Having suffered a bad injury to my back I can understand the pain. I was on hydrocodene (sp?) and the like for about a year. I was out of work due to the injury but had I been working and they fired me over it I gurantee I would have sued (although, in a no fault state like Ohio doubtful I would win). I can see reassigning duties, could not have driven a forklift or flown a plane, but firing seems out of line.
But then some might argue his company could fire him anyway for anything on anyday, so I am not sure it matters ;)
Talk to your union rep. ;^)
As far as I know, a crippling addiction to pain-killers is a prerequisite to being allowed on the fork-lifts. That's the UAW way, anyway, at least according to my mom, dad, brother, two sisters, uncle, next door neighbor and his family...