By Michael Elkins
Stellantis (NYSE:STLA), the parent company to car makers Chrysler and Dodge, announced on Monday that local Canadian Union 444, representing the workers at the automaker's Windsor and Brampton factories, has voted to end the company’s mandatory vaccine policy. The policy was put in place in October of last year.
While the arbitrator ruled the policy was reasonable when put in place, and remains reasonable, new variants of COVID-19 and other factors make the policy unreasonable.
The arbitrator has now ruled that Stellantis’ mandatory vaccine policy will have to end, and Local president Dave Cassidy said in a video message to members that the union would be working with the company on a return to work plan for those who have not been able to work because they had not been vaccinated.
Stellantis' spokeswoman LouAnn Gosselin said in a statement the company takes seriously its obligation to provide a safe working environment for its more than 9,000 employees in Canada and is carefully reviewing the decision before deciding next steps.