The Railway Workers' Political Platform
Tacoma’s railroad employees mobilize to influence state labor legislation and endorse their own candidates for office.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The Tacoma branch of the Railway Employes' Joint Legislative Board, an organization including representatives from nine railway organizations, held its first regular meeting in Odd Fellows' hall, East C and Twenty-fifth streets, yesterday. About 150 railroad employees were present. Thomas Morris, president of the local board, presided. State Labor Commissioner William Blackman was present and delivered an address on labor bills that will come up at the next legislature affecting the interests of the railway and laboring men of the state. The legislative board endorsed three bills: the fellow servant act, a bill compelling employers to pay their men in money instead of due bills or drafts, and a bill providing for the licensing of stationary engineers and a boiler inspector. The meeting also endorsed several candidates, including S. Johnston for representative from the Thirty-ninth district, N. L. McKieol for representative from the Thirty-eighth district, and Thomas Morris for sheriff.
“It was the consensus of opinion that the railroad men should support the candidates who would support the bills fostering their interests.”
This reflects an early 20th-century effort to bridge the gap between workplace organizing and legislative power. Today, workers in the gig economy and logistics industries face similar, albeit modernized, struggles regarding payment transparency and job safety protections.
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