New Orleans Street Railway Union records, 1902-1948 | Louisiana Research Collection

By Mallorie Smith, Kathryn Rumer and Eira Tansey

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Collection Overview

Title: New Orleans Street Railway Union records, 1902-1948

ID: LaRC/Manuscripts Collection 26

Primary Creator: Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees of America Division No. 194

Extent: 37.0 Boxes. More info below.

Arrangement: Arranged by topic, as follows: general records from 1902 - 1940, acts, ordinances and agreements pertaining to the union, New Orleans Public Service Inc. records from 1921 - 1933, Funeral and Old Age Benefit records from 1907 - 1939, financial reports from 1914 - 1939, membership applications, balloting records, sick reports, bound booklets, periodicals, records not directly concerned with the union and newspaper clippings and articles. The collection consists of 37 boxes and 23 volumes. It is 25.5 linear feet.

Date Acquired: 01/01/1952

Subjects: Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees of America. Division 194 (New Orlea, Labor unions -- Louisiana -- New Orleans., Local transit -- Louisiana -- New Orleans., Local transit -- United States -- Employees., Louisiana -- Economic conditions -- 20th century., New Orleans (La.) -- Economic conditions -- 20th century., New Orleans Public Service, Inc., Street-railroads -- Louisiana -- New Orleans., Street-railroads -- United States -- Employees., Strikes and lockouts -- Railroads -- United States -- History -- 20th century., Transport workers -- Labor unions -- Louisiana -- New Orleans., Women employees -- Labor unions.

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The collection consists of handwritten and typed correspondence, financial and accounting records, funeral and old age benefit records, newspaper clippings from 1921 to 1935 directly referencing the activities of the union, labor and political propaganda, cartoons, photos, periodicals, court case records, briefs and dockets, records of charity donations, meeting minutes, union membership registries, working cards, withdrawal cards, Carnival souvenir programs, Fancy Dress and Masquerade Ball programs, strike and labor related ephemera, and general administrative records tracing the evolution of the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees of America Division No. 194 in New Orleans from 1902 to 1948.

Biographical Note

This collection contains the records of Union Division No. 194 of the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees of America, established in 1892. The date the A.A. of S.E.R.E. of A. dissolved is unknown, but approximate to the 1950s given the records available. Collection 26 traces the evolution of New Orleans Local No. 194 from 1902 – 1948. A large portion of the collection consists of correspondence, labor protests, worker contentions regarding pay, hours, administration, and strike relief, and administrative changes to the management of streetcars and streetcar lines.

The main focus of this collection, however, relates to the strikes enacted by Local No. 194. The strike of 1929 had the longest duration, held the greatest impact, and was the result of contentions with the New Orleans Public Service Company and the Progressive Benevolent Association - a dual organization that Division No. 194 deemed an attempt to undermine the labor union. The strike began with the removal of Local President Ben Commons for his involvement in the P.B.A. and ended in arbitration initiated by the American Federation of Labor President William Green and Ben Commons' reinstatement. The strike lasted for several years, stopped the distribution of funeral and old age benefits, drained union funds, left hundreds unemployed, and affected the entire city's system of public transportation. Following the strike's end, the union saw a period of recuperation - recovering losses from extensive lawsuits and the draining distribution of strike benefits. The union records then reveal a shift toward politics and elections. The election of Huey P. Long and his reign of corruption are common topics addressed later in the collection.

The A.A. of S.E.R.E. of A. Division No. 194 records also effectively trace the progression of the labor movement in the U.S. with references to "one man car" opposition, yellow dog contracts, the American Federation of Labor, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the W.P.A., segregation, the employment of women, and legislation dictating work day length and working conditions. Of the labor related legislation passed between 1902 - 1948, Local Division No. 194 supported bills and acts such as the Hawes-Cooper Convict Bill, the bill for women's 8 hour work day, the Caper-Robison Bill, the Johnson Immigration Bill, the Volstead Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the National Labor Relations Act, and the Wagner Bill.

