Series IV: Dispute between the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway and the Federated Shop Crafts, 1920-1953

This series contains records documenting a dispute between the M&St.L and its employees who worked in non-operating crafts. These employees belonged to the International Association of Machinists; the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, and Helpers of America; the International Brotherhood of Blacksmiths, Drop Forgers and Helpers; the Amalgamated Sheet Metal Workers International Alliance; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; and the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen of America. This series includes documentation on who represented the non-operating employees, including a decision by the U.S. Railroad Labor Board regarding the representation, and the Constitution and By-Laws of the M&St.L Railroad System Association, Federated Shop Crafts AFL, which was deemed the representative organization instead of the American Federation of Railroad Workers. The complete filing of the 1921 case, including a transcript of the testimony before the U.S. Railroad Labor Board, is found in this series.

Of particular interest is the documentation of the Great Railroad Strike of 1922, also called the Shopmen's Strike. This strike, which occurred in July and August 1922, was a nationwide strike launched by seven of the sixteen railroad labor organizations in existence of the time and the largest railroad work stoppage since the Pullman Strike of 1894. This series contains records of the financial losses suffered by the M&St.L as well as a timeline of strike activities that occurred on their properties.

Reports on conferences and Agreements between the M&St.L and the Federated Shop Crafts are also located in this series. Also found are changes to the agreement with regards to the seniority rights of employees who served in the military during the course of their employment.