110:(BLE) on 8 May 1863 during the American Civil War, America's first union for railway workers. Robinson traveled widely and oversaw rapid growth in the union's first sixteen months. After a disastrous strike he was forced to resign in August 1864, and did not hold office again, although he remained active in union affairs until his death.
143:
In April 1863 nineteen locomotive engineers met at
Robinson's house and decided to form an organization to represent their interests. Robinson was discharged from Michigan Central as an agitator. As Grand Chief he traveled widely between October 1863 and August 1864, and organized fifty-four local
151:
went on strike for more pay. On 11 July 1864 the army seized the railroad and took over operations. On 16 July the strike was called off. Half the strikers, or about 75 men, got their jobs back at existing pay. The others were dismissed. It is not clear that the union had sanctioned the strike,
179:
For reasons of health, Robinson retired from railroad work in 1883, but continued to be active with the
Brotherhood. He spoke in 1890 at a meeting of the five Brotherhoods of Railroad Fraternities, where he was reported to be old and feeble, but gave a speech full of "sound advice and
125:
at which it was agreed to form a "National
Protective Association of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers of the United States." Benjamin Hoxie was elected President, and William D. Robinson secretary. The organization held a number of meetings up to the outbreak of the
184:, Daviess County, Indiana, at the age of 64. During his life he had seen the Brotherhood grow to 28,000 members in 452 lodges across North America. A marker was erected in 1974 at his house in Marshall, Calhoun County, Michigan, where the Railroad Union was born.
130:
in 1861, but did not make much progress. The New Albany & Salem
Railroad ran into financial difficulties and was having trouble meeting payroll. In the fall of 1862 Robinson's friend J.C. Thompson arranged for him to be hired by the
152:
since all employees were involved, not just locomotive engineers, and the strike was for more pay rather than for preserving existing rights. However, when the
Brotherhood of the Footboard held their convention in
599:
156:
on 17 August 1864 they changed their name to the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and replaced Robinson as Grand Chief Engineer by Charles Wilson. The first, radical, phase of the union was over.
172:
on 25 February 1874. Robinson made a spirited speech vindicating the strikers, and was applauded by the delegates. Charles Wilson was forced to resign and was replaced as Grand Chief
Engineer by
118:
William D. Robinson was born on 22 May 1826. He started work as a fireman in 1846, and was promoted to locomotive engineer in 1848. He was employed by the New Albany & Salem
Railroad.
31:
779:
592:
585:
702:
168:
ordered a reduction of pay, and the engineers went on strike. Charles Wilson publicly criticized their action. The
Brotherhood called a special meeting in
712:
717:
609:
539:
367:
447:
Commons, John Rogers; Sumner, Helen Laura; Saposs, David Joseph; Andrews, John
Bertram; Perlman, Selig; Hoagland, Henry Elmer (1918-12-01).
784:
789:
495:
458:
107:
95:
148:
562:
577:
405:
180:
encouragement". Robinson died after a prolonged illness from cancer of the stomach on 7 November 1890 in
132:
372:
St. James Encyclopedia of Labor History Worldwide: Major Events in Labor History and Their Impact
519:
540:"Teamsters Honor 150 Year Anniversary Of The Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers And Trainmen"
385:
707:
655:
485:
448:
429:
165:
554:
774:
769:
722:
8:
474:
181:
66:
742:
127:
331:
727:
674:
491:
454:
607:
193:
732:
647:
631:
173:
763:
210:
208:
504:
225:
223:
319:
153:
235:
205:
164:
Robinson was reinstated in his old local in May 1873. Later that year the
106:(22 May 1826 – 7 November 1890) was a locomotive engineer who founded the
220:
307:
553:
337:
295:
199:
121:
On 6–9 November 1855 a convention of locomotive engineers was held in
30:
169:
122:
737:
520:"History of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen"
518:
229:
384:
325:
241:
214:
446:
313:
301:
780:
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen people
283:
271:
259:
247:
343:
507:. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen
487:History of the Labor Movement in the United States
761:
610:Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen
410:Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography
593:
406:"The Seizure of the Reading Railroad in 1864"
480:vol. 14, no. 12 (Dec. 1890), pp. 1105–1108.
