Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen
| Founded | December 1, 1873 |
|---|---|
| Date dissolved | 1969 |
| Merged Into | United Transportation Union |
| Country | United States, Canada |
| Office location | Port Jervis, New York, United States |
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen (BLF) was one of the railroad unions of the 19th century. The organization began as a mutual benefit society for workers employed as firemen in the steam locomotives of the day.
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[edit] History
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen was founded on December 1, 1873 in Port Jervis, New York by Joshua A. Leach and 10 other Erie Railroad firemen.[1] Initially, insurance benefits were the main incentive for membership, but by the late 19th century "The Brotherhood" had branched out into labor-management relations.
The dominant figure in the BLF during most of its existence in the 19th Century was Frank P. Sargent, who was elected Vice Grand Master in 1883 and Grand Master in 1885.[2] Sargent would remain as the head official of the BLF until 1902.[2]
From July 1880 until September 1894, Eugene V. Debs served as Grand Secretary and Treasurer and editor of BLF's monthly official organ, "The Firemen's Magazine." Disillusioned with craft unionism, Debs later went on to found the American Railway Union and the Social Democratic Party of America.
The organization changed its name to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen (BLF & E) after permitting engineers to join its ranks. In 1969, the union merged with the Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen, the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, and the Switchmen's Union of North America to form the United Transportation Union.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ "UTU History". http://www.utu953.org/general/other/history.htm. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
- ^ a b "Frank Pierce Sargent," in Gary M. Fink (ed.), Biographical Dictionary of American Labor. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1985; pg. 501.
[edit] Further reading
- F.P. Sargent, "A Short History of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen," in Carroll D. Wright (ed.), Fifth Annual Report of the Commisioner of Labor, 1889: Railroad Labor. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1890; pp. 40-41.
[edit] External links
- Finding Aid for Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen records, 1873-1975," Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library, Ithaca, New York.
