Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen Local 807 (Auburn, NY) Records, 1919-1973
Collection Number: 5467

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


DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen Local 807 (Auburn, NY) Records, 1919-1973
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Collection Number:
5467
Abstract:
This collection consists of the records of Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, Local 807, located in Auburn, New York. Consists chiefly of correspondence regarding employee claims and grievances, the wage-rules movement, mergers, and routine business matters; also, routine administrative documents, forms, certificates and schedules, and financial records.
Creator:
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen (BLF&E)
BLF&E Local 807
Quanitities:
4.61 cubic feet
Language:
Collection material in English

Biographical / Historical

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen was founded on December 1, 1873 in Port Jervis, New York by Erie Railroad firemen in order to provide mutual support for railroad firemen. Their first convention was in 1874, at which they adopted their first constitution. The Brotherhood initially emphasized insurance, but by the late nineteenth century had branched out into labor-management relations.
In 1907, the organization changed its name to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen [BLF& E], reflecting the changes in its membership as former firemen were promoted to engineers and permitting locomotive engineers to join its ranks. In 1969, the union merged with the Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen, the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, and the Switchmen's Union of North America to form the United Transportation Union [UTU].
Lodge 807 of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, now defunct, was located in Auburn, New York. It was composed of employees of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company [LVRR] working on the Lehigh Valley, Auburn, Cortland, and Auburn-Ithaca branches. These employees were represented by Lodge 807 until its dissolution in 1966 at which point they were represented by Lodge 379, located in Sayre, Pennsylvania. After the merger of the railroad brotherhoods, they were represented by UTU Local 810. Finally, in the 1970s, the operating employees joined the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers [BLE], Division 380, Auburn-Cortland Division.

Inclusive date range: 1919-1973
Bulk dates: 1925-1958
This collection consists of the records of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen [BLFE], Local 807, located in Auburn, New York. The members of this Lodge were employees on the Lehigh Valley Railroad [LVRR] on the Lehigh Valley, Auburn, Cortland, and Auburn-Ithaca branches. This collection, when examined along with Collection 5869, offers a mostly complete historical portrait of a BLFE Lodge and a glimpse into the day to day work of railroad employees in upstate new York during the first half of the 20th Century.
This collection contains the log books of Local 807's recording secretary, which contains the records of the Lodge's meetings, members, dues, and elections. The collection also contains the minutes of meetings for the General Grievance Committee of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, which offers a broader view of both the BLFE and the LVRR system. The records from the General Grievance Committee also contain the records of an on-going dispute between the Auburn and Cortland factions of the Local 807 firemen and enginemen regarding their seniority districts, work rosters, mileage equity, and rights to specific runs on branch lines. The two factions, each responsible for separate branch lines, had their rosters merged in 1932. This led to an ongoing conflict between the members of Local 807 for the remainder of its existence. As the LVRR was forced to abandon branch lines in the mid-20th Century, these disputes grew more contentious, finally culminating in having the International President decide on the matter (see box 6, folders 6 and 7). Extensive records of mileage worked by the various employees were kept by the local to argue their individual cases. The situation was further exacerbated by conflicts between the BLFE and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers [BLE], and who had the standing to represent the LVRR employees. As a result, there were multiple local chairmen, both de facto and official, who worked on behalf of their own factions. As a result, the correspondence files have a great deal of crossover between the LVRR General Grievance Committee and the various Lodge officials, who all kept separate correspondence files but were oftentimes writing to each other.
These correspondence files make up the bulk of this collection. Major correspondents include: William H. Sullivan and Louis Edelmayer (BLFE general chairmen, Lehigh Valley System); James R. Lathrop, Harry Glowacki, William Welhaf, and F.W. Fehr (local chairmen, Lodge 807); J.N. Haines, C.W. Wagner, and various officials of the Lehigh Valley Railroad; and the financial secretaries of Lodge 807. Subjects discussed include grievance cases, violations of the union shop agreement (1956), the abandonment of lines, discontinuance of passenger service, fringe benefits, vacation agreements, and internal union issues, including the Auburn and Cortland conflict. The correspondence files of the financial secretaries contain records of the expenses of running a BLFE Lodge. The monthly financial reports are also found in this collection as well as the annual filings with the IRS and the Railroad Retirement Board. The financial records also contain complete membership lists, information of insurance policies, and applications for membership.
Additional documents include various union organizers' forms, rosters for LVRR divisions, contracts and agreements between the BLFE and the LVRR, and publications of the BLFE.
Processing Information

Collections consisted of numerous partially processed correspondence folders, arranged in no coherent order, and by both date range and by name of correspondent. In both cases, numerous papers were found in files that fit neither the date range nor the name of the correspondent. The collection has been re-processed and arranged to create a coherent file structure based on the contents of the papers.
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

Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen Local 807 (Auburn, NY) Records #5467. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.

