average 160-pound person within an hour on an empty stomach generally result in a blood alcohol level of 0.05 percent-one part of alcohol in every 2,000 parts of blood. Scientific studies have revealed that even these small amounts limit coordination and increase a person's risk of becoming involved in a traffic or household accident. This often comes as a surprise to people being tested, since many feel more capable and mentally alert than they did before drinking.

The mere fact that a person consumes alcoholic beverages, even heavily, does not classify him as an alcoholic. Alcoholism is an illness or disease that results in the uncontrolled drinking of alcoholic beverages. Alcoholics are persons who cannot control their drinking and because of this illness, problems develop that affect their family, union, employer and finally themselves.

The importance of the problem of alcoholism cannot be overemphasized. There are approximately 100 million persons in this country who drink. Many are heavy drinkers yet only one (1) in ten (10) becomes a problem drinker or an alcoholic. Unfortunately there is no sure way to sort out likely victims and forewarn them. Alcoholism may take hold suddenly after the first few drinks or grow insidiously over years of social drinking. It can be found among the rich, the poor, the smart, the dumb, believers and atheists alike, though the rate may vary from one group to another. Most alcoholics incidentally, are not down-and-outers (skid row accounts for less than 5%) but average people desperately trying to ignore their problems or hide them from other people. Alcoholism cannot be cured, it can be

arrested and its victims restored to useful lives. That's what makes a program so important to our union and membership.

DEVELOPING A PROGRAM

Developing an alcoholism program need not be a complex undertaking. However, there are some key elements that are necessary if the program is to be successful. These elements are outlined below and will be expanded in detail.

A. A Statement of Policy as a contrac-
tual agreement between employer
and union

The Statement of Policy outlines the parties' intentions as to how the program will be conducted. This statement can be written by the company, the union, or preferably by the parties jointly. In order to protect

the members' rights, the statement should contain the following:

Acknowledgment that alcoholism is an
illness which is treatable and will be given
the same consideration as any other ill-
ness, with the emphasis on rehabilitation,
not elimination of the employee.

Assurance that neither the company nor
the union is concerned with social drink-
ing.

Assurance that the employee will not be
disciplined for having this illness. That
job performance is the only criteria for
referral to the program (except for volun-
tary self-referrals).

Assurance that entering the program will
not affect the member's future promo-
tional opportunities or job security.

Assurance that the best available treat-
ment will be offered through established
benefit plans and health insurance cover-
age.

Assurance that all records and discussion
will remain confidential.

SUGGESTED STATEMENT OF POLICY

The union and the company recognize that alcoholism is an illness and that recovery is both possible and probable. Experience in many large companies has shown that a large percentage, as high as 80%, of employees having alcoholism can achieve successful treatment. It is expected that the company and union's recognition of alcoholism as an illness will encourage

employees to seek diagnosis and, when indicated, follow through with prescribed treatment.

The company and the union intend that the same careful consideration now given employees having other illnesses will be extended to employees having alcoholism.

The company's concern with alcohol is strictly limited to its effects on the employee's performance on the job. It is not concerned with social drinking. It will be the responsibility of all to accept and implement this policy, and to follow the procedures that assure that no employee with alcoholism will have his job security or promotional opportunities jeopardized by his acceptance of diagnosis and treatment.

U

MANAG

ME

A joint labor-management program will be established for the purpose of helping the individual with this disease to recover.

should be the responsibility of a trained individual jointly agreed upon in advance by both labor and management.

An individual's participation in an alcoholism program will remain confidential; medical records, if any, will be protected in the same confidential manner as all other medical records, and will not be released by the doctor or medical department without written permission from the individual.

IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION

In order to achieve maximum effectiveness from an alcoholism program, the administrators (by whatever title) should be selected with equal representation from management and from the union, and should be allowed sufficient time without loss of pay to perform their program duties.

This insures that the program will operate with full participation and not merely token cooperation of the parties involved. We realize, of course, that any management wishing to do so may try to handle a program for alcoholic employees with little or no help from the union.

But experience has shown that the union's participation may very well spell the difference between success or