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Pittsburgh Drug Testing Argument Continues For Fire Fighters and City Safety Officials

Pittsburgh Drug Testing for Firefighters has hit another impasse as the city of Pittsburgh and the Firefighters Union can not find middle ground. Funding for the drug testing and further legal issues are delaying the implementation of a Pittsburgh Drug Testing program.

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has exclaimed, "Enough is enough in the fire department... These individuals have it seems like almost weekly been involved in drug activity and alcohol activity... The union has dragged their feet, to be quite honest with you, in coming to this agreement."

Joe King, President of the Firefighters Union, International Association of Firefighters Local 1 recently was quoted in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, "Now they tell me, well, we don't have the money to do the testing of everybody right now."

Public Safety Director Michael Huss said, "testing all 630-some firefighters could take more than a month, but the city is prepared to do it, and then to implement random tests."

Both sides agreed to drug testing in October 2009 and still no agreement is in place.
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