hat was my catalyst; for me, that moment was water boiling right out of the pot. It was the breaking point.” This statement was made by Reece Murtagh, a railroad worker who is currently running for election as a leader in IAMAW District Lodge 19. And the “catalyst” he is referring to is the series of failed attempts at the negotiating table between rail workers and the railroad companies.
“The carriers don’t negotiate in good faith, the unions — our union, at least — has been in ‘cruise control’ for a long time, we’ve continually lost ground, “ Murtagh continued, during an interview on The Valley Labor Report. “And then we voted to strike, and we met all of the requirements of the railway labor act — we had every legal right to strike…”
The rail workers were able, willing, and ready to strike. But to their surprise, it was their union leaders who didn’t seem able, willing, and ready. With a mixed expression of confusion and betrayal, Murtagh commented: “When the union just decided on their own to continually push the strike date back, I couldn’t just sit back and watch it happen, and let them cruise into an election unopposed. They pissed off the wrong person.”
Murtagh hopes to bring some much needed change to his union, which he feels has been stagnating over the years and becoming more complacent. And Murtagh is far from the only worker who sees the problems and is determined to take matters into his own hands. During the interview, he was joined by Nathaniel Tinsley, who is likewise running for a leadership position in the union.
“People are pissed off,” Tinsley said. “We’re frustrated with the union leadership, and this is just decades in the making. I couldn’t stand back and just see these guys run unopposed. I believe that the workers should have a choice, I think competition’s good for our organization.”
According to Murtagh and Tinsley, polling found that a very high number of voting members are invested in this election, with some record turnouts.
For a more detailed look at these two campaigners and the issues they hope to address in their union and on the job, watch the full interview: