Source: http://www.pennfedbmwe.org/index.cfm?zone=/unionactive/view_page.cfm&page=Whistleblower
Timestamp: 2019-06-25 04:54:58
Document Index: 137795609

Matched Legal Cases: ['§20109', '§20109', '§20190', '§20109', '§ 1521', '§ 419', '§20109']

Pennsylvania Federation - Whistleblower Protections
OSHA investigators and Labor Department administrative law judges repeatedly have upheld complaints against the railroads, more than half of which involve illegal retaliation against workers who report personal injuries. Read More... source article (3.8mb)
Sep 03, 2014 | OSHA online
Norfolk Southern must pay over $1.6 Million
OSHA awards damages and reinstatement to injured workers
February 27, 2013 - OSHA Secretary's finds in favor of Brother Don Glista and Brother Bill Orr in their whistleblower complaints against Norfolk Southern. In total, NS has been ordered to pay the two more than $685,000 combined including a total of $300,000 in punitive damages plus attorney fees. NS has also been ordered to conduct training of its managers in the Pittsburgh Division on the rights of employees to report injuries without fear of retaliation. Copies of the findings can be viewed here for Brother Galista and here for Brother Orr
February 27, 2013 - OSHA just issued another finding against Norfolk Southern and in favor of BMWED member Brother Gary Reichert and awarded him damages in excess of $437,000 plus attorney fees and with reinstatement. Read the OSHA findings here for Brother Reichert.
July 16, 2012 - View the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) News Release and related Memorandum of Agreement between OSHA and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announcing the agencies’ coordination and enforcement of the Whistleblower Provisions of the Rail Safety Improvement Act.
Also view the joint letter sent by OSHA/FRA to the Association of American Railroads (AAR), the American SHort Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) outlining the agencies’ joint commitment to protect rail workers from retaliation.
Norfolk Southern gets Caught in Lie
Ordered to reinstate and pay more than $300,000 to injuried worker
On numerous occasions, OSHA has found that Norfolk Southern violated the whistleblower protection provisions of Federal Railroad Safety Act (FRSA) when it brought disciplinary charges against employees who reported workplace injuries, charged those employees with falsifying or making misleading or conflicting statements about their injuries, found them guilty and terminated their employment.
OSHA recently held that in one particular case near Ypsilanti, Michigan, Norfolk Southern (the respondent) presented an "extraordinary and fraudulent theory" on which to discharge a long term BMWED employee for reporting an injury.
View OSHA's Order
Norfolk Southern told to pay $122,199 to ex-employee.
The Virginian Pilot, August 12, 2011
The federal government has ordered Norfolk Southern Corp. to pay more than $122,000 in damages to a former employee who was fired after reporting an on-the-job injury in 2009. The former employee was injured on May 13, 2009, in Jamestown, N.C., in the process of pulling a spike from a rail line. "Fearing loss of employment, the worker did not report the injury until a re-injury occurred in October when, at the suggestion of management, the employee saw a doctor," OSHA stated in a news release. "After returning to work, the employee was suspended and later terminated for allegedly falsifying the injury."
The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration said the railroad violated the employee's rights under the whistle-blower provisions of the Federal Railroad Safety Act. OSHA ordered Norfolk Southern to pay the former worker $122,199 in compensatory and punitive damages, as well as reasonable attorney's fees.
"Every American worker has the right to report an injury without fear of retaliation or intimidation," said Cindy A. Coe, OSHA's regional administrator in Atlanta, in a statement. A Norfolk Southern spokesman declined to comment, because the matter involved litigation. Read More of the article.
Then view the August 8, 2011 OSHA Order for the above whistleblower case, which provides the names, dates, and break-down of the complaint and order.
Filing a Whistleblower Protection Complaint
Were you brought up on charges (in a disciplinary proceeding) or threatened retaliation for requesting medical or first-aid treatment, or for following orders or a treatment plan of a treating physician?
Were you discharged or in any other manner retaliated against because you provided information to, caused information to be provided to, or assisted in an investigation by a federal regulatory or law enforcement agency, a member or committee of Congress, or your company about an alleged violation of federal laws and regulations related to railroad safety and security, or about gross fraud, waste or abuse of funds intended for railroad safety or security?
