Think that labor rights aren't completely eroded in the United States? Check out this story from SF Chronicle gossip hounds Matier and Ross for chilling evidence to the contrary.

A local AmTrak conductor was fired recently after getting injured while getting a drunk passenger off the train. On August 15, 2005 Rebecca Gettleman noticed a visibly intoxicated passenger and got him off the train and into the hands of authorities. In the process of stepping off the train, the passenger pitched forward, falling down the stairs. Gettleman grabbed him, and in the process injured herself, requiring a month of physical therapy.

When she returned to the job, she found out she was fired due to breaking AmTrak employee rules that state an employee must avoid injury. That this rule was applied for helping a passenger was deemed ludicrious and was thrown out. However, Gettleman was still fired for "negligence" because this was her fourth injury.

She had a scratched cornea from sand in her eye in 1998. She sprained her back in 2000 in a switching yard, and tripped and bumped her head in 2004 when she tripped in the rail yard. She was only found responsible for the 2004 incident, for which she missed one day's work.

While I share the general frustration with worker's compensation abuse, this seems completely out of line, and indicative of the erosion of workers' rights in the United States. Accidents happen on trains that go 70 mph and have all manner of people riding them. Gettleman seems unlucky, but negligent?

AmTrak isn't the only employer that acts this way. I suggest reading Barbara Ehrenreich, of Nickel and Dimed fame, for more information. When employers in America forbid bathroom breaks (technically legal until 1998!) and union organizing meetings, there's still a long way to go for the labor force.

I hope that the publicity Gettleman gets from the Matier and Ross story helps her and others who are victimized by over-zealous employers. Watch this space for updates.