Passenger Trains > Man alleges Amtrak fired him for whistleblowing on drug testing

Man alleges Amtrak terminated him in retaliation for reporting
improperly administered drug tests

Pennsylvania Record
By Carrie Bradon  | Sep 9, 2019

PHILADELPHIA – A Langhorne man alleges he was terminated by Amtrak
for reporting an alleged failure to properly administer employee drug
and alcohol testing.
 
Donnell Mitchell filed a complaint on Aug. 23 in the U.S. District
Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against National
Railroad Passenger Corp., also known as Amtrak, Jennifer Haken-Lafty,
Maria Faulkner and Angela Schiavello citing the Federal Rail Safety
Act.
 
According to the complaint, the plaintiff was hired by Amtrak, on
Oct. 30, 2017, for the full-time position of Occupational Field
Testing Specialist and reported to Haken-Lafty. The plaintiff alleges
he shadowed employees and noticed that they were not following
Department of Transportation policies and/procedures. He alleges he
attempted to report the issues.
 
The suit states the plaintiff was terminated Jan. 5, 2018, in a
meeting with Haken-Lafty, Faulkner and Schiavello. The plaintiff
believes he was terminated in retaliation for questioning and
reporting deficiencies in Amtrak's drug testing procedures.
 
The plaintiff is seeking all reasonable sums due, attorney fees and
court costs. The plaintiff is represented by Joshua S. Ganz and
Christopher Manno of Duffy North in Hatboro.

https://pennrecord.com/stories/513476408-man-alleges-amtrak-terminated-him-in-retaliation-for-reporting-improperly-administered-drug-tests?fbclid=IwAR3q6Gp31m6uHM04br6jCtG6tcsEpblzeqXd_iebj7oltX5OPUcQjdhnuq0#.XXb7A7_WseQ.facebook

 

Occupational Field Testing Specialist?  He was hired as a "Weed Weasel"?  

The harassment of "whistle blowers", even those using the so-called "secret whistle blower's hotline", was routine at Amtrak when I worked there. It happened to me!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/19 04:31 by RRBaron.

So much for Anderson's fake regard for safety culture, i.e. PTC

It didn't take long to ditch him.  Hired Oct 30, gone Jan 5.  Happy Holidays.

Is there a probitionary period at Amtrak? In many places you can be fired for any reason including no reason at all if you're a probitionary employee.

I wonder if the position came as a result of the accident at Chester PA? The foreman was on his way home when he handed back his track and time.

Leaving his guys in the path of a train...

Posted from Android

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Occupational Field Testing Specialist?  He was
> hired as a "Weed Weasel"?  

Sure sounds like it. probably a real dirt bag even by the fairly low bar set for a rat job like that. Organ rejected in just a few months.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/19 09:47 by GettingShort.

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Occupational Field Testing Specialist?  He was
> hired as a "Weed Weasel"?  

Sounds to me like he was hired to monitor Drug and Alcohol testing.
Perhaps to monitor the quality of the D&A testing contractors.
Contractors might have been better connected to management power than the monitor.