Union challenging LIRR marijuana policy after two workers tested positive
Imran Ansari
Friday, June 23, 2023
A Long Island Rail Road union is fighting to overturn the LIRR's zero-tolerance employee marijuana policy, which it says violates state law allowing recreational pot use and unjustly cost two veteran electricians their jobs.
The allegations are included in a $6 million federal lawsuit filed by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and one of the former employees, Ronald Dolginko, 60, who tested positive for marijuana metabolites in December 2021, upon returning to work after taking time off to recover from a heart attack.
The LIRR defended its pot policy as prioritizing safety and has dismissed the claims as “meritless.”