I am a whistleblower. OSHA is mishandling my case because it's Gulf oil spill related

In March of 2009 my aunt and I took jobs as housekeepers/condo cleaners for Meyer Real Estate in Gulf Shores, Alabama, one of the largest vacation property management companies in the United States. We had no experience in housekeeping. Prior to this, we had a vintage clothing business for many years which we had to close because we were no longer making a profit due to the economy. We both have college educations and my aunt has 20+ years experience in retail management, but this was the only job we could find. We took the jobs out of desperation...and because we were told in our orientation that we would make at least $16-18 dollars an hour.

Over the course of the next year, we would scrub 3,100 toilets, make approximately 6,000 beds and scrape dried spaghetti and shrimp shells from 1,200 kitchens. Most of the time we made less than minimum wage, sometimes working over 80 hours a week. Meyer also subjected their housekeepers to safety hazards. But we were warned by everyone there, including a field supervisor, to keep our mouths shut and not complain, or we would be fired.

In the early spring of 2010, we made a startling discovery- management was fraudulently altering time records to avoid paying overtime. We called the Wage and Hour Board and reported this, but rather than forcing them to pay their employees the money owed, Mr.Anthony Jacobs of the W&H Board's Mobile, AL office helped them devise a scheme to avoid paying their employees overtime wages. Meyer did, however, write checks for some of the overtime backpay- this multi-million dollar company cheated one housekeeper(a woman with a disabled child in a wheelchair) out of over $50,000 in overtime wages over a three-year period...they gave her a check for less than $500. But this was just the beginning.

April 20, 2010- the date of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill- changed everything here on the Gulf of Mexico. I won't go on and on about it...you all know the basic, sanitized version of what happened. What you may or may not know is that over 200 million gallons of oil was released into the Gulf. 2 million gallons of highly toxic Corexit dispersant was sprayed and sank most of that oil. We had dead baby dolphins covered in oil washing up on the shore here, but that managed to stay out of the national media. The citizens of this area and those doing clean up work were exposed to these toxins...people have died, and many are sick.

While many of the oil spill clean-up workers had advocates fighting for their safety and rights, there was one group which was neglected- the housekeepers who cleaned up the condominiums and beach front houses. As housekeepers for Meyer Real Estate, we were forced to clean up oil and dispersant soaked debris from around these beach houses. We had to clean up the tar balls the guests would drag in. We were instructed to clean it up with Dawn and bleach(according to the MSDS for Corexit on OSHA's website, it is hazardous to mix Corexit and bleach). We also had to clean the rust-colored Corexit residue on the exterior patio doors. Housekeepers started having upper respiratory problems, including my aunt. Both of my ear got infected(this was fairly common symptom) and one of them ruptured. But as Meyer housekeepers, we didn't have health insurance, and most of us went without medical treatment.

I called OSHA in late August of 2010 and filed a complaint. I told the agent I was concerned I might get fired for making the report, but he was very reassuring and told me if that happened, they wouldn't get away with it. A few weeks later, My aunt and I were terminated from our jobs at Meyer Real Estate.

But now, over a year later, what has happened? NOTHING! The investigation for wrongful termination under the Whistleblower Protection Act is still ongoing. OSHA has mishandled it from day one and I just don't know what to do. I can't even find a lawyer around here because every one I call says they can't take the case because it would be a conflict of interest. Meyer is a powerful and corrupt company...everyone is scared of them.

So, I'm posting this just to get the word out, and because I'm hoping some of you might have advice on what I can do about this situation. Sorry for the rant...I know it's not very coherent or well-written, but I am so sick of thinking and talking about this that I can't think straight. So, thanks for taking the time to read it.

i'm headed to bed now, but yes, we will talk tomorrow:) i will go as far as necessary...i have nothing to lose. dangerous games don't scare me...i play them all the time.

Sounds great. Have a nice sleep and am looking forward to speaking with you tomorrow.

These are professional dangerous games though. This kind of story is something that can only be told by someone who is at peace with death.

April 20, 2010- the date of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill- changed everything here on the Gulf of Mexico.

By all accounts, there is very little evidence that "the worst ecological disaster in U.S. History" even happened.

Does not pass the smell test.

what was different than any other spill where the cleanup workers all get sick and die?

you think your the first?

why did you not take other cleanup workers warning who have died in the past... only for you 2 apparently have hindsight and absolutely no foresight.

