In 1935 he was made a full-time union officer, responsible for the northwest United States and for Canada west of Port Arthur, Ontario.

The railroads were in good financial condition, so could afford increased levels of investment, and there were large savings to be made.

He was attacked by the organization's president, George Meany, who accused Randolph of trying to suppress the views of the black unionists.

Kennedy said he would work to eliminate bias from the trainmen's union, and said that there were already over a thousand black members even though its constitution theoretically barred them.

[12] Kennedy supported Senator Harley M. Kilgore in his push for stronger laws for detaining subversives.

He wrote to him on behalf of the Brotherhood to express their "deep appreciation of your efforts in Congress to counteract the activities of Communists and other subversive groups.

Jimmy Hoffa of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters had representatives trying to influence the delegates to support unification of all labor unions.

The combined union of road, rail and airline transport workers would have had immense power, and probably would have been prevented by the government.