Lake Megantic Quebec - An arbitrator says the firing last summer of Thomas Harding, the train engineer involved in the Lake Megantic rail disaster, was illegal.
 
Harding won't be returning to work, but he will get financial compensation.
 
The engineer was acquitted in January 2018 of criminal negligence causing death.
 
He returned to work for Central Maine & Quebec Railway (CMQ), which took over from the defunct Montreal Maine & Atlantic (MMA), which operated the train involved in the derailment.
 
Harding went on sick leave and was supposed to gradually return to work by 5 Jul 2018 but a week before that, on 27 Jun 2018 he received a letter of dismissal.
 
The employer cited his involvement in the Lake Megantic derailment and said the relationship of trust had been broken.
 
Harding's union filed a grievance, denouncing the fact his employer did not investigate the situation, as required under the union's collective agreement.
 
Last week, the arbitrator agreed and nullified the firing.
 
The engineer became the public face of the Lake Megantic disaster after it was revealed he didn't apply sufficient hand brakes on the oil-laden convoy before retiring for the night.
 
The train began rolling downhill in the early hours of 6 Jul 2013.
 
It barreled into the town, derailed, and exploded, killing 47 people and destroying part of the downtown.
 
The union asked that Harding be reinstated, but the arbitrator said that considering the circumstances, a financial compensation was more appropriate.
 
The amount has not been determined.
 
Author unknown.