A Historical Study of Management-Labor Relations Pertaining to the Dieselization of Railroads in the United States
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This dissertation has been microfilmed exactly as received 66—15,063 A D L E R , Jr., Philip, 1930— A HISTORICAL STUDY OF MANAGEMENT-LABOR RELATIONS PERTAINING TO THE DIESELIZATION OF RAILROADS IN THE UNITED STATES. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1966 Economics, commerce-business University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan A HISTORICAL STUDY OF laiAOSRSLT-IABCB RELATIONS PERTAINING TO THE DISSSIJSATIOE OF RAILROADS IK THE UNITED STATES DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohic State University 2y Philip Adler, Jr., B. 3 B. A. The Ohio State University 1?66 sproved b y : r~Advig? Jy Depai'tment of Business Organisation ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to express sincere appreciation to those who have helped in the organization and development of this investigation. It is impossible to list here the names of all who have given so generously of their time and knowledge to make this study possible. I am particularly indebted to my adviser, Dr. Michael Jucius, without whose guidance, patience, and inspiration this study would not have been possible. I would like to thank the members of ny reading committee, Professor Charles B. Hicks, Professor Rate Howell, and Professor Reed M. Powell for their valuable criticisms and suggestions. I also would like to thank the various individuals from the railroad industry for their enthusiastic cooperation throughout the research for this study. The encouragement provided by Mrs. Mildred Chavous of the Graduate School is most deeply appreciated, as is the guidance provided by the editorial staff of the Graduate School. lyjjr thanks go to my wife, Donna, for her unselfish spirit and cooperation in the typing of this dissertation. Philip Adler, Jr. CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii LIST OF TABLES vi LIST OF CHARTS vii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION........................................ 1 Character of Railroad Technological Change Purpose and Nature of the Study Scope of the Study Methods and Limitations of the Research Order of Presentation II. EVOLUTION OF MOTIVE POWER ON AMERICAN RAILROADS........ 13 Human Interest in Railroad Locomotives Early History of Steam Motive Power Ultimate Development of a Mechanical Giant Early History of Non-Steam Motive Power The Electric Motor Car Electricity as a Source of Locomotive Power Internal Combustion Motive Power Makes Its Debut The Rebirth of the Rail Car The Era of Dieselization The Diesel Locomotive The General Purpose Diesel A Comparative Analysis of Diesel Locomotive Technical Features and Their Impact Upon Railroad Personnel III. ORIGIN OF THE NON-STEAM LOCOMOTIVE CREW DISPUTE .... 65 A Traditional Dispute Duties of the Steam Locomotive Crew Uniqueness of the Non-Steam Engine Crew Dispute Development of Railroad Labor Organizations Origin and Features of Railway Labor Agreements Early Locomotive Crew Labor Agreements iii Electric Motive Power Launches the Non-Steam Engine Crew Dispute Rail Car Streamlined Trains Stir the Unions to Action Rail Car Train Labor Agreements THE FIRST FIFTEEN YEARS OF THE DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE CREW CONTROVERSY.................................. Labor Takes the Offensive Firemen's National Diesel Agreement of 1937 Engineers React to the 1937 Agreement A Jurisdictional Battle Develops The 19^3 Diesel Emergency Board An Aspect of Agreement in the Dispute The Arguments Presented to the 19^3 Diesel Board The Case for Assistant Diesel Engineers The Case for Assistant Diesel Firemen Recommendations of the 19^3 Board The Post Board Regional Agreements of 19^3 The Dispute Continues The Diesel Emergency Boards of 19^*9 The Aftermath of Board Seventy THE SECOND FIFTEEN YEARS OF THE DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE CREW CONTROVERSY ................. ............... The Diesel Dispute Enters the 1950's The 1950 Firemen’s National Diesel Agreement The 195^ Diesel Arbitration Board The Re-examination of the Whtching Rule Firemen Rights in Diesel Engine Rooms Management Takes the Offensive The Presidential Railroad Commission The Commission Considers the En Route Maintenance Issue The Commission Evaluates the Diesel Firemen Safety Role Yard Work is Examined by the Commission Diesel Locomotive Crew Training Diesel Locomotive Intra-Crew Relations The Report of the Presidential Railroad Commission The Congressional Compulsory Arbitration Board The Supreme Court Considers the Ruling of the Congressional Arbitration Board The Effects of the Congressional Arbitration Award The Firemen Versus the Engineers The Future of the Diesel Crew Dispute V Chapter Page VI. