Worker gets job back after drug-test problem

A paper mill worker got his job back after being fired for failing an improperly administered drug test, according to a recent decision by the state Bureau of Mediation Services. Justin Briggs, a worker for Boise Cascade in International Falls, was told to submit a urine sample after a paper roll slid off a forklift he was driving, the report stated. Briggs repeatedly told the company he takes a prescription narcotic for knee pain after getting off work, the report noted. The test showed Briggs had ingested a slightly different narcotic, but a state arbitrator concluded that Briggs "clearly believed" he was taking the prescribed medication and didn't intentionally take a drug for which he had no prescription. Both narcotics are commonly prescribed pain relievers. Read the full report here.