Brotherhood of Railway and Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employees Collection, 1926 - 1961

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Summary

Title:
Brotherhood of Railway and Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employees collection
Dates:
1926 - 1961
Abstract:
The collection consists of business records and correspondence pertaining to the Brotherhood and the Western Pacific Railway during the mid-twentieth century.
Extent:
11 Linear Feet 11 boxes
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Brotherhood of Railway and Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employees Collection, MS 4, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists of business records and correspondence pertaining to the Brotherhood and the Western Pacific Railway during the mid-twentieth century.

Documents in the collection contain information on the railroad's hiring and job bidding procedures, as well as hours worked and wages paid for various positions. In addition, the collection has material on union/management disputes arising form violations of labor agreements, and on the business operations of the Brotherhood's General Chairman's office.

Biographical / historical:

In December 1899, the Order of Railway Clerks was organized in Sedalia, Missouri. Initially the Order affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. The Order's first convention, however, severed this connection in 1901 and it was not resumed for many years.

The name of the organization was changed to the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks in 1904, and two years later it became involved in its first strike against the Southern Pacific. The Brotherhood expanded in 1908 to include freight handlers, and over the next ten years other classes of workers joined as well.

The 1919 convention adopted the name Brotherhood of Railway Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employees. Airline clerks and employees were added in 1945, although the word "airline" did not appear in the official union name until 1967.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Raymond W. Hillman, 1982
Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into 5 series:

Series 1: Citation files

Series 2: Employment Bulletins / Circulars, Western Pacific Railroad

Series 3: Case Files

Series 4: Miscellaneous Documents

Series 5: System Board Expense Files

Physical location:
Statewide Museum Collection Center
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Library Archives staff
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-11-07 16:49:54 +0000 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research by appointment. Contact Library Staff.

Terms of access:

Copyright has not been assigned to the California State Railroad Museum. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the CSRM Library & Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the CSRM as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Brotherhood of Railway and Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employees Collection, MS 4, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.

Location of this collection:
111 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814, US
Contact:
(916) 323-8073
Library.CSRM@parks.ca.gov
Website