Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen v. Howard

This case raises questions concerning the power of courts to protect Negro railroad employees from loss of their jobs under compulsion of a bargaining agreement which, to avoid a strike, the railroad made with an exclusively white man’s union. Respondent Simon Howard, a Frisco1 train employee for nearly forty years, *770brought this action on behalf of himself and other colored employees similarly situated.

In summary the complaint alleged: Negro employees such as respondent constituted a group called “train porters” although they actually performed all the duties of white “brakemen”; the…