What happens to a private-sector worker who blows the whistle on unethical, discriminatory, unsafe and even sometimes downright illegal actions in the workplace? Federal law is supposed to protect the worker from retaliation. But is that law protecting workers from demotions, dismissals, transfers, pay cuts and other management backlashes?
David Michaels, head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the agency in charge of enforcing the Whistleblower Protection Program, will address those issues Tuesday May 11, in forum sponsored by the Professionals for the Public Interest: Associations and Unions Defending Professional Integrity (PftPI), a group organized by the AFL-CIO Department of Professional Employees (DPE). continue reading