Federal Agency Decisions
Federal workers' compensation appeals from the Department of Labor's Employees' Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB), federal-sector labor-relations cases from the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), mine-safety cases from the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (FMSHRC), workplace-safety cases from the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), Longshore Act and Black Lung Benefits Act appeals from the Department of Labor's Benefits Review Board (BRB), precedent decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), environmental permit and penalty appeals from the EPA's Environmental Appeals Board (EAB), and whistleblower and other labor appeals from the Department of Labor's Administrative Review Board (ARB), each with a plain-English summary, the law it cites, and whether it counts as precedent. More agencies are coming.
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M.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Raspeburg Post Office, Baltimore, MD
M.M. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1580): Sacroiliac condition claim denied
A postal carrier attributed right sacroiliac joint symptoms to her delivery work. Her physician diagnosed a joint condition but did not explain how specific work factors caused or aggravated it. The Board also found that a nurse practitioner’s reports could not provide a medical opinion under FECA…
L.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Mogadore, OH
L.H. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1415): Late reconsideration request denied
A postal city carrier asked OWCP to reconsider an earlier decision concerning her compensation claim. The Board found that the request was untimely and did not demonstrate clear evidence of error in the earlier merit decision. It affirmed OWCP’s denial without reopening the claim merits.
L.I. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Middleton, NY
L.I. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-0619): Injury and wage loss decisions returned for review
A postal rural carrier sought recognition of additional conditions and wage loss after a work vehicle crash. OWCP denied both requests. The Board found that OWCP had not addressed medical reports and therapy records already in its file or considered wage loss for medical appointments. It set aside…
P.B., widow of A.B., and Department of the Air Force, McClellan Air Force Base, Sacramento, CA
P.B. (ECAB 19-0605): Overpayment finding reversed
The widow of a former Air Force employee appealed a compensation overpayment finding tied to concurrent Social Security retirement benefits. The Board found that OWCP waited more than 30 days after identifying the possible overpayment before issuing its preliminary notice, contrary to its…
S.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Los Angeles, CA
S.B. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-0337): Overpayment notice was not delivered
OWCP issued a final $5,269.14 overpayment decision after mailing a preliminary notice to a postal employee. The Postal Service returned that notice as undeliverable, and OWCP received it before issuing the final decision. The Board found that she had not received the chance to contest the proposed…
M.O. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Knoxville Community Based Outpatient Clinic, Knoxville, TN
M.O. and Department of Veterans Affairs (ECAB 19-0278): Concussion claim remanded for medical opinion
A VA practical nurse sought to add concussion and postconcussion syndrome to an accepted injury claim after a workplace fall. A physician’s records review linked those conditions to the blow to her head. The Board majority found the opinion insufficient to prove the claim but sufficient to require…
B.H. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Community Based Outpatient Clinic, Bourbonnais, IL
B.H. and Department of Veterans Affairs (ECAB 18-0943): Right knee condition claim denied
A VA nurse attributed right knee conditions to repetitive movement while caring for patients. OWCP accepted the work incident but denied the condition claim. The Board found that her physician repeated the work history without adequately explaining how it caused the diagnosed knee conditions. It…
L.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Great Barrington, MA
L.S. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 18-0518): Ankle and knee claims denied
A postal carrier attributed ankle and knee conditions to standing, walking, carrying mail, and other route duties. Two physicians gave no specific diagnosis. Two others did not adequately explain how the work duties caused or aggravated the diagnosed conditions; one noted her existing lower limb…
A.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Peekskill, NY
A.R. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 18-0441): Hip claim returned for impartial medical review
A postal carrier argued that altered walking after an accepted right knee injury aggravated his right hip osteoarthritis. His physician and OWCP’s second opinion physician disagreed about that connection. The Board found a medical opinion conflict requiring an impartial specialist under FECA. It…
Stratasys, Inc.
