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US Department of Labor orders Pennsylvania tourist railroad operator to reinstate, compensate worker fired for raising safety concerns [ http://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/osha/osha20250117 ] 01/17/2025 07:00 AM EST
RONKS, PA  - The U.S. Department of Labor has ordered a tourist railroad operator in Ronks, Pennsylvania, and a former company official to reinstate an employee and pay them back wages and damages after they were fired for refusing to issue locomotive and conductor licenses to an untrained and unqualified management official.The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated a whistleblower complaint by the terminated employee of Strasburg Rail Road Co., who alleged they were fired after refusing to issue the licenses due to safety and legal reasons. OSHA confirmed the management official lacked the required licensing credentials and determined the company retaliated by firing the worker, a violation of the Federal Railroad Safety Act.“The OSHA investigation found Strasburg Rail Road Co. wrongfully terminated the employee for exercising their protected right to raise safety concerns,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Michael Rivera in Philadelphia. “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.”OSHA has ordered the company and a former company official to pay the employee $161,114 in back wages and interest, $10,000 in compensatory damages and $50,000 in punitive damages. OSHA’s order also requires them to expunge the employee’s records of any references to exercising rights under the FRSA.Chartered in 1832, Strasburg Rail Road Co. claims to be the oldest continuously operating railroad in the U.S. The company owns and operates five working steam locomotives and 20 operating passenger cars for scenic tours of Lancaster County’s Amish Country and special events.OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program enforces the whistleblower provisions of more than 20 whistleblower statutes protecting employees from retaliation for reporting violations of various workplace safety and health, airline, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, environmental, financial reform, food safety, health insurance reform, motor vehicle safety, nuclear, pipeline, public transportation agency, railroad, maritime, securities, tax, criminal antitrust, and anti-money laundering laws. For more information on whistleblower protections, visit OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Programs webpage.Editor's note: The U.S. Department of Labor does not release the names of employees involved in whistleblower complaints.  body { font-size: 1em; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; color: #333333; }
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