Tyson Foods has reached an accommodation with the unions representing most of its unionized workforce that will allow its vaccine mandate to go forward.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union and the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union, which between them represent about 80% of Tyson’s unionized workers, have agreed to go along with a requirement that all Tyson workers receive a COVID vaccine by Nov. 1. In return, Tyson will provide up to 20 hours of paid sick leave a year for vaccinated workers starting in 2022.
Tyson announced the vaccine policy early in August, recognizing that it would have to negotiate the matter with the unions that represent about 31,000 of its workers in the U.S. The company claims that more than 30,000 employees have been vaccinated since it announced the requirement.
“These measures are the latest examples of our ongoing efforts to make Tyson the most sought-after place to work, while reinforcing the importance of team members’ health and safety,” Johanna Söderström, Tyson’s executive vice president and chief human resources officer, said in a statement.
