1919 United States railroad shopmen's strike

1919 United States railroad shopmen's strike
Title	1919 United States railroad shopmen's strike
Date	September–November 1919
Place	United States
Goals	Wage restoration, working conditions
Methods	Strike, picketing
Result	Strike defeated; weakened shopcraft unions
Side1	Brotherhood of Railway Carmen, Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees of America, International Association of Machinists, United Brotherhood of Railway Employees, Sheet Metal Workers' International Association
Side2	American Railway Association, United States Railroad Administration, National Railroad Adjustment Board
Leadfigures1	Frank Morrison, Samuel Gompers
Leadfigures2	Benjamin Crowninshield Bradlee, William G. McAdoo
Casualties	Arrests, violence, disruption

1919 United States railroad shopmen's strike was a nationwide labor action by railroad maintenance and repair workers in the United States in late 1919. The strike involved thousands of members from craft unions across the railroad industry, intersecting with post‑World War I demobilization, industrial unrest, and federal intervention. It ended in defeat for the strikers and had lasting consequences for American Federation of Labor, railroad management, and federal labor policy.

Background

In the aftermath of World War I, railroads that had been under the control of the United States Railroad Administration returned to private ownership amid disputes involving the Interstate Commerce Commission and railroad executives such as Benjamin Crowninshield Bradlee. Shopcraft unions including the International Association of Machinists, Brotherhood of Railway Carmen, and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen confronted wage reductions, changed schedules, and management reorganizations promoted by the American Railway Association and prominent carriers like the Pennsylvania Railroad, the New York Central Railroad, and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Labor leaders from the American Federation of Labor and officials including Samuel Gompers and Frank Morrison negotiated with representatives of the United States Department of Labor and the National Railroad Adjustment Board amid strikes such as the Seattle General Strike and the Coal Strike of 1919 that shaped a turbulent industrial climate.

Causes

Immediate causes included announced wage cuts and shop consolidations by carriers represented by the American Railway Association and executives formerly associated with the United States Railroad Administration, following directives influenced by Herbert Hoover's food administration legacy and wartime production shifts. Longstanding grievances dated to craft jurisdiction disputes between organizations such as the International Association of Machinists and the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees of America, safety issues raised by the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen, and the rollback of concessions secured during wartime mediation by the National War Labor Board. The political context featured labor militancy displayed in events like the Seattle General Strike and anxieties expressed by officials including Woodrow Wilson and A. Mitchell Palmer about radicalism connected to the Russian Revolution and the First Red Scare.

Course of the strike

Organized calls for action culminated in a coordinated strike in September 1919, with walkouts at major facilities controlled by carriers including the Pennsylvania Railroad, New York Central Railroad, and Union Pacific Railroad. Strikers included members of the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen, the International Association of Machinists, and allied craft unions; leadership involved delegates who had participated in wartime negotiations under figures like William G. McAdoo. Rail traffic disruption affected hubs such as Chicago, New York City, St. Louis, and Cleveland. Management countermeasures included hiring strikebreakers, leveraging private security forces tied to interests allied with the Railroad Employes' National Protective Society, and coordinating with state authorities in jurisdictions like Pennsylvania and Ohio. Episodes of violence and arrests occurred near depots and shops, sometimes invoking comparisons to earlier confrontations like the Pullman Strike and to contemporary unrest such as the Boston Police Strike.

Government and legal response

Federal response involved agencies and actors including the United States Railroad Administration's legacy officials, the Interstate Commerce Commission, and Cabinet members who argued for preservation of interstate commerce. The Department of Justice, influenced by the sentiments of A. Mitchell Palmer, took actions against perceived subversive elements while prosecutors invoked statutes applied during labor disputes. Courts issued injunctions in favor of carriers, drawing on precedents from cases involving the Pullman Strike and decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States. State governors, including those of Pennsylvania and Illinois, deployed militia units or coordinated with federal authorities to secure lines and yards. Mediation efforts by figures associated with the National Railroad Adjustment Board and labor conciliators failed to produce a nationwide settlement, leading to a piecemeal collapse of the strike.

Impact on labor movement and industry

The strike's failure weakened craft unions within the railroad sector such as the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen and the International Association of Machinists, diminished the bargaining position of the American Federation of Labor, and encouraged railway management consolidation under associations like the American Railway Association. Employers accelerated adoption of practices favoring company control over shop assignments and discipline, and carriers moved to standardize operations across systems including the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the Southern Railway. The defeat influenced labor strategy in later disputes involving organizations like the Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen and contributed to the climate that led to legislative measures addressing labor relations in the 1920s. Public opinion, shaped by commentary from figures in the press and politicians allied with the National Association of Manufacturers, tended toward support for restoring service and penalizing disruptive strikes.

Aftermath and legacy

In the immediate aftermath, many strikers faced dismissal, blacklisting, or replacement by unorganized workers and strikebreakers recruited through agencies tied to carriers headquartered in cities like New York City and Chicago. The strike informed subsequent labor law debates that would shape pieces of later policy affecting railroad workers, foreshadowing interactions among the National Labor Relations Board, federal regulators, and railroad unions in ensuing decades. Historians situate the action alongside contemporaneous events such as the First Red Scare and the labor upheavals of 1919, noting its role in weakening craft union influence and strengthening employer coordination through entities like the American Railway Association. The episode remains a critical case in studies of American Federation of Labor strategy, railroad labor relations, and federal intervention in industrial disputes.

Category:Labor disputes in the United States Category:Rail transportation in the United States Category:1919 in the United States