End of Probation

...I was part of a work gang with Carter, a foreman who looked after the work needs of his group. I learned what kind of work trackmen or track persons had to do. The work included repairing railroad tracks and broken rails, loading and unloading rails and ties, spiking, loading and unloading spikes, pulling spikes with a spike puller, loading and setting plates, using claw bar and hydraulic tools, oiling and adjusting switches, pulling line connectors for machines or tools, loading spike cans (barrels) for gangs, and knocking anchors on or off.

The track persons worked eight hours a day doing this type of labor as rail gangs and switch gangs. Track persons assigned to the Tennessee yards worked on The Company’s rail lines going through Memphis and at times on locations such as Marion and Wilson, Arkansas, Hamilton, Birmingham, Demopolis and Guin in Alabama and Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

My probationary period ended in October 1997. Officially I was a “railroader” and I joined the union, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way. I continued to do my job as track person each day. The work atmosphere was still tense. Workers looked at me and questioned whether I could handle the job or workload. Some began to speculate on when I was going to quit. Some workers set a fast pace and complained that I was not able to keep up with the assignment. I was new, learning to do my job on the job — on assignments with experienced workers. They knew shortcuts and had techniques that I would have to learn to become more skilled. There were some workers who more or less guided me and helped me. They slowed the work pace just a little so that I could do the job correctly. I learned how to develop techniques that would help me, a left-handed person who was working with right-handed people. I knew that I would persevere on this job, no matter what happened...