Racism, Railroad Unions, and Labor Regulations

19 Pages Posted: 13 Nov 2000

See all articles by David E Bernstein

David E Bernstein

George Mason University - Antonin Scalia Law School

Date Written: 2000

Abstract

Unlike earlier generations of labor historians, the current generation recognizes that racism suffused, and to some extent even motivated, organized labor from the post-Civil War period through at least the late 1930s. However, labor historians continue to largely ignore the significant role "progressive" labor laws played in giving racist labor unions the power to exclude African-Americans and other minorities from the labor market. This article, based on chapter 3 of my book, "Only One Place of Redress: African Americans, Labor Regulations, and the Courts from Reconstruction to the New Deal" (Duke University Press 2001), discusses how labor laws granting railroad unions monopoly power ? especially the Railway Labor Act ? were crucial to the exclusion of African-Americans from many railroad occupations.

Suggested Citation

Bernstein, David Eliot, Racism, Railroad Unions, and Labor Regulations (2000). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=249309 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.249309

David Eliot Bernstein (Contact Author)

George Mason University - Antonin Scalia Law School ( email )

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703-993-8089 (Phone)
703-993-8202 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://mason.gmu.edu/~dbernste

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