OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Admin.] has ordered Southern Air…to withdraw a lawsuit it filed against nine former employees and pay them more than $7.9 million in wages, damages and legal fees…Southern Air filed a defamation lawsuit…after some of the workers raised air carrier safety concerns...OSHA's investigation found that the company's lawsuit was filed in retaliation for the workers' protected activities under the whistleblower provisions…Southern Air…announced on April 7 that it will appeal and seek a full evidentiary hearing…[and] noted that the claim that Southern Air retaliated against the former employees in question is "specious."