Reasonable Suspicion Testing All Employees Performing Safety-Sensitive Functions
A. Reasonable suspicion testing for alcohol or controlled substances may be directed by the Employer for any employee performing safety-sensitive functions when there is reason to suspect that alcohol or controlled substance use may be adversely affecting the employee’s job performance or that the employee may present a danger to the physical safety of the employee or another.
B. Specific objective grounds must be stated in writing that support the reasonable suspicion. Examples of specific objective grounds include but are not limited to:
1. Physical symptoms consistent with alcohol and/or controlled substance use;
2. Evidence or observation of alcohol or controlled substance use, possession, sale, or delivery; or
3. The occurrence of an accident(s) where a trained manager, supervisor or lead worker suspects alcohol or other controlled substance use may have been a factor.
Reasonable Suspicion a. Reasonable suspicion to test a Covered Employees for illegal drugs or alcohol will exist when specific, reliable objective facts and circumstances would create a good faith belief in a prudent person that the employee has used a drug or alcohol. Such circumstances include, but are not limited to, the employee’s behavior or appearance while on any SFMTA jobsite, while on SFMTA business or in SFMTA facilities, and recognized and accepted symptoms of intoxication or impairment caused by drugs or alcohol, that are not reasonably explained by other causes such as fatigue, lack of sleep, proper use of prescription drugs, or reaction to noxious fumes or smoke.
b. Any individual or employee can report an employee who may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Upon receiving a report of possible alcohol or illegal drugs on the job, two (2) trained employer representatives will verify and document the basis for the suspicion and request testing. The first employer representative shall verify and document the employee’s appearance and behavior based on the above-stated indicators and, if appropriate, recommend testing to the second employer representative. At work locations within the border of the City and County of San Francisco (including San Francisco International Airport), the second employer representative shall verify and document the appearance and behavior of the employee based on the above-stated indicators and has final authority to require the employee to be tested. At work locations outside the border of the City and County of San Francisco, the second employer representative shall confer with the first employer representative to verify the employee’s behavior based on the above-stated indicators, and the second employer representative has the final authority to require the employee to be tested. In the event only one trained employer representative is available onsite, the representative shall confer with any other trained employer representative within the City to verify the employee’s behavior. The second trained employer representative shall have the final authority to require the employee to be tested.
c. If the SFMTA requires an employee to be tested under reasonable suspicion, then the employee may ask for representation. Representation may include, but is not limited to, union representatives and shop stewards. If the employee requests representation, the SFMTA may allow a reasonable amount (a maximum of one hour) of time for the employee to obtain representation. Such request shall not delay the administration of the tests for more than one hour from the time the employee is notified that the employee will be tested.
d. Moreover, if the SFMTA has reasonable suspicion or suspect that a prescription medication may have interfered with or may have had a direct impact on an employee’s job performance, it may require that employee to be tested.
e. The department representative(s) shall be required to accurately document and file the incident and the employee shall be required to complete a consent form prior to any testing. If an employee refuses to Submit to testing, then the SFMTA shall treat the refusal as having tested positive and shall immediately take appropriate disciplinary action pursuant to the attached discipline matrix.
f. The SFMTA shall bear the costs for any required testing for alcohol and/or drugs under this section. Any counseling and rehabilitation services shall be on the employee’s time and at the employee’s cost, except that employees may use accrued paid time off to attend treatment and may utilize any resources covered by insurance. Employees shall have the right to use any accrued but unused leave balances while enrolled in any counseling or rehabilitation program. Any request by an employee to re-test a specimen shall be at the employee’s cost.
Workplace Violence Prevention and Crisis Response (applicable to any Party and any subcontractors and sub-grantees whose employees or other service providers deliver social or mental health services directly to individual recipients of such services): Party shall establish a written workplace violence prevention and crisis response policy meeting the requirements of Act 109 (2016), 33 VSA §8201(b), for the benefit of employees delivering direct social or mental health services. Party shall, in preparing its policy, consult with the guidelines promulgated by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Services Workers, as those guidelines may from time to time be amended. Party, through its violence protection and crisis response committee, shall evaluate the efficacy of its policy, and update the policy as appropriate, at least annually. The policy and any written evaluations thereof shall be provided to employees delivering direct social or mental health services. Party will ensure that any subcontractor and sub-grantee who hires employees (or contracts with service providers) who deliver social or mental health services directly to individual recipients of such services, complies with all requirements of this Section.
