Pubdate: Fri, 08 Feb 2008
Source: Boston Herald (MA)
Copyright: 2008 The Boston Herald, Inc
Contact:  http://news.bostonherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/53
Author: Dave Wedge
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

FIREFIGHTERS WANT NO TALK OF DRUG TESTS IN CONTRACT

The city's quest to force on firefighters hit a snag yesterday as
their union sought to keep mandatory  screening off the negotiating
table.

The Boston Firefighters Union Local 718 argued that the issue should
be barred from discussions before the  three-member Joint
Labor-Management Committee for  Municipal Police and Fire because it
was not included in the city's original contract proposal.

The city countered that the state-appointed board has routinely ruled
on contractual issues not included in  original filings.

Both sides met with the JLMC on Beacon Hill yesterday when the board
voted to oversee the negotiations. The  panel, which is chaired by
retired Judge Samuel Zoll,  took no position on whether to allow the
testing issue  into talks, although one member, Massachusetts 
Professional Firefighters Association president Robert  McCarthy,
pledged to keep it out of discussions.

Dot Joyce, spokeswoman for Mayor Thomas M. Menino, said: "We hope
that after (yesterday's) vote, state  mediators will be able to help
both parties address  drug and alcohol testing and other necessary
reforms as  part of a fair deal for union members and the residents 
of Boston."

The city began pushing for mandatory drug and alcohol testing after
two firefighters died in a West Roxbury  restaurant blaze last year.
One of the firefighters had  traces of cocaine in his system while the
other was  legally drunk, according to sources briefed on the  pair's
toxicology results. The union opposes mandatory testing although
union president Ed Kelly has said  firefighters would be willing to
discuss strengthening  the current policy, which allows testing when a
 supervisor suspects a problem. Kelly did not return a call last night.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin