PARK CITY, UT– A federal whistleblower investigation has found a Shreveport, Louisiana-based provider of helicopter ambulance services retaliated against a pilot in Utah who refused to fly twice in 2021 amid concerns about limited visibility.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration examined the pilot’s complaint against Metro Aviation LLC after the employer forced them to resign, retire or be involuntarily separated from the company two weeks after the Aug. 10, 2021, refusals.
OSHA found that Metro Aviation’s actions violated the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century. The department’s Administrative Review Board held that this federal law protects employees who refuse to perform work assignments when they reasonably believe these assignments would cause them to violate aviation safety regulations.
The department ordered the company to reinstate the pilot and pay them more than $171,000 in back wages and $17,000 in other damages.
“Employees must freely exercise their legal rights regarding workplace safety with no fear of retaliation by their employer,” explained OSHA Regional Administrator Jennifer S. Rous in Denver. “The outcome of this investigation and the action on the pilot’s behalf underscores the department’s commitment to protecting workers’ rights.”
The company and the former employee may file objections or request a hearing with the department’s Office of Administrative Law Judges within 30...
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