pres . ▁ ▁Town send ▁became ▁polit ically ▁active , ▁and ▁lo bb ied ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Congress ▁for ▁an ▁improvement ▁in ▁worker ▁conditions . ▁This ▁success ▁arrived ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁decided ▁by ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁that ▁red ▁caps ▁would ▁be ▁paid ▁ten ▁c ents ▁for ▁each ▁par cel ▁or ▁piece ▁of ▁lug g age ▁carried ▁to ▁and ▁from ▁trains . ▁He ▁ens ured ▁that ▁members ▁of ▁his ▁union ▁had ▁their ▁sal aries ▁protected ▁under ▁the ▁Fair ▁Labor ▁Stand ards ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 3 8 . ▁Town send ▁led ▁an ▁appeal ▁to ▁the ▁Inter state ▁Com merce ▁Commission ▁under ▁the ▁Railway ▁Labor ▁Act . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁the ▁U T SE ▁became ▁affili ated ▁with ▁the ▁Congress ▁of ▁Indust rial ▁Organ izations , ▁and ▁Town send ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁African - American ▁to ▁hold ▁office ▁in ▁a ▁national ▁union . ▁Following ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁Town send ' s ▁un ions , ▁the ▁Bro ther hood ▁of ▁Railway ▁C ler ks ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Federation ▁of ▁Labor , ▁opened ▁their ▁membership ▁to ▁red ▁caps . ▁The ▁journalist ▁George ▁McC ray ▁wrote ▁that ▁Town send ▁was ▁" fast ▁becoming ▁the ▁most ▁powerful ▁negro ▁leader ▁in ▁the ▁country ". ▁Following ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁Detroit ▁race ▁ri ot , ▁Town send ▁declared ▁" America ▁is ▁sick ". ▁He ▁charged ▁that ▁dem ocracy ▁would ▁only ▁surv ive ▁in ▁America ▁" if ▁its ▁advoc ates ▁fight ▁just ▁as ▁hard