The Vancouver Sun reports in its Thursday edition that with only six weeks to go before smoking pot becomes legal, bus drivers have no idea how the new law will affect their jobs. The Sun's Joanne Lee-Young writes that TransLink's Chris Bryan said that while the transit provider was drafting a policy to prepare for the Oct. 17 legalization date, there were no further details to share.
"Canadian law does not support random testing unless an employer can demonstrate a 'general problem' with use or abuse of alcohol or drugs in their workplace," Mr. Bryan said in a statement.
He said TransLink and its subsidiaries have no such 'general problem' that would justify random testing of employees and that TransLink has drug- and alcohol-free workplace policies, "which are enforced."
He added SkyTrain and Coast Mountain Bus Company do not conduct random tests, but employees can be tested for drug and alcohol use in specific circumstances.
Steve Sutherland, president of Unifor Local 111, which represents drivers for TransLink's bus operations, said: "We don't know yet what testing there will be. We don't know yet of any kind of cannabis-testing that will work." Toronto has been randomly testing for cannabis since May, 2017.
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