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS....................... 241 Review of the Scope and Methods of the Study Summary of Findings and Conclusions Survey of Recommendations APPENDIX A ................................................. 253 APPENDIX B .......................... 257 APPENDIX C ................................................. 259 APPENDIX D ................................................. 262 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................... 2 69 AUTOBIOGRAPHY............................................... 276 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Percentage of Total Traffic Performed by Steam and Diesel-Powered Locomotives During Conversion Period . 25^ 2. Locomotives in Service During Conversion Period ......... 256 3. Summary of Steam-Diesel Power Preferences of Seventy- Three Selected Engine and Train Crewmen............... 258 vi LIST OF CHARTS Chart Page 1. Summary of Procedures Under the Railway Labor Act for the Handling of MajorRailway Labor Disputes....... 260 2. A Categorical Presentation of Major Events in the Diesel Crew D i s p u t e ............................ 263 3. A Chronological Annotated Outline of Major Events in the Diesel Crew Dispute............................ 266 vii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Character of Railroad Technological Change Railroading in the American society is more than an industry; it is an institution that has played a dominant role in developing the nation and continues to be a vital force in the total welfare of the economic system. Because of the strategic position of the railroads within the transportation network, their operating problems frequently are regarded as national issues. Although public interest in railroading has been dimmed in recent years by the appearance of competing forms of transportation, there has been no slackening in railway technological development. Modern railroad technology is, in fact, an awesome complex of scientific achievement. The locomotive, one of the most fundamental and fascinating elements of railroad technology, serves as the focal point for this investigation. From the very beginning of United States railway oper ations in the 1830’s until the end of the steam era in the early 1950’s, the steam engine and locomotive generally were considered as synonomous by the American public. So great was the identification of steam with railroad motive power that the early diesels were referred to as 1 2 "streamliners," rather than locomotives. The term "locomotive" and all the Americana it represented, nostalgically was reserved for designation of the steam engine. The adoption of the diesel and corresponding demise of steam power, like so many railroad technological changes, was a gradual process. It began in 1923, with the first successful application of the diesel engine to a railroad locomotive, and virtually was completed by i960. Various writers have commented as follows upon the gradual nature of railroad technological change: So complex is a railroad that major changes must be made grad ually and with due recognition of the effect upon other operations .... Each device must be considered in relatxon to all other factors of operation and must operate in complete harmony with older but similar equipment, or else it must be modified, introduced in a different fashion, or withheld until a more propitious time.1 The average technological situation in such an industry as the railroads, the representative way of doing things, changes only slowly. The railroads have been characterized by steadiness and persistence relevant to technological change and this is due to: a. Most innovations are inherently gradual in nature. For example, diesel power embodies numerous features successively introduced over a time span of several decades. b. The introduction into general practice even of a perfected and seasoned improvement must inevitably be a gradual affair.2 There appear to be three major factors that caused the prolonged period of dieselization on American railroads. First, railroad ^Transportation in America (Washington: Railroad Committee for Study of Transportation, Association of American Railroads, 19^7)♦ p. 21. ^Harold Barger, The Transportation Industries 1889-1946. A Study of Output, Employment, and Productivity (New Tork: National Bureau of Economic Research, 195l)» P» 110. executives were skeptical of the claimed efficiencies of diesel loco motives, and, therefore, adopted a "wait and see" attitude toward them. Second, the railroads already had a very large investment in steam locomotives, many of which were of the latest design. A final factor concerned the condition that even though diesels were proving economical to operate, their initial cost was approximately twice that of equivalent ■a types of steam power. Managerial concern over actual or potential labor problems of dieselization apparently had little, if any, effect upon the time or manner of conversion from steam to diesel locomotives. The prolonged period of dieselization