Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, Local 536 (Paducah, Ky.) records

Collection

Identifier: L2007-03

Staff Only

Scope and Content of the Records

The Records of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, Local 536, 1916-1924, consist of membership applications, correspondence, reports, and printed materials related to the work and labor issues of the Paducah, Kentucky, lodge. The collection is organized by type of material.

The Membership Records provide members' names and addresses and other information, such as the names of current members recommending the applicants, and whether or not the applicants were accepted for membership. The small amount of correspondence provides some details of a labor issue faced by BRT members who were asked to stock train cars, which was the work of striking carmen. The correspondence not only provides the workers' questions and concerns for the Grand Lodge, but also the Grand Lodge's response.

Other materials created by the Local 536 include Annual Reports (1919-1922) submitted to the Grand Lodge, a treasurer's quarterly report, several invoices (for items requested from the Grand Lodge) and a receipt for dues.

Materials in the collection not created by the Local 536 also provide insight into their work, issues, and organization. The report of the Legislative Board of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen in Kentucky includes details about the exchanges between State Representatives and the Board regarding labor issues. Also included are voting records for the State Representatives. Other materials, such as communications to membership, circulars, reports of the boards of trustees, and insurance forms, were created by or in conjunction with the Grand Lodge of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen for their members' edification and use. The Report of the Home for Aged and Disabled Railroad Employees of America includes information and statistics related to the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen's support and use of the home.

Dates

1916-1924

Creator

Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. Lodge 536 (Paducah, Ky.) (Organization)

Restrictions on Access

Collection is open for research use.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Georgia State University is the owner of the physical collection and makes reproductions available for research, subject to the copyright law of the United States and item condition. Georgia State University may or may not own the rights to materials in the collection. It is the researcher's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and obtain permission from the copyright holder before publication, reproduction, or display of the materials beyond what is reasonable under copyright law. Researchers may quote selections from the collection under the fair use provision of copyright law.

History of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, Local 536

The Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen (BRT) was founded in 1883 in Oneonta, NY, as a protective and insurance organization. The BRT was established to represent member's interests in obtaining a satisfactory contract with the management of different railroad companies in the United States and Canada. The rail service members of the BRT included conductors and their assistants, dining car stewards, ticket collectors, train baggagemen, brakemen, and train flagmen. The yard service members of the BRT included yardmasters, yard conductors, switchtenders, foremen, flagmen, brakemen, switchmen, car tenders, operators, hump riders, and car operators.

At the time the BRT formed, rail workers earned a little more than $1.00 a day working one of the most dangerous jobs. An estimated 70 percent of all train crews could expect injury within five years. Realizing that passing the hat whenever a co-worker died was ineffective, rail workers formed a brotherhood to provide a benefit in case of death, at the time $300.00. Begun as the Brotherhood of Railroad Brakemen, the BRT in 1889 changed its name to reflect its expansion into other crafts, with membership reaching out to include rail workers in 14 different trade classifications. Later, in 1933, the BRT organized interstate bus operators.