BUILDING CONTRACTORS, TRADE UNIONS TO LAUNCH VOLUNTARY DRUG-TESTING INITIATIVE

One out of every six fatalities that occur on construction sites is
directly related to substance abuse, according to federal Labor Department
statistics.

Alcohol or drug abuse accounts for anywhere from 38 percent to half of all
workers' compensation claims in the workplace.

To save lives, money and increase productivity, Master Builders Association
of Western Pennsylvania, contractors and members of four area trade unions
have started a voluntary drug-testing initiative that is expected to reach
more than 100 unionized contractors and 10,000 tradespeople in a 33-county
western Pennsylvania region.

By law, the association cannot compel a worker to submit to drug testing,
but it can make the test a condition of employment.

"The program is voluntary. For legal reasons, we can't make it mandatory.
But if you want to work for one of our contractors, you have to do it,"
said Bob McCall, director of safety for Pittsburgh-based Master Builders
Association of Western Pennsylvania Inc.

The Master Builders Association serves as the bargaining arm for about 40
general contractors and a like number of subcontractors in the 11-county
western Pennsylvania region.

Although the program kicked off June 1, MBA contractors along with union
carpenters, cement masons, laborers and operating engineers will formally
launch the new "Drug Free Partnership" at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Three Rivers
Stadium on the North Side.

Through the summer, sites in surrounding counties will serve as testing
locations for union members to participate voluntarily in the program,
which requires initial, annual and "for-cause" drug screenings.
Participants are also subject to random testing.

Mobil Medical Corp. of Pittsburgh will serve as a third-party administrator
for the parternerhip.

"Labor and management fully support this initiative, which will provide MBA
contractors with a pool of certified drug-free workers and reduce workplace
accidents," said John C. Mascaro, MBA president.

Dennis Manown, business manager for Monroeville-based Local 66 of the
International Union of Operating Engineers, said he wholeheartedly supports
the program.

"To me, the key is the safety factor; we want a safe workplace," said
Manown.

Local 66 represents about 7,000 members in 33 counties in Pennsylvania and
three counties in Ohio. Operating engineers operate heavy equipment, such
as cranes and bulldozers.

By its very nature, construction is one of the most hazardous occupations.
Labor department data also reveal that the average cost to the employer is
$7,000 per substance abuser annually.

Manown said union cooperation also could mean more job opportunities when
competing against nonunion contractors who don't participate.

Certified participants receive a "Drug Free" card, designating them as an
active participant eligible for hire on a drug-free work site.

Manown said many contractors require drug testing. But many of his members
move around from job to job, employer to employer, which means that one
worker may take a half-dozen drug tests in one year.

"This will make it standardized. Guys won't have to take the same test
every time they move around. If we can get everybody on the same page,
we'll help employers cut their costs and hopefully hire our people," Manown
said.

McCall said the test, a 10-panel drug screen, includes but is not limited
to testing for cocaine, marijuana, amphetamines and barbiturates.

Labor statistics reveal that up to 40 percent of industrial fatalities and
injuries can be linked to alcohol consumption and alcoholism.

"That's a sensitive area. We're not testing for alcohol in the initial,
random or annual test. But if we have reason ... we are testing for cause
and post-accident. If he or she tests positive, their card is revoked,"
McCall said.