Senators Ask Court to Uphold Current Whistleblower Protections

U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa along with Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., filed an amicus brief this week with the Department of Labor (DOL) urging the agency to not weaken existing whistleblower protections in cases of retaliation against private-sector employees.

The brief was filed with the DOL’s Administrative Review Board as it reconsiders the case of Palmer v. Canadian National Railway/Illinois Central Railroad Company.

“Congress has taken the side of whistleblowers for decades by writing laws to better protect private-sector workers who shine a light on wrongdoing that betrays the public trust,” Wyden said. “Sen. Grassley and Rep. Speier and I are urging the Department of Labor to avoid eroding those protections and instead to continue giving whistleblowers a real chance at defending themselves when they are retaliated against.”

• You can read Senator Wyden’s full press release here.
• Whistleblower protection resources are linked here.