An arbitrator has upheld the firing of a railway worker who fled from work after being told to submit to a post-incident drug and alcohol test.
“Employees should have great policies and be purposeful in using them, and this case really shows that that works sometimes,” says Dylan Snowdon, a labour and employment lawyer at Carbert Waite in Calgary.
The worker was a conductor and yard service employee for Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway (CPR) in Calgary, hired in 2003. Her position was considered “safety-critical.” She had a 30-day suspension and other instances of discipline on her record.
