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Florida Union Opposes Drug Tests And Physical Exams
St. Petersburg Times
When people call 9-1-1 for help, they expect emergency responders to be physically and mentally ready to perform all tasks the call requires. But when it comes to St. Petersburg firefighters, residents may wonder. The fire union opposes Mayor Bill Foster's demand that firefighters submit to random drug tests and yearly physical exams. Those are reasonable requirements that would be in the best interest of firefighters and the public.
The issue is preventing the union and city from reaching accord on a new contract, with only days remaining on the current contract. Foster said firefighters shouldn't fear the drug testing "unless they have something to hide." He wants the physicals done to ensure that firefighters won't "stroke out" during a rescue or while fighting a fire. St. Petersburg police agreed to the both drug testing and physicals.
The city's current fire union contract allows drug testing only when supervisors see signs the employee is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. But those aren't always easy to see. And it is important that firefighter/paramedics, who have access to powerful drugs at work, know they could be tested at any point.
The current union contract also provides for mandatory physicals, but firefighters have found a way to avoid them. They refuse to sign the release of liability that medical providers now require any time they are going to disseminate patient information. City officials say they don't get employees' medical information, just a notice that the firefighter is or isn't fit for duty. But doctors have refused to perform the exams when patients won't sign the form.
And an arbitrator ruled the city can't discipline firefighters who won't sign, thus providing a loophole for those who want to avoid exams.
A union official said firefighters are suspicious the city could obtain medical information to use against them in workers' compensation cases.
The union's concerns can be overcome. They don't trump the need to ensure that firefighters, for their own sake and the public's, are fit for the job. And city firefighters should not be treated differently from police officers.
Related
St. Petersburg firefighters should have drug tests and physicals
Copyright 2010 Times Publishing Company
All Rights Reserved
September 27, 2010
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by 26qt9wtniuicw on
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This is absurd they want to save lives but they don’t want to make the public at ease that they are in a just mind while doing it. I don’t say that they do alcohol or drug but at least with this agreement in place it will limit firefighter from taking them when on call or on duty and this could spell the success or failure of an operation. I hope that our government won’t wait until drug related problem within the fire fighter organization pose a problem before putting an iron fist on this.
With regards to privacy issue I believe it should end when in their hand lay the life of others.
Thanks
Florida Drug Testing
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Permalink Reply by Gregory Borg on
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Doug, you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. And when you you make stupid ass statements like the one above it makes you look like an asshat.
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Permalink Reply by Vic Silverfish on
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Lutan - on the one hand, you are absolutely correct: Unions have ruined industry and created a mob of entitled, expensive, invulnerable workers. Look at the US steel, auto, or manufacturing industry.
On the other hand, Unions provide a voice for worker skills, promote safety, provide better benefits (remember, in the US health-care is through your employer). Look at the coal miners we keep on killing in the US.
It cuts both ways. Unions server a purpose, but they also can (and often do) go too far.
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Permalink Reply by lutan1 on
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Yeah, I can't argue with either you or John. I'm just dirty because I've been on the receiving end when I've been representing them. It's hard to not lump them all in together....
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Permalink Reply by Tony P on
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Speaking about ptivacy issues, I thik you're taking them a bit too far. You are "Florida Drug Testing", with a profile of:
"Profile Information.
Years in Fire/EMS:
0
Relationship Status:
Married
Primary Fire/EMS Department:
N/A
Department Type:
N/A
Primary Rank/Role
Other
Additional Ranks/Roles
Other
Years With Department/Agency
0"
Not enough there for me to take any notice of what you say. Too scared to write anything at all are you? And scared of what, exactly?
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Not often that I disabree with you Luke, but on this I do.
Do all unions 'do the right thing'? No way, I've seen power hungry unions at work.
Do all employers 'do the right thing'? Also no way. And unions can often be the only way that a little person, otherwise known as 'the employee', can get fair play and justice. You can only bargain from a position of equal power - in the majority of cases the employee has little or no power.
I was a union member for most of my working career. Once, and once only, did we take action against the employer, and that because they would not talk to us at all. The union turned out to be useless and the employer went it's own merry way and screwed us. I was in the computer world at that time, not exactly a union job.
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Lutan, you do not do it with religion so why with unions? You seem to be a fair guy. The IAFF has done wonders for the US fire service, bringing us from low wage earners that worked ridiculous hours. It supports training and professional standards. For the most part unions are no different than business, some good some with problems, look at all the employers that mistreat and abuse their employees,the working guys has only two options quit or join a union. Easy decision.
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Who are you "Florida Drug Testing"? Sounds like you make money off of the drug testing of others?
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You are correct John, we have had to address this several times in negotiations. The City never wanted to give us what we asked for to accept their drug testing proposal, one of which was to be able to pick your station assignment by seniority. Sounded like a fair trade that would cost them nothing but control over us. They said no, so we said no. So they can move our assignments but can't drug test us without cause. Goofy huh? During my time as union president we had several employees that had drug/drinking issues. Four out of 300 over 9 years. One came to the city said I have a problem, went to rehab, all is well with him. The other three were caught in an intoxicated/compromised state at work. None of them work here anymore. One retired the other two were fired, with the unions agreement I might add. The union does not want drunks/drug users at work anymore than the city or citizens do.
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Permalink Reply by FETC on
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Like I mentioned before, this is all about negotiating verbage and not about protecting or hiding someone. This is the process and the media will twist the story for shock/awe. Like the title of the article. If you read the article they are not opposing the physicals themselves, they are concerned over the way the results are disseminated. That is far from actually not wanting physicals / drug testing.
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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Ben:
As promised, this is straight from a drug screen result.
Integrity Checks Acceptable Range
Creatinine >20 mg/dL
Specific Gravity 1.003 – 1.020
pH 4.5 – 8.9
Oxidizing Adulterants
Substance Initial Test Level Confirm Test Level
Amphetamines 1000 ng/mL 500 ng/mL
Barbiturates 300 ng/mL 200 ng/mL
Benzodiazepines 300 ng/mL 200 ng/mL
Cocaine Metabolites 300 ng/mL 150 ng/mL
Marijuana Metabolites 50 ng/mL 15 ng/mL
Methadone 300 ng/mL 200 ng/mL
Methaqualone 300 ng/mL 200 ng/mL
Opiates 2000 ng/mL 2000 ng/mL
Phencyclidine 25 ng/mL 25 ng/mL
Propoxyphene 300 ng/mL 200 ng/mL
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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The specific gravity rules out someone diluting the sample with an adulterant. Unless I'm missing something, it doesn't rule out metabolites from opiate precursors like poppy seeds.
A poppy seed bagel eaten this morning may have exactly the same concentration of opiate metabolite as an opiate taken a few days ago.
A weak opiate derivative with a long half-life introduced into the blood stream last night may have exactly the same concentration as a much stronger opiate derivative with a short half-life taken a few days ago.
That can still lead to false positives.
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