Collection 26 effectively reveals the rise and fall of Local No. 194, from the successes attained in labor related legislation in the early 1900s to the debilitating strikes that put hundreds out of work.

Subject/Index Terms

Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees of America. Division 194 (New Orlea
Labor unions -- Louisiana -- New Orleans.
Local transit -- Louisiana -- New Orleans.
Local transit -- United States -- Employees.
Louisiana -- Economic conditions -- 20th century.
New Orleans (La.) -- Economic conditions -- 20th century.
New Orleans Public Service, Inc.
Street-railroads -- Louisiana -- New Orleans.
Street-railroads -- United States -- Employees.
Strikes and lockouts -- Railroads -- United States -- History -- 20th century.
Transport workers -- Labor unions -- Louisiana -- New Orleans.
Women employees -- Labor unions.

Administrative Information

Repository: Louisiana Research Collection

Alternate Extent Statement: 25.5 linear feet.

Access Restrictions: Collection is open to the public. No known restrictions.

Use Restrictions: Physical rights are retained by the Louisiana Research Collection. Copyright is retained in accordance with U.S. copyright laws.

Preferred Citation: New Orleans Street Railway Union records, Manuscripts Collection 26, Louisiana Research Collection, Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118.

Processing Information: Collection processed under supervision of Eira Tansey

Other Note: OCLC Number: 676836515

Box and Folder Listing

Box 7: New Orleans Street Railway Union Records, 11/1929 - 05/1930

Box 7 largely contains records and correspondence relating to the strike that began on July 2nd, 1929. It also contains membership records of suspensions and deaths, attorney correspondence, sympathizer arrests and letters from prison, references to the jitney injunction, Bills such as the Caper-Robsion Bill and the Johnson Immigration Bill, and other financial and administrative union records.

Folder 1: The Strike of 1929 and Related Correspondence, 11/1929: Correspondence relating to the strike, the suspension of local benefits, donations to the strike fund, donation accounting, requests from the Local Division No. 194 for financial assistance, as well as bills, receipts and amendments
Folder 2: The Strike of 1929 and Related Correspondence, 12/1929: A special report sent to International President Mahon on the strike situation that includes an audit of collected donations, an extensive list of local donators, and a list of bills paid from August to October of 1929. Also correspondence from imprisoned union members and on strike benefit relief and old age benefits are included.
Folder 3: Union Records and Strike Correspondence, 1929: Correspondence refering to the support given by the African American members of the union in light of the prejudice of the white jitney drivers, contentions with the New Orleans Public Service, and continued arbitration and negotations for settling the strike. Also, handwritten lists of locals who continued to use the streetcars, attorney correspondence on the jitney arrests, streetcar passenger counts, and employee or union member lists giving age and addresses for the year 1929.
Folder 4: Union Records and Strike Correspondence, 01/1930: Handwritten accounting and membership notes, lists of suspended and/or deserting union members, requests for strike benefits and disability relief, and correspondence with the Tobacco Worker's International Union. Also, continued correspondence on the strike situation.
Folder 5: Union Records and Strike Correspondence, 02/1930: Employee / union member lists for February 1930 - October 1930, receipts for the transportation of imprisoned strike sympathizers, correspondence with advice on the strike situation, membership suspension and death records, and requests by the Louisiana Education League for support of the Caper-Robsion Bill which would create a Department of Education. Also, petitions, congressional records, and a copy of Caper-Robsion Bill are included.
Folder 6: Union Records and Strike Correspondence, 03/1930: Administrative records, correspondence refering to the near end of the strike and the jitney injunction, correspondence on the approval of bylaw amendments and a ball to be held on the 15th of March, and a letter from Anna S. Brink - a 13 year old girl - appealing for help for her unemployed father.
Folder 7: The Johnson Immigration Bill and Strike Correspondence, 04-05/1930: Congressional request for support of the Johnson Imimigration Bill and related correspondence, administrative records and correspondence, bank notices, records of closed and transferred accounts, and reports on deaths and suspensions within the union membership.