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Records of the United Transportation Union (UTU), General Committee of Adjustment GO-001

Collection Number: LA 17
Volume: 8 linear feet
Dates: 1921-1974 (bulk: 1962-1972)

Provenance

The records of UTU GO-001 were transferred from Carl Vahldick, General Chairman of GO-001, to Neal Moore for deposit in the Ozarks Labor Union Archives in 1993. The collection was processed in 2000 by Jenni Boone.

Copyright

This collection may be protected from unauthorized copying by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code).

Access

The collection is unrestricted. Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish material from the collection must be obtained from the Ozarks Labor Union Archives. Citations should be as follows: [Identification of the item], [box and folder number], United Transportation Union GO-001, Ozarks Labor Union Archives, Missouri State University.

Organizational History

The United Transportation Union was formed in 1969 with the merger of four transportation-related unions: Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen (BRT), Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen (ORC&B), Switchmen's Union of North America (SUNA), and Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Engineers (BLF&E).

The General Committee of Adjustment GO-001, headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, represents workers employed by Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad Company. The Springfield office represents 16 locals of former Frisco and Sand Springs trainmen and enginemen in seven states. In addition, the general chairman of GO-001, (currently Robert Kerley) who resides in Springfield, oversees offices in St. Paul, Minnesota; Spokane, Washington; and Wichita Falls, Texas. These offices together represent 28 locals in seven states.

In 1926, Congress passed the Railway Labor Act, which regulates relations between railway workers and carriers. Thus, the federal government plays a considerable role in the relations between workers, unions, and companies.

In 1959, carriers gave notice they were going to renegotiate contracts with the national BLF&E. They contended that there was no need for the fireman position on train crews since engines changed from steam to diesel. In addition, they called for the elimination of one crew member. The BLF&E contested the carriers' wishes. They were concerned not only about the loss of thousands of jobs, but also about the safety of the crew. By 1960, the negotiations were at impasse, and President Eisenhower called for a study to be made. In 1962, the Presidential Railroad Commission issued a report that agreed with the railroads that there were too many crew members on trains. Again the union vigorously objected. However, in 1963 Congress passed Public Law 88-108, and Arbitration Board 282 issued an award which supported the railroads, ending the dispute.

After the award went into effect on March 2, 1964, thousands of firemen lost their jobs. The BLF&E and BRT continued to fight for the reestablishment of the fireman position. They initiated surveys and studies of the impact that Award 282 had on safety, health, and welfare of crew members and on the efficiency of the train yards. Between 1964 and 1967, accidents on U.S. railroads increased by fifty percent. The BLF&E was successful, and on March 30, 1966 the award lost its effect. In 1972, a National Manning Agreement was reached which protected train crew positions. In 1985, railroads were allowed to eliminate the fireman position only through attrition, although must-fill fireman positions still exist.

Scope and Content

The bulk of the collection contains records related to the dispute and negotiations surrounding arbitration award 282. The collection is organized into five series.

Series I: Correspondence, 1955-1971
This series contains "Memorandum mailings," which were sent to union members from the General Chairman of the Springfield office. They are arranged chronologically. For most of this period, W.L. "Steve" Stephenson was the General Chairman.

Series II: Agreements, 1943-1971
Agreements are arranged in chronological order. Many of the agreements and negotiations in this series, particularly those from 1963 to 1966, are related to the arbitration board 282.

Series III: Arbitration Award 282, 1962-1972
This series contains reports, minutes, hearing transcripts, statements, studies and other materials related to the award. This series is arranged in rough chronological order, although records dealing with similar topics are grouped together.

Series IV: Job Studies, 1964
This series contains job studies related to award 282. Job studies were performed to determine if and how the award affected railroad workers. Job studies with case numbers are arranged in order by case number. Following those, folders are arranged by group number and alphabetically within the group.

Series V: Assignment Adjustments, 1958-1972
These records are adjustments to jobs and job assignments which were made following arbitration award 282. They are arranged in order by lodge number.

Series VI: General Files, 1921-1972
This series contains miscellaneous files related to the UTU and its member unions, and is arranged in chronological order.

Related Materials in OLUA

Photographs were removed from the collection and placed in box 7 of the OLUA Photograph Collection.

Records of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, (BLE) Ozarks Branch LA 2, 1871-1954

Records of the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen unprocessed collection