Related Materials

Related Collections: 5141: Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen Records 5141 G: Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen Graphics 5141 MB: Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen Memorabilia 5176: Grand Lodge of the Ladies Society of the Former Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen Records 5467: Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen Local 807 (Auburn, NY) Records 5475: Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen General Chairman, Boston and Maine Railroad Records 5611: Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen Honorary Register of Disabled 5646: Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen Additional Records 5869: Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen Local 807 (Auburn, NY) Additional Records 6176: Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen Additional Records

SUBJECTS

Names:
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen.
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen. Local 807 (Auburn, N.Y.)
Lehigh Valley Railroad
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
Subjects:
Railroads--Employees.
Railroads--Employees--New York (State)--Auburn.
Grievance procedures. Railroads. New York (State)
Locomotive engineers
Locomotive firemen
Railroads--Employees
Labor Unions--Mergers--United States
Labor Unions--Consolidations--United States
Arbitration, Industrial -- United States

CONTAINER LIST
Container
Description
Date
Box 1 Folder 1
Recording Secretary's Record, Lodge 807, Auburn, NY
1919-1937
Scope and Contents
Officer Roll, Minutes, and Member Lists
Box 1 Folder 2
Recording Secretary's Record, Lodge 807, Auburn, NY
1945-1950
Scope and Contents
Officer Roll, Minutes, and Member Lists
Box 1 Folder 3
Recording Secretary's Record, Lodge 807, Auburn, NY
1951-1961
Scope and Contents
Officer Roll, Minutes, and Member Lists
Box 1 Folder 4
General Grievance Committee, LVRR, Minutes of Meetings
1925-1951
Scope and Contents
1925-1930, 1934, 1936-1940, 1943-1945, 1946, 1948, 1951
Box 1 Folder 5
General Grievance Committee Action on E&C and L&NY Branch Line dispute
1925-1938
Scope and Contents
Regarding mileage disputes and employ of enginemen and firemen from the two branches, headquartered in Cortland and Auburn, New York.
Box 1 Folder 6
Correspondence re E&C and L&NY Branch Line dispute
1927-1943
Scope and Contents
Conflict between Auburn and Cortland employees re mileage, seniority, and rostering.
Box 1 Folder 7
Auburn Mileage Reports
1937-1958
Scope and Contents
In re disputes between Auburn and Cortland divisions; and between committees of enginemen and firemen. Reports are in regards to the merger of the Auburn and Cortland rosters in 1932 on the LVRR.
Box 1 Folder 8
Cortland Mileage Reports
1938-1958
Scope and Contents
In re disputes between Auburn and Cortland divisions; and between committees of enginemen and firemen. Reports are in regards to the merger of the Auburn and Cortland rosters in 1932 on the LVRR.
Box 2 Folder 1
Cortland Branch Correspondence, Grievances, William Welhaf, Lodge 807
1927-1945
Scope and Contents
Correspondence mostly in regards to the merger of the Auburn and Cortland rosters in 1932 on the LVRR and dispute between the two branches.
Box 2 Folder 2
Cortland Branch Correspondence, General, F.W. Fehr, committeeman, Lodge 807
1947-1951
Scope and Contents
Correspondence mostly in regards to the merger of the Auburn and Cortland rosters in 1932 on the LVRR and the dispute between the two branches
Box 2 Folder 3
Cortland Branch Correspondence, General, Nicolas Fiske, committeeman, Lodge 807
1951-1956
Scope and Contents