In re Stratasys, Inc. (EAB TSCA Appeal No. 20-02C): $202,900 settlement for chemical reporting violations
Stratasys, Inc. manufactures and imports chemical substances identified in the Consent Agreement as Chemical A and Chemical B because their identities were claimed as confidential business information. EPA alleged that Stratasys imported the substances without submitting required premanufacture…
Mark Jarrett v. National Steel & Shipbuilding Company
Jarrett v. National Steel & Shipbuilding (BRB 19-0461): lung disease award upheld
Mark Jarrett claimed that dust, fumes, and smoke at National Steel & Shipbuilding contributed to his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The judge found his claim timely and credited a pulmonary specialist's opinion that the workplace exposures contributed to the disease. The Board upheld those…
Jeffery Noble v. Mor-Coal, Incorporated
Noble v. Mor-Coal (BRB 19-0142 BLA): benefit award upheld on complicated pneumoconiosis finding
Jeffery Noble received black lung benefits after a judge found that the medical evidence established complicated pneumoconiosis from his coal mine work. Mor-Coal argued that the judge had overlooked radiology evidence against that finding. The Board upheld the judge's weighing of x-rays, which…
Kitty Back v. Locust Grove, Incorporated
Back v. Locust Grove (BRB 19-0102 and 19-0267 BLA): benefits upheld, start date remanded
Kitty Back pursued her late husband's black lung claim and her own survivor claim. A judge found that Jimmy Back's 19 years of surface coal mine work occurred in conditions substantially similar to underground mining, and that he had a totally disabling respiratory impairment. The Board upheld the…
Delma Jean Stacy v. Preservati Construction Company, Incorporated
Stacy v. Preservati Construction (BRB 19-0067 BLA): survivor benefits denial upheld
Delma Jean Stacy sought survivor's black lung benefits after her husband Lonnie died. Although a judge found that he had worked more than 22 years in qualifying coal mine employment and had simple clinical pneumoconiosis, the evidence did not establish a totally disabling respiratory impairment…
Lavodus S. Marcum on behalf of Dennis Marcum's estate v. Abbs Resources, Incorporated
Marcum v. Abbs Resources (BRB 19-0062 BLA and BLA-A): benefit award affirmed
Lavodus Marcum pursued her late husband's black lung claim after a judge awarded benefits on remand. Dennis Marcum had 14 years of coal mine employment, too few for the 15-year statutory presumption, so the judge assessed the medical evidence directly. Abbs Resources challenged the findings that…
A.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Chippewa Falls, WI
A.M. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1138): Cervical and left arm claims denied
A postal employee attributed neck and left arm conditions to her work duties. The Board found no reasoned medical opinion connecting the cervical conditions to those duties. Physicians attributed left arm lymphedema to prior breast cancer treatment instead. It affirmed the claim denial.
B.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Jersey City, NJ
B.B. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-0822): Retirement benefit overpayment affirmed
A postal employee received FECA wage loss benefits while also receiving Social Security retirement benefits attributable to federal service. The Board affirmed a $53,510.67 overpayment and found she was without fault. It upheld the waiver denial because the financial evidence showed income above…
D.C. and Department of Justice, Federal Correctional Institution, Seagoville, TX
D.C. and Department of Justice (ECAB 19-0570): Late reconsideration request denied
A federal correctional officer sought reconsideration of an earlier decision concerning his work injury. The Board found that the request came after the one-year deadline and did not demonstrate clear evidence of error in the earlier decision. It affirmed OWCP’s reconsideration denial.
