CITY TO WEED OUT STAFF DOPE USE

Action will be taken to nip in the bud any on-the-job use of marijuana
among city garbage collectors or other staff, Mayor Al Duerr and aldermen
said yesterday.

Garbage collectors have alleged staff smoke dope while on shift, with one
complainant insisting drug use among driver personnel poses a safety risk.

Duerr said it's up to employees to alert authorities to the problem, which
would then be dealt with quickly and firmly.

"If employees have an issue with that, then they have a responsibility to
bring that forward to the appropriate internal authorities and disciplinary
action will be taken," Duerr said yesterday.

"Whether it's drug use or alcohol use on city time, that's unacceptable."

Whistleblower Darren Hunter has told the Sun his repeated efforts to have
drug use among solid waste services staff cleaned up have had limited success.

A fellow-staffer who was briefly suspended last year for suspected
work-site marijuana use said some employees smoke the drug to help occupy
the remainder of their shifts after they've finished their garbage routes.

Ald. Joe Ceci said such activity should be grounds for termination, but
added employees who come forward would get drug treatment.

"It's a serious infraction I think that's dismissable upon being found out,
so it's not anything anybody should sweep under the carpet...(they should
be) coming forward with it in private for counselling," said Ceci.