TRADE NEWS RELEASE
Friday, May 31, 2002
Contact: Bill Wright
Phone: (202) 693-1999

WASHINGTON -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced today it will extend until June 30, 2002, the period for comments on the interim final rule that establishes whistleblower complaint procedures for airline employees.

The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) requested a 30-day extension of the deadline for submitting comments, citing the need for additional time to "evaluate the complex history of federal whistleblower laws..." The original deadline for comments was May 31, 2002.

"Providing an environment for employee complaints, free of retaliation, is critical for workplace safety and health," said OSHA Administrator John Henshaw. "By extending this comment period, organizations and individuals will have the appropriate amount of time to submit comments on an important issue."

The interim final rule was published by OSHA on April 1, 2002, and governs the employee protection provisions of Section 519 of the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR21). OSHA's interim final rule will protect airline employees against retaliation by air carriers, their contractors, or subsidiaries for providing information to authorities on air carrier safety violations. The rule explains requirements for filing complaints and provides investigation and due process procedures.

Persons wishing to comment should submit written comments, postmarked not later than June 30, 2002 to: Docket C-07, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3618, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20210. Comments of 10 pages or fewer may be faxed to (202) 693-1861.

The notice extending the comment period is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register during the week of June 3, 2002.