Hello J My name is Kathy Yambra. I have been married to my husband, Herb
Yambra for 20 years. I found out while we were dating that I had several
members of my family tree that had worked for the railroad, Great Grandfathers
and Great Uncles on my father’s side. Herb has been with the railroad for 29+
years. He started out with Southern
Pacific, now Union Pacific, as a trainman.
He held the position of Local Chairman while a member of that “other”
union and after he became an engineer in 1984 he joined the BLE. He has and is currently serving as President
of Division #194 in Houston, Texas
and also as Legislative Representative
of his Division. He also served as 2nd
Vice of the Texas State Legislative Board and Alternate Treasurer of the Southwest
Convention. I got involved with the Union
before I joined the Auxiliary (GIA). I
was always listening to Herb’s complaints about how the railroad treated its
employees and the conditions they were working under. Subsequently, I started
helping him with letters.
I became a member of Lone Star Ladies Auxiliary in Houston
and was voted in as Legislative Rep. I
dove in head first and we started holding informational pickets due to the heat
situation here in Houston. We then held several informational pickets on
Remote Control Engines (RCO’s) in Houston. I was asked, and currently serve as the Texas
State Legislative Rep. for the Auxiliary.
When the Lone Star Ladies disbanded I became a Member at Large. I was asked
to help with RCO pickets in Ft Worth, San Antonio
and numerous other cities. In the midst
of all of this I was also working with my husband and two of our fallen
brothers, Rodney Stutes and G.Y. Bailey in getting Resolutions passed on RCO’s
for City of Houston, Harris County, Texas AFL-CIO, Harris County AFL-CIO and
also have worked with U.S. Congressional members, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Gene
Green and Nick Lampson. I have worked
with Texas Senator Gallegos and Texas Representative Noriega and many others on
RCO’s and other unsafe working conditions.
I continue to work closely with my husband on health & safety
issues and also assist other divisions across Texas
& Louisiana with issues. I was voted in as National Alternate
Secretary during the National Convention in Las Vegas.