P.K. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Orlando Veterans Administration Medical Center, Orlando, FL
P.K. and Department of Veterans Affairs (ECAB 18-0766): Upper extremity condition claim denied
A VA physician attributed hand and wrist conditions to computer work. His medical report diagnosed arthritis of both thumb joints but did not address how his specific job duties caused that or other upper extremity conditions. The Board found no reasoned medical causation opinion and affirmed the…
R.E. and Department of the Navy, Marine Corps, Indianapolis, IN
R.E. and Department of the Navy (ECAB 18-0515): Crosswalk injury accepted as work related
A Marine Corps information technology worker was struck by a vehicle in a crosswalk between workplace parking and his office. The Board held that the crosswalk was a normal route connecting parts of the employer’s premises, so the injury occurred in the performance of duty. It also found his pelvis…
K.F. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Dulles, VA
K.F. and Department of Homeland Security (ECAB 18-0485): Back injury incident accepted for review
A TSA officer reported straining her back while pulling a stuck bag on a security belt. Her early reports gave conflicting dates, but she promptly corrected the date and other evidence supported the account. The Board found that the December 21, 2016 incident occurred. It remanded for OWCP to…
D.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Washington Township Post Office, Dayton, OH
D.S. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 18-0353): Back claim expansion and surgery denied
A postal carrier sought to add lumbar conditions to an accepted injury claim and obtain authorization for back surgery. The Board found that the medical evidence did not establish the additional conditions as work related or show that OWCP abused its discretion in denying surgery authorization. It…
K.K. and Department of Veterans Affairs, John J. Pershing Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Poplar Bluff, MO
K.K. and Department of Veterans Affairs (ECAB 19-1519): Back and leg condition claims denied
A VA practical nurse attributed back and leg conditions to lifting and transferring patients. The Board found that the submitted medical reports did not give a reasoned opinion connecting the diagnosed conditions to accepted work factors. It affirmed the claim denial.
N.B. and Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Tallahassee, FL
N.B. and Department of Justice (ECAB 19-1338): Merit reconsideration request denied
A federal correctional officer requested reconsideration of a right knee injury claim decision. The Board found that her submissions did not meet the requirements for reopening the merits. It affirmed OWCP’s reconsideration denial without deciding the underlying injury claim anew.
D.N. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Pinckneyville, IL
D.N. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1312): Hand and elbow claims sent for specialist review
A postal rural carrier attributed left hand and elbow nerve conditions to repetitive driving and lifting. Her physician explained how those duties could affect the carpal tunnel and also linked them to cubital tunnel syndrome. The Board found the opinions insufficient to prove the claim outright…
J.W. and Office of Special Counsel, Employee Relations Office, Washington, DC
J.W. and Office of Special Counsel (ECAB 19-1271): Suitable work refusal ends compensation
An Office of Special Counsel employee declined an offered program assistant position after accepted arm and hand conditions. The Board gave weight to an impartial physician who found that she could perform the position. It held that OWCP had offered suitable work, followed the required procedure…
K.F. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Wilmington International Airport, Wilmington, NC
K.F. and Department of Homeland Security (ECAB 19-1016): Overpayment amount upheld; early fault finding set aside
A TSA employee received $58,182.25 in excess compensation after OWCP used an incorrect pay rate. The Board upheld the amount and found that she should have recognized the error for payments from March 11, 2012 forward. It found her without fault for the first two direct deposits because the record…
R.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General, Arlington, VA
R.B. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-0343): Workplace emotional condition claim denied
A postal inspector general employee attributed an emotional condition to performance management, work assignments, and alleged retaliation. The Board found no established error or abuse in the managerial actions and no corroboration of harassment allegations. Without a compensable work factor, it…
J.H. and Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Harpers Ferry, WV
J.H. and Department of the Interior (ECAB 18-0443): Foot injury incident accepted for review
A National Park Service woodcrafter reported left foot pain after walking up a hill at work. The Board found his account consistent with the employer and medical records, establishing that the incident occurred on May 16, 2017. It remanded for review of whether the incident caused a medical…
Office of Personnel Management
Authority changes union dues revocation guidance
