RWU
Fallen Rails Program

ALERT: Christopher Blaess Killed on the Job
November 9, 2019

Dear Fellow Railroad Workers:

Recently, a fellow rail -- Christopher Blaess -- lost his life on the job. Brother Christopher -- age 61 -- worked for Amtrak (Chicago) in the Mechanical department and was a member of IAMAW Local 2600. While we are saddened at the news of his death, we must double our resolve to build a safer workplace where such tragedies are not so commonplace.

The Railroad Workers United Program for Fallen Rails urges you to do the following on behalf of Brother Christopher, his friends and family, co-workers and all railroad workers:
  • (Editor's Note: Unfortunately, there was no obituary available, which is why we removed that portion.)

  • Commit yourself to following up on how and why Christopher was killed. What is the behind-the-scenes story? What role did unsafe conditions, including short staffing, crew fatigue, inadequate training and/or qualifying, deferred maintenance, or other factors play in this fellow worker’s death?

  • Get involved in the national movement against blame the worker “behavior-based safety” programs. Help working railroaders build real union-based safety committees and programs that focus on hazard elimination and do not ignore the underlying causes of accidents, injuries and fatalities sustained on the job.
We also ask that you take part in the annual RWU Railroad Workers Memorial Day held each year on April 28th. For more information:

If we find that a family member or co-worker establishes an online fundraiser (GoFundMe) for Brother Christopher, we will be forwarding that information to you.

Thank you.

Railroad Workers United
P.S. Please forward this email to fellow railroad workers.

Railroad Workers United
Solidarity -- Unity -- Democracy