The caption for this photo from the May 24, 1946 Boston Traveler reads:"I Been Workin' on the Railroad"--but that was once upon a time. Redcap Charlie Hughes of Roxbury sits dejectedly alongside the South Station's deserted tracks and wonders how long the strike will last. He is but one of thousands throughout the country whose livelihood stopped when strike began. The strike was a rejection of both what the railroads were offering and a "compromise" pay increase proposed by Truman. In the end, Charlie Hughes didn't have to wait too long to return to his job ferrying passengers' bags from the South Station doors to their trains: On May 26, the unions, under intense pressure from Washington, gave in and accepted Truman's offer, as did the railroads.
