May 30, 1998

By Paul Moloney, Toronto Star City Hall Bureau

(Ed. note: This article illustrates how our northern neighbor is much more concerned with individual rights than DEAland. That whirring sound is our Founding Fathers spinning in their graves.)

NEW TTC STAFF FACE DRUG TESTS

Candidates For Safety-Sensitive Jobs Will Be Targeted

The Toronto Transit Commission will require prospective employees to submit to drug tests, a move the TTC’s political masters describe as overkill.

"I’ve never been big on drug testing," said TTC chair Howard Moscoe, councillor for the North York Spadina ward.

"I don’t recall any instances of our drivers being impaired by drugs, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s overkill."
(Ed. note: I don’t recall any instance of a DEAland politician objecting to unnecessary "drug" testing.)

He said he was unaware of the new policy and intends to raise it for discussion at the next commission meeting, June 17.

TTC management, which plans to implement the program in 30 days, doesn’t see it as a big deal. The politicians weren’t consulted because it’s considered an internal human resources matter.

"Acceptable eyesight obviously is a requirement if you’re driving," said deputy general manager Lynn Hilborn.

"There are standard things we do already and this is being added."

The testing covers all candidates for safety-sensitive jobs - vehicle operators, mechanics and repair workers for the TTC’s vast track, signal, electrical and communication systems.

In all, the TTC hires about 300 people each year just to replace those who retire or leave.

The TTC’s list of banned substances includes marijuana, cocaine, heroin, morphine, codeine, amphetamines and methamphetamines. The testing will be done by an outside laboratory. If a prescription drug is found, the TTC’s doctor will contact the candidate’s physician to confirm it was legitimately prescribed, Hilborn said.

"All I can say is, ‘snowboarders beware,’ " Hilborn said.

(Ed. note: Obviously, this is intended as a joke, but consider that someone could win an Olympic Gold Medal for something that requires the coordination of snowboarding and yet be ruled unfit to drive a bus.")

Councillor David Miller (High Park) said he opposes across-the-board drug testing of prospective employees.

"It’s very invasive," he said. "It’s wrong as a matter of principle unless you have grounds to test."

In terms of job applicants, Miller said the only way grounds could be established is if the candidate showed up obviously impaired for a job interview.

Hilborn said the TTC has studied the issue carefully for more than a year and sees it as part of the need to strive for safety improvements on a system that handles 1.3 million passenger trips daily.

The Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 113, has no involvement because prospective employees are not yet union members, said president Vince Casuti.

"It’s management’s prerogative," he said. "We can’t dictate to the company on screening employees being hired."

If management were to implement random testing of the entire workforce, the union would fight strenuously, he said.

It will be up to candidates who object to take their cases on their own to the Ontario Human Rights Commission, he added.

Balter said drug and alcohol addictions are seen as disabilities and the Human Rights Code prohibits employers from discriminating against people with disabilities.

"If I perceive you as having an addiction to alcohol or drugs, there’s a violation of the code if I use that perception to treat you unequally.

"That’s the difficulty with the way the legislation is now being interpreted, because it handcuffs employers from being able to impose reasonable terms of employment."

The TTC knows of no other Canadian transit system that imposes drug tests, although CN tests applicants for safety-sensitive jobs and Greyhound tests drivers.