United Airlines imposes covid vaccines on its employees

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A United executive said he was not considering a similar rule for passengers, and that such a requirement would be a government decision.

United said that while they have had discussions with their unions over the new rules, they have not reached a deal with them.

The airline’s two largest unions – the Association of Flight Attendants and the Air Line Pilots Association – both issued statements to their members on Friday suggesting the unions would accept the mandate. The Flight Attendants Union said 80% of its members are vaccinated, while the Pilots Union said over 90% for its members.

“Experts agree, vaccination is our best defense against Covid-19 and the spread of damage,” indicates the opinion of the union of flight attendants to its members. “We have seen a noticeable increase in positive tests over the past two weeks, [the] the majority of whom are unvaccinated flight attendants, although some infectious infections have been recorded. “

The pilots’ union statement was more cautious, saying it believed the mandate “warrants further negotiations to ensure our safety, well-being and bargaining rights are maintained.” The group also said it believed recent court rulings suggest that “the employer’s tenure would be considered legal” if challenged in court.

The airline has set a deadline for the end of October for employees to prove their vaccine status and said it could move forward sooner if a vaccine receives full federal approval sooner. Any employee who refuses to present proof of vaccination will be terminated.

“We know that some of you will not agree”

United said the October deadline was driven by a sense of urgency to protect its employees, their families and customers. He cited statistics which show that although there has been an increase in Covid cases among those who are vaccinated, those who have received any of the vaccines are much less likely to need hospitalization or to be die from the recent outbreak of the disease.

A United spokesperson said the airline would consider employees who have health or religious reasons not to be vaccinated on a case-by-case basis, and those employees will be required to wear masks at all times.

“We know some of you will not agree with this decision to require the vaccine for all United employees,” the airline said in an email to staff. “But, we have no greater responsibility to you and your coworkers than keeping you safe while you are at work, and the facts are crystal clear: everyone is safer when everyone is vaccinated. “

More companies are demanding vaccines for workers, but some unions could slow the effort

United is also offering an extra day’s pay to most employees who provide proof of vaccination by mid-September. The salary does not apply to United pilots and flight attendants who already have a union-negotiated incentive to get vaccinated.

“In the past 16 months, [CEO Scott Kirby] sent dozens of letters of condolence to family members of United employees who died from Covid-19. We are determined to do all we can to try to prevent another United family from receiving this letter, “the United employees advisory told us.” Together we will do our part to defeat this virus. “

Growing number of companies imposing mandates

United has been requiring vaccines for new employees since mid-June. But these new employees are not yet part of the unions that represent most airline employees.

United had 80,000 employees as of June 30, according to a company file, and 85% are represented by unions. After heavy job cuts during the pandemic, United and other airlines have hired this summer to deal with the surge in leisure travel and the hoped-for rebound in business travel this fall.
Employer requirements for vaccines are becoming common. Other companies that have announced similar measures for some or all of their employees include Google (GOOG), Disney (SAY), Facebook (FB), Goldman Sachs (SG), Morgan stanley (MRS), Netflix (NFLX), Tyson Foods (TSN) and Walmart (WMT), the largest private sector employer in the country.

Walmart requires proof of vaccination only for company employees, not for employees in its stores. And some of these employers, such as tech companies and banks, have few unionized workers.

Some of the other companies with vaccine mandates, like Tyson and Disney, are negotiating their mandates with their unions.

Labor law covering the private sector generally requires that changes in the working conditions of the employees represented be achieved through collective agreements. And some unions, while urging their members to get vaccinated, have opposed vaccination mandates as a condition of employment.

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