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RONKS, Pa. — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has ordered the Strasburg Rail Road to reinstate an employee fired for refusing to issue locomotive and conductor licenses to an untrained, unqualified management official.
The Department says OSHA investigated a whistleblower complaint by the employee, who claimed the firing came after refusing to issue the licenses for legal and safety reasons. As a result, OSHA ordered the railroad and one of its former officials to pay the employee $161,114 in back wages and interest, $10,000 in compensatory damages, and $50,000 in punitive damages. The company must also expunge the incident from the employee’s record.
The name of the employee was not released under Department of Labor rules regarding whistleblower complaints.
“The OSHA investigation found Strasburg Rail Road Co. wrongfully terminated the employee for exercising their protected right to raise safety concerns,” OSHA Regional Administrator Michael Rivera in Philadelphia said in a press release. “This case underscores the critical importance of protecting workers who prioritize safety and comply with federal regulations. Retaliation against employees who stand up for safety will not be tolerated.”
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