A conductor is accusing Union Pacific of retaliatory discharge.
Stephen Parr filed his federal lawsuit against Union Pacific Railroad Company.
According to the complaint, Parr was dismissed from his position as a conductor after reporting safety concerns to the company's Values Line between December 20, 2022, and February 11, 2023. He claims he reported issues such as inadequate support from local management, management's failure to address safety issues, retaliation for communicating with company investigators, and non-compliance with Federal Railroad Administration standards by managers Nathan Zimmerman and Paul DiLoreto.
Despite following the company's instructions on reporting these concerns through appropriate internal communication channels, Parr says Union Pacific used these reports as evidence to fire him April 14, 2023. The conductor asserts that his dismissal was due to his safety reports rather than any alleged misconduct occurring on February 27, 2023.
Parr seeks reinstatement with the same seniority status he would have had without discrimination, back pay with interest, compensatory damages including litigation costs and attorney fees. He also seeks punitive damages.