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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.
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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.
What should I fear?"
© Family Album Northwest
(Photos: Courtesy of James Lee
Femily Album)
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Milton P. Webeter, Chicago, first Vice President of
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Lipmans
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New York City, President from 1928 to present.
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