American Train Dispatchers Association Records

Inclusive date range: 1937-1971

Bulk dates: 1950-1971



This collection consists of agreements and other materials relating to the American Train Dispatchers relationship with various railroad carriers. It also contains reports from various Presidential Emergency Boards, newspaper clippings and trade union articles regarding the Railroad Shopcraft Dispute of 1967, bulletins from the Railroad Labor Executives' Association, annual reports for railroads and for industries serviced by railroads, and arbitration and agreements between other labor organizations and various carriers. Also found in this collection are the ATDA's Constitution and By-Laws from a twenty-one year span, 1950 to 1971, showing the amendments made to the document during the meeting of the General Assembly.



Of particular interest is the Agreement between the ATDA and other railroad labor unions and the Norfolk and Western Railway Company [NW], which became necessary when in 1964 the NW accomplished one of the most complicated railroad mergers of the time, incorporating the Nickel Plate Road; the Wabash Railroad; the Pittsburgh and West Virginia Railway; and the Akron, Canton, and Youngstown Railroad into its system. In addition to the agreements, there are also annotated drafts, minutes of meetings, other consolidation agreements, and rosters of the train dispatchers from each system. The supporting materials for this agreement also include a list of assignments from the NW system, including such information as the mileage for which the dispatcher was responsible, the types of communication available, whether there are remotely controlled C.T.C.s (centralized traffic controls), and the mileage inside and out of the yards.