Truman and Strikes
On August 25, 1950 (62 years ago today) President Harry Truman ordered the US Army to seize control of the nation's railroads to avert a strike. He did so because he anticipated a strike by railroad workers that would cause considerable hardship to Americans. Truman issued an executive order placing the nation's railroads under the control of the U.S. Army, as of August 27, at 4:00 pm.
This was the second time that Truman had intervened in a railway dispute. Two years earlier, when union employees of the Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee Railway Company threatened to strike in 1948, Truman had stepped in. This time, however, Truman's was concerned about a national security issue. He had just ordered American troops into a war against North Korean in June and since much of America's economic and defense infrastructure was dependent upon the smooth functioning of the railroads. The 1950 strike was proposed by two of the nation's large labor organizations: the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen and the Order of Railway Conductors. Truman saw this as an even greater threat.
In July, with a strike pending, Truman ordered the formation of an emergency board to negotiate a settlement between the railroad unions and owners. The unions ultimately rejected the board's recommendations and, by August 25, a strike seemed inevitable.
In a public statement made on August 25, 1950, Truman saidd that "governmental seizure [of the railroads] is imperative for the protection of American citizens as well as essential to the national defense and security of the Nation." He used the same justification for seizing control of steel plants when the United Steel Workers union struck later in the year.
The railroad strike lasted for 21 months. Finally, in May 1952, the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, the Order of Railway Conductors and another union, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, accepted the Truman administration's terms and went back to work.
When the steel strike occurred, Truman became interventionist again. In response to a labor/management impasse arising from bitter disagreements over wage and price controls, Truman instructed his Secretary of Commerce, Charles W. Sawyer, to take control of a number of the nation's steel mills in April 1952. Truman cited his authority as Commander in Chief and the need to maintain an uninterrupted supply of steel for munitions to be used in the war in Korea.
The Supreme Court found Truman's actions unconstitutional, however, and reversed the order in a major separation-of-powers decision, Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer. The 6–3 decision, which held that Truman's assertion of authority was too vague and was not rooted in any legislative action by Congress, was delivered by a Court composed entirely of Justices appointed by either Truman or Roosevelt. The court's reversal of Truman's order was one of the notable defeats of his presidency.
Truman's antagonistic approach to labor was one of the many reasons why he became so unpopular, receiving very low public approval poll numbers. The press was almost unanimous in its condemnation of the steel mill seizure. When Truman seized the steel mills, the New York Daily News head line read "Truman Does a Hitler".
This was the second time that Truman had intervened in a railway dispute. Two years earlier, when union employees of the Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee Railway Company threatened to strike in 1948, Truman had stepped in. This time, however, Truman's was concerned about a national security issue. He had just ordered American troops into a war against North Korean in June and since much of America's economic and defense infrastructure was dependent upon the smooth functioning of the railroads. The 1950 strike was proposed by two of the nation's large labor organizations: the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen and the Order of Railway Conductors. Truman saw this as an even greater threat.
In July, with a strike pending, Truman ordered the formation of an emergency board to negotiate a settlement between the railroad unions and owners. The unions ultimately rejected the board's recommendations and, by August 25, a strike seemed inevitable.
In a public statement made on August 25, 1950, Truman saidd that "governmental seizure [of the railroads] is imperative for the protection of American citizens as well as essential to the national defense and security of the Nation." He used the same justification for seizing control of steel plants when the United Steel Workers union struck later in the year.
The railroad strike lasted for 21 months. Finally, in May 1952, the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, the Order of Railway Conductors and another union, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, accepted the Truman administration's terms and went back to work.
When the steel strike occurred, Truman became interventionist again. In response to a labor/management impasse arising from bitter disagreements over wage and price controls, Truman instructed his Secretary of Commerce, Charles W. Sawyer, to take control of a number of the nation's steel mills in April 1952. Truman cited his authority as Commander in Chief and the need to maintain an uninterrupted supply of steel for munitions to be used in the war in Korea.
The Supreme Court found Truman's actions unconstitutional, however, and reversed the order in a major separation-of-powers decision, Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer. The 6–3 decision, which held that Truman's assertion of authority was too vague and was not rooted in any legislative action by Congress, was delivered by a Court composed entirely of Justices appointed by either Truman or Roosevelt. The court's reversal of Truman's order was one of the notable defeats of his presidency.
Truman's antagonistic approach to labor was one of the many reasons why he became so unpopular, receiving very low public approval poll numbers. The press was almost unanimous in its condemnation of the steel mill seizure. When Truman seized the steel mills, the New York Daily News head line read "Truman Does a Hitler".