One day after hundreds of Southwest Airlines employees protested outside the carrier's Dallas headquarters against the company's pending Covid-19 vaccine mandate, the company has caved.
According to CNBC, the airline has scrapped a plan to place unvaxxed employees who have applied for - but not yet received a religious or medical exemption, on unpaid leave starting Dec. 8.
In recent days, executives for both Southwest and American urged employees to apply for exemptions if they can't get vaccinated for a legitimate medical - or sincerely held religious belief.
It’s the second Monday in October and it feels like another dam is breaking. Southwest pilots and FAA traffic controllers walked off the job this weekend, protesting injection mandates and creating aerial chaos with literally thousands of flights canceled. Will Biden fire them all like Reagan did in the 80’s?
Even though there’s more news today than lies in a CDC press conference, a lot of folks are facing imminent injection ultimatum deadlines. Should they resign? Take the jabs? Try to sue? What to do? Today I’m offering suggestions to all those folks who are facing reprehensible employment policies that treat them like cattle. Send to everyone who needs to see this.
Southwest Airlines’ headquarters in Dallas to protest against the mandate. "My body, my choice”
Other airlines aren't deviating. United Airlines - which has a 96% vaccination rate among staff, instituted a vaccine mandate in August - one month before the Biden administration issued the Dec. 8 guidance for federal contractors. The company informed staff that they would be placed on unpaid leave if they received exemptions. Several employees sued the company over the decision, and a Ft. Worth, Texas judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the airline from moving forward with its plan.
American Airlines CEO Doug Parker, meanwhile, met with labor union leaders last Thursday to discuss how to move forward. Airline management "indicated that, unlike the approach taken by United, they were exploring accommodations that would allow employees to continue to work," according to a Monday note by the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, the union that represents American’s mainline cabin crews. "They failed to offer any specifics as to what such accommodations might look like at that time."
DALLAS- John, a pilot for Southwest Airlines shares an important message on behalf of employees:
— Sav (@RapidFire_Pod) October 18, 2021
‘No medical tyranny should be allowed at Southwest Airlines. Our slogan is freedom, yet our executive management is trying to take away our freedoms of choice’ pic.twitter.com/fq4isEnZwq
