Bad Order: A Whistleblower's True Story of Robber Baron Justice in America's 21st Century

by Mike Elliott

This is the incredible true story of railroad worker and union official Mike Elliott, targeted by his railroad employer, BNSF Railway Company, for his safety-related activities. As the union's state legislative board chair, Elliott was the top safety official in the state, and the voice for over 900 rank & file locomotive engineers operating trains around the clock, every day of the year.
When his members reported a plethora of trackside signal malfunctions on the BNSF Seattle subdivision, Elliott went to the railroad first, asking that they fix the problems. When the BNSF failed to act, he contacted the government's regulatory authority, the Federal Railroad Administration. That led to an FRA inspection of over 130 miles of the railroad's track and signal systems turning up hundreds of federal defects – all with potential to put workers and the public at risk.
What followed was a retaliation plot reminiscent of the Nineteenth Century Robber A management-staged conflict at work, police called in, arrest, jail, criminal charges, and termination from his job – not once but twice.
The wrath, influence and power of North America's largest freight railroad is unleased in full force and in an all-out attack on a whistleblower's life, liberties, and career. An amazing journey of one man's righteous battle against impossible odds and the nearly unlimited resources of a multi-billion-dollar corporation.

316 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 30, 2025

Reviews

[Timothy Sloper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bad Order is a must-read for anyone working in the railroad industry, especially those considering or currently serving as elected Union representatives. Mike Elliott’s story, though more dramatic than most, captures with compelling accuracy the harsh and often hidden realities that railroad workers face across North America. Having spent 26 years in the industry myself as both a railroad worker and union representative, I saw my own experiences echoed in nearly every chapter of this book.

Elliott masterfully pulls back the curtain on the railroad disciplinary process, exposing how hearings are constantly stacked against workers, how arbitration boards are compromised, and how so-called Labor Relations departments operate with one clear mission: to terminate employees and deny legitimate payroll claims. This isn't exaggeration, its confirmation of what many of us have long known but rarely see so thoroughly documented.

What sets Bad Order apart is not just its firsthand account of corruption and retaliation, but its educational value. Elliott provides a clear, accessible guide to understanding whistleblower protections, the mechanics of filing a successful complaint, and key legal concepts like union-protected activity and temporal proximity. For anyone who’s ever had to defend a member or themselves against dishonest managers chasing promotions at the expense of safety and fairness, this book is both enlightening and validating.

Elliott’s account of BNSF’s prioritization of profits over safety is particularly damning, yet wholly believable to those of us who’ve lived it. The disdain for workers and the systemic neglect of safety protocols isn’t limited to one company; it's a widespread issue across Class I railroads.

And yet, amidst all the adversity and injustice, Bad Order ends on a hopeful note, which is a rare and welcome conclusion in stories like this. For that alone, the book is worth reading. But more than that, it’s a wake-up call, a rallying cry, and a guidebook for anyone who wants to stand up, speak out, and survive the fight.