labor lawAdivision of labor law center

Companies that are members of the California Drug Free Workplace Alliance have programs to stop drug and alcohol abuse at work. They often use random drug tests or pre-employment drug screening.

Recently, in a ceremony celebrated at the US Census Bureau, Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, signed an agreement to expand the Drug Free Workplace Alliance. A total of  5 labor unions and 5 contractors’ associations also signed the agreement.  The California Drug Free Workplace program focuses on the mining and construction industries. The purpose of the program is to improve  worker safety and health  by preventing the use of drugs and alcohol in the workplace.

According to OSHA, employers can significantly improve worker safety by educating employees. Workers should be aware of the risks involved in the use of controlled substances. A majority of accidents involving serious injury or death involve drug or alcohol use. Workers who abuse drugs or alcohol at work are a danger to themselves and their coworkers. Employers should encourage workers with substance abuse problems to seek professional help.
Companies pay high costs for alcohol and drug use on the job, according to the Department of Labor. These costs include low morale employee, higher illness rates, accidents and expensive mistakes.

 “Only by addressing drug and alcohol abuse among the entire workforce—those currently employed and those preparing to enter employment—can a drug-free American workforce be achieved,” according to a Department of Labor publication.

Five labor unions participated, all members of the Drug Free Workplace Alliance, participated in the ceremony. These include the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada. Also present were the Laborers’ International Union of North America, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, the International Union of Operating Engineers and the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers.

The contractors associations present were:

• Specialized Carriers and Rigging Association
• American Road and Transportation Builders Association
• National Asphalt Pavement Association
• Associated General Contractors
• Association of Union Constructors

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