Founded in secrecy during a time of racial discrimination and economic exploitation, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) was born out of the fight for dignity, fair wages, and better working conditions for African American railroad porters.
Led by the fearless A. Philip Randolph, the BSCP spent years battling the powerful Pullman Company, organizing workers and demanding recognition in the face of immense resistance. Their fight wasn’t just for labor rights—it was a challenge to the racial and economic status quo of the time.
On October 1, 1937, after a long and hard-fought campaign—and thanks in part to mounting pressure from President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the National Mediation Board—the Pullman Company finally signed a collective bargaining agreement with the BSCP.
Why It Matters:
This was a landmark moment—the first time a major U.S. corporation recognized a Black labor union. It was more than a contract. It was a victory for civil rights, labor rights, and Black empowerment.
The agreement led to real, tangible improvements in the lives of thousands of porters and set the stage for future civil rights organizing.