You took the blue pill, didn't you.

take it to the news homie.

have i learned anything? absolutely. scrubbing toilets for a living taught me humility. i know, however, the holy spirit placed me there for a reason. seeing the way a company like that could treat their employees...it's disgusting. money is the bottom line for most people here. the local government and big business owners sold their soul to the devil after hurricane ivan. gulf shores is now owned by russians.

My father worked on the clean up crew...Pensacola Beach. He died in April at 58.

Nope, you took the blue pill, you just don't realize it.

I see a conspiracy much deeper.

And what is it pray tell? Where they trying to either cause or stop the New Madrid fault from going?

By all accounts, there is very little evidence that "the worst ecological disaster in U.S. History" even happened.

And what is it pray tell? Where they trying to either cause or stop the New Madrid fault from going?

In March of 2009 my aunt and I took jobs as housekeepers/condo cleaners for Meyer Real Estate in Gulf Shores, Alabama, one of the largest vacation property management companies in the United States. We had no experience in housekeeping. Prior to this, we had a vintage clothing business for many years which we had to close because we were no longer making a profit due to the economy. We both have college educations and my aunt has 20+ years experience in retail management, but this was the only job we could find. We took the jobs out of desperation...and because we were told in our orientation that we would make at least $16-18 dollars an hour.

Over the course of the next year, we would scrub 3,100 toilets, make approximately 6,000 beds and scrape dried spaghetti and shrimp shells from 1,200 kitchens. Most of the time we made less than minimum wage, sometimes working over 80 hours a week. Meyer also subjected their housekeepers to safety hazards. But we were warned by everyone there, including a field supervisor, to keep our mouths shut and not complain, or we would be fired.

In the early spring of 2010, we made a startling discovery- management was fraudulently altering time records to avoid paying overtime. We called the Wage and Hour Board and reported this, but rather than forcing them to pay their employees the money owed, Mr.Anthony Jacobs of the W&H Board's Mobile, AL office helped them devise a scheme to avoid paying their employees overtime wages. Meyer did, however, write checks for some of the overtime backpay- this multi-million dollar company cheated one housekeeper(a woman with a disabled child in a wheelchair) out of over $50,000 in overtime wages over a three-year period...they gave her a check for less than $500. But this was just the beginning.

April 20, 2010- the date of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill- changed everything here on the Gulf of Mexico. I won't go on and on about it...you all know the basic, sanitized version of what happened. What you may or may not know is that over 200 million gallons of oil was released into the Gulf. 2 million gallons of highly toxic Corexit dispersant was sprayed and sank most of that oil. We had dead baby dolphins covered in oil washing up on the shore here, but that managed to stay out of the national media. The citizens of this area and those doing clean up work were exposed to these toxins...people have died, and many are sick.

While many of the oil spill clean-up workers had advocates fighting for their safety and rights, there was one group which was neglected- the housekeepers who cleaned up the condominiums and beach front houses. As housekeepers for Meyer Real Estate, we were forced to clean up oil and dispersant soaked debris from around these beach houses. We had to clean up the tar balls the guests would drag in. We were instructed to clean it up with Dawn and bleach(according to the MSDS for Corexit on OSHA's website, it is hazardous to mix Corexit and bleach). We also had to clean the rust-colored Corexit residue on the exterior patio doors. Housekeepers started having upper respiratory problems, including my aunt. Both of my ear got infected(this was fairly common symptom) and one of them ruptured. But as Meyer housekeepers, we didn't have health insurance, and most of us went without medical treatment.

I called OSHA in late August of 2010 and filed a complaint. I told the agent I was concerned I might get fired for making the report, but he was very reassuring and told me if that happened, they wouldn't get away with it. A few weeks later, My aunt and I were terminated from our jobs at Meyer Real Estate.

But now, over a year later, what has happened? NOTHING! The investigation for wrongful termination under the Whistleblower Protection Act is still ongoing. OSHA has mishandled it from day one and I just don't know what to do. I can't even find a lawyer around here because every one I call says they can't take the case because it would be a conflict of interest. Meyer is a powerful and corrupt company...everyone is scared of them.

So, I'm posting this just to get the word out, and because I'm hoping some of you might have advice on what I can do about this situation. Sorry for the rant...I know it's not very coherent or well-written, but I am so sick of thinking and talking about this that I can't think straight. So, thanks for taking the time to read it.