Major US Airline Says 'Get Vaccinated or Get Terminated'
As the delta variant continues to roil Americans’ plans for a grand reopening of our nation, (not to mention “delta-plus” and “lambda” right behind it), we continue to face pressure from all corners of society on the subject of vaccines.
The current vaccination rate in this country is stagnant, having hit the wall of folks who simply don’t want to be inoculated, many of whom cite the “emergency use authorization” of the jabs as a reason.
But one major US employer isn’t concerned with their employees concerns. Â Instead, they are issuing a stern ultimatum.Â
In May, Delta Air Lines announced it would require new hires to get the COVID-19 vaccine. In June, United Airlines followed suit. Now, the latter is taking it a step further, mandating that all of its 67,000 US employees, from pilots and flight attendants to gate agents, get vaccinated. It’s the first major domestic carrier to do so, reports CNBC. Employees will have to have been fully vaccinated five weeks after the FDA gives full approval to a vaccine or by Oct. 25, whichever comes first. Those who show proof of having done so before Sept. 20 may even receive an extra day’s pay.
And if they don’t?
Those employees who don’t have proof of vaccination by the deadline will be fired. A company rep tells CNN Businessthat United will not mandate vaccinations for travelers and that such a decision should be left to the government.
The airline industry is already in quite the bind, with a vast number of flights being canceled weekly, often on account of staffing issues. Â This latest maneuver certainly won’t help with that.
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