The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #19719 Message #3294207
Posted By: Mark Ross
21-Jan-12 - 11:22 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Casey Jones
Subject: RE: Origins: Casey Jones
The Joe Hill version was written for a strike on the Salt Lake San Pedro RR in 1911. Everyone walked off the job, trainmen, fireman, conductors, brakemen, gandy dancers, wipers, carmen, everyone except the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers who considered themselves the aristocrats of labor. Joe wasn't being mean, he was describing a situation which we call union scabbing.