.
The
Department
of
Labor
said
the
administrative
change
was
an
effort
“to
strengthen
employees’
voices
in
the
workplace.”
“The ability of workers to speak out and exercise their rights without fear of retaliation provides the backbone for some of American workers’ most essential legal protections,” said OSHA’s Assistant Secretary of Labor Dr. David Michaels.
OSHA also announced that it has launched pilot projects in 10 field regions that could further strengthen the whistleblower program.
OSHA enforces the whistleblower provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, and 20 other statutes — including the Federal Rail Safety Act of 2007 — protecting employees who report alleged violations of various workplace safety regulations.
Over the past several years, OSHA has cited numerous railroads for violations of whistleblower protection, imposing hefty fines and reparations in favor of injured workers who suffered harassment or intimidation for reporting workplace injuries.
An
employee
may
file
a
whistleblower
complaint
directly
with
OSHA,
or designated
legal
counsel
(Hunegs,
LeNeave
&
Kvas),
general
chairperson
or
state
legislative
director
for
assistance.
A listing of UTU designated legal counsel is available at http://utu.org/designated-legal-counsel/ or may be obtained from local or general committee officers or state legislative directors.
To view a more detailed OSHA fact sheet, click on the following link: www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA-factsheet-whistleblower-railroad.pdf
