I think there are more productive ways to think about this. Organizing isn't like a movie where someone stands up on the stitching table, gives a speech, and everyone walks out. It takes years of one-on-one conversations, it takes the development of contract negotiators, shop stewards, strike captains, etc. It takes creating habits of taking action, and traditions of mobilizing each other. It takes door knocking and phone banking and fundraising and building connections to community organizations.

This is groundwork that I guarantee was not present in the rail unions yet. This is not a product of worker cowardice, but of insufficient organizing. Fortunately, some of that groundwork is being laid. Railroad Workers United, the cross union, rank and file, socialist org gained a huge amount of publicity and is likely to grow. Progressives are Running for Leadership in the IAM. RWU is planning on organizing toward rolling strikes in order to get around the RLA's strike prevention.

If you want American Workers to stand up for themselves, then go work for the railroads, join SMART-TD, join RWU and start organizing towards rolling strikes, or sabotage, or wildcat, or whatever makes sense. This shit doesn't just happen.