DOL to hold virtual meeting to solicit public input on OSHA whistleblower program

For Immediate Release – September 21, 2021 The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration will hold a virtual meeting Oct. 13, 2021, to solicit public comments and suggestions on key issues facing OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program. This is the eighth in a series of meetings on how the agency can improve the…

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OSHA proposes $236,783 in fines for USPS workplace safety violations in Lehigh Valley

DOL News Release – June 17, 2021 US POSTAL SERVICE FAILED TO PREVENT BLOCKED, OBSTRUCTED EXITS, OTHER SAFETY VIOLATIONS AT LEHIGH VALLEY FACILITY BETHLEHEM, PA – A federal workplace safety inspection of a U.S. Postal Service location in Hanover Township found employees exposed to potentially serious and fatal injuries in the event of an emergency….

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St. Louis NPMHU Treasurer Charged with Embezzlement

On October 7, 2020, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Yvette Luster, former Treasurer of Postal Mail Handlers Local 314 (located in St. Louis, Mo.), was charged with one count of embezzlement of labor union assets in the amount of $184,138, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The charge…

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Judge to determine if mail carriers were disciplined for reporting injuries

An administrative law judge must determine whether the testimony provided by two mail carriers who claim they were disciplined for reporting workplace injuries is credible. In Secretary of Labor v. U.S. Postal Service, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission on Tuesday reversed and remanded a decision to vacate a citation levied against the U.S….

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Former Kansas APWU President Sentenced To Probation, Ordered To Pay $4,740 Restitution

On July 16, 2020, in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, Asenath Roland, former President of the Kansas Postal Workers Union (located in Wichita, Kans.), was sentenced to one year probation and ordered to pay $4,740 restitution. On February 27, 2020, Roland pleaded guilty to one count of failure to maintain…

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DOL: Employers Can’t Retaliate Against Workers Reporting Unsafe Conditions During Coronavirus Pandemic

April 8, 2020 WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is reminding employers that it is illegal to retaliate against workers because they report unsafe and unhealthful working conditions during the coronavirus pandemic. Acts of retaliation can include terminations, demotions, denials of overtime or promotion, or reductions in…

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DOL Sues Postal Service Over Firing of Injured Whistleblower

“The U.S. Postal Service unlawfully threatened to terminate, and ultimately fired, a worker who reported an on-the-job injury, the Labor Department said in a federal lawsuit in California. The DOL alleges that the Postal Service violated the whistleblower provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, according to a complaint filed Wednesday in the U.S….

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Paid Sick Leave and Expanded Family Medical Leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act

March 24, 2020 WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) announced its first round of published guidance to provide information to employees and employers about how each will be able to take advantage of the protections and relief offered by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) when…

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