Railroad worker’s position eliminated after he makes a safety complaint
Metra ordered to pay damages to 22-year employee
OSHA has determined that the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corp., known as Metra, violated the Federal Railroad Safety Act when a signalman's work hours were changed and his position was eliminated after he made a safety complaint. The company is ordered to pay more than $38,080 in overtime, along with interest, compensatory damages and attorney's fees.
"An employer does not have the right to retaliate against employees who report safety issues," said Nick Walters, OSHA's regional administrator in Chicago. "When employees can't report safety concerns on the job without fear of retaliation, worker safety and, in this case, passenger safety on Metra, becomes a serious concern."