Union Pacific has objected to an OSHA whistleblower order requiring at least $304,869 in back pay, benefits and damages for a North Little Rock yardman fired after a lightning stand-down.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators determined that Union Pacific Railroad Co. broke the Federal Railroad Safety Act (FRSA) by pulling the yardman from service and later dismissing him. The worker, based in North Little Rock, Arkansas, had warned managers about lightning close by. He pointed to lightning safety guidance from OSHA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, called a safety stand-down and declined to go back to work before the storm had moved on.
OSHA’s announcement of the findings on October 1, 2026 states that the railroad took him out of service within minutes of the stand-down. He was later charged with insubordination and dismissed on May 30, 2024.
In its order of June 10, 2026, OSHA told Union Pacific to clear any reference to the incident from the employee’s records. It also required the railroad to cover back wages, lost benefits, and compensatory and punitive damages amounting to at least $304,869, with his attorney’s fees on top. The Labor Department does not name employees involved in whistleblower complaints.
Union Pacific has filed objections to the order and asked for a hearing before a Labor Department administrative law judge. OSHA’s procedural rules for railroad...
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