OSHA Fines Nebraska Firm For Illegal Firing
2011-12-21 |
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently cited a transit company in Nebraska after it fired an employee who drew attention to safety concerns.
The federal government fined Omaha-based Union Pacific Railroad company $300,000 in backpay and forced it to reinstate the worker, who was terminated less than a month after reporting an injury. The company allegedly violated the Federal Railroad Safety Act's whistleblower protection provisions, according to OSHA inspectors.
"This case sends a clear message that OSHA will not tolerate retaliation against workers for reporting a work-related injury. An unreported injury is an uninvestigated injury. Nothing is learned that can help prevent the next injury," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. "The safety of all workers is endangered when employers intimidate injured workers so that they do not report injuries."
OSHA has gotten involved in other wrongful termination cases as of late. In November, the agency filed a suit against Florida-based RockTenn, after it allegedly violated the whistleblower provisions of Section 11(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
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