The company waited two years to fight the forum - then asked the court to hurry
A marine logistics company failed to stop a federal whistleblower case against it, after a judge ruled it had waited too long to complain.
Centerline Logistics Corporation and its subsidiary Harley Marine NY asked a federal court to freeze an ongoing US Department of Labor proceeding tied to the firing of a tugboat captain. On August 18, 2026, the judge said no.
The captain of the Ernest Campbell, a tugboat in Harley Marine's fleet, was fired on March 28, 2022. The company said he was let go for "unauthorized welding on the vessel's deck while fuel and vapors were present" - at a moment when the tug was tied to a loaded 60,000-barrel oil barge and sitting directly above its own fuel tanks.
The worker told a different story. In September 2022, he filed a complaint with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) under the Seaman's Protection Act, saying he had been fired for reporting safety violations to the US Coast Guard. In May 2024, the Labor Department found "reasonable cause to believe" the company had "retaliated against" him, and ordered it to reinstate him with back pay, damages, and attorney fees. The company objected and asked for a hearing, which sent the case to a department administrative law judge.
Then the employer switched strategy. Instead of fighting the retaliation claim on the facts, it sued to shut the proceeding down. It argued the whole structure was...
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