Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis will introduce mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies at facilities in Canada, despite the Unifor union recently requesting a delay in the rollout of such mandates.
Unifor National president Jerry Dias recently told Auto News Canada that while the union is in favor of vaccination policies, it has concerns with long-time employees who could be terminated if they choose not to be vaccinated.
“We, frankly, do not agree that somehow we can have a senior employee, a senior member, a person of 25 years [who] has had an unblemished record for 25 years, and they may end up being terminated.”
Read More: Stellantis and GM Announce Vaccine Mandates For Canadian Workers
The union’s national office recently sent letters to Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis highlighting their concerns about staff being required to be vaccinated or face possible termination. Despite this, the three automakers are pushing forward with their original timelines to mandate vaccination. General Motors will be the first to implement a vaccine mandate from December 12 and be followed by Stellantis on December 17 and Ford on January 3, 2022.
Members of the Local 707 union were informed earlier this week that the bargaining committee was holding discussions with Ford about its policy.
“We believe that the company has the opportunity to implement a reasonable policy that includes alternatives that can fulfill their obligations to provide a safe workplace for all their employees,” the committee said in an update provided to members.
GM confirmed to Auto News that it too had received a letter from the union about the mandate but was not delaying its implementation.
“Our team is committed to implementing a fair and reasonable approach when the policy takes effect,” the automaker said in a statement.
