TWU Rally, 1947.

Photograph by Arthur Leipzig .

One of the unions that owed a good deal of its success in organizing to the growth of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) was the Transport Workers Union (TWU), most of whose strength was in the New York City transit system. Under the colorful leadership of Michael Quill, who divided his attention between his union and the New York City Council, to which he was elected on the American Labor Party (ALP) ticket, the union was able to fully organize the city's transit and bus systems. In the post-World War II period, Quill disagreed with some of the other CIO leaders in the city over the question of a fare increase (from 5 cents), which the union was supporting as a means of raising money for a wage increase. The year of the photograph leads one to believe that this was the issue of the rally. One thing is clear: the hatters' union would have been grateful for the solidarity demonstrated by their transit brothers.

Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York City.