Article content

Suncor faces “profound problems” with drugs and alcohol at its oilsands operations, including accidents, injuries and death, according to documents filed to support the company’s push for increased testing.

The energy giant wants to start random drug and alcohol testing Friday in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB), more than five years after Unifor local 707A won an injunction putting the proposed program on hold until an arbitration board’s decision.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Booze, drugs involved in 73 oilsands safety incidents since 2013, Suncor says Back to video

Although the board sided with the union, a judge later overturned the ruling, a verdict upheld in September by the Alberta Court of Appeal, which ordered a new arbitration hearing.

Unifor, which is seeking leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, will ask for another injunction Thursday, but Suncor argues in court documents there has been 73 safety incidents in the last four years where workers tested positive for drugs or alcohol.