If you believe you have been retaliated against you should file a "Whistleblower Report" by completing this Whistleblower Protection Questionnaire and submitting to the:
fax 215-574-1910
or by notifying our union using our online form. The information you provide will be kept in strictest confidence during our investigation.
TIME LIMIT for FILING = 180 days
Download and view OHSA's Whistleblower Protection for Railroad Workers
THE TIME LIMIT BEGINS RUNNING THE DAY THE ADVERSE EMPLOYMENT ACT IS TAKEN
The Time Limit does not stop while you and your chairman process your grievance through the investigation - or on property appeals, or an appeal to a law board.
RR Whistleblower Protection
Do not wait until your on-property discipline appeal process is through, you are not required to exhaust your contract remedies before filing for §20109 protections. Delays in filing for §20109 protections will render your claim proceedurally barred for filing later than the 180 day time limit.
Put in as much detail as you can assemble, and all specifics, names, dates, times, places, equipment, etc.
Put in all contact information.
Identity protected activity specifically.
Identify the parts of §20190 you claim were violated that cover your particular protected activity.
Put in why you believe the adverse act against you was motivated by retaliatory motives, and their supposed, or claimed, reason for the adverse act is a "pretext."
You performed protected activity.
RR did an adverse employment act to you.
The adverse act was in retaliation for the protected activity.
You were not guilty of any offense which would justify the act they did to you.
49 U.S.C.§20109
A railroad carrier engaged in interstate or foreign commerce, a contractor or a subcontractor of such a railroad carrier, or an officer or employee of such a railroad carrier, may not discharge, demote, suspend, reprimand, or in any other way discriminate against an employee if such discrimination is due, in whole or in part, to the employee's lawful, good faith act done, or perceived by the employer to have been done or about to be done­
(1) to provide information, directly cause Information to be provided, or otherwise directly assist in any investigation regarding any conduct which the employee reasonably believes constitutes a violation of any Federal law, rule, or regulation relating to railroad safety or security, or gross fraud, waste, or abuse of Federal grants or other public funds intended to be used for railroad safety or security, if the information or assistance is provided to or an investigation stemming from the provided information is conducted by
(A) a Federal, State, or local regulatory or law enforcement agency (including an office of the Inspector General under the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.c. App.; Public Law 95-452);
(b) Hazardous safety or security conditions.
(1) A railroad carrier engaged in interstate or foreign commerce, or an officer or employee of such a railroad carrier, shall not discharge, demote, suspend, reprimand, or in any other way discriminate against an employee for­
(2) A refusal is protected under paragraph (1)(B) and (C) if­
(B) a reasonable individual In the circumstances then confronting the employee would conclude that­
(3) In this subsection, only paragraph (l)(A) shall apply to security personnel employed by a railroad carrier to protect individuals and property transported by railroad.
(c) Prompt Medical Attention.­
(1) Prohibition.- A railroad carrier or person covered under this section may not deny, delay, or interfere with the medical or first aid treatment of an employee who is injured during the course of employment. If transportation to a hospital Is requested by an employee who is injured during the course of employment, the railroad shall promptly arrange to have the injured employee transported to the nearest hospital where the employee can receive safe and appropriate medical care.
(2) Discipline.- A railroad carrier or person covered under this section may not diSCipline, or threaten diSCipline to, an employee for requesting medical or first aid treatment, or for following orders or a treatment plan of a treating physiCian, except that a railroad carrier's refusal to permit an employee to return to work following medical treatment shall not be conSidered a violation of this section if the refusal is pursuant to Federal Railroad Administration medical standards for fitness of duty or, if there are no pertinent Federal Railroad Administration standards, a carrier's medical standards for fitness for duty. For purposes of this paragraph, the term "discipline" means to bring charges against a person in a disciplinary proceeding, suspend, terminate, place on probation, or make note of reprimand on an employee's record.
