Pubdate: Wed, 21 Sep 2005
Source: Reporter, The (Fond du Lac, WI)
Copyright: 2005 Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers
Contact: 
http://www.wisinfo.com/thereporter/contactus/readerservices/letter-to-editor.sht
Website: http://www.wisinfo.com/thereporter/index.shtml
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2271
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raids.htm (Drug Raids)

DRUG SEARCHES TO CONTINUE AT MERCURY MARINE PLANTS

Mercury Marine officials said Tuesday that they will continue to conduct 
random searches for illegal drugs on company property, although an initial 
search last week turned up no banned substances.

During the second shift on Thursday, members of Mercury Marine's management 
team, working with the Fond du Lac Police Department and the tri-county 
Metropolitan Enforcement Group (MEG), conducted a sweep for illegal drugs 
at Plant 17 in Fond du Lac, the company said in a news release.

The MEG unit used trained dogs to search for illegal drugs in the 
possession of employees, in production and office areas, and in vehicles in 
the plant parking lot on Mercury grounds.

"Although unfortunate and inconvenient for employees for a period of time, 
this action was necessary after information was obtained from inside and 
outside the company that employees possessed and were using illegal drugs 
on company property," said Dennis Rooney, Mercury vice president for human 
resources.

Mercury and its parent company, Brunswick Corporation, have a zero 
tolerance policy for drug use by any direct or contract employees working 
for the company, Rooney said.

Employees who violate the policy are subject to termination of employment, 
he said.

"No illegal drugs were discovered in the areas of the plant that were 
searched, but the trained dogs indicated that illegal drugs were, at one 
point, on the premises," Rooney said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom