Railway Labor Executives' Association Additional Records, 1944-1967
Collection Number: 6087
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Cornell University Library
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Title:
Railway Labor Executives' Association Additional Records, 1944-1967
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Collection Number:
6087
Abstract:
This collection contains select general office files from the Railway Labor Executives'
Association.
Creator:
Railway Labor Executives' Association (RLEA)
Quanitities:
2 cubic feet
Language:
Collection material in English
The Railway Labor Executives' Asscoation (RLEA) was a federation of railroad labor
unions, both operating and non-operating, in the United States and Canada. The RLEA
was founded in 1926 and dissolved in 1997, with its duties having been taken over
by the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department. The RLEA's main purpose was to serve
as a lobbying group for railroad labor and act in an advisory capacity with regards
to rail transport policy in North America.
The RLEA was founded in 1926 in response to the passage of the Railway Labor Act.
Prior to 1926, there had been an informal association between the railroad labor organizations
so that the various chief executives of the different unions could work together to
form a unified course of action that would benefit all of their members. This group
became more formalized immediately after the end of WW1. The U.S. railroads had been
nationalized as part of the war effort, and the railroad labor organizations wanted
them to remain under federal management, both because of increased productivity and
because of better labor relations with the industry. The effort was ultimately unsuccessful,
and the railroads returned to private industry; however, the railroad labor organizations
had realized the need to have a united front to counter the carriers and industry
groups and lobbyists.
On May 18, 1926, the chief executives of the railroad labor organization met in Washington
D.C., formalized their association with By-Laws, and elected officers to serve the
newly created RLEA. The original purpose, codified in the original preamble, was co-operative
action to obtain and develop consistent interpretations and utilization of the Railway
Labor Act. The RLEA was comprised of the chief executives of the 21 railroad labor
unions, including the president of the Railway Employees' Department of the AFL, and
each member got one vote, regardless of the size of their union. The organization
was voluntary, so no member organization was bound by its decisions. Over the course
of its existence, various member organizations withdrew and then re-affiliated with
the RLEA.
From 1926 to 1938, the RLEA did not maintain an office, but the amount of work and
its importance led the RLEA to open an office in Washington DC and employ a full-time
Executive Secretary-Treasurer to run it. The RLEA did not engage in collective bargaining
itself, but rather lobbied on behalf of its member organizations, securing such achievements
as the Railroad Retirement Act and limiting unemployment for its members during the
Great Depression. The RLEA's various areas of interest, such as retirement, safety,
legal matters, were broken down into committees, each of which reported back to the
executive board on the steps being taken in those areas.
Post WW2, the RLEA played a central role in the Marshall Plan, working with non-Communist
labor organizations in Western Europe to establish labor policy and also assist in
the work of rebuilding the European railroads. The RLEA was also a major factor in
international labor union federations, and its decision to affiliate with the International
Transport Workers' Federation (ITWF) and to encourage the ITWF not to join with the
Soviet affiliated World Federation of Trade Unions was seen as a major victory for
the west.
The RLEA, like its member organizations, did not allow African-American members.
As such, it was only representing the interests of white railroad employees; black
railroad employees were forced, for the most part, to work without recognized union
protection. The exception to this was the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP),
who in 1948 began a series of successful legal challenges to the jurisdictions over
various classes of work. As BSCP's successes in the courts mounted up, and the RLEA's
member unions and the RLEA itself were being sued for discriminatory practices, the
RLEA finally capitulated in 1950, and accepted the BSCP as a member organization.
In 1950, the RLEA joined with the AFL, CIO, and International Association of Machinists
to form the United Labor Policy Committee. This committee oversaw the labor representatives
of the Wage Stabilization Board.
In the latter half of the 20th century, the importance of the RLEA declined alongside
the decline in the railroad industry itself. As its member unions either merged into
single entities or disaffiliated from the RLEA its influence waned, as did the number
of its members. The RLEA attempted to counter this decline with the purchase of a
railroad at least three different times in the 1970s and 1980s, though they were ultimately
unsuccessful in this venture. Ongoing internal battles between the remaining chief
executives of the railroad unions further weakened the RLEA until in 1997 it disbanded,
handing over its responsibilities to the newly formed AFL-CIO Transportation Trades
Department.
Inclusive date range: 1944-967
Bulk dates: 1962-1967
This collection is comprised of select records from the executive board of the RLEA.
