Whistle-blower to be paid $30,000 by American Power

[Omaha Steve]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008257168_whistleblower12m0.html

Originally published Sunday, October 12, 2008

Melodee Nixon accused an Auburn company that did repair work for Alaska Airlines of laying her off after she raised air-safety concerns. Now she is getting nearly $30,000 in back wages and medical benefits after filing a federal whistle-blower complaint.

By Steve Miletich

Seattle Times staff reporter

An Auburn company that did repair work for Alaska Airlines has agreed to pay nearly $30,000 to a former employee who was laid off after she accused the company of ignoring federal air-safety standards.

The settlement, reached about a week ago, follows a federal finding that American Power retaliated against Melodee Nixon, 57, of Bonney Lake, for raising safety concerns. Her case was investigated by the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) under a law designed to protect whistle-blowers in the aviation industry.

Nixon alleged that American Power laid her off a year ago after she warned superiors the company was providing false data to Alaska relating to the recalibration of oxygen and nitrogen regulators. The regulators are used, among other things, in emergency flight masks and tires.

American, a tool supply and repair company, made no admissions of wrongdoing in the settlement. The company's owner, Jan Brown, said no safety violations occurred and Nixon was not laid off for raising questions.

American has agreed to post information about whistle-blower rights in its workplace, as well as provide training on the subject to its employees.

In Nixon's complaint to OSHA, she contended American repeatedly "copied and pasted" old data onto computer-generated paperwork it gave to Alaska instead of using actual findings needed to certify the work.

FULL story at link.