Legal Update – October 14, 2020
This week the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Labor, ordered CSX Transportation Inc. to pay in excess of $95,000.00 in back wages and reinstate an employee fired by the company for reporting an on-duty injury and an unsafe gate. OSHA also ordered the railroad to pay $75,000.00 in punitive damages, $27,000.00 in compensatory damages, plus attorney’s fees. This result underscores the significant rights established for railroad workers by Congress under the provisions of the Federal Railroad Safety Act [“FRSA”], 49 U.S.C. 20109. Namely, it is illegal for any railroad to punish an employee for reporting an injury or reporting a hazardous work condition. For the full article go to: http://www.valdostatoday.com/.
– Joe Miller