A health worker wears personal protective equipment (PPE) during a United Airlines Covid-19 test pilot program at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, USA, on Monday, November 16, 2020.
Angus Mordant | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The CEO of United Airlines wants Covid-19 vaccines to be mandatory for employees and is encouraging other companies to do the same.
It is a position that differs from what some other operators and companies have recently said. United had more than 60,000 active employees in the United States by the end of 2020 and has sent notice of withdrawal to about 17,000 more workers whose jobs were cut last year.
“The worst thing I think I’ll do in my career is the letters I’ve written to surviving family members of co-workers we’ve lost against coronavirus,” CEO Scott Kirby told an employee council on Thursday. of which was reviewed by CNBC. “And so, for me, because I have confidence in the safety of the vaccine – and I recognize that it’s controversial – I think the right thing to do is for United Airlines and other companies to require the vaccines and make them mandatory.”
Kirby acknowledged the logistical challenges of vaccinating staff.
Airline employees are considered essential workers and are one of the first groups to receive vaccines. But deployment so far has been slow and chaotic, with the nation chasing targets.
“I don’t think United will get away with it and may really be the only company that requires vaccines and makes them mandatory,” he said. “We need others. We need others to show leadership. Particularly in the healthcare industry.”
In the staff note, he was said to be working with government officials and health care providers to establish vaccine distribution centers in some of his large centers.
Southwest Airlines said last week that it “currently” does not require employees to receive vaccines against Covid-19, but strongly encouraged staff to do so.
American Airlines has a similar approach, telling employees last week that “we have no plans to require our team members to receive the vaccine unless, in the end, vaccinations are required to enter certain destinations.”
United told employees in a staff note this week that they should be vaccinated as soon as possible and not wait for the airline’s guidance.
Some companies are trying to convince workers to get the vaccine by offering an extra salary. Yogurt and food company Chobani said it will offer employees of its manufacturing plants and offices up to six hours of paid time to get the two vaccines.
So far, some retailers such as Aldi, Lidl and Dollar General have announced similar plans to offer an additional paycheck. Aldi said he would also like to open on-site vaccination clinics in his warehouses and offices to make it easier for workers to get victims and remove obstacles to getting child care or finding transportation.