Miami Herald: President of CompUSA, Tiger Direct Fired
The CEO of computer and electronics retailers CompUSA and Tiger Direct will be fired in the immediate future, as a result of an anonymous whistleblower complaint. An independent investigation into the company and CEO Gilbert Fiorentino was initiated after a still-unspecified whistleblower disclosure was submitted internally.
The CEO of Systemax, the parent company of CompUSA and Tiger Direct, praised his company's "internal processes" that led to this action.
Maine Public Broadcasting Network: Maine Egg Farm Workers Allege Labor Violations
An egg farm facility in Maine tied to the DeCoster Egg chain -- the company in the middle of last summer's massive Salmonella outbreak -- is being criticized for its alleged shocking treatment of workers. Specifically, the article details claims that workers lack basic safety equipment, are not paid for hours worked, are being physically assaulted, and that those who question their supervisors or expose problems are fired. Additionally, immigrant workers who speak little English may be being exploited.
Click here to read more about this at GAP's Food Integrity Campaign blog.
St. Petersburg Times: Hart Board Fires Embattled CEO
The chief executive of the Hillsborough County (FL) mass transit system was fired yesterday, following an internal investigation based on multiple whistleblower allegations. Specific complaints (and the identity of those who made them) are shielded by state whistleblower law, but the article states that at least 12 employees brought concerns against the executive, David Armijo, since 2008, and that "between 7 and 10 employees who had voiced concerns were reassigned to various positions while two of them received pay cuts."
CBC: Election Stalls Report Into Ex-Integrity Watchdog
The interim head of the Canadian Office of the Integrity Commissioner -- the department which is supposed to investigate federal whistleblower concerns -- is refusing to disclose a new report about cases that the former department head rejected. That former commissioner, Christine Ouimet, resigned last year after a "scathing" auditor general report about her actions was released, which resulted in her abrupt resignation. During her three-year tenure as commissioner, Ouimet "found no cases of wrongdoing in the 228 complaints to her office."
The interim commissioner, Mario Dion, is refusing to disclose the report until after Canada's federal election campaign is completed.
Key Quote: Duff Conacher, the co-ordinator of Democracy Watch and the chairperson of the 31-member Government Ethics Coalition, said the public service should be neutral during an election campaign but the failure to disclose this report is preventing the electorate from being fully informed on the Ouimet issue.
"They are influencing the discussion by keeping the report secret; that influences the discussion. You can't have the discussion with the full information if you don't have the full report," Conacher said. "That is always less democratic than disclosing the information."
Dylan Blaylock is Communications Director of the Government Accountability Project, the nation's leading whistleblower advocacy organization.
Tuesday, 19 April 2011