DOL Sues Deere

The Department of Labor (DOL) has filed suit against John Deere, claiming it violated the whistleblower provisions of OSHA.

At the center of the suit is a pipefitter who was terminated in 2012 from Deere’s Moline, Ill., facility. The suit alleges the termination was in response to the pipefitter reporting unsafe work conditions.

The pipefitter filed three complaints between 2010 to 2012, which led to citations for safety violations.

“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,” said William Donovan, acting regional administrator for OSHA in Chicago in a news release. “Commitment to workplace safety should be commended—not disciplined. The department will do everything in its power to prevent this type of unlawful retaliation against workers who report unsafe working conditions.”

The department is seeking reinstatement of the worker as well as back wages and damages. S