The Office of Personnel Management asked the Authority to reconsider when federal employees may cancel payroll deductions for union dues. Earlier Authority precedent allowed cancellation only at yearly intervals. The Authority granted the guidance request and read the statute's one-year restriction…
Secretary of Labor v. Marfork Coal Company, LLC
Settlement approved and penalty reduced
Marfork Coal Company, LLC faced a proposed civil penalty of $29,612 in a case involving three citations. The settlement left Citation No. 9162703 unchanged, treated Citation No. 9243753 as vacated, and modified Citation No. 9167505 by reducing the likelihood of injury or illness from reasonably…
Michael J. Osten v. Electric Boat Corporation
Osten v. Electric Boat (BRB 19-0306): employer's reconsideration motion denied
Electric Boat asked the Board to reconsider its earlier decision in Michael Osten's longshore case. After considering the employer's arguments and Osten's opposition, no panel member voted to vacate or modify the decision. The Board therefore denied reconsideration and affirmed its earlier…
MLB Transportation, Inc. v. Administrator, Wage and Hour Division
Shuttle-driver classification affirmed
MLB Transportation and OWL provided wheelchair transportation for patients traveling to a Veterans Administration medical center. The Wage and Hour Division classified their non-emergency medical transportation drivers as shuttle-bus drivers, while MLB sought the lower taxi-driver wage…
T.C. and Department of the Navy, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA
T.C. and Department of the Navy (ECAB 20-0090): Late written record review request denied
A naval shipyard employee requested a hearing representative’s written record review years after the district office decision. The Board held that the request missed the 30-day deadline and could not follow an earlier hearing branch decision as a matter of right. It affirmed OWCP’s denial without…
J.P. and Department of Defense, Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, VA
J.P. and Department of Defense (ECAB 19-1407): Fall injury claim returned for causation review
A Defense Logistics Agency specialist slipped on ice at work and reported head and back injuries. Medical evidence documented a T12 compression fracture that had not appeared on an earlier study. The Board found that the record established a diagnosed condition and required OWCP to address…
J.S. and Department of the Navy, Naval Facilities Engineering, Norfolk, VA
J.S. and Department of the Navy (ECAB 19-1392): Carpal tunnel claim lacks work facts
A Navy facilities specialist attributed carpal tunnel syndrome to work. OWCP asked him to identify the specific activities and time spent on them, but he did not respond. The Board found the factual basis of the occupational disease claim unproven and did not reach medical causation. It affirmed…
N.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Cleveland, OH
N.C. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1378): Merit reconsideration request denied
A postal mail handler sought reconsideration of a denied knee condition claim and supplied an impairment rating. The Board found the rating did not address the causal relationship question on which OWCP had denied the claim. With no qualifying new argument or relevant evidence, it affirmed the…
D.C. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Coatesville Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Coatesville, PA
D.C. and Department of Veterans Affairs (ECAB 19-1340): Shoulder and neck condition claims denied
A VA food service worker fell on a wet floor while transporting dishes. OWCP accepted the incident. The Board found that medical reports did not explain how the fall caused or aggravated shoulder conditions documented before it or caused the diagnosed neck conditions. It affirmed the claim denial.
T.B. and Department of Homeland Security, Federal Air Marshal Service, Arlington, VA
T.B. and Department of Homeland Security (ECAB 19-1202): Neck and arm condition claim denied
A federal air marshal reported neck, shoulder, and arm pain while working at a watch desk. His physician marked a form saying a cervical condition was work related but did not explain how the accepted incident caused it. Other reports and diagnostic studies did not resolve causation. The Board…
J.V. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Seattle, WA
J.V. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 18-0963): Late reconsideration request denied
A postal processing clerk requested reconsideration long after the last merit decision. The Board found that her submissions did not show clear evidence of error in that decision and that much of the material did not address the medical causation question. It affirmed OWCP’s late reconsideration…
Mark Moses v. John Meek Construction Company and Seabright Insurance Company
Moses v. John Meek Construction (BRB 18-0194): denial of cumulative injury claim affirmed
Mark Moses claimed that his work for John Meek Construction cumulatively injured or aggravated his knees and back. The administrative law judge found that Seabright rebutted the statutory presumption connecting those conditions to work, then denied benefits after weighing the full record. The Board…
C.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Urbana, IL