338:William D. Robinson: Railroad Trainman 1891
200:William D. Robinson: Railroad Trainman 1891
600:
586:
29:
538:Hoffa, James P.; Hall, Ken (8 May 2013).
537:
503:
542:. International Brotherhood of Teamsters
404:Blackman, John L. Jr. (1 January 1987).
403:
289:
277:
265:
253:
16:American locomotive engineer (1826–1890)
427:
349:
762:
524:Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen News
450:History of Labour in the United States
365:
581:
483:
147:On 1 July 1864 the employees of the
108:Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
96:Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
13:
230:History of the Brotherhood... 2007
14:
801:
149:Philadelphia and Reading Railroad
563:Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen
368:"National Union of Iron Molders"
785:People from Washington, Indiana
366:Atkins, William Arthur (2004),
159:
138:
484:Foner, Philip Sheldon (1947),
478:Locomotive Firemen's Magazine,
113:
1:
790:American locomotive engineers
187:
490:, International Publishers,
326:A Great Order's Founder 1890
242:A Great Order's Founder 1890
215:A Great Order's Founder 1890
7:
526:. Teamsters. June–July 2007
434:Michigan Historical Markers
430:"Railroad Union Birthplace"
135:, and he moved to Detroit.
10:
806:
390:The Conductor and Brakeman
358:
695:
667:
640:
616:
386:"A Great Order's Founder"
133:Michigan Central Railroad
90:
82:
74:
55:
40:
28:
21:
428:Brennan, James (2013).
475:"William D. Robinson,"
708:John Frederick Sytsma
656:Warren Stanford Stone
559:The Railroad Trainman
555:"William D. Robinson"
166:Pennsylvania Railroad
723:Ronald P. McLaughlin
668:Grand Chief Engineer
617:Grand Chief Engineer
703:Burrell N. Whitmire
624:William D. Robinson
392:. 1890. p. 567
314:Commons et al. 1918
302:Commons et al. 1918
104:William D. Robinson
86:Locomotive engineer
67:Washington, Indiana
35:William D. Robinson
23:William D. Robinson
743:Edward W. Rodzwicz
660:William B. Prenter
128:American Civil War
757:
756:
728:Clarence V. Monin
713:Robert E. Delaney
675:Alvanley Johnston
565:. 1891. p. 7
497:978-0-7178-0376-7
460:978-1-893122-75-8
101:
100:
797:
750:Dennis R. Pierce
679:James P. Shields
602:
595:
588:
579:
578:
573:
571:
570:
550:
548:
547:
534:
532:
531:
515:
513:
512:
500:
473:Debs, Eugene V.
470:
468:
467:
443:
441:
440:
424:
422:
421:
400:
398:
397:
381:
380:
379:
374:, The Gale Group
353:
347:
341:
335:
329:
323:
317:
311:
305:
299:
293:
287:
281:
275:
269:
263:
257:
251:
245:
239:
233:
227:
218:
212:
203:
197:
62:
50:
48:
33:
19:
18:
805:
804:
800:
799:
798:
796:
795:
794:
760:
759:
758:
753:
733:Edward Dubroski
691:
685:Roy E. Davidson
663:
648:Peter M. Arthur
636:
632:Peter M. Arthur
612:
608:Leaders of the
606:
576:
568:
566:
545:
543:
529:
527:
510:
508:
498:
465:
463:
461:
453:. Beard Books.
