Chrysler and Dodge maker Stellantis NV must end its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for Canadian employees after an arbitrator determined the policy is now unreasonable because of waning efficacy against the omicron variant.
The decision issued Saturday has the potential to affect more than 300 employees who have been placed on unpaid leave since January for being unvaccinated or declining to disclose their vaccination status, according to the arbitrator's decision.
After Stellantis announced the requirement for employees and visitors at its Canadian facilities in October alongside General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co., it implemented it starting Dec. 17 after discussions with the Canadian autoworkers union Unifor. Unifor Local 444 and Local 1285, which represent employees making the Chrysler Pacifica minivan at Windsor Assembly Plant and Dodge muscle cars and Chrysler 300 sedan at Brampton Assembly Plant in Ontario, respectively, filed a grievance over the policy.
