Coalition claims Nippon wrongly fired worker

Rochelle firm denies any wrongdoing

Posted 5/11/17

Workers group says OSHA looking into possible violation.

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Coalition claims Nippon wrongly fired worker

Rochelle firm denies any wrongdoing

Posted

ROCHELLE —According to a national labor organization, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is looking into a possible violation at Rochelle’s Nippon Sharyo railroad car manufacturing plant.
In a press release on Wednesday, the Jobs to Move America coalition stated that OSHA found reasonable cause to believe that Nippon Sharyo violated the whistleblower protections of the National Transit Systems Security Act.
According to Jobs to Move America, the company allegedly terminated an employee in its Rochelle facility in response to her voicing safety concerns about fall hazards and for being suspected of filing safety and health complaints with OSHA. 
This finding also reportedly confirmed that manufacturers of transit vehicles fall under the jurisdiction of NTSSA.

The NTSSA was enacted in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks to ensure employees can blow the whistle on safety issues and protect our nation’s transportation systems without retaliation.
The Act specifically provides robust whistleblower protection to employees of the railroad, commercial motor carrier, and public transportation industries.
“When there are safety and security issues, employers should thank workers for bringing them to their attention and work collaboratively to create safe workplaces and transportation systems for everyone,” said Madeline Janis, Executive Director of Jobs to Move America. “We commend OSHA for its findings and hope that Nippon Sharyo will take steps to ensure future production is up to safety standards and that employees are commended for their commitment to a safe working environment.”

Nippon response

Claiming OSHA found no evidence of law violations, Nippon plans to mount a defense in any future hearings and the company released the following statement about the charge on Thursday, c
“OSHA has found no violation of law in any review of Nippon Sharyo. The agency recently issued a finding relating to a complaint by a former employee alleging retaliation that we have strongly objected to, and look forward to defending in a formal proceeding. The company is committed to a workplace where safety is the highest priority. Its long-established safety programs and policies are dedicated to prevent worker injuries.”
These programs include Monthly Safety Management Meetings and a Safety Committee on which the employee in question was a member and which conducts weekly walk-throughs to audit, discuss and resolve any safety issues that may arise.”
Nippon Sharyo, which opened its Rochelle plant in 2012 and expanded in 2014, has struggled for the past couple of years in meeting safety design requirements for its government railroad car contracts. The issues have forced layoffs of several hundred workers since 2015, including 110 employees announced earlier this week.