The Omaha guide., 1935-01-19
Porters Union Files
Application for Set
tlement Of Dispute
on Representation

New York. Jan. III, 1935:-The
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters,
following a preliminary appearance
before the National Mediation Board
by A. Philip Randolph, National Pres
ident, and N. p. Webster, First Vice
President, Friday, January 4th, in
Washington, D. c., is filing today ap-
p~lication with the Board, invoking its
services to step in and settle the ques-
ton as to which organization is en-
titled to represent the Pullman Por-
tiers and maids in the negotiation Of
agreements concerning rates Of pay
and rules governing working condi-
tons with the Pullman Company, ac-
cording to Mr.. Randolph.
This request Of the Board to deter
mine and certify which organization
the Pullman Company shall recognize
as the lawful agency for making and
maintaining agreements, is the culmi-
nation of a long, hard fight covering a
period Of nine years by the Brother
hood Of Sleeping Car Porters, states
Randolph.
Since the organization of the Broth
erhood in 1925 in New York City by a
group Of Pullman porters who had be-
come disillusioned with the plan Of
employee representation or a company
union, the fight to secure recognition
from the Pullman Company has gone
through a hectic and dramatic period.
including presentation of the Pullman
Porters' case in 1928 to the United
States Mediation Board under the
Railway Labor Act of 1926; an effort
to secure the jurisdiction Of the case
by the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion with a view to effecting changes
in wage rates and hours Of work
through an examination of the Pull
man financial structure; affiliation
with the American Federation of La
Dor in 1929 and the filing of a petition
for an injunction in the Northern
Federal District Court of illinois in
Chicago.
When the Emergency Railway
transportation Act of 1888 was en-
acted, the Brotherhood Of Sleeping Car
Porters, because Of liberal labor pro-
visions in the act, sought the settle
ment Of its fight at that time, but up
on presentation Of its case to Mr..
Joseph B. Eastman, Federal Coordina-
tor of Transportation, officials of the
Brotherhood were informed that the
Pullman Company and the Pullman
porters neither came under E. R. t.
a., abbreviation for the Emergency
Railway Transportation Act, or N. r.
A., the National Recovery Act 1t
was commended that the Brotherhood
didn't come under the former because
it VAS not a carrier by railroad" nor
under the latter because it was a
carrier, and the National Recovery
Act was only concerned with Intra-
State Enterprises, observed the por-
ters' leader, Mr.. Randolph.
Forthwith proposal for the amend
ment OF the Railway Labor Act of
1926 was made and a draft Of the
amendment formulated. But the
sleeping ear porters were, by some
hook or crook, excluded from the act.
Immediately representatives of the
Brotherhood appeared before the
Hearings of the Senate Committees
under the Craftsmanship Of Senator @.
c. Dill and also the House Committee
on Interstate and Foreign Commerce
and presented an amendment for the
inclusion of the sleeping car porters.
The same was accepted and upon the
basis of the Railway Labor Act as
amended by the 73rd Congress, the
long sought opportunity of the Broth
erhood to settle the question of rep
resentation and secure recognition
from the Pullman Company as a law
full organization for the negotiation
of agreements on the settlement of
grievances was presented. A nation
wide organization campaign was
launched by the Brotherhood to enroll
the porters as members as a basis for
seeking the services Of the National
Mediation Board to mediate in the
dispute upon representation. The
campaign resulted in the Brotherhood