C.C. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1631): Hand and thumb claim sent for medical review
A postal carrier technician attributed hand and thumb degeneration to two decades of repetitive mail work. Her physician concluded that the work contributed to the changes but did not fully establish the claim. The Board found the opinion sufficient to require a specialist review that considers…
S.W. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Northern California Health Care System, Martinez, CA
S.W. and Department of Veterans Affairs (ECAB 19-1609): Occupational arthritis claim lacks work facts
A VA medical support assistant attributed arthritis in her back, knees, and hips to an unstable workstation and leaning toward a telephone. She did not describe the work activities in enough detail or answer OWCP’s requests for that information. The Board found the factual basis of the claim…
G.B. and Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, New York, NY
G.B. and Department of the Treasury (ECAB 19-1510): Knee claim sent to new impartial specialist
An IRS assistant attributed a left knee condition to packing and moving boxes at work. The impartial specialist said work did not cause or aggravate the condition but gave an inadequately explained opinion. The Board found that the medical conflict remained unresolved. It directed OWCP to obtain a…
T.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Athens, GA
T.M. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1414): Rotator cuff claim denied
A postal city carrier attributed a right rotator cuff tear to repeated vehicle door and parking brake motions. The Board found that supportive medical reports did not explain the physical process linking those duties to the tear. Other treatment and diagnostic records did not resolve causation. It…
O.F. and U.S. Postal Service, San Francisco Processing & Distribution Center, San Francisco, CA
O.F. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-0986): Greater right arm schedule award denied
A postal mail processing clerk sought a larger schedule award for her right upper extremity. OWCP’s medical adviser rated impairment from de Quervain’s tenosynovitis and three trigger digits at a combined six percent. The Board found that rating carried the weight of the medical evidence and no…
L.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Huntsville, AL
L.S. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-0802): Related claim files must be combined
A postal custodian filed several occupational disease claims involving his hips, knees, wrists, and shoulders. The hearing representative relied on evidence from another claim file that was absent from the record sent to the Board. The Board directed OWCP to combine related files so all relevant…
M.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Fordham Post Office, Bronx, NY
M.C. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-0699): Retirement overpayments affirmed with correction
A postal employee received FECA wage loss benefits while also receiving Social Security retirement benefits attributable to federal service. The Board corrected one overpayment amount by one cent to $27,288.36 and affirmed a second $2,044.06 overpayment. It upheld waiver denials and recovery…
Bob Johnson v. Travellers Coal Corporation
Johnson v. Travellers Coal (BRB 19-0133 BLA): black lung benefit award upheld
Bob Johnson received a black lung benefit award after a judge credited him with 20.6 years of underground coal mine work and found a totally disabling respiratory impairment. Travellers Coal argued that his employment was shorter and that its medical evidence rebutted the statutory presumption. The…
Danny Thornsberry v. T R C Mining Corporation
Thornsberry v. T R C Mining (BRB 19-0082 BLA): denial of subsequent claim upheld
Danny Thornsberry sought black lung benefits on a subsequent claim after 25 years of coal mine work. The judge found that the evidence did not establish complicated pneumoconiosis or a totally disabling respiratory impairment. The Board upheld the judge's weighing of conflicting x-rays, CT scans…
Hurley C. Collins v. Clinchfield Coal Company
Collins v. Clinchfield Coal (BRB 19-0079 BLA): benefit award returned for rebuttal findings
Hurley Collins received a black lung benefits award after a judge credited 30 years of underground mine work and found total respiratory disability. Clinchfield Coal challenged the judge's finding that it had failed to rebut the resulting statutory presumption. The Board held that the judge had…
R.M. and Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Fresno, CA
R.M. and Department of the Treasury (ECAB 19-1406): Cervical claim returned for complete review
An IRS customer service representative sought to add a cervical spine condition to an accepted claim. A physician’s report linking neck conditions to computer and telephone work reached a related OWCP claim file before its decision. The Board found OWCP had not considered that report. It set aside…
H.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Oakdale, NY
H.R. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1403): Neck and shoulder claims sent for specialist review
