A Texas railroad engineer was awarded more than $300,000 in back wages, damages and attorney’s fees after a federal investigation found Union Pacific unlawfully fired him.
In an Aug. 6 finding, the Dallas division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that the railroad violated a federal whistleblower law when it fired the Houston-area engineer in March 2024 after he reported a workplace injury.
The agency called Union Pacific a “serial violator” of the Federal Railroad Safety Act, citing 20 past violations. In 13, OSHA found the railroad had retaliated against employees for reporting work-related injuries.
OSHA ordered Union Pacific to pay the engineer more than $195,000 in back wages and interest, $150,000 in punitive damages, $10,000 in pain and suffering, and attorney fees. He was reinstated in June after a separate arbitration process, OSHA records show.
The railroad disagrees with the findings and plans to appeal. Either party has 30 days to appeal the OSHA decision to an administrative law judge.
“Union Pacific recognizes the right of all our employees to claim injury and seek medical attention without fear of retaliation,” the company said in a statement.
Union Pacific, the largest freight railroad in the U.S., has a significant presence in the Lone Star State. The company had more than 6,400 miles of track and 5,700 employees as of 2023.
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