A Maine investigator says a trucking company fired a driver for refusing to violate hours-of-service regulations.

According to a report by the Maine Human Rights Commission, George Charron was fired in December 1997 because he expressed concern about spending too many hours behind the wheel. But his company, B. Littlefield & Sons of North Berwick, ME, said he was fired for making threats, using foul language and refusing to work on his days off.
In September 1997, Charron wrote the company and informed them that a "call run," a special run for one of the company's top customers, caused him to violate hours-of-service regulations and he didn't want to do that again. Charron says after he wrote that letter, he was told he was "not good to the company."
Susan Clark, investigator for the Maine Human Rights Commission, concluded that Littlefield & Sons violated the Whistleblower Protection Act. The commission plans to take up Clark's findings at its next meeting Sept. 27.