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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 14, 1978)
¿U huh , ftoiikuut by Kathryn H. Bogle This is a story of the Labor Day of James Lee. It is also partly the story of 6,000 men — told one- by-one. Before James Lee tells his story, let us recall the setting o f the times then — what the climate was, so to speak. Back in 1928-1929 we did not see headlines like this: “ Teachers on Strike!" "Airline Pilots on Strike!" "Sanitary Workers Back to Work After Strike!" and "Postal Workers Threaten Strike!” . Some of those powerful unions did not exist. Had they, their membership probably would not have included the Negro worker. There were fewer unions then and fewer still who accepted Black men as equals. Mb J A M E S LEE Portland Observer Thursday, September 14, 1978 Page 5 of Pullman Porters back in 1928. He can, because he was there. " I worked 43 years and 8 months for the Pullman Com pany," says James Lee. "W h en I started, we were getting $72.3Q a month. We worked 400 hours for that or we travelled 11,000 miles — whichever came first. Our benefits? Well, if we worked 30 years we could look for ward to a pension of $30 a month — but — the company reserved the right to cancel these benefits to any individual at any time without any explanation!" Lee is retired now. Comfortable. Content. He retired with satisfaction and dignity, a dedicated union man with a job well done. In the latter years the Pullman Company bestowed a little upon Lee. The title: "Safety First Courtesy M an” — "th a t’s what they called me” — he smiles broadly, and whips out a card to show. "This meant that the company kept me advised o f new standards o f railway safety. I was charged with acquainting both crews and passengers o f these new regulations for their safety. 1 enjoyed that." Lee recalled that the Portland branch o f the B rotherhood o f Sleeping Car Porters was organized in 1928, a few months after the National Brotherhood was organized in New York City by Asa Philip Ran dolph. Lee’s eyes light up when he speaks the name o f A. Philip Randolph. “ He was our first president of the Brotherhood o f Sleeping Car Por ters. He was our only president through all these years. He is still our president. Even though he is now 83 years old. A great deal o f the work must be handled by the present (and younger) officers — the secretaries and treasurer, but M r. Randolph is accorded his place o f honor as our Black men were in industry but most were there without the support o f organized labor groups. Labor took a "benign” neglectful stance or even an open hostile response to Black membership application. In an open-shop situation. Blacks often received lower pay for equal work performed by their white coun terparts. Sometimes employers and Black men as strike breakers against the unions. This happened in San Francisco in 1934 with the dock workers. In this instance Black men had been denied membership into the white Long Shoreman’s Union. With the Black men on duty -as strike breakers, the union did an about I face: took the Blacks into their union V • and together they won a contract that favored the worker — Black or white. The Pullman Company was a dif ferent thing. Quite. In the earliest days follow ing slavery, the Pullm an Company established a tradition by creating a Pullman Porter job and holding that KELLY FOSTER (1829) jo b p rim a rily for Black men. Pullman Porters were needed for the president as long as he lives. new sleeping cars o f the Pullman "M any a time Randolph came to Company when it was introduced in Portland,” Lee reminisced, “ for he about 1867. The going wage of 30c made routine visits to all the chapters an hour seemed adequate to Black in the nation. We were 6,000 mem men who had worked for no wage at bers at our peak. "H e re in Port all under the slave system. They were la n d ," Lee continued, " I was in glad to be working. charge o f memberships, and 1 was For this pittance while on duty the the one to arrange for a home for porters were expected to give service Randolph to stay in, as in those days both day and night to passengers on Black people were not allowed to the road. M oreover they were stay as guests in downtown hotels." responsible for cleaning the car af " W e were glad to have him as terward at the term inal. Pay in guest o f honor in our homes, creases through the years were slow though. I usually put him up with the and grudgingly given. family o f some brother in the chapter Pullman Porters found themselves — like Price Paries and his wife, uniquely isolated. They were badly Dolly. We also looked after his meals overworked and grossly underpaid. while he was in town. M y wife, Anna There was no recourse open to them. Mae, cooked many a meal for him, They were unorganized. H ad no and, of course, for the other regional means o f communicating with each or national officers Randolph other. There were “ stoolies" among brought with him. Some of our own them ready to run to the chapter’s officers and members were management with stories. They usually there with us and their wives didn’t know whom to trust. came along, too, to help. James Lee remembers the feeling " W e conducted a lot o f our business that way, just right around the table in our house. Oh yes, our big meetings with the whole chapter were held sometimes at M t. Olivet Baptist Church and sometimes at the YW C A building on N .E. Tillamook Street. " D id we have any obstacles to having our meetings to organize and get the men to sign up for member ship? You bet we did! The Pullman Com pany superintendent! And believe it or not, some o f the Brothers! W e tried to keep our meetings i secret among ourselves — but — ” and Lee laughed ruefully, "some ’brother’ would rush right to the superintendent and tell him everything we were doing! "Th e penalty? Dismissed, that’s what. Just turn in your keys and that was it. So we had to explain over and over to new men that there could be great benefits to be gained if we could stay together in our own organization and try to change the company policies together. "Three men though, Kelly Foster, Andrew Kaiser and Robert Sims, were ’called on the carpet’ by the superintendent and were asked if they would participate in a strike if there was one. They said honestly that they would strike if a strike were called and the superintendent fired them right then and there. They were good men and wanted the union to be a success. “ What did they do? What could they do? They decided to go into business together and the three of them opened a hotel down in what’s called ’Old Town’ now. They later added a pool room and they became quite successful. So, for them, it turn ed out all right. A ll three are gone now — ” , Lee’s voice trailed o ff for a moment. “ The superintendent’s tactics were meant to make the rest o f us afraid to continue, but we went right ahead. W e were fin ally recognized as a bargaining agent by the Pullman Company on September 25, 1937. Operating in the open we put on rallies fo r funds and added new members until here in Portland we had 72 members. We fought for and gained a lot better wages and better working conditions for ourselves. "N ow again, times have chan g ed ," James Lee noted. "Changed for the railroads. They don’ t need so many Pullmans nowadays nor so many Sleeping Car Porters. I doubt if there are 1,000 members in the whole country.” Lee spoke softly as he reflected that the Portland Chapter has been dissolved. "W e have dwindled down to just four: Edward Butter, our chapter’ s last president, Beecher Johns, William Ingram and myself. 1 was membership and finance chair man to the last." Union labor commitments suc cessfully completed, Lee jo yfu lly keeps active office hours at his desk at the N A A C P Credit Union. Still big and handsome at age 76, Lee conducts business for not only the credit union but also for the Railroad Retirement Senior Citizen Club and for several other organizations that held his interest. He likes people and people respond to his warmth and friendliness. James Lee and his wife are active members of M L Olivet Baptist Church. For his calm confidence through troubled times he gives credit to his staunch faith. James Lee says sim ply, “ I have the Master with me. 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Delluma, Lipmans Oakland, second Vice President; Ase Philip Randolph, New York City, President from 1928 to present. I
