BLACK SHIRT FRIDAY - RWU Urges Solidarity Action!

Dear RWU Members and Supporters:

On Friday, June 18th, 2010 -- just over a month from now -- railroad workers across North America will wear black to work in honor and remembrance of our fallen fellow workers over the course of this past year. Since Brother Jared Boehlke was killed in a single employee RCO disaster last Mothers Day, 16 more railroaders have been killed on the job. On Father’s Day Friday, railroaders will say "Enough!"

Railroad Workers United (RWU) first raised the call for such a "Railroad Workers Memorial Day" last Spring when Brother Jared fell victim to a one-man remote job in Selkirk New York, coming on the heels of a string of other rail industry fatalities. This year, at the Second Biennial Convention of RWU on April 23rd, those RWU members present voted unanimously to endorse the concept of such an action once again this year, and to establish a national Railroad Workers Memorial Day to be conducted annually.

It is ironic that while the RWU reception in the evening following the Convention was in full swing, Sister Melinda J. Carter was killed in an RCO accident in Chicago while performing routine switching operations. This year's Railroad Workers Memorial Day will be dedicated to Melinda and 15 other rails who have given their lives in the line of duty this past year.

Please print out the attached flyers and post and circulate widely in your terminal among your fellow workers. Please remember to wear black on June 18th. In addition, look for a professional poster to be made available sometime next week, and look for the Spring issue of the RWU newsletter The Highball due out in the next few days with more information and commentary about Black Shirt Friday and Railroad Workers Memorial Day.

Thanks.
In solidarity & struggle,
Railroad Workers United

BLACK SHIRT FRIDAY 2010 VERSION 1

BLACK SHIRT FRIDAY TRACKS COLOR VERSION 2

BLACK SHIRT FRIDAY TRACKS B & W VERSION 3