American Airways delays vaccine mandate deadline till 2022 after Biden shifts deadline

American Airways is delaying the implementation of guidelines that require all employees to be vaccinated in opposition to Covid-19 till Jan. 4, hours after the Biden administration postponed its deadline for federal contractors to fulfill the necessities.

Beforehand, American Airways’ greater than 100,000 mainline workers needed to obtain their final Covid vaccine shot by Nov. 24, if getting a two-shot vaccine, as a way to to be absolutely vaccinated by Dec. 8, the previous deadline.

“Given this growth, all U.S. group members and Latin America-based crew members have till Jan. 4, 2022 to submit proof of vaccination or a request for lodging,” CEO Doug Parker and American’s president, Robert Isom, wrote in an worker memo. The airline can be extending its provide of an additional trip day and a $50 price of firm incentives to Jan. 4.

Southwest Airways and different carriers are more likely to comply with go well with.

Each of these airways have confronted opposition from pilots’ labor unions and another workers in opposition to the mandate. Airline executives on the carriers have urged employees to use for exemptions as a way to meet the vaccination deadline, which beforehand fell the day earlier than Thanksgiving. The executives stated they did not anticipate the mandate to impression vacation journey, however the brand new deadline offers them extra time to conform.

The union that represents American Airways’ pilots wrote to Biden administration officers and lawmakers in September warning the 60-day implementation interval might trigger labor shortages and flight disruptions. The union additionally sought different to the mandate akin to common Covid testing. “We’re happy to see there’s extra time to grapple with this gorgeous consequential govt order,” stated Allied Pilots Affiliation spokesman and American Airways captain Dennis Tajer, after the extension of the federal contractor deadline was introduced. He stated that the union continues to be requesting that the administration give “severe consideration” to an everyday testing different, in keeping with the OSHA guidelines.

American, Southwest, Alaska Airways and JetBlue Airways, are federal contractors, carrying U.S. mail, authorities workers, cargo and offering different providers. Every of these airways have stated they’d adjust to the Biden administration’s guidelines, launched in September, that require federal contractors to make sure their workers are vaccinated or obtain an exemption.

The foundations are stricter than the vaccine necessities the Biden administration launched on Thursday for non-contractor corporations with greater than 100 workers, which permit for workers to be examined repeatedly as an alternative of getting vaccinated.

United Airways issued its personal mandate in the summertime that required employees to be vaccinated, obtain an exemption or face termination. The Chicago-based airline says that greater than 96% of its U.S. workers are vaccinated.

Delta Air Traces says that some 90% of its U.S. employees is vaccinated. The corporate did not situation a mandate however this month began charging unvaccinated workers $200 extra a month for firm medical insurance.