Current, Former Southwest Airlines Workers Protest COVID-19 Vaccination Mandates At HQ – CBS Dallas / Fort Worth
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Current and former Southwest Airlines employees gathered on Monday October 18 to protest recent COVID-19 vaccination regulations.
They gathered to celebrate “medical freedom” at the airline’s headquarters in Dallas.
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Chopper 11 flew over the group of hundreds of people holding signs saying “End the mandate”, “Freedom instead of violence” and “No job search”.
Southwest set its deadline for the first week of October under a federal vaccination mandate for employees of companies that have contracts with the US government. However, workers can apply for medical or religious exemptions.
Other major airlines – United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines – have announced they will obey President Biden’s order that workers must get the shots.
The protest follows the massive cancellations last week that left tens of thousands of passengers stranded.
In an online post, company president Mike Van de Ven expressed his regret over what happened. “Let me begin with our sincere apologies to everyone whose journey has been disrupted by these events,” said Van de Ven. “We’re really sorry.”
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Van de Ven said that initially bad weather, which stalled the airline’s operations in Florida for hours, caused the cancellations.
“As a result, our planes and crews were not in their pre-planned positions to carry out our flight schedule on Saturday,” said Van de Ven. “Unfortunately, the misplaced aircraft and crew resources led to additional cancellations …
Despite social media reports that airline employees staged a vaccination mandate, Van de Ven said the weekend’s challenges weren’t due to unusual employee activity.
“Our employees worked heroically amid these adverse conditions, and many came on days off or flew extra trips to help the airline recover,” said Van de Ven. “I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation for your tireless efforts and commitment.”
There is also pressure for all passengers to be vaccinated, but airlines have so far refused to go that far.
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As of October 30, those who want to fly in Canada must have at least one dose of the vaccine, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.
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