Nostalgia & History > 1946 strike the human side of railroading

From my collection of old newspaper clippings this gem of a picture......

any one old enough to remember the reasons for this strike

date of clipping was May 23/24 1946.........

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LesWhite Wrote:
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> From my collection of old newspaper clippings this
> gem of a picture......
>
> any one old enough to remember the reasons for
> this strike
>
> date of clipping was May 23/24 1946.........


I'm not old enough to have first hand knowledge but I am citing author David McCullough's book "Truman" wherein he details the railway strike of 1946.

This strike came following the end of WWII and its wage and price ceilings. The nations steelworkers struck on January 19. The United Mine Workers under John L. Lewis had called a strike on April 1. The Brotherhood Of Railroad Trainmen (ancestor of todays United Transportation Union-UTU) under leadership of A.F.Whitney and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineeers (todays BLET) under Alvanley Johnston, called a strike for May 23.

President Truman threatened legislation to "draft into the Armed Forces of the United States all workers who are on strike against their government". The house passed the bill 306 to 13 but the senate voted against it 70 to 13. This vote came after the rail unions had already been called off on May 24.

Charlie