After a drunken ship captain wrecked an oil tanker and caused one of
the worst oil spills in modern history, costing Exxon $5 billion in
punitive damages, Exxon responded with tough new drug and alcohol
standards for employees in safety-sensitive jobs. The company is now
facing 107 lawsuits by employees claiming discrimination against
alcoholics and drug users.
A Labor Department judge declared: "Public perception of the
Valdez incident as having been caused by a recovering alcoholic does
not justify discrimination against all recovering alcoholics."
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