Detroit’s Big Three carmakers have mandated vaccines in Canada

On Thursday, the Big Three carmakers out of Detroit each issued statements that COVID-19 vaccines would become mandatory for any employees, contractors, or visitors to their facilities in Canada. The decision is supported by Unifor president Jerry Dias, and while there are details remaining to be disclosed, the vaccine mandate is to be imposed during the 2021 calendar year.

In their statement, GM Canada said, “We are joining many other companies, from multiple sectors, supporting public-health initiatives to increase vaccination rates and further reduce the impact of COVID-19 across Canada. Vaccination has been shown to be effective in reducing the transmission of the virus as well as reducing the health impacts if a vaccinated person does contract the virus.”

General Motors will implement the mandated vaccine policy by December 12 and said that “exemptions and accommodations will be rare” and determined case by case.

Stellantis’ facility in Windsor, ON will similarly implement a mandate. Their statement advocates vaccination and says, “In the best interest of employee health and safety, effective December 17, 2021, the company will require all employees, contractors, service provider workers, and visitors at Stellantis sites in Canada to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to entering a Stellantis facility, as recommended by the Ministry of Health and Provincial Health Officer.”

Ford’s Canadian facilities will also be subject to a vaccine mandate, although an implementation date has not yet been specified.

None of the statements issued on Thursday details the consequences that unvaccinated staff face when the policies go into effect.

Supported by union

The union that represents autoworkers in Canada for the Big Three carmakers, Unifor, is supportive of the vaccine mandate. Unifor President Jerry Dias has unwaveringly been behind inoculations that are proven to help prevent the spread of the virus as well as serious outcomes from the associated disease.

Dias said those who refuse to get vaccinated “may be putting their jobs at risk”.

“If they in fact refuse, and they are terminated, an arbitrator may very well uphold the termination,” Dias said. “Workers need to know that.

“I’m not a labor leader who says, ‘tell the company to go pound salt and we’ll fight it and you’re good and blah blah blah.’ At the end of the day…if they get terminated, I don’t want any member coming to me and saying ‘hey, you told me I’m good and now I’m fired.’”

In a previous conference on September 27, Unifor union leaders discussed the validity of mandated vaccines. Unifor’s Secretary-Treasurer Lana Payne said, “To be clear, vaccine mandates are but one tool that must be implemented to keep everyone safe and finally end this pandemic.

“Our union remains committed to all the other measures, including raising awareness and increasing prevention measures in all of our spaces in society, including our workplaces.”

US vaccination policy unchanged…for now

Currently, vaccines are strongly encouraged among carmakers in the US, but there are no mandates in place. That’s set to change if the Biden administration’s policy goes into effect. That would require any workers at employers with 100+ staff to be either fully vaccinated or take a test with negative results at least once per week. Significant fines could be levied of up to $14,000 per violation.

That policy is still being ironed out. When it goes into effect, it would affect not just carmakers, but many dealerships and groups as well.

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