In Memory of Bob Martin

October 22, 2006

Brothers and Sisters,

Yesterday I attended the memorial service for Brother Bob Martin, whose life was tragically cut short last December. Bob had been required to clear ice in the MacDonald Tunnel and was crushed beneath a ton of it when it fell.

At 0900 October 21st, over two hundred of us gathered at the east portal in Bear Creek, where the plaque in Bob's memory has been hung. Brian Black opened the ceremony with some words on the accident and some memories of Bob and the man that he was and then opened it up to friends and family to reminisce. And they did.

Don Roberts shared anecdotes, stories and music which brought Bob back to us, if only for this brief instant. Don and Bob were close. When I was General Chair out west a few years ago, you always heard tales of "the Don and Bob show" and the stories were as wild as they were funny. And for a few minutes yesterday that show was playing again.

Bob's brother Dave was there, as were his in-laws, though his wife couldn't attend for medical reasons. Donny's son, daughter and granddaughter came and, as I said before, hundreds of others. It gets pretty emotional at these memorials and Bob was a gently giant loved and respected by all, so the tears ran freely. But so did the laughs.... while small vignettes of Bob's life and loves were played out by those that really knew him.

Bob was a huge bear of a man...tough and gentle at the same time... who loved animals and country music and karaoke and Kokanee beer. He was a railroader who could build track under any condition but could barely keep his own cars running. He worked the gangs and lived the life but he never should have been sent into that tunnel to clear that ice. His brother Dave, in an emotional outburst wanted to know why he'd been doing it and no one could give him a good answer. No one knows why the company in this particular service area, was not only condoning but actively practicing such an unsafe procedure.

It was wrong and it must never happen again.

John Guthrie made a good point, after sharing some memories of Bob. He said that he wanted the CPRail to know that none of us come to work expecting to get hurt. All of us want to make it home at night. But that the railway has to stop putting us in dangerous places. We are employees and we are loyal and we want to do a good job. Just the same as none of us go to work thinking to get hurt, we also want to do the best job that we can and we follow the instructions of the company officers.

Every Teamster who was there knows that we are often asked, or told, to work in unsafe conditions.

I want to tell you once again, that if the company won't insure that the conditions are safe..... you have to tell them "NO!!"

You have to invoke your right to refuse under part II of the code.

If there are not enough lights and they want you to work anyway... tell them "NO".

If they want you to do work that you have not been trained to do.... tell them "NO".

If they send you in a tunnel to bust ice or into a ditch without shoring or working beside an embankment without protection or to do lifts or procedures that are against the rules... tell them "NO".

And stand together to put a stop to it.

Let's try to make sure that the next time we come together like this, its not because of a tragedy, but instead... it is to prevent one.

I would also like to thank Brian Black, not only for all of his hard work and dedication, putting together this and all the other memorials we've done, but also for his untiring efforts in safety awareness and accident prevention. And also to thank Scott Paradise and others involved, for putting together the funding, allowing the track block and the day off work for so many to attend.

Take it easy, Bob.... you won't be forgotten. See ya later.

Fraternally,

Bill Brehl
President
TCRC MWED