Includes series of letters between Sullivan, Lathrop, Wagner, and Fiske re a fireman (Ryan) who is in violation of the Union Shop Agreement.
Box 2 Folder 4
Seneca Falls Branch, Correspondence
1950-1953
Scope and Contents
Dispute regarding seniority districts and rosters of firemen
Box 2 Folder 5
Correspondence, J.N. Haines, LVRR General Manager, and Louis Edelmeyer, general chairman, BLFE
1929-1941
Scope and Contents
Docketed grievances; decisions; general bulletins for distribution
Box 2 Folder 6
Correspondence, J.N. Haines, LVRR General Manager, and Louis Edelmeyer, general chairman, BLFE
1942-1945
Scope and Contents
Docketed grievances; decisions; general bulletins for distribution. (W. H. Sullivan takes over as BLFE General Chairman in October of 1945)
Box 2 Folder 7
Correspondence, Docketed Cases and Decisions
1946-1952
Scope and Contents
Between C.L. Wagner, chief of personnel LVRR, and W.H. Sullivan, general chairman, BLFE
Box 2 Folder 8
Correspondence, W.H. Sullivan, General Chairman BLFE
1947-1948
Scope and Contents
Docketed cases, decisions, bulletins, personal correspondence
Box 2 Folder 9
Correspondence, W. H. Sullivan, General Chairman BLFE
1949-1950
Scope and Contents
Docketed cases, decisions, bulletins, personal correspondence
Box 2 Folder 10
Correspondence, W. H. Sullivan, General Chairman BLFE
1951-1954
Scope and Contents
Docketed cases, decisions, bulletins, personal correspondence
Box 3 Folder 1
Correspondence, W. H. Sullivan, General Chairman BLFE
1955
Scope and Contents
January-June, 1955. Docketed cases, decisions, bulletins, personal correspondence
Box 3 Folder 2
Correspondence, W. H. Sullivan, General Chairman BLFE
1955
Scope and Contents
July-December, 1955. Docketed cases, decisions, bulletins, personal correspondence
Box 3 Folder 3
Correspondence, W.H. Sullivan, general chairman BLFE
1955-1958
Scope and Contents
Docketed cases, decisions, bulletins, personal correspondence
Box 3 Folder 4
Correspondence, General
1945
Box 3 Folder 5
Correspondence, General
1946
Box 3 Folder 6
Correspondence, General
1947
Box 3 Folder 7
Correspondence, General (1 of 2)
1948
Box 3 Folder 8
Correspondence, General (2 of 2)
1948
Box 4 Folder 1
Correspondence, General
1935
Box 4 Folder 2
Correspondence, General
1936
Box 4 Folder 3
Correspondence, General
1937
Box 4 Folder 4
Correspondence, General
1938
Box 4 Folder 5
Correspondence, General
1939
Box 4 Folder 6
Correspondence, General
1940
Box 4 Folder 7
Correspondence, General
1941
Box 4 Folder 8
Correspondence, General
1942
Box 4 Folder 9
Correspondence, General
1943
Box 4 Folder 10
Correspondence, General
1944
Box 5 Folder 1
Correspondence, James R. Lathrop, Local Chairman Lodge 807, BLFE
1946-1948
Box 5 Folder 2
Correspondence, James R. Lathrop, Local Chairman, Lodge 807, BLFE
1949-1950
Box 5 Folder 3
Correspondence, James R. Lathrop, Local Chairman, Lodge 807, BLFE
1951-1952
Box 5 Folder 4
Correspondence, James R. Lathrop, Local Chairman, Lodge 807, BLFE
1953
Box 5 Folder 5
Correspondence, James R. Lathrop, Local Chairman, Lodge 807, BLFE
1955
Box 5 Folder 6
Correspondence, James R. Lathrop, Local Chairman, Lodge 807, BLFE
1956
Scope and Contents
January-May, 1956
Box 5 Folder 7
Correspondence, James R. Lathrop, Local Chairman, Lodge 807, BLFE
1956
Scope and Contents
April-June, 1956
Box 5 Folder 8
Correspondence, James R. Lathrop, Local Chairman, Lodge 807, BLFE
1956
Scope and Contents
July-December, 1956
Box 5 Folder 9
Correspondence, James R. Lathrop, Local Chairman, Lodge 807, BLFE
1957
Scope and Contents
January-June, 1957
Box 6 Folder 1
Correspondence, James R. Lathrop, Local Chairman, Lodge 807, BLFE
1957
Scope and Contents
July-December, 1957
Box 6 Folder 2
Correspondence, James R. Lathrop, Local Chairman, Lodge 807, BLFE
