HARD LOOK AT RANDOM DRUG TESTS

Province Has Proposal to Check Workers

Alberta companies may soon be able to randomly test employees for alcohol
and substance abuse under a proposal being examined by Human Resources
Minister Clint Dunford.

"We're looking at the general issue of not only alcohol, but drug or
substance abuse at work," department spokesman Chris Chodan said yesterday.

The issue is being pushed by police and industries to make it easier to
test employees without prior notice, said Chodan.

"We still have to do the testing to determine what constitutes an
impairment level for things like cocaine, heroin, acid whatever besides
alcohol," he said.

"Alcohol is a slam dunk - it's 0.08. If you're above that you're impaired."

Chodan said the department is also establishing which jobs might be higher
on the list for checking.

"We've got to examine the whole thing - it's pretty open-ended right now,"
he said.

The president of the 58,000-member Alberta Union of Provincial Employees
said he does not have details of the plan, but is hoping to meet with
Dunford in the near future to clarify what is being contemplated.

"I heard today that for the first time they're considering and looking at
possibly drug testing for employees," Dan MacLennan said.

"We have a lot of concerns with that issue ... privacy, health, FOIP
(freedom of information and privacy) and people's ability to do their job.

"We believe that the best way to deal with any issues like that is
pro-actively and preventively."

MacLennan said personally he doesn't support such an initiative.

"I think drug testing can be a waste of time and resources," MacLennan said.

"Like we see with athletes, the biggest issue with some of the testing is
ho w much time and effort is wasted getting around the test.

"If they can identify specific issues, I think the union should be working
with them and the employees to address them, but drug testing sends up a
lot of red flags."

Dunford could not be reached for comment last night.