Drug Testing News
Unions To Fight For Sacked Non-Unionised Flight-Attendant.
From Airline Industry Information, Jan 12, 2000
Two flights attendants unions have taken up the case of a non-unionised
flight attendant at Delta Air Lines who was fired after the airline
alleged she provided a `substitute` urine sample during a random drug
test. Yasuko Ishikawa has denied the allegation, saying that she was
mostly vegetarian, weighed less than 100 pounds and had drunk a lot
of water before the sample, which she maintains was legitimate. Ishikawa
also said that a test she got done privately after the incident was
also `dilute,` (showed low levels of creatinine, the metabolite found
in urine) like the one taken by Delta Air Lines and did not show any
signs of drugs. Ishikawa`s case has now been taken up by both the Association
of Flight Attendants and the Transport Workers Union of America, which
are each trying to organise the carrier`s 20,000 flight attendants.
Both unions claim Ishikawa`s plight highlights the vulnerability of
non-union employees, and point to a similar case at another airline
where the worker was able to resume work after submitting another sample.
Delta Air Lines has said that the carrier had to take a strong line
on the issue in order to ensure passenger safety, but admitted that
Ishikawa had not been given an opportunity to resubmit, nor was the
sample actually tested for drugs.
Copyright 2000, M2 Communications Ltd.
