Kohler Company suspends its vaccine mandate for UAW Local 833 union members
SHEBOYGAN - Kohler has agreed to suspend its vaccine mandate for all United Auto Workers Local No. 833 associates employed at the company.
UAW Local 833 filed a grievance against Kohler, stating the company violated the collective bargaining agreement and the National Labor Relations Act when it announced all employees had to receive their final vaccine shots by Dec. 17.
A collective bargaining agreement is a written legal contract between an employer and a union representing the employees regarding wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment.
The National Labor Relations Act is the policy of the United States to encourage collective bargaining by protecting workers' full freedom of association, as stated on the website.
UAW Local 833 demanded the COVID-19 vaccine mandate be revoked for all union members.
Wednesday afternoon, Kohler agreed to suspend the mandate as applied to UAW bargaining unit associates, the news release said.
The suspension does not apply to employees that are not UAW associates.
A meeting between Kohler and UAW Local 833 is expected to happen in the upcoming days to discuss the vaccine mandate and any possible solutions for both the company and its employees.
"We're planning on trying to resolve some of the other issues during that," said Tim Tayloe, president of UAW Local 833. "Hopefully, within the next couple of weeks, right after the first of the year, we can start meeting up."
No UAW associates will face termination or suspension of any kind, effective Jan. 1, for not receiving the vaccine by the deadline. If the program becomes effective toward UAW associates at a later date, they will be notified in advance.
Reach Jelissa Burns at 920-226-4241 or jburns1@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @burns_jelissa or on Instagram at burns_jelissa.
This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Kohler Co. suspends vaccine mandate for UAW Local 833 union members