A heavy parcel fell from a pallet and struck a postal clerk’s head. Her physician explained how the forces from the impact and fall could cause neck and left shoulder conditions or aggravate arthritis. The Board found the opinion sufficiently supported to require further development. It directed…
L.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Colorado Springs, CO
L.B. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1380): Wage loss termination and review denial affirmed
A postal employee challenged termination of wage loss compensation after several accepted injuries. The Board found OWCP had established that disability from the accepted conditions had ended. Her reconsideration submission repeated records already considered and supplied no qualifying new argument…
M.H. and Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Tulsa, OK
M.H. and Department of Homeland Security (ECAB 19-1358): Tuberculosis exposure claim denied
An immigration officer spent several hours transporting a detainee with active tuberculosis. The Board accepted that the exposure occurred but found no medical report diagnosing a resulting condition. It held that exposure alone did not establish a compensable injury or entitlement to screening…
J.P. and Department of the Navy, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Great Lakes, IL
J.P. and Department of the Navy (ECAB 19-1206): Lumbar claim sent for medical development
A Navy facilities employee attributed a lumbar condition to lifting bricks at work. His physician described how the lift could worsen a preexisting narrowed spinal canal, though the reports did not fully prove causation. The Board found the medical explanation strong enough to require further…
R.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Mableton, GA
R.B. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-0848): Greater right leg schedule award denied
A postal worker sought an increased right leg schedule award. The Board found that other impairment ratings used the wrong guide method or lacked sufficient explanation. OWCP’s medical adviser explained why five percent was the maximum rating supported for moderate L5 sensory loss. The Board…
S.W. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI
S.W. and Department of Veterans Affairs (ECAB 18-1014): Lower back condition claim denied
A VA medical support assistant said a cart struck her chair and jolted her back. OWCP accepted the incident. The Board found that medical reports did not adequately explain how it caused or aggravated a diagnosed lower back condition, particularly given her earlier back symptoms. It affirmed the…
K.P. and Department of Agriculture, Inspection Operations Program, Broken Bow, OK
K.P. and Department of Agriculture (ECAB 18-0350): Left hand laceration accepted, other claims denied
An Agriculture Department worker claimed hand and knee injuries from an accepted work incident. The Board found that a physician’s report established a left hand laceration, but no adequate diagnosis and causal opinion established right hand or right knee conditions. It affirmed the latter denials…
Matter of E-R-A-L-
Landownership groups rejected
The Board reviewed a Guatemalan respondent's appeal after an Immigration Judge denied asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture protection, while granting voluntary departure. The respondent argued that his status as a landowner and his resistance to drug cartels placed him in…
What these documents are
- The agencies: Federal workers' compensation appeals from the Department of Labor's Employees' Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB), federal-sector labor-relations cases from the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), mine-safety cases from the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (FMSHRC), workplace-safety cases from the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), Longshore Act and Black Lung Benefits Act appeals from the Department of Labor's Benefits Review Board (BRB), precedent decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), environmental permit and penalty appeals from the EPA's Environmental Appeals Board (EAB), and whistleblower and other labor appeals from the Department of Labor's Administrative Review Board (ARB). Each decision page names its agency.
- Commission, Board and Authority decisions: Rulings by the agency's highest review level (the Commission at OSHRC and FMSHRC, the Authority at FLRA, the Board of Immigration Appeals, the Administrative Review Board at Labor, and the Environmental Appeals Board at EPA). These are citable as precedent, though a decision may have been appealed to a U.S. Court of Appeals after issuance.
- ALJ decisions: Rulings by the agency's Administrative Law Judges after a hearing. When no Commissioner directs review, an ALJ decision becomes a final order that binds the parties in that case but is not binding precedent: under 29 U.S.C. § 661(j) at OSHRC, and after the 40-day window of 30 U.S.C. § 823(d)(1) at FMSHRC.
- Why finality matters: Every page here says which kind of decision you are reading, so you know whether it is precedent you can cite or a final order that only shows how one judge ruled on one set of facts.
- Where they come from: Every page links the official public release from the deciding agency, and the full text on the page is that release. The plain-English summaries are written by Ezel.