The Case of Michael Paul Lindsey: Railroad Whistleblowers Keep Losing Their Jobs

“Michael Paul Lindsey II, a locomotive conductor and engineer of 17 years, tried to sound the alarm on railroad safety. Not long after, he was fired.

Practically every North American railroader now knows about the tragic train wreck in the town of Lac-Megantic, Quebec in July, 2013. With its tremendous loss of life and destruction, the disaster made headlines around the world.

Osha Protection for Whistleblowers at the railroads. “Individuals working for railroad carriers and their contractors and subcontractors are protected from retaliation for reporting potential safety or security violations to their employers or to the government.”

Railroad workers, like other employees, are supposed to be protected by a whistleblower law that stops employers from getting back at them for reporting safety issues, getting hurt at work, or bringing up safety concerns.

To learn about your rights, check out the Summary of Rail Whistleblower Rights under the Federal Rail Safety Act (FRSA) and the OSHA Fact Sheet: Whistleblower Protection for Railroad Workers. While the law should guarantee certain rights for railroad workers, it's not enforced well. Plus, the rail companies have found ways to use the law to their benefit. Check out the information below to find out more about the law and how people are trying to make it better for railroad workers.

This article was written by Steve Desavouret, a founding member of Railroad Workers United. He was injured on the job in 2008, and eventually retired after a long and difficult battle with a Class 1 rail carrier. Steve worked as a car inspector in the Chicago area for 20 years, with BNSF, Metra and CN-IC.

Steve invites railroad workers who have been injured at work to join together with others who are actively engaged in whistleblower cases. Contact him in Chicago at s_desavouret@yahoo.com ; or contact fellow whistleblower and RWU member Jen Wallis in the Seattle area at wallisjeanette@gmail.com.