The majority of the records are concerned with the various mergers between railroad
carriers that were prevalent in the United States starting in the 1960s. The merger
of the Pennsylvania Railroad with the New York Central is the most extensively documented
merger, but other mergers between the major carriers are also documented. Of note
is the Keyserling Project, a study commissioned by the RLEA to examine the impact
railroad mergers would have on both the economy of the nation as a whole, as well
as the impact these mergers and subsequent shuttering of facilities would have on
local municipalities. The overall thrust of these studies was focused on the job losses
of the employees represented by the member unions of the RLEA. The RLEA at this time
was also focused on wage rates for railroad employees, and working on plans to stabilize
wages and rules for its members. Also of note are the IRS Form 990s filled out by
the RLEA for fiscal years 1944 through 1962, each of which lists the member unions
currently comprising the RLEA's membership. Additional records found in this collection
document the day-to-day work of running the RLEA offices, including insurance policies
for employees, general personnel records, and resumes from various applicants.
Access to the collections in the Kheel Center is restricted. Please contact a reference
archivist for access to these materials.
This collection must be used in keeping with the Kheel Center Information Sheet and
Procedures for Document Use.
INFORMATION FOR USERS
Railway Labor Executives' Association Additional Records #6087. Kheel Center for Labor-Management
Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.
Related Collections: /3007: Maurice Neufeld Papers /4055: James O. Morris Office Files /4212: Kheel Center Current Documents Correspondence 5001: American Association for Labor Legislation Records 5001 mf: American Association for Labor Legislation Records on Microfilm 5034: Switchmen's Union of North America Records 5034 MB: Switchmen's Union of North America Memorabilia 5034 P: Switchmen's Union of North America Photographs 5060: U.S. Emergency Board No. 145 Records 5084: Switchmen's Union of North America Additional Records 5139: UTU Records 5141: Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen Records 5149: Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Records 5182: William J. Doble Papers 5204 mf: Southern Tenant Farmers Union Records on Microfilm 5300: Railway Labor Executives' Association Miscellany 5347: Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, ICC, and Erie Lackawanna Briefs
Regarding the Railroad Merger 5351: International Association of Machinists vs. S. B. Street Records 5405 mf: Switchmen's Union of North America Constitutions on Microfilm 5478: AFL-CIO Railway Employees' Department Records 5478 mf: AFL-CIO Railway Employees' Department Records on Microfilm 5484: Railway Labor Executives' Association Records 5484 AV: Railway Labor Executives' Association Audio-Visual Material 5487: Vernon H. Jensen Collection of International Longshoremen's Association's and
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen's Materials 5488 A: BRAC Chicago Files 5488 B: BRAC Records 5488 C: BRAC Additional Records 5541: Philip Taft Papers 5552: Railway Labor Executives' Association Additional Records 5583/5: Archives Organization File (AOF) Part 5 5622: UTU New York State Legislative Board Selected Files 5663 mf: Collective Bargaining Agreements on Microfilm 5728: Railway Labor Executives' Association Additional Records 5735: BRAC Additional Records 5833: James A. Paddock Additional Papers 5976 mf: Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters Records on Microfilm 5989 mf: Blacks in the Railroad Industry on Microfilm 6030: Archival Collective Bargaining Agreements File 6040 P: Railroad Collection Photographs 6046: Archives Union File (AUF) 6047: Archives Information File 6118 AV: Kheel Center AV Collection
Names:
Keyserling, Leon H. (Leon Hirsch), 1908-1987
Lyon, Arthur E.
Leighty, George E. (George Earle)
Beattie, Donald, S.
Harrison, George M. (George McGregor)
Railway Labor Executives Association
Subjects:
Railroads--United States--Employees
Railroads--Employees--Labor unions--United States
Railroads--Mergers--United States
Collective bargaining > Law and legislation > United States.
Collective bargaining > Railroads > United States.
Railroads > Employees > Legal status, laws, etc. > United States.
United States. Railway Labor Act.
United States. National Mediation Board.