Frisco Collection - unprocessed

Container List

Series I: Correspondence
Box 1 1 Memorandum Mailings 1955 - 1956
2 Memorandum Mailings 1957
3 Memorandum Mailings 1958
4 Memorandum Mailings 1959
5 Memorandum Mailings 1960
6 Memorandum Mailings 1961
7 Memorandum Mailings 1962
8 Memorandum Mailings 1963
9 Memorandum Mailings 1964
10 Memorandum Mailings 1965
11 Memorandum Mailings 1966
12 Memorandum Mailings 1967
13 Memorandum Mailings 1968
14 Memorandum Mailings 1969
15 Memorandum Mailings 1970 - 1971
Series II: Agreements
Box 2 1 BLF & E 1943
2 BLF & E, ORC, & SUNA 1944
3 Switching Agreement 1946
4 ORC & BRT Dec. 12, 1947
5 ORC & B 1948
6 Original file of Adoption of 1948 Rules 1948,1975
7 Vacation Agreement - ORC, BLF & E, BRT, & SUNA 1949
8 BLF & E (Diesel) 1949 - 1950
9 ORC 1952
10 BLF & E 1952
11 BRT 1953
12 BRT (Stewards) 1953
13 ORC 1954
14 Wage movement - St. Louis San Francisco Railway Company 1954 - 1956
15 BFL & E 1954
16 BRT 1955
17 Mediation Agreement - BRT 1955
18 BLF & E 1955
19 ORC & B 1955
20 Wage and Rule Program - Frisco Lines, March 15, 1956 1955 - 1956
21 BLE 1956
22 SUNA 1956
23 Non-Ops 1956
24 BRT 1956 - 1957
25 Wage and Rules Movement - Enginemen 1956 - 1957
26 BRT 1957
27 ORC & B 1957
28 BLE 1957
29 BRT 1960
30 BLF & E 1960
31 Wage and Rules Movement - BRT 1960
32 ORC & B 1960
33 ORC & B 1961
34 Wage and Rules Movement - Sand Springs Railway 1962
35 Health and Welfare Plan 1962 - 1963
36 Wage and Rules Movement - Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway 1962 - 1964
37 Wage and Rules Movement - Frisco Lines Yard, Road, and Dining Car Stewards 1963
38 QAP March 26, 1964
39 National Agreement - BLE, BLF & E, ORC & B, BRT, & SUNA June 24, 1964
40 Questions and Answers settled by arbitration June 24, 1964
41 SBA Crew Consist Dispute June 24, 1964
42 Awards (Paid Holidays) June 24, 1964
43 OPS June 25, 1964
44 Interpretation - June 25, 1964 National Agreement 1964 - 1965
45 BLF & E (Health & Welfare) Aug. 13, 1964
46 BRT Nov. 20, 1964
47 BLF & E Dec. 2, 1964
48 Split Vacation Agreement Dec. 4, 1964
Box 3 1 SUNA Dec. 29, 1964
2 Health & Welfare 1964
3 BRT - Crew Consist 1964 - 1965
4 OCR & B - Crew Consist 1965
5 BRT Nov. 7, 1966
6 BLF & E Nov. 21, 1966
7 SUNA 1966
8 Section 6 Notice - Frisco Yardmen and Brakemen 1966 - 1967
9 BLE June 22, 1967
10 ORC & B Aug. 25, 1967
11 BLF & E Sept. 22, 1967
12 Synthesis of Operating Vacation Agreement Nov. 2, 1967
13 Wage Settlement, Sand Springs 1967 - 1968
14 National Agreement - BRT July 17, 1968
15 National Agreement - BLF & E Sept. 14, 1968
16 Conductors National Wage - Rules Dispute 1969
17 BLE Wage & Rules Movement 1969
18 Rates of Pay - Conductors 1969
19 Rates of Pay - Trainmen 1969
20 National - BLE 1969
21 Engineers (BLF & E) Mediation Agreement 1969
22 Mediation Agreement - Engineers (Frisco) 1969
23 Mediation Agreement - Q.A.P. Railway 1969
24 Mediation Agreements - Q.A.P. Fireman 1969
25 Health & Welfare - Sand Springs Railway 1969 - 1970
26 Health & Welfare - Quanah, Acme, & Pacific Railway Company 1969 - 1970
27 Emergency Board no. 178 - Wage-Rules Movement 1969 - 1970
28 Health & Welfare: St. Louis-San Francisco Railway Company 1969 - 1975
29 Health & Welfare Section 6 Notice 1970
30 Wages and Rules, new Pay rates - Increases 1970 - 1972
31 Health & Welfare - Misc. 1970 - 1975
32 Maintenance of way Feb. 10, 1971
33 Clerks Feb. 25, 1971
34 BLE - May 13, 1971 1971
35 Interpretations - BLE Agreement May 13, 1971 1971 - 1973
36 BLE Nov. 12, 1971
Series III: Arbitration Award 282
37 Presidential Railroad Commission 1962
38 Presidential Railroad Commission Report 1962
39 Presidential Railroad Commission Dissent 1962
Box 4 1 Railroad Work Rules Dispute Senate Hearing 1963
2 Congressional Record 88-109 Aug. 14, 1963
3 Award 282 1963 - 1966
4 Special Board of Adjustment on Arbitration Award # 282 1964
5 Questions and Answers 1964
6 Questions and Answers 1965
7 Application of Award 282 - Conference with Carrier 1964
8 Questions before Arbitration Board 282 - BLF & E 1964 - 1965
