Pubdate: Tue, 06 May 2014
Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB)
Copyright: 2014 Postmedia Network
Contact:  http://www.calgaryherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66
Author: Jason Markusoff
Page: A8

MAYOR BACKS PRE-HIRE DRUG TESTS FOR WORKERS

Mayor Naheed Nenshi has endorsed pre-employment drug testing for city 
workers who use heavy machinery, a proposal senior bureaucrats will 
debate privately Tuesday.

After quietly running a trial for new Calgary Roads labourers last 
year, managers have given an early OK to extend the program to all 
departments and all "safety sensitive" jobs - ranging from newly 
hired snowplow drivers and forklift users to water plant operators.

Council hasn't yet discussed the plan, and it's unclear if they'll 
get to have any decision on drug testing. Human resources operations 
are typically handled by the city manager and six department heads 
who form the private Administrative Leadership Team committee.

The same panel privately approved overtime pay during last year's 
flood for senior managers and directors, although not for themselves.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi, whose top aide often sits in on ALT meetings, 
said he's aware of the drug testing plan and likes the idea of 
helping ensure the city's staff is drug-free.

"If you make an error on laying asphalt for example, it may not be 
readily apparent, but it could lead to a sinkhole in the future," he said.

"So I just think it's good organizational hygiene, and it's good for 
Calgarians to know that the people who are operating the heavy 
equipment are doing it in full control."

In a trial program last spring, 63 roads applicants took drug tests 
as a precondition for starting work, and four tested positive. The 
city couldn't rescind job offers on that basis, but did order them 
all for medical assessments those four workers declined, according to 
a report obtained by the Herald.

While an oil sands random drug test program has been frozen by a 
provincial arbitration ruling, pre employment drug testing is more 
widely accepted in law and industrial workplaces.

A key city union declined to offer an opinion on the plan, because 
they don't represent workers before they're hired.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom