Agency: Tennessee zinc miner fired for voicing safety worry

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By JONATHAN MATTISE

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Federal regulators have brought a complaint against a zinc mining company, claiming that an employee in Tennessee was illegally fired for making safety complaints about the mine.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh filed the complaint earlier this month with the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission against Nyrstar Gordonsville LLC on behalf of worker Richard Waller. An administrative law judge in April approved the labor secretary’s request for temporary reinstatement of Waller’s pay and benefits while the case over the Cumberland mine in Smith County proceeds.

The complaint claims Waller was fired for documenting unsafe conditions in the mine’s shaft inspection book; complaining to supervising staff about those conditions; engaging in protected refusal to perform welding without a required fire extinguisher; and speaking with a Mine Safety and Health Administration inspector who was on site at the mine.

In an agreement signed by the company and attorneys for Department of Labor and Waller, instead of physically returning to work, the mine worker is temporarily receiving his pay and benefits and can seek work elsewhere while his case proceeds.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-tennessee-business-138c201cf5e6fbc2e0ce3df2b2bb1a04

[paleotn]

1. Dutch company.....

do things in the US they might never attempt in the EU. Reminds me of Ikea.

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

2. Gives "Dutch Treat" a whole new meaning.

And I've read a couple articles about Ikea's treatment of workers in the U.S. versus their Swedish workers.

Makes me glad I've never shopped there or bought any of their products.

[OldBaldy1701E]

3. The only problem is

If one were to not shop at companies that exploits workers, one would do almost no shopping... online included. (Please note that I said 'almost'.)

[Jilly_in_VA]

4. I'm not familiar

with that particular mine, Smith County not being close to where I used to live, but I'm familiar enough with the ones in Jefferson County which is next door to my former home. A late friend was a geologist for one of the companies, and a former patient was a miner. Just before I visited my daughter a couple of weeks ago there had been two fatal accidents in two different mines.