9 Secondary Issues in Rule Dispute 1963 - Aug. 1964
10 Decisions on Secondary Issues Nov. 1964 - 1966
11 Statements before U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce: H.E. Gilbert, J.L. Shattuck, G.E. Dunaway, H.G. Spencer, W.M. Homer 1965 - 1966
12 Statements before U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce: W.L. Stephenson, J.J. Ratcliff, H.E. Gilbert 1965 - 1966
13 Statements before U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce: W.L. Stephenson, J.J. Ratcliff 1965 - 1966
14 C-6 Firemen, Guaranteed Earnings and Retirement Refund 1965 - 1966
15 C-2 Firemen Improper Payment 1963 - 1966
16 Re-employment of terminated firemen, Carrier's offer and payment for resignations of enginemen 1964 - 1965
Box 5 1 Improper termination of C-6 Firemen 1964 - 1972
2 Establishment of Pool Freight Assignments for Firemen to Qualify for Road Engineer 1964 - 1968
3 Separation of C-6 Fireman Robert T. King 1964 - 1969
4 Crew Consist Dispute 1964 - 1966
5 Arkansas Crew Consist Dispute 1964
6 Strike Vote 1964
7 Local Lodge membership and jobs 1964 - 1965
8 National Joint Board Report 1965 - 1966
9 Award 282 & The BLE - News clippings 1965
10 Survey 1966
11 Presidential Study Commission M-6-(7) (1959) 1961 - 1964
12 Presidential Study Commission M-6-7 (1959) Part E 1964 - 1968
13 Expiration date of Award No. 282 1966
14 Violations of Article 2 B(5) 1968
Series IV: Job Studies
Box 5 15 Kansas City Terminal - Case No. 1 [folder 1 of 2, p.1-job 16] 1964
16 Kansas City Terminal - Case No. 1 [folder 2 of 2, job17-job 26] 1964
17 Springfield Terminal - Case No. 2 1964
18 Memphis Terminal - Case No. 3 1964
19 Birmingham Terminal - Case No. 4 1964
20 St. Louis Terminal - Case No. 5 1964
21 Tulsa Terminal - Case No. 6 1964
22 Enid - Case No. 7 1964
Box 6 1 1-Pensacola - Case No. 8 1964
2 1-Arkansas City - Case No. 9 1964
3 1-Oklahoma City - Case No.10 1964
4 1-Okmalgee Yard - Case No. 11 1964
5 Sherman - Case No. 12 1964
6 1-Fort Worth Yard - Case No. 13 1964
7 1-Fort Smith - Case No. 14 1964
8 1-Joplin - Case No. 15 1964
9 1-Neodosha Yard - Case No. 16 1964
10 1-Wichita - Case No. 17 1964
11 1-Monett Yard - Case No. 18 1964
12 Other Yards - Case No. 19 1964
13 Passenger Train Conductors - Case No. 21 1964
14 Branch Lines - Case No. 22 1964
15 Branch Lines - Case No. 23 1964
16 1-Birmingham 1964
17 1-Sherman 1964
18 1-Tulsa 1964
19 2-Amory, Miss. And Pensacola, Fla., including Aberdeen 1964
20 2-Arcadia et. al., Ardmore et. al., Beaumont et. al. 1964
21 2-Fort Smith et. al., Fort Worth et. al., Marion, AR et. al. 1964
22 2-Monett, MO & Neodosha, Kansas 1964
23 2-Oronogo, MO et. al., Sherman, Texas et. al., Wichita, KS 1964
24 3-Bessemer, Ala., Burton, Sub., Enid, Okla. et. al. 1964
25 3-Ft. Wood, Monett et. al., Ozark Branch; Railroad Crossings 1964
26 3-River Division 1964
27 3-Springfield, MO et. al., Wichita, Kan., Willow Springs, MO, Winfield, Ala. 1964
28 Main Line - Sulpher Branch and Tupelo, Miss. 1964
Box 7 1 Kansas City and Rosedale 1964
2 Springfield 1964
Series V: Assignment Adjustments
3 Lodge # 23 1962 - 1972
4 Lodge 23 Job Assignments 1966 - 1971
5 Lodge 51 1964 - 1972
6 Lodge 90 1958 - 1972
7 Lodge 153 1964 - 1972
8 Lodge 206 1964 - 1972
9 Lodge 206 (col. sub) 1964 - 1972
10 Lodge 269 1964 - 1972
11 Lodge 280 1962 - 1972
12 Lodge 337 1964 - 1972
13 Lodge 346 1964 - 1972
14 Lodge 368 1964 - 1972
15 Lodge 414 1964 - 1972
16 Lodge 428 1964 -1972
17 Lodge 440 1964 - 1972
18 Lodge 569 1964 - 1972
Box 8 Folder
1 Lodge 589 1964 - 1972
2 Lodge 603 1964 - 1972
3 Lodge 604 1964 - 1972
4 Lodge 644 1964 - 1972
5 Lodge 688 1964 - 1972
6 Lodge 688 1964
7 Mobile Sub 1971
Series VI: General Files
Box 8 8 Oldest File Found in BRT Office 1921
9 Reports, ORC - Frisco 1922 - 1945
10 Member Grievances 1932 - 1940
11 Report to President 1938
12 Negro Brakemen & Yardmen 1942 - 1944
13 Emergency Board no. 97 1952
14 Emergency Board 164 1962 - 1972
15 Kansas City Firemen Grievances 1971
16 UTU - Hot Springs, AR 1971 - 1972