U.S. Emergency Board No. 111 Records

Prior to 1918 several independent express agencies for delivering freight from the railroad car to the customer existed in the railroad industry . In 1918 several of the independents merged to form the American Railway Express Company, and in 1929 it was purchased by the Class I railroads and renamed Railway Express Agency.

While many of the employees were used jointly as express or railroad employees, and the laws which apply to the rail- road industry were applied to the agency, the vehicular drivers were represented by both the teamsters and the railway clerks. This led to constant friction, each organization trying to secure more for its members than the other.

Following an appeal to the National Mediation Board in 1937, a mediation agreement was signed, giving the teamsters jurisdiction over chauffeurs, helpers and garage men in New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, St. Louis and San Francisco The balance of the employees were to be members of the railway clerks,

The Mediation Agreement did not eliminate all the friction. Eighteen emergency boards had been appointed by the president to resolve disputes between the parties prior to the current one,

On January 1. 1955 the teamsters sent a letter to the Agency expressing a desire to revise and modify the rules of the locals operating in New York City. The request was acknowledged and a conference arranged at which the company proposed that the national agreement with the teamsters apply to New York City as well as to the other cities. Several conferences were held, but no agreement was reached. The National Mediation Board took jurisdiction on May 12, but was unable to compose the difference in mediation. The organizations proposed to stop work on July 4, 1955.

The President appointed an emergency board consisting of Robert G. Simmons, Benjamin C. Roberts and Morrison Handsaker under Executive Order 10622 on July 1, 1955. The Board held bearings and submitted its report to the President

on August 1, 1955.