Yet another federal district court judge has rejected rail management’s election of remedies defense to Federal Rail Safety Act whistleblower retaliation complaints. You can add Ratledge v. Norfolk Southern Railway Company to the growing list of federal court decisions dope slapping the railroads who raise such a hapless argument: see Solis, Reed, and
FRSA election of remedies
DOL Agrees RLA Does Not Preclude FRSA
By Charlie Goetsch on
Posted in Federal Rail Safety Act
The bogus "election of remedies" defense to Federal Rail Safety Act claims raised by railroads just took a major hit. Yesterday the Department of Labor filed an appellate Brief confirming that a railroad worker who pursues a grievance or arbitration under the Railway Labor Act is not thereby precluded from simultaneously pursuing a FRSA whistleblower protection claim. Noting that "retaliation and…
Judge Rules FRSA Complaints Not Precluded By RLA Proceedings
By Charlie Goetsch on
Posted in Federal Rail Safety Act
The railroads obviously have gotten together and agreed to push the bogus argument that any involvement by an employee in the Railway Labor Act CBA grievance-discipline process automatically constitutes an "election of remedies" under Federal Rail Safety Act subsection (f) that precludes any FRSA complaint. It is a bogus argument because it completely ignores the effect…