" Members who
violate an agreement are expelled, and any local lodge which is
guilty of such an offense has its charter revoked.*
* In 1905 in New York City 893 members were expelled and their
charter was revoked for violation of their contract of employment
by taking part in a sympathetic strike of the subway and elevated
roads.
Once the practice of collective contract was fixed, it naturally
followed that some mechanism for adjusting differences would be
devised. The Brotherhood and the various roads now maintain a
general board of adjustment for each railway system. The
Brotherhood is strict in insisting that the action of this board
is binding on all its members. This method of bargaining and of
settling disputes has been so successful that since 1888 the
Brotherhood has not engaged in an important strike. There have
been minor disturbances, it is true, and several nation-wide
threats, but no serious strikes inaugurated by the engineers.
This great achievement of the Brotherhood could not have been
possible without keen ability in the leaders and splendid
solidarity among the men.
The individual is carefully looked after by the Brotherhood. The
Locomotive Engineers' Mutual Life and Accident Insurance
Association is an integral part of the Brotherhood, though it
maintains a separate legal existence in order to comply with the
statutory requirements of many States.* Every member must carry
an insurance policy in this Association for not less than $1500,
though he cannot take more than $4500.
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