United Airlines CEO says he wants to make COVID-19 vaccine mandatory

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United CEO Scott Kirby says he plans to make COVID-19 vaccine mandatory among staff

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby announced he supported a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for all employees and said other companies should follow suit.

Kirby spoke at a public employee meeting on Thursday where he informed staff that he is strongly considering the move.

‘The worst thing I think I will ever do in my career is the letters I wrote to the surviving family members of colleagues we have lost to the coronavirus,’ he said. , according to a transcript obtained by CNBC.

“ And so, for me, because I have confidence in the safety of the vaccine – and I admit it’s controversial – I think the right thing to do is for United Airlines, and for other companies, d ” require vaccines and make them compulsory. “.

Legally, private U.S. companies can require their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, but this is unlikely due to the risks of legal and cultural backlash, experts have said.

A United Airlines attendant is pictured during in-flight duty amid the coronavirus pandemic, when workers and passengers have been required to wear masks as aircraft cleaning requirements become more stringent

CAN MY EMPLOYER GET ME TAKEN THE SHOT?

U.S. employers can legally require their workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

It’s likely, however, that most will make firing optional, according to labor attorneys.

While employers may require vaccination, there are exceptions and variations depending on the case and jurisdiction – meaning that imposing a mandatory policy can present a difficult and time-consuming legal challenge for employers.

And lawyers also say employers are likely to steer clear of a tenure because in many cases they could be held responsible if an employee experiences an adverse reaction.

Workers also have the right to object to mandatory vaccinations under anti-discrimination laws such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which allows employees to be exempted if this goes against the law. a “sincere religious belief”.

Personal or ethical objections or personal anti-vaccination positions are not covered by this law.

People with medical disabilities can also apply for an exemption under the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA.

If you use the ADA to request an exemption from an employer’s tenure, a worker is required to prove that they have a health condition that makes them unsafe to get the vaccine.

Meanwhile, Kirby’s remarks are the first time a major US carrier has announced plans to make firing mandatory for staff.

Rival US and Southwest airlines have so far only strongly encouraged their employees to get vaccinated.

The latest Pew Research poll shows that 60% of Americans say they would definitely or likely get a coronavirus vaccine if it were available today.

This was up from 51% who said the same thing in September. However, about four in ten still say they definitely would not or probably not get a vaccine.

A United spokeswoman confirmed in a statement Friday that the company is considering making vaccines mandatory, although that is not yet a policy.

“If others are okay with it and are ready to start pushing vaccines, you should probably expect United to be part of the first wave of companies doing it,” Kirby told employees.

“ I don’t think United will get away with it and can realistically be the only company to demand vaccines and make them mandatory.

“We need a few more. We need a few more to show leadership. In particular in the health sector, ”he added.

United Airlines was America’s largest operator of international flights before the pandemic thwarted travel around the world and effectively crippled the airline industry.

At the end of 2020, United had more than 60,000 active employees in the United States. It has since issued recall notices to 17,000 workers who had been laid off earlier in the year.

When it comes to vaccines, employees can potentially object to mandatory vaccines by requesting an exemption under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Companies are still in the early stages of accessing and distributing vaccines against the virus, but inoculation is seen as the key to safely resuming operations in crowded warehouses, factory lines and sales areas.

Southwest Airlines announced on Thursday that it will vaccinate its employees against COVID-19 for free once a vaccine becomes widely available in the United States, but has not yet disclosed its intention to make it mandatory.

The airline said its employees were strongly encouraged to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We have teams working to identify third parties who can deliver vaccines to our employees as soon as they are able to do so – possibly during later phases of the vaccine deployment plan,” Southwest said in a statement. .

The vaccines are paid for by the federal government and administrative costs will be covered for employees in the Southwest as part of its health plans, the company said.

United is among US airlines actively lobbying the new Biden administration to reopen borders to people who test negative for COVID-19 before travel or who have been vaccinated.

President Joe Biden has indicated that he plans to maintain the ban on most travelers from Europe and Brazil and to require quarantine for all international air passengers arriving in the United States. , but he acted quickly on Thursday to fight the COVID-19 pandemic with measures to expand testing and vaccinations and increase mask wear.

A man receives the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at a Connecticut hospital on Friday. The CEO of United Airlines said such beatings should be compulsory among workers.

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