Trainman News

Texas BRTers Told of Long Train Dangers

Men, RRs Are Hurt, WPK Says

Unreasonably long freight trains are not only jeopardizing the lives of trainmen but the life of the railroad industry as well.

That sombre observation by President W. P. Kennedy before a large group of west Texas BRT members recently was accompanied by a pledge of continued militant effort by the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen to restrict the size of trains to "safe and common sense" lengths.

The BRT leader addressed his remarks to members of Lodges 80, 651 and 800 attending a special meeting in El Paso's Hotel Cortez. Many BRTers from nearby points in New Mexico and from other lodges in Texas turned out to hear President Kennedy's message.

"Just because this great state stretches practically from one end of the continent to the other," he asserted, "is no reason why the railroads here think they have to stretch their trains out that far."

The Brotherhood chieftain pointed out that by holding loaded freight cars to make up the long trains of "up to 200 cars," the carriers are "driving business off the rails straight to the highways." He said that he had many reports of shippers, disgusted with deteriorating rail service, turning to the over-the-road truck.

"It has not been a question of rates. Truck rates are much higher than rail rates," he continued, "but one largely of service." The trucks already have some competitive advantage in the unfair tax situation, why, he asked, do we in this industry have to give them another?

President Kennedy said the industry could profit "handsomely" from the increased productivity of dieselization by operating fast, safe and frequent trains of common-sense length. That will mean more income for rail workers and for management, he emphasized.

"The unreasonably, murderously long freight train, however," he warned, "means only suffering to our members through treacherous slack action and losses to the industry because of damaged merchandise and poorer service."

The BRT leader said the organization would fight for train-length laws before Congress and the state legislatures and for limitations in direct negotiation with the carriers.

He reviewed the progress of the Brotherhood on many fronts during its 70 years of growth but warned that there may be "rocky times" ahead for all labor when unity and militancy would be a must if these gains would be preserved and extended.

March of Millionaires

With the change in national administrations, the BRT chieftain noted, there has been a "steady march of millionaires (Continued on Page 8)
Long Train Dangers
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into Washington." This will mean
"bad news" for labor unless un-
ion members stand together to
block the "tide of reaction."
Railroad managements, embold-
ened by that "tide," he said, may
attempt to undermine hard-won
favorable conditions of employ-
ment. This is where the need of
a strong, experienced labor or-
ganization comes in, he stated.
For brakemen, switchmen and
conductors, he concluded, that
organization is the BRT.
The BRT president was intro-
duced by State Legislative Rep-
resentative Joe T. Steadham,
who presided at the meeting.
President Kennedy presented
pins to John F. Qualtrough, a 50-
year member, and Tom G. Rich-
mond, 40-year, both members of
Lodge 800.
Qualtrough said there had been
two "happiest" occasions in his
life: the first when he was ad-
mitted to the Brotherhood and
"now upon receipt of this em-
blem." In a short address, he
told of the poor conditions and
pay when he went to work on
the railroad and how they im-
proved as a result of efforts of
the Brotherhood. His pay was
32 cents an hour when he started
out as a switchman.
"The 'fine conditions of to-
day," he said, "are there be-
cause of our union. Don't let
anyone tell you otherwise. And
if you keep the Brotherhood
strong today, it will make those
conditions even better."