CONTAINER LIST
|
Container
|
Description
|
Date
|
|
| Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Subject File: Railroad mergers
|
1960-1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 2a |
Keyserling Project: Railroad Merger Study [folder 1 of 2]
|
1961-1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 2b |
Keyserling Project: Railroad Merger Study [folder 2 of 2]
|
1961-1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 2c |
"The Move Towards Railroad Mergers: A Great National Problem" by Leon H. Keyserling
|
1962 |
|
Scope and Contents
Published by RLEA; foreword by G. E. Leighty, chairman, RLEA
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 3a |
Additional Keyserling Project Materials [folder 1 of 3]
|
1961-1962 |
|
Scope and Contents
Manuscript Draft
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 3b |
Additional Keyserling Project Materials [folder 2 of 3]
|
1961-1962 |
|
Scope and Contents
Chapter drafts and correspondence
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 3c |
Additional Keyserling Project Materials [folder 3 of 3]
|
1962 |
|
Scope and Contents
Press reaction to Keyserling study
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 4 |
Legislative Representatives
|
1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 5 |
Passes, Railroad, for RLEA board members
|
1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 6 |
Personnel Records, General
|
1962 |
|
Scope and Contents
RESTRICTED
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 7 |
Prospective Employees
|
1962 |
|
Scope and Contents
RESTRICTED
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 8 |
Financial, General
|
1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 9 |
Statements and Schedules for the General Fund
|
1960-1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 10 |
Public Relations Program Advertisements
|
1962 |
|
Scope and Contents
"Exposing the Railroad 'Poverty' Myth" posters, newspaper advertisements, and letters
to editors regarding the issue
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 11a |
Committee to Study Railroad Mergers, Etc. [folder 1 of 2]
|
1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 11b |
Committee to Study Railroad Mergers, Etc. [folder 2 of 2]
|
1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 12 |
Butte, Anaconda and Pacific Railway, Rules Movement
|
1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 13 |
Job Stabilization Movement on the MKT Railroad
|
1962 |
|
Scope and Contents
(Folder empty of records at time of donation)
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 14 |
1961 Wage and Rules Movement
|
1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 15 |
Radio-Telephone Communications
|
1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 16a |
FCC Rules and Regulations Volume 5, with supplements [folder 1 of 2]
|
1961 |
|
Scope and Contents
February 1961
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 16b |
FCC Rules and Regulations Volume 5, with supplements [folder 2 of 2]
|
1961 |
|
Scope and Contents
February 1961
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 17 |
1962 Rules Movement
|
1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 18 |
Travelers Insurance, Group Policy
|
1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 19 |
Union Shop, General
|
1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 20 |
Diversification of Railroads, Piggybacking
|
1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 21 |
Railway Labor Building
|
1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 22 |
Committees, General
|
1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 23 |
Safety Committee
|
1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 24 |
Railroad Labor Participation in 1962 Presidential Conference on Occupational Safety
|
1961-1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 25 |
Operating Unions
|
1962 |
|
Scope and Contents
BLE, BLF&E, ORC&B, BRT, and SUNA
|
|||
| Box 2 | Folder 1 |
Postage Meter
|
1962 |
| Box 2 | Folder 2a |
PRR-NYC Merger. Public Relations Committee [folder 1 of 3]
|
1962 |
|
Scope and Contents
"Committee to Preserve Railroad Service"
|
|||
| Box 2 | Folder 2b |
PRR-NYC Merger. Public Relations Committee [folder 2 of 3]
|
1962 |
|
Scope and Contents
"Committee to Preserve Railroad Service"
|
|||
| Box 2 | Folder 2c |
PRR-NYC Merger. Public Relations Committee [folder 3 of 3]
|
1962 |
|
Scope and Contents
"Committee to Preserve Railroad Service"
|
|||
| Box 2 | Folder 3 |
Financial Statements
|
1962 |
| Box 2 | Folder 4 |
Internal Revenue Service, Form 990
|
1944-1962 |
|
Scope and Contents
Tax exempt filing; each year contains a list of the member unions participating in
RLEA
|
|||
| Box 2 | Folder 5 |
Workmen's Compensation Tax
|
1962 |
| Box 2 | Folder 6 |
Travelers Insurance Company, Group Policy
|
1962 |
| Box 2 | Folder 7 |
Government printing Office, Account No. 11256, receipts
|
1962 |
| Box 2 | Folder 8a |
Wages and Rules, General [folder 1 of 3]
|
1964 |
| Box 2 | Folder 8b |
Wages and Rules, General [folder 2 of 3]
|
1964 |
| Box 2 | Folder 8c |
Wages and Rules, General [folder 3 of 3]
|
1964 |
| Box 2 | Folder 9 |
Legislation. Time Uniformity Bill
|
1967 |
|
Scope and Contents
Time Uniformity Act of 1966
|
|||
| Box 2 | Folder 10 |
Legislation. Railroad Carryover of Net Operating Losses
|
1967 |
| Box 2 | Folder 11 |
Legislation. User Charges
|
1967 |
|
Scope and Contents
Highway, waterway and airway user acts
|
|||
| Box 2 | Folder 12 |
Legislation. Railway Labor Act
|
1967 |
| Box 2 | Folder 13a |
Legislation. General. [folder 1 of 2]
|
1967 |
| Box 2 | Folder 13b |
Legislation. General. [folder 2 of 2]
|
1967 |
| Box 2 | Folder 14 |
Legislation. Civil Rights. FEPC.
|
1967 |
|
Scope and Contents
Fair Employment Practice Committee
|
|||