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 1: New Orleans Street Railway Union Records, 1902-1920

Box 1 contains handwritten and typed correspondence, financial records, employee grievances and contentions, and railway administrative documentation in association with the New Orleans division of the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees of America.

Folder 1: Union Records, 1902-1907: Correspondence between the New Orleans Division of the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees of America (A.A. of S.R.E. of A.) and other railway unions as well as other court records and documents.
Folder 2: The Philadelphia Situation and Union Records, 1910-1912: Correspondence between the local charters of the A.A. of S.E.R.E of A. in Philadelphia and New Orleans regarding an investigation into the suspension of the Philadelphia charter. It also contains general union records regarding wage and working condition stipulations.
Folder 3: Union Contentions, Accounting Documentation, and Legislation, 1913-1915: Correspondence between the President of the A.A. of S.E.R. of A. and the New Orleans division regarding contentions between the employees of different lines. It also contains N.O. Railway and Light Company accounting, wage, and employee information as well as acts passed with regard to railway regulations.
Folder 4: Union Records, 1916: Correspondence regarding New Orleans railway union member contentions and appeals directed toward line administration and employee seniority debates. It also includes information on the organization of streetcar lines as well as administrative decisions imparted by the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees of America's President Mahon.
Folder 5: The Jitney Ordinance Protest and Union Records, 1916-1917: Documents on the New Orleans railway union members' protest of the proposed amendment to the "Jitney" ordinance, which permitted bond or insurance policies for the operation of non-rail or automobile public transportation. It also includes intensive auditing records and administrative correspondence.
Folder 6: Negotiation with Non-Railway Unions and Other Records, 1918: Correspondence between the New Orleans railway union and other unions as well as negotiations on wages, seniority, and the employment of women as conductors following the beginning of WWI.
Folder 7: WWI Related Union Administration and Grievances, 1918: Documents and correspondence regarding wartime administration and related grievances filed in 1918. It also includes other union finances and accounting documentation.
Folder 8: The Strike of 1920 and Other Union Records, 1920: Documents on the strike of 1920, financial records, and detailed grievances. It also includes other administrative correspondence and records.