Incident Event and Communications Management a. Incident Management/Notification of Breach - DST shall develop, implement and maintain an incident response plan that specifies actions to be taken when DST or one of its subcontractors suspects or detects that a party has gained material unauthorized access to Fund Data or systems or applications containing any Fund Data (the “Response Plan”). Such Response Plan shall include the following:
i. Escalation Procedures - An escalation procedure that includes notification to senior managers and appropriate reporting to regulatory and law enforcement agencies. This procedure shall provide for reporting of incidents that compromise the confidentiality of Fund Data (including backed up data) to Fund via telephone or email (and provide a confirmatory notice in writing as soon as practicable); provided that the foregoing notice obligation is excused for such period of time as DST is prohibited by law, rule, regulation or other governmental authority from notifying Fund.
ii. Incident Reporting - DST will use commercially reasonable efforts to promptly furnish to Fund information that DST has regarding the general circumstances and extent of such unauthorized access to the Fund Data.
Reporting of Non-Force Majeure Events Each Party (the “Notifying Party”) shall notify the other Parties when the Notifying Party becomes aware of its inability to comply with the provisions of this Agreement for a reason other than a Force Majeure event. The Parties agree to cooperate with each other and provide necessary information regarding such inability to comply, including the date, duration, reason for the inability to comply, and corrective actions taken or planned to be taken with respect to such inability to comply. Notwithstanding the foregoing, notification, cooperation or information provided under this Article shall not entitle the Party receiving such notification to allege a cause for anticipatory breach of this Agreement.
Substance Abuse Testing The Parties agree that it is in the best interest of all concerned to promote a safe working environment. The Union has no objection to pre-employment substance abuse testing when required by the Employer and further, the Union has no objection to voluntary substance abuse testing to qualify for employment on projects when required by a project owner. The cost and scheduling of such testing shall be paid for and arranged by the Employer. The Union agrees to reimburse the Employer for any failed pre-access Alcohol and Drug test costs.
Disease Management If you have a chronic condition such as asthma, coronary heart disease, diabetes, congestive heart failure, and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, we’re here to help. Our tools and information can help you manage your condition and improve your health. You may also be eligible to receive help through our care coordination program. This voluntary program is available at no additional cost you. To learn more about disease management, please call (000) 000-0000 or 0-000-000-0000. Our entire contract with you consists of this agreement and our contract with your employer. Your ID card will identify you as a member when you receive the healthcare services covered under this agreement. By presenting your ID card to receive covered healthcare services, you are agreeing to abide by the rules and obligations of this agreement. Your eligibility for benefits is determined under the provisions of this agreement. Your right to appeal and take action is described in Appeals in Section 5. This agreement describes the benefits, exclusions, conditions and limitations provided under your plan. It shall be construed under and shall be governed by the applicable laws and regulations of the State of Rhode Island and federal law as amended from time to time. It replaces any agreement previously issued to you. If this agreement changes, an amendment or new agreement will be provided.
Radiation Therapy/Chemotherapy Services This plan covers chemotherapy and radiation services. This plan covers respiratory therapy services. When respiratory services are provided in your home, as part of a home care program, durable medical equipment, supplies, and oxygen are covered as a durable medical equipment service.
Accident Prevention Health and Safety Committee (a) The Employer and the Union agree that they mutually desire to maintain standards of safety and health in the workplace in order to prevent accidents, injury and illness.
(b) Recognizing its responsibilities under the applicable legislation, the Employer agrees to accept as a member of its Accident Prevention – Health & Safety Committee at least three (3) representatives, one from each base, selected or appointed by the Union from amongst bargaining unit employees. At any time where a vote is required, an equal number of representatives from each side shall be entitled to vote.
(c) Such Committee shall identify potential dangers and hazards, institute means of improving health and safety programs and recommend actions to be taken to improve conditions related to safety and health.
(d) The Employee agrees to co-operate reasonably in providing necessary information to enable the Committee to fulfill its functions.
