A federal district court in Massachusetts recently issued a decision that serves as a good reminder to employers to review their policies related to employee drug or alcohol use both on and off duty and ensure they are consistently applied. While the case involved a unionized employer, even nonunion employers should review the decision because it may help protect them from liability.
Arbitrator’s Award
Colonial Wholesale Beverage (a beer and wine distributor) and the union representing some of its employees were parties to a collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Under the agreement, the company needed “just cause” to terminate union members.
