July 09--The U.S. Department of Labor claims Deere violated a federal whistleblower provision by firing a pipe fitter who had reported unsafe working conditions at a company's cylinder facility in Moline.
The department filed suit Tuesday against the farm machinery maker in U.S. District Court for the central district of Illinois alleging the pipe fitter was fired in June 2012 in retaliation for filing three complaints with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The complaints, filed between 2010 and 2012, led to citations against Deere for safety violations at the Moline facility.
The Labor Department redacted the pipe fitter's name, saying it doesn't divulge the names of people involved in whistleblower complaints.
"It is clear from OSHA's investigation that John Deere dismissed this employee for reporting conditions that exposed everyone at the facility to serious injuries," William Donovan, acting regional administrator for OSHA in Chicago, said in a statement. "Commitment to workplace safety should be commended -- not disciplined."
The department is seeking reinstatement of the worker and back wages and damages.
Deere declined to comment.
acancino@tribpub.com
