10.02.21 – COVID-19 Vaccine Update #1

Saturday, October 2, 2021

Yesterday, American announced that all employees will be required to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, in accordance the recently announced Executive Orders.

American Airlines is both a Federal Contractor and an employer with more than 100 employees. However, it has been determined that the prevailing order for American Airlines is the Federal Employee/Contractor order.

Why is this significant? Because the Federal Employee/Contractor order does not allow weekly testing as an alternative to the vaccine. That means that all American Airlines employees will now be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Employees who cannot be vaccinated due to a qualified medical disability or deeply held religious belief may request a reasonable accommodation.

While APFA believes vaccination is our best defense against illness or death from COVID-19, we fully recognize that some of our members have very strong concerns or beliefs regarding the COVID-19 vaccination. While being vaccinated is not open to negotiation with management, we will make sure the company abides by the Executive Orders and the applicable reasonable accommodation provisions. It is important to know, however, that reasonable accommodation does not necessarily mean you will be allowed to continue working without receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, as we have seen at other carriers and in other industries.

We will share more details as they become available.

In Solidarity,