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Two named Houston construction companies reinstate the two employees and pay the ordered back wages, interest, compensatory and punitive damages totaling more than $200,000 per OSHA's order.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a Feb. 12, 2026 news release saying OSHA found two Houston-based construction companies (Rise Construction LLC and Niko Group LLC) retaliated against two employees who raised asbestos concerns, ordered the workers reinstated, and ordered payment of more than $200,000 in back wages and interest plus compensatory and punitive damages. The release states the protected complaints were under the Clean Air Act, the Solid Waste Disposal Act, and the Toxic Substances Control Act, and OSHA’s whistleblower program authorizes investigation and remedies for such claims. Verdict: True — the official DOL/OSHA press release directly confirms the reinstatement order, the payment amount (described as “more than $200,000”), and that the terminations were found to be retaliatory for protected asbestos-related complaints.