part II, Transcript. Pages 403-610.
1946
Scope and Contents
In the Matter of The Board of Transportation of the City of New York and The Transport Workers' Union.
Box 1 Folder 13
Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee Preliminary Hearing, Part II, Transcript. Pages 611-739.
1946
Scope and Contents
In the Matter of The Board of Transportation of the City of New York and The Transport Workers' Union.
Series II: Union Exhibits and Submissions, 1939-1946
Scope and Contents
This series consists of the various papers filed by the employee organizations. The papers both list the demands of the employees and provide supporting materials as exhibits to bolster their claims. Of interest in this series are the various agreements and contracts between carriers and labor unions submitted as exhibits, statistical information on wage rates for various professions, both in New York City and in the rest of the United States, and crime statistics for the New York Transit system provided by the unions representing the Transit Police and the Transit Police Sergeants' Association. An annotated index for these exhibits is also located in this series.
Box 1 Folder 14
American Federation of Municipal Transit Workers (MTW), Local 21193, AFL. Exhibits and Summary Points in Support of Demands
1946
Box 1 Folder 15
AFSCME, Board of Transportation Local 624: Memorandum and Exhibits in Support of Demands and Exhibits
1946
Box 1 Folder 16
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers: Letter and Exhibits in Support of Demands
1939-1946
Scope and Contents
Exhibits consist of agreements between the BLE and various carriers such as the BMT, the Central of New Jersey, and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
Box 1 Folder 17
Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen of America: Demands, Brief (exhibits included therein), and Supplemental Brief
1945-1946
Scope and Contents
Lodge 113, Brooklyn, New York.
Box 1 Folder 18
Civil Service Forum: Demands, Brief, Exhibits, and related correspondence
1941-1946
Box 1 Folder 19
Civil Service Technical Guild: Demands, Brief, and Exhibits
1946
Box 1 Folder 20
Claim Examiners (All who appeared at Hearing): Demands, Memoranda of Support, and Exhibits. Association of Administrative and Clerical Employees: Demands and Exhibits.
1946
Scope and Contents
Claims Examiners, grades 1, 2, 3, and 4, from both the BMT and IRT systems, working in the trial and legal divisions.
Box 1 Folder 21
New York City Transit Police Association: Briefs (containing Demands) and Exhibits
1941-1946
Scope and Contents
Exhibits include statistics for subway crime in 1945 and 1946
Box 1 Folder 22
New York City Transit Police Sergeants' Association: Demands, Brief, and Exhibits
1941-1946
Scope and Contents
Exhibits includes statistics about police activity, 1941-1945
Box 1 Folder 23
Independent Dispatchers; Yardmasters IND Div.; Association of Engineers & Architects- State, County, & Municipal Workers of America, CIO; Motorman Instructor's Grievance Committee, IND Div.: Demands & Exhibits
1946
Box 1 Folder 24
Submissions, No Hearings
1946
Scope and Contents
from Committee of Clerical, Engineering & Administrative Employees; Stenographers & Typists - BMT & IRT, Grades 1, 2, & 3; Assistant Counsels- Grade 4, BMT Trials Dept.; Train Masters IND Div.
Box 1 Folder 25
The Transit Workers' Union of Greater New York: Exhibits and Supplemental Exhibits
1946
Box 1 Folder 26
Indexes for "Submission, No Hearing" File and for "Hearing" Files
1946
Box 1 Folder 27
Summary of Monetary Demands Submitted to the Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee (Part 1)
1946
Scope and Contents
On behalf of the organizations representing the employees.
Box 1 Folder 28
Report to the Mayor's Advisory Committee on Wages and Working Conditions of New York Board of Transportation Employees (Part 2: Index of Tables 1-23).
1946
Scope and Contents
On behalf of the organizations representing the employees.
Series III: Board Of Transportation Exhibits and Submissions, 1943-1946
Scope and Contents
This Series consists of memoranda submitted by the BoT to refute the demands of the employees. Included in the exhibits are financial data regarding the maintenance and operating costs of the Transit System and about the working conditions of its employees. Of note in these exhibits is the attention paid to the legality of civil service employees having collective bargaining rights, whether they have a right to strike, and the rules and regulations their employees are subject to.
Box 2 Folder 1a
Memorandum on Behalf of Board of Transportation and Supporting Exhibits 1-4, 8-9. [folder 1 of 2]
1946
Box 2 Folder 1b
Memorandum on Behalf of Board of Transportation and Supporting Exhibits 1-4, 8-9. [folder 2 of 2]
1943-1944
Box 2 Folder 2
Board of Transportation of the City of New York Submission: "Report Including Analysis of Operations of the New York City Transit System for Five years Ended June 30, 1945"
1945
Box 2 Folder 3
Board of Transportation of the City of New York: submissions re monetary matters
1946
Box 2 Folder 4
Board of Transportation of the City of New York submission regarding operating costs of transit facilities, wages paid, and system maintenance
1946
Scope and Contents
Includes correspondence with Thomas A. Knowlton, Executive Secretary of the Mayor's Advisory Committee
Series IV: Mayor's Committee Drafts, Correspondence, and Reports, 1946-1947
Scope and Contents
This series consists of the records generated by the Committee itself. The majority of the records are various drafts of the final report, with different committee members adding their edits and annotations to the others' drafts. Also found in this series are materials the committee used for research, such as agreements from other cities, copies of New York State laws, and additional data from the BoT that was submitted upon request of the committee. The correspondence of the committee is found in this series, and in addition to documenting the minutiae of being part of such a committee, there are also newspaper clippings, drafts, supplemental data, and communications with New York politicians, including Mayor O'Dwyer.
Box 2 Folder 5
Annotated Drafts Marked "Discard"
1946
Scope and Contents
Includes duplicate drafts with annotations from different committee members
Box 2 Folder 6
Civil Service Laws in regard to Demands, drafts
1946
Scope and Contents
Annotated by committee members
Box 2 Folder 7
Executive Secretary Thomas A. Knowlton's Analysis
1946
Scope and Contents
Includes "Digest of Testimony" and annotated memos from the committee.
Box 2 Folder 8
Drafts of Committee's Analysis and Recommendations
1946
Scope and Contents
Includes correspondence between committee members
Box 2 Folder 9
Labor Relations Papers regarding civil service employees in New York State
1945-1946
Scope and Contents
Contains annotated document, "Presentation to Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee of the Position of the Board of Transportation with Respect to Labor Relations."
Box 2 Folder 10
Labor Relations Papers regarding trade unions for government employees and legality of strikes
1939-1946
Scope and Contents
Includes reports commissioned by New York City mayors regarding labor relations in the City's transit system
Box 2 Folder 11
Report Covering the Study of Contracts, etc. of Various Municipalities and an Itemization of the Categories Into Which They Respectively Fall, with contracts from other municipalities.
1943-1946
Box 2 Folder 12
Original "My (Arthur S. Meyer) Draft" and "Sam's (Judge Samuel I. Rosenman) Draft"
1946
Box 2 Folder 13
Report of the Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee: draft of gratitude memo and proposed changes to the report by committee members
1946
Box 2 Folder 14
Report of the Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee: final draft, committee recommendations and unpublished statement from the Committee
1946
Box 2 Folder 15
Report of the Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee to Honorable William O'Dwyer, Mayor of the City of New York, September 9, 1946
1946
Box 2 Folder 16
Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee, Correspondence, File 1, 1946
1946
Box 2 Folder 17
Mayor's Advisory Transit Committee, Correspondence, File 2, 1946-1947
1946-1947
Box 2 Folder 18
Requests for Copies of Mayor's Advisory Committee Report, 1946-1947
1946-1947