438:
436:
419:
417:
395:
393:
377:
375:
361:
356:
348:
344:
336:
332:
324:
320:
312:
308:
300:
296:
288:
284:
276:
272:
264:
260:
252:
248:
240:
236:
228:
221:
213:
206:
198:
194:
190:
174:Peter M. Arthur
162:
141:
116:
94:Founder of the
70:
69:, United States
64:
60:
59:7 November 1890
46:
44:
36:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
803:
793:
792:
787:
782:
777:
772:
755:
754:
752:
751:
748:
747:Paul T. Sorrow
745:
740:
735:
730:
725:
720:
718:Larry McFather
715:
710:
705:
699:
697:
693:
692:
690:
689:
686:
683:
680:
677:
671:
669:
665:
664:
662:
661:
658:
653:
650:
644:
642:
638:
637:
635:
634:
629:
628:Charles Wilson
626:
620:
618:
614:
613:
605:
604:
597:
590:
582:
575:
574:
551:
535:
516:
501:
496:
481:
471:
459:
444:
425:
401:
382:
362:
360:
357:
355:
354:
342:
340:, p. 7-8.
330:
328:, p. 572.
318:
306:
294:
282:
270:
258:
246:
244:, p. 568.
234:
219:
217:, p. 567.
204:
191:
189:
186:
161:
158:
140:
137:
115:
112:
99:
98:
92:
91:Known for
88:
87:
84:
80:
79:
76:
72:
71:
65:
63:(aged 64)
57:
53:
52:
42:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
802:
791:
788:
786:
783:
781:
778:
776:
773:
771:
768:
767:
765:
749:
746:
744:
741:
739:
736:
734:
731:
729:
726:
724:
721:
719:
716:
714:
711:
709:
706:
704:
701:
700:
698:
694:
687:
684:
681:
678:
676:
673:
672:
670:
666:
659:
657:
654:
652:A.B. Youngson
651:
649:
646:
645:
643:
639:
633:
630:
627:
625:
622:
621:
619:
615:
611:
603:
598:
596:
591:
589:
584:
583:
580:
564:
560:
556:
552:
541:
536:
525:
521:
517:
506:
502:
499:
493:
489:
488:
482:
479:
476:
472:
462:
456:
452:
451:
445:
435:
431:
426:
415:
411:
407:
402:
391:
387:
383:
373:
369:
364:
363:
351:
346:
339:
334:
327:
322:
316:, p. 67.
315:
310:
304:, p. 63.
303:
298:
292:, p. 51.
291:
290:Blackman 1987
286:
280:, p. 54.
279:
278:Blackman 1987
274:
268:, p. 53.
267:
266:Blackman 1987
262:
256:, p. 50.
255:
254:Blackman 1987
250:
243:
238:
231:
226:
224:
216:
211:
209:
201:
196:
192:
185:
183:
177:
175:
171:
167:
157:
155:
150:
145:
136:
134:
129:
124:
119:
111:
109:
105:
97:
93:
89:
85:
81:
77:
73:
68:
58:
54:
43:
39:
32:
27:
20:
682:Guy L. Brown
623:
567:. Retrieved
558:
544:. Retrieved
528:. Retrieved
523:
509:. Retrieved
486:
477:
464:. Retrieved
449:
437:. Retrieved
433:
418:. Retrieved
413:
409:
394:. Retrieved
389:
376:, retrieved
371:
350:Brennan 2013
345:
333:
321:
309:
297:
285:
273:
261:
249:
237:
202:, p. 7.
195:
178:
163:
160:Later career
154:Indianapolis
146:
142:
139:Union leader
120:
117:
103:
102:
61:(1890-11-07)
775:1890 deaths
770:1826 births
144:divisions.
114:Early years
75:Nationality
51:22 May 1826
764:Categories
569:2013-07-31
546:2013-07-31
530:2013-07-31
511:2013-07-31
466:2013-07-31
439:2013-07-31
420:2013-07-31
396:2013-07-31
378:2017-01-19
188:References
182:Washington
83:Occupation
47:1826-05-22
696:President
641:President
505:"History"
170:Cleveland
123:Baltimore
738:Don Hahs
78:American
359:Sources
494:
457:
492:ISBN
455:ISBN
56:Died
41:Born
416:(1)
414:111
766::
561:.
557:.
522:.
432:.
412:.
408:.
388:.
370:,
222:^
207:^
176:.
688:.
601:e
594:t
587:v
572:.
549:.
533:.
514:.
469:.
442:.
423:.
399:.
352:.
232:.
49:)
45:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
