THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 7, 1996 TAG: 9602070405
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALEX MARSHALL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 39 lines
Lay a brick or pound a nail on a city construction job and you will have to be certified by your employer to be drug free and submit to random drug testing, the City Council voted Tuesday.
The new drug-free contractor policy, which was supported by the Greater Tidewater Central Labor Council of Virginia A.F.L-C.I.O, is the first for any city in Hampton Roads, said city officials.
Jerry Hufton, president of the regional union organization, said he intends to lobby other cities to pass similar laws. ``Construction work is very dangerous by nature,'' Hufton said. ``Now we have less reason to worry about someone being hurt on the job.''
Hufton said in years past, the unions opposed such laws as an invasion of privacy. But such rules have been shown to protect workers from injuries and to pressure workers to solve alcohol and drug problems.
The new law applies to all contractors and companies that perform construction work for the city, regardless of size. They will be responsible for getting certification from an independent, state-approved drug-testing organization that all their workers are free of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, amphetamines and other drugs.
The companies are also required to randomly test employees for drug use.
The city manager would have some discretion on enforcing the law. For example, if a company was performing five different construction jobs for the city, it would not necessarily have to be certified five separate times.
The council took the action not because of any specific history of problems but because of a desire to live up to a commitment to be a ``drug-free workplace.''
After several weeks of discussion, the council chose the toughest option. by CNB