Why I am RWU....

In this video, I am telling a story about why I am so passionate about Railroad Workers United. Well, I am developing my story telling skills on stage, so let me explain the story I was telling better here on the Railroad Music blog... see.. Ron Kaminkow had been working on me to come to the RWU convention for several months. I joined RWU in 2009 and called him a couple of times and he knew as he said.in our RWU video. "he had a hot one." All his working on me worked... 

So, I get to the 2010 convention after driving straight for 7 hours and immediately meet Jen Wallis who is hanging out with Heather Boehlke. The hotel is starting to fill up with Labor Notes convention folks and RWU is trying to get us RWU all together so we can get some dinner, Jen, Heather and I went and sat down in the bar while we waited for the merry band to assemble. 

Heather's husband Jared was crushed to death in CSX Selkirk yard. RWU member Jon Flanders worked in the Selkirk yard and if I remember correctly was there the night he died. Jon brought Heather to the convention to talk about RWU's campaign to ban one person train operation. 

I remember almost every thing about this meeting in the bar. I can still see it in my mind like it was some kind of critical incident. I remember asking Heather questions about how this... and what that. She talked about the night her husband was killed and how the radio transmissions showed that Jared was asking for help changing a knuckle and how the yardmaster was kind-of bullying him. 

Then the tears started to fall. 

We sat on the couches in the corner as she told us that a CSX claims agent had called her the day of the funeral telling her lies about her husband, and that she needed to settle. This was my introduction to RWU and my first meeting with my RWU Co-Chair sister Jen. It was also my first "Union Convention" While she talked I was thinking about the night my boss, gave us our briefing about the fatality in Selkirk. I was an RCO operator at the time but this story was real, not like it was in the locker room a couple of months before hearing it first hand. 

After this very intense conversation we got our dinner party together and went out to eat. 

The next day started the convention. That night RWU hosted a party room where I was going to play my railroad music. I was also going to play one of the, if not THE most intense show that I have ever played. 

I started my set and as the music went.. people really got into the railroad stories and songs. I played my John Henry song about the Locomotive Engineer that beat down the Remote Job and a couple more tunes. Then Heather got up and told the story about her husband. I remember looking out at the folks sitting on the floor thinking that we were really blowing these folks minds. Ron Kaminkow, our RWU secretary spoke and them I played a couple more tunes. I played my song Nashville Bound about missing your kids and working long hours. Heather loved that tune and I remember looking at her while playing it. She was crying. I was touched and chocked up. Right in the middle of another tune.. one of our RWU members gets a phone call...

Matt Weaver a track worker from Toledo walks up to the mic to make an announcement. There has been another RCO fatality right here in Chicago at CSX Barr yard. A Remote operator has been thrown from her RCO locomotive and crushed. The room was silent. I played a few more tunes and then the night rolled on... 

I will never forget this night...

 and the words cannot be found for the chills that i feel in my body as I relive this through my keyboard. From that night on.. I have been a very proud RWU  leader, student and member.. Solidarity Forever.. and there is a war on the workers and it's time we started calling the shots.