(e) Meetings shall be held quarterly or more frequently at the call of the Chair if required. The Committee shall maintain minutes of all meetings and make the same available for review.
(f) Any representative appointed or select in accordance with (b) hereof shall serve a term of one (1) calendar year from the date of appointment which may be renewed for further periods of one (1) year. The Union will encourage its representative(s) to serve at least one (1) year. Time off for such representative(s) to attend meetings of the Accident Prevention – Health & Safety Committee in accordance with the foregoing shall be granted and time so spent attending such meetings shall be deemed to be work time for which the representative(s) shall be paid by the Employer at his regular or premium rate as may be applicable.
(g) The Union agrees to endeavour to obtain the full co-operation of its membership in the observation of all safety rules and practices.
(h) Pregnant employees may request to be transferred from their current duties if, in the professional opinion of the employee’s physician, the pregnancy may be at risk. If such a transfer is not feasible, the pregnant employee, if she so requests, will be granted an unpaid leave of absence before commencement of the maternity leave referred to in Article 16.04
SAVINGS/FORCE MAJEURE A Force Majeure occurrence is an event or effect that cannot be reasonably anticipated or controlled and is not due to the negligence or willful misconduct of the affected party. Force Majeure includes, but is not limited to, acts of God, acts of war, acts of public enemies, terrorism, strikes, fires, explosions, actions of the elements, floods, or other similar causes beyond the control of the Contractor or the Commissioner in the performance of the Contract where non- performance, by exercise of reasonable diligence, cannot be prevented. The affected party shall provide the other party with written notice of any Force Majeure occurrence as soon as the delay is known and provide the other party with a written contingency plan to address the Force Majeure occurrence, including, but not limited to, specificity on quantities of materials, tooling, people, and other resources that will need to be redirected to another facility and the process of redirecting them. Furthermore, the affected party shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to resume proper performance within an appropriate period of time. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Force Majeure condition continues beyond thirty (30) days, the Parties shall jointly decide on an appropriate course of action that will permit fulfillment of the Parties’ objectives hereunder. The Contractor agrees that in the event of a delay or failure of performance by the Contractor, under the Contract due to a Force Majeure occurrence:
a. The Commissioner may purchase from other sources (without recourse to and by the Contractor for the costs and expenses thereof) to replace all or part of the Products which are the subject of the delay, which purchases may be deducted from the Contract quantities without penalty or liability to the State, or
b. The Contractor will make commercially reasonable efforts to provide Authorized Users with access to Products first in order to fulfill orders placed before the Force Majeure event occurred. The Commissioner agrees that Authorized Users shall accept allocated performance or deliveries during the occurrence of the Force Majeure event. Neither the Contractor nor the Commissioner shall be liable to the other for any delay in or failure of performance under the Contract due to a Force Majeure occurrence. Any such delay in or failure of performance shall not constitute default or give rise to any liability for damages. The existence of such causes of such delay or failure shall extend the period for performance to such extent as determined by the Contractor and the Commissioner to be necessary to enable complete performance by the Contractor if reasonable diligence is exercised after the cause of delay or failure has been removed. Notwithstanding the above, at the discretion of the Commissioner where the delay or failure will significantly impair the value of the Contract to the State or to Authorized Users, the Commissioner may terminate the Contract or the portion thereof which is subject to delays, and thereby discharge any unexecuted portion of the Contract or the relative part thereof. In addition, the Commissioner reserves the right, in his/her sole discretion, to make an equitable adjustment in the Contract terms and/or pricing should extreme and unforeseen volatility in the marketplace affect pricing or the availability of supply. "Extreme and unforeseen volatility in the marketplace" is defined as market circumstances which meet the following criteria: (i) the volatility is due to causes outside the control of Contractor; (ii) the volatility affects the marketplace or industry, not just the particular Contract source of supply; (iii) the effect on pricing or availability of supply is substantial; and (iv) the volatility so affects Contractor's performance that continued performance of the Contract would result in a substantial loss. Failure of the Contractor to agree to any adjustment shall be a dispute under the Disputes clause; provided however, that nothing in this clause shall excuse the Contractor from performing in accordance with the Contract as changed.
