American Airlines leaders told employees Friday that they will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to remain employed due to the White House mandate for federal contractors.
In a letter to employees, the company said that because of its agreements with the U.S. government, the company will have to abide by the White House’s vaccine mandate for all federal contractors and “that all of American’s U.S.-based team members and certain international crew members [must] be vaccinated, without the provision of a regular testing alternative.
“While we are still working through the details of the federal requirements, it is clear that team members who choose to remain unvaccinated will not be able to work at American Airlines,” said the letter from CEO Doug Parker and president Robert Isom.
The letter came just hours after conversations between White House officials and airline officials who have not yet committed to a vaccine requirement for employees, according to a report from Reuters. A spokesman for Dallas-based Southwest Airlines confirmed the call with the White House on Friday.
American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines have resisted a companywide mandate for vaccines and have instead opted for cash and vacation time incentives to encourage employees to get inoculated.
But on Friday, both JetBlue and Alaska Airlines issued similar statements to employees. Earlier this week, Chicago-based United said that it would have to fire about 250 employees after its deadline to submit vaccine verification had passed. About 99% of its employees had either submitted verification or applied for a religious or personal exemption.
In the memo, American Airlines said employees would be able to apply for a waiver due to “a disability or sincerely held religious beliefs.”
“We have consistently advocated that all American Airlines team members — and all eligible individuals around the world — should get vaccinated, and we appreciate the tens of thousands of team members who did so during our incentive program,” American’s memo said. “For those colleagues who did not, we realize this federal mandate may be difficult, but it is what is required of our company, and we will comply.”
The White House issued a mandate in early September that all federal contractors would need to have all of employees vaccinated or apply for an exemption. The Biden administration also said that companies with more than 100 employees could face fines of $14,500 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for every instance of an unvaccinated employee.
But many companies have been waiting for more guidance from the government, or possibly to see whether a court challenge would overturn the mandate.
At the time the rule was announced, both American and Southwest said they would comply with any federal rules.
American Airlines has contracts with the federal government, including Department of Defense cargo contracts, participation in the Civil Reserve Air Fleet Program and the City Pair Program, which gives discounted airfares to federal employees between certain markets.
In a memo to employees earlier this week, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said the company is “waiting to learn more about President Biden’s COVID Action Plan,” although he said that he did not believe it was up to him as CEO to mandate vaccines.
“So, while I do not believe I have the right to mandate people to be vaccinated, the government does — they have the legal authority to mandate vaccinations,” Kelly wrote. “Individual liberties don’t trump the greater good, and that precedent was established more than a century ago.
“So we at Southwest Airlines may be compelled by federal law to require employees to be vaccinated, and we will be prepared for that,” Kelly said.
