Oregon State University
Oregon African American Railroad Porters Oral History Collection


Railroad Senior Citizens Association Meeting, Part 1. April 12, 1984

Railroad Senior Citizens Association Meeting, Part 1

April 12, 1984

Location:  Location Unknown.

In this recording several retired railroad workers give their reactions of Michael Grice’s film and relate some of their experiences as railroad workers. A former Pullman porter discusses working with the Union Pacific in the early forties and changes in certain rules and the improvement in salaries after the formation of the Brotherhood of the Sleeping Car Porters. James Sullivan discusses secretly transporting union literature before unions were allowed, and a Red Cap, a dining car worker, a pantry man and a cook share experiences of working and living conditions on the railroad, including incidents or racism and segregation.