The wrath, influence and power of North America’s largest freight railroad is unleased in full force and in an all-out attack on a whistleblower’s life, liberties, and career.
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About the Book
Bad Order
A Whistleblower’s True Story of Robber Baron Justice in America’s 21st Century Gilded Age
by Mike Elliott
Published 30 January 2025
Tellwell Talent
Genre: Memoir
Page Count: 365
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This is the incredible true story of railroad worker and union official Mike Elliott, targeted by his railroad employer, BNSF Railway Company, for his safety-related activities. As the union’s state legislative board chair, Elliott was the top safety official in the state, and the voice for over 900 rank & file locomotive engineers operating trains around the clock, every day of the year.
When his members reported a plethora of trackside signal malfunctions on the BNSF Seattle subdivision, Elliott went to the railroad first, asking that they fix the problems. When the BNSF failed to act, he contacted the government’s regulatory authority, the Federal Railroad Administration. That led to an FRA inspection of over 130 miles of the railroad’s track and signal systems turning up hundreds of federal defects – all with potential to put workers and the public at risk.
What followed was a retaliation plot reminiscent of the Nineteenth Century Robber Barons: A management-staged conflict at work, police called in, arrest, jail, criminal charges, and termination from his job – not once but twice.
The wrath, influence and power of North America’s largest freight railroad is unleased in full force and in an all-out attack on a whistleblower’s life, liberties, and career. An amazing journey of one man’s righteous battle against impossible odds and the nearly unlimited resources of a multi-billion-dollar corporation.
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Excerpt
I began my railroad career in 1995 on the Burlington Northern Railroad. Within three years, I was certified in two railroad operating crafts: Conductor and Locomotive Engineer. Concurrently, I became involved with the local railroad unions, taking a keen interest in safety, especially crew fatigue. For several years, I held a division level safety position— Legislative Representative—working local safety issues in Pasco and Yakima, Washington. Concurrently, I headed a state-level union safety office, 1st Vice Chair to then-Chair Mark K. Ricci, PhD. But in 2007, I was moved up to Chair of the Washington State Legislative Board when, quite unexpectedly, Mark resigned mid-term. So began six of the most impactful years of my life. My chief responsibilities as Chair were to advocate for the safety and welfare of our 900 members—not only on the two Class I railroads, BNSF and Union Pacific, but also on Amtrak, Sounder commuter trains, and Tacoma Rail. I hoped my work would help improve workplace safety and, ultimately, prevent tragedies.
In the late spring and early summer of 2010, I received complaints about vegetation overgrowth blocking the view of signals on the tracks between Tacoma and Vancouver, Washington—about 133 miles of tracks. Interestingly, most of the complaints were from my Union Pacific membership whose jobs running trains co-exist with BNSF on that segment of railroad track. I knew it wasn’t that UP train crews just liked to complain or that BNSF train crews didn’t care. More likely, BNSF train crews had learned from bitter experience that management retaliation was the reward for those who dared to be the “squeaky wheel.”
When I use the word “complaints,” I’m not talking about petty gripes. Not at all. These were legitimate safety complaints about the signals controlling train movement along “double-track” territory known as the BNSF Seattle Subdivision, a segment of right-of-way where BNSF and UP share track in a joint-use arrangement. The complaints were a straight-up red-flag warning from professional train crews who worked the line on a regular basis. These warnings needed to be heard; their complaints needed to be heeded. And they required immediate action.
About the Author
Mike Elliott was born and raised in Washington State. He enjoys the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest, classic rock & roll music, vintage stereo gear, home cooked meals, and Seattle Mariners baseball. He lives in Tacoma, Washington.
Giveaway Alert!
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This sounds like an interesting memoir. The cover is appealing!
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