When we hear the term “whistleblower,” we tend to think of names like Daniel Ellsberg, Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, Julian Assange—people who have risked their freedom, even their lives, to expose government lies, abuses of power, and state secrets that the public needs to know about. But there are a range of federal statutes designed to protect those who blow the whistle on their employers, too, especially when those employers are breaking the law and/or endangering their workers and the public.

Michael Paul Lindsey II is a military veteran who has worked for Union Pacific as a trained locomotive conductor and engineer for the past 17 years, and he has maintained good standing as an employee throughout that time. Over the course of his career on the rails, however, Paul has seen and experienced firsthand how corporate greed has destroyed the railroad industry, damaged our supply chain, run workers into the ground, and put the public in danger. Even though he knew it could put his career at risk, Paul has been outspoken on these issues, using his popular TikTok channel, writing op-eds, and giving interviews in which he has exposed, with a veteran railroader’s insight, the destructive business and labor practices of Union Pacific and the other Class 1 rail carriers, and how those practices have contributed to catastrophes like the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Then the company came for him. In suspected retaliation for his whistleblowing, Paul has officially been fired from Union Pacific. In this urgent and exclusive interview, we talk with Paul about his career on the rails, the changes he’s seen take hold of the industry he loves, and the dubious circumstances that led to his firing. This episode originally aired on the Working People podcast feed on July 13, 2023.

Show links / additional info: https://workingpeople.libsyn.com/michael-paul-lindsey-ii

Click here to read the episode transcript: https://therealnews.com/he-tried-to-raise-the-alarm-about-railroad-safety-then-he-got-fired

Music / Post-Production: Jules Taylor

The Real News is an independent, viewer-supported, radical media network. Help us expand our in-depth analysis and coverage from Baltimore to Bangladesh by subscribing and becoming a member today!

Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-yt
Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/nl-yt

Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews

** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **

The Real News is a viewer-supported media network bringing you the stories from the frontlines of the fight for a better world.

By elboriyorker

HOSTING BY PHILLYFINESTSERVERSTAT | ANGELHOUSE © 2009 - 2024 | ALL YOUTUBE VIDEOS IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF GOOGLE INC. THE YOUTUBE CHANNELS AND BLOG FEEDS IS MANAGED BY THERE RIGHTFUL OWNERS. POST QUESTION OR INQUIRIES SEND ME AN EMAIL TO elboriyorkeratgmailcom (www.phillyfinest369.com)

37 thoughts on “Whistleblower railroad worker FIRED by Union Pacific for raising alarm about public safety”
  1. As an active whistle blower in the railway industry, I have managed to expose what goes on behind the scenes with exempt employees/union employees/unions and with the HR department the
    "GATE KEEPERS". It's all a racket and I get to tear it down as my case winds down to an end in federal court. I did this all on my own. I speak about it because I have nothing to lose or hide they got caught with their pants down and I'm "BLOWING THE WHISTLE"
    In solidarity,
    I would like to offer my story as segment on your channel. I am very confident you will not be disappointed, it's all factual and it involved a fatality not a railway worker.

  2. INDEED- OUR MEDICAL CARE IS NOW DIRECTLY INFLUENCED BY WALL STREET- CORPORATOCRACY, FASCISt government……
    WE CAN THANK REAGAN FOR THE INITIATION OF THIS FAILING SYSTEM WITH HIS DEREGULATION STRATEGY

  3. Corporations have no reservation because they have the government in their pockets. American government at the Federal and state level has been completelty corrupted by the corporations. We have the best government money could buy. Corporations have no fear as they have purchased all levels of government that could pose any control over their actions and operations. This is the ultimate objective of all capitalist economic operation. Profit without incumbrancese . Pure capitalist heaven, or Hell for the rest of us.

  4. I see that the problem simply Narks have been breeding in multitudes and empaths are pushed into the swamp well how shiny .

  5. Biden and Buttigieg need to be shown this podcast and then told we are watching and if they will not hold these robber barons responsible we will hold them responsible by voting them out of office

  6. The Rail road tracks are exclusively owned by Private railroads, as are the freight trains. What ever happens in regards to accidents due to neglect maintenance. Surely it's not the governments fault

  7. As a former manger of said rail road I mostly agree with the guest, however the host was terrible on this program,constant repetitiveness and verbal filler and cussing, which was extremely distasteful, and I was barely able to listen to it till the end. In the future, can you please let the guest speak more instead repeating yourself over and over again. I would offer my experience and opinion as well however how this program is presented and framed ,no thanks.

  8. The transportation industry is really corrupt. We got airlines lobbying, train companies being careless, and so on

  9. Welcome to the world of Warren Buffet. Owner of 80% of America's railroads, and everything that comes with them. Not like that is by any mean against the law and a monopoly. Not when you pay off the law that i$ to allow you to further steal more and more wealth as enough is never enough for this man. The pie is not big enough for everyone to have a piece, only him – he wants/gets the whole pie, at any cost. And ask how much he helps others, the ones that cannot help themselves, and the silence is deafening.

  10. Did TRNN cover the deaths of the 2 workers who died within 6months of each other, from falling into 2600F vats of molten ore❓Did Caterpillar really face only $145K fine❓

  11. They have to be compensated !! Their life is crap now because they warned All of us. UP or company should Pay them Not fired for Helping Us. Lump sum no more working there. Make them Hero not dead. No Helping them they Won't help us

  12. 300 views in a nation of 360 million people. ( Don't quote me, I'm not sure on that number.).UPS may go on strike. UPS may be the last laborer standing. The railroads have failed. I don't care how much money they got in their contract. The Truckers failed! The issue is safety for the American people and the railroad union has failed! Every person who sees this video has to talk about it and share it. I was disabled in a work accident that was preventable. But I'm not disposable. Rise up, my fellow workers! We can take the workplace back! Support UPS and demand our government institutions support labor, not management and Wall Street!

  13. I had an EXTREMELY similar thing happen to me. I am also a federal whistleblower and was fired for things I said that were skewed to racism. The union stewards (absolute POS) even encouraged this coworker to make it so because they didn't like my actions against the employer for the safety of myself, coworkers, and the general public sharing the roads with their semis. Wage slavery is the slavery under capitalism that all us workers live under

  14. Well I hope he knows that he can sue them take them to the labor board for false termination just because he was a whistleblower for the concerning of public safety. Yeah, we all know that the railroad company it could be BNSF Southern Pacific or Union Pacific their rich billions of dollars. But we all know half of them don't care about the public. Look at their railroads to this day. The spikes are coming up the trains when you go by. They make that loud clunky noise because of the wheels have flat spots because they don't care. So I hope he goes to the union board and get a lawyer because they fight him for no reason that's called false termination and he could get rehired or go somewhere else

  15. 8:10 it’s called the great reset. Please read it. They seem to always reset the population/timeline when they want to start something new er and keep the control with the same bloodline

  16. fantastic interview! i especially love that he touched on the impact of switching from a rail to car centric transportation system (which is not specific to North America xD)
    thanks 👍

  17. Ironic that a country with a habitual propensity to accuse other countries not in its favour, of using slave labour is itself a long standing practitioner of slave labour.

  18. I haven't even listened to the video yet, but I can tell you from experience of legal dealings that UP, BNSF and the others spend more money covering their misdoings towards their employees and the public.

  19. Usually enjoy this channel ! But Today , you Lost me with the hollyweird tripe ! Nothing they "create" and the Absence of diversity gets No love here.

Comments are closed.