(d) Enforcement Action.­
(1) In general.- An employee who alleges discharge, discipline, or other discrimination in violation of subsection (a) or (b) of this section, may seek relief in accordance with the provisions of this section, with any petition or other request for relief under this section to be initiated by filing a complaint with the Secretary of Labor.
(2) Procedure.­
(A) In general.- Any action under paragraph (1) shall be governed under the rules and procedures set forth in section 42121(b), including:
(i) Burdens of proof.- Any action brought under (c)(1) shall be governed by the legal burdens of proof set forth In section 42121(b).
(ii) Statute of limitations.- An action under paragraph (1) shall be commenced not later than 180 days after the date on which the alleged violation of subsection (a) or (b) of this section occurs.
(iii) Civil actions to enforce.- If a person fails to comply with an order issued by the Secretary of labor pursuant to the procedures in section 42121(b), the Secretary of Labor may bring a civil action to enforce the order in the district court of the United States for the judicial district in which the violation occurred, as set forth in 42121.
(B) Exception.- Notification made under section 42121(b)(1) shall be made to the person named in the complaint and the person's employer.
(3) De novo review.- With respect to a complaint under paragraph (1), if the Secretary of Labor has not issued a final decision within 210 days after the filing of the complaint and if the delay is not due to the bad faith of the employee, the employee may bring an original action at law or equity for de novo review in the appropriate district court of the United States, which shall have jurisdiction over such an action without regard to the amount in controversy, and which action shall, at the request of either party to such action, be tried by the court with a jury.
(4) Appeals.- Any person adversely affected or aggrieved by an order issued pursuant to the procedures in section 42121(b), may obtain review of the order in the United States court of appeals for the circuit in which the violation, with respect to which the order was issued, allegedly occurred or the circuit in which the complainant resided on the date of such violation. The petition for review must be filed not later than 60 days after the date of the issuance of the final order of the Secretary of Labor. The review shall conform to chapter 7 of title 5. The commencement of proceedings under this paragraph shall not, unless ordered by the court, operate as a stay of the order.
(e) Remedies.­
(I) In general.- An employee prevailing in any action under subsection (c) shall be entitled to all relief necessary to make the employee whole.
(2) Damages.- Relief In an action under subsection (c) (including an action described in subsection (c)(3)) shall Include
­(A) reinstatement with the same seniority status that the employee would have had, but for the discrimination;
(3) Possible Relief.- Rellef in any action under subsection (c) may include punitive damages in an amount not to exceed $250,000.
(f) Election of remedies.- An employee may not seek protection under both this section and another provision of law for the same allegedly unlawful act of the railroad carrier.
(g) No preemption..- Nothing in this section preempts or diminishes any other safeguards against discrimination, demotion, discharge, suspension, threats, harassment, reprimand, retaliation, or any other manner of discrimination provided by Federal or State law.
(h) Rights retained by employee.- Nothing In this section shall be deemed to diminish the rights, privileges, or remedies of any employee under any Federal or State law or under any collective bargaining agreement. The rights and remedIes in this section may not be waived by any agreement, policy, form, or condition of employment.
(i) Disclosure of identity.­
(j) Process for reporting security problems to the Department of Homeland Security.­
(1) Establishment of process.- The Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish through regulations, after an opportunity for notice and comment, a process by which any person may report to the Secretary of Homeland Security regarding railroad security problems, deficiencies, or vulnerabilities.
(2) Acknowledgment of receipt.- If a report submitted under paragraph (1) identifies the person making the report, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall respond promptly to such person and acknowledge receipt of the report.
(3) Steps to address problern.- The Secretary of Homeland Security shall review and consider the information provided in any report submitted under paragraph (1) and shall take appropriate steps to address any problems or deficiencies identified.
(Added Pub.L 103-272, § l{e), July 5, 1994, lOS Stat. 867, and amended Pub.L 110-53, litle XV, § 1521, Aug. 3, 2007, 121 Stat. 444; Pub.L 110-432, Div. A, litle IV, § 419, Oct. 16,2008, 122 Stat. 4892.)
Download §20109 Employee Protections
Page Last Updated: Oct 27, 2015 (14:43:14)