In an announcement released on November 29th, Suncor confirmed
that it has made an agreement with the union representing its Fort
McMurray employees (Unifor) that allows it to proceed with random
alcohol and drug testing for all safety-sensitive positions. Suncor
has informed its suppliers that it will be implementing the program
in the first quarter of 2019 at all of its work sites in the
Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. Contractors working at
Suncor facilities are required to implement random testing at the
same time.
From previous litigation between Unifor and Suncor, it was clear
that Suncor had gathered substantial evidence showing a problem
with alcohol and drug use at its workplaces. That has been
considered by the courts to be a necessary precondition before an
owner can implement random testing programs.
