Regulators Back Nebraska Driver Who Wouldn’t Drive Unsafe Truck

Federal regulators want to punish a southeast Nebraska company that the regulators say wrongfully fired a driver who refused to operate a truck that violated Iowa law.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration said in a news release that Jake Rieger Farms LLC violated federal whistleblower law.

OSHA says Rieger should not have retaliated against an employee who wouldn’t drive a truck that Iowa law enforcement had deemed unsafe.

A Falls City phone listed for Rieger rang unanswered.

OSHA proposes that Rieger Farms pay the driver $25,000 in punitive damages and $30,000 in compensatory damages, which includes back wages.

The incident occurred in January 2015.