Good day Union Family

Currently, Alcohol and Drug testing and after care case management is has been controlled through Construction Labour Relations Alberta (CLRA). All the after-care case management has been completed through Homewood Health EFAP program.

This system has resulted in the Unions having little to no in put on the program or how members are treated during the process. As such Local 110 has over two hundred individuals that were Members or Permit Workers that are unable to work through our Local due to the restrictions of this program. This is unacceptable the contractors with this program are creating the nonunion workforce by restricting people working for the Local.

As a result of the frustration of every Business Manager throughout Alberta, the Building Trades of Alberta is taking on their own Substance Abuse Program. This program will follow the Canadian Model for Providing a Safe Workplace and be administered through Morneau Shepell. However, there is a clear focus on getting people back to work. This includes people who have left the union due to being inactive with the CLRA program. Like everything there is a cost associated with being part of this program. However, each union will have their choice of being part of this Alcohol and Drug program or continuing with the CLRA program that is currently in place. For Local 110 that will be a choice made by the membership of our Local.

I will be doing another post shortly on the history of our current Alcohol and Drug Program and what some of the advantages could be to move, to the Morneau Shepell Program. Also, this will be a topic of the upcoming Local 110 Town Hall Meeting.

In solidarity

Kevin Lecht                                                                          

Business Manager