1958
Box 6 Folder 3
Correspondence, Harry Glowacki, Local Chairman, Lodge 807, BLFE
1950-1953
Scope and Contents
July 1950-June1953
Box 6 Folder 4
Correspondence, Harry Glowacki, Local Chairman, Lodge 807, BLFE
1953
Scope and Contents
July-December1953
Box 6 Folder 5
Correspondence, Harry Glowacki, Local Chairman, Lodge 807, BLFE
1954-1955
Box 6 Folder 6
Correspondence re Track Abandonments On LVRR Auburn-Fair Haven Line
1952
Scope and Contents
February-May, 1952. Includes newspaper clippings and ICC filings
Box 6 Folder 7
Correspondence re Track Abandonments On LVRR Auburn-Fair Haven Line
1952-1955
Scope and Contents
Including correspondence regarding the changes in Seniority Districts and mileage equity for firemen and enginemen from Auburn and Cortland and briefs filed by the Auburn Lodge to support their seniority rights over the Sayre Lodge.
Box 6 Folder 8
Proposed Changes, Auburn Branch
1941-1950
Box 7 Folder 1
Correspondence, Zell C. Porter, Financial Secretary Lodge 807
1943-1949
Box 7 Folder 2
Correspondence, Harry Welch, Financial Secretary Lodge 807
1949
Box 7 Folder 3
Correspondence, Harry Glowacki, Financial Secretary Lodge 807
1949-1951
Box 7 Folder 4
Correspondence, Financial Secretary
1952-1957
Box 7 Folder 5
Forms: Applications
1944-1949
Scope and Contents
Approval of Application for Insurance Certificates; Acceptance of Application for Memberships; and Re-Admissions of Former Members
Box 7 Folder 6
Forms: Applications
1949-1951
Scope and Contents
Acceptance of Application for Memberships; and Re-Admissions of Former Members
Box 7 Folder 7
Forms: Monthly Financial Assessments
1946
Box 7 Folder 8
Forms: Monthly Financial Reports
1947
Box 7 Folder 9
Forms: Monthly Financial Reports
1948
Box 7 Folder 10
Forms: Monthly Financial Reports
1949
Box 7 Folder 11
Forms: Monthly Financial Reports
1950
Box 7 Folder 12
Forms: Monthly Financial Reports
1951
Box 7 Folder 13
Forms: Monthly Financial Reports
1952
Box 7 Folder 14
Forms: Monthly Financial Reports
1953
Box 8 Folder 1
Forms: Monthly Financial Reports
1954
Box 8 Folder 2
Forms: Monthly Financial Reports
1955
Box 8 Folder 3
Forms: Monthly Financial Reports
1956
Box 8 Folder 4
Forms: Monthly Financial Reports
1957
Box 8 Folder 5
Forms: Annual Financial Reports
1945-1957
Box 8 Folder 6
Forms: Railroad Retirement Board, Number 8918
1947-1954
Scope and Contents
Quarterly payroll forms; mailers and instructions; blank forms; promotional materials.
Box 8 Folder 7
Forms: Railroad Retirement Board, Number 8918, Quarterly Tax Forms
1944-1956
Box 8 Folder 8
Forms: Insurance
1954-1958
Scope and Contents
Death benefits, insurance pay-outs, and applications
Box 8 Folder 9
Forms: Semi-Annual Report of the General Secretary and Treasurer
1958-1961
Scope and Contents
1958, 1961
Box 8 Folder 10
Forms, blank
Scope and Contents
Undated
Box 8 Folder 11
Correspondence re Health Insurance for BLFE members
1958
Box 8 Folder 12
Local Organizer's Receipt books, Report book, and Travelling Cards book
Scope and Contents
Blank books of tear-out forms. Undated.
Box 8 Folder 13
LVRR, Buffalo Division Rosters
1948-1950
Box 8 Folder 14
LVRR, Agreement with
1950
Box 8 Folder 15
LVRR, Proposed Insurance Pay, Rules, Regulations
1948
Box 8 Folder 16
LVRR, bulletins and rosters
1948-1955
Box 9 Folder 1
BLFE Correspondence regarding Strike on Canada Pacific Railway
1958
Box 9 Folder 2
BLFE Pamphlets
1922-1963
Box 9 Folder 3
BLFE Magazine, vol. 155, no.1
1963
Box 9 Folder 4
"Ergonomics: Human factors in work, machine control, and equipment design" by Robert S. Schwab
1957
Box 9 Folder 5
Letter from UTU to LVRR
1973
Scope and Contents
Letter from LVRR employees at Geneva, New York regarding track condition