H. E. Gilbert Speech no.20: At the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Convention, 1968

Inclusive date range: 1962-1971

Bulk dates: 1967-1971



This collection contains select records from the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Engineers [BLF&E] and eleven speeches from BLF&E President H. E. Gilbert. The records are from the early 1960s and document the struggle faced by locomotive firemen, also known as helpers, as their positions on locomotive crews were being eliminated.



The bulk of the collection consists of the speeches of H. E. Gilbert and are all concerned with the merger of the BLF&E with the Order of Railroad Conductors and Brakemen, the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, and the Switchmen's Union of North America that created the United Transportation Union. The speeches advocate for the merger, defend the need for the merger, discuss what steps have been taken to create the UTU, and then reflect back on the successes of the merger and areas for improvement that the UTU leadership will address.