Some time ago, I was given a small button that reads around the outside in a circle:

A. A. of S. & E. R. & M. C. E.

The top of the button has a date of FEB. 1938 and then there is a side view of a street car with LOC. 517 printed under the car. On the side of the car there is also some printing which I think reads AAofS&EREofA. The diameter of this button is only about 13/16 of an inch, so some of the printing is a bit hard to read. I believe it is a union button and although I can guess as to what some of the letters mean, I don't know them all. Can anyone give me the correct name of the organization(s) including where Local 517 was located?

Thanks for any help you can furnish.

Les

I seem to recall an Amalgamated Transit Union, perhaps its predecessor was the Amalgamated Association of Street & Electric Railway & Motor Coach Employees? The initials fit anyway. The earlier one drops the "Motor Coach" and adds "of America". Just a SWAG, though.

Good guessing.

It's the Amalgamated Association of Street Electric Railway and Motor Coach Employees of America the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees of America, respectively.

From Robert's Dictionary of Industrial Relations: Founded as AA of SRE in 1892 in Indianapolis, named changed to AA of S and E R E of A in 1903, "Motor Coach" added in 1934. Name changed to Amalgamated Transit Union in 1964.

ATU local 517 is Gary, Indiana, and the local number may go back to the street railway days.

I would suspect it does. Chicago is (was) local 308 (elevated) and 241 (surface) but interestingly, 308 also represented the Chicago & West Towns bus drivers back in the seventies, before the C&WT went to the Metra PACE operation.

Somewhere, I have a 308 button from the teens I found while demolishing a building. Prominently in the center, it says THE "L" UNION.

Thanks gentlemen, for the information.

Les