Stellantis pulls COVID-19 vaccine mandate for salaried workers

Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press
·1 min read
Chrysler-parent Stellantis plans to open an EV battery plant in Windsor with South Korea's LG Energy Solution.

Stellantis will no longer require its U.S. salaried workforce to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.

But the automaker, which owns the Jeep, Ram, Chrysler and Dodge brands, said most of its 14,000 U.S. salaried workers are already vaccinated or have gotten an exemption. UAW-represented Stellantis workers did not face a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

"Due to the tremendous support and response we have received to the vaccine requirement — with more than 97% of our U.S. salaried non-represented workforce in compliance or with an approved exemption — the company has decided to suspend the full implementation of the vaccine mandate," according to a statement provided by spokeswoman Jodi Tinson.

The company's decision to pull the vaccine requirement follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling earlier this month blocking the Biden administration's vaccine requirement for large employers. Despite the ruling, some companies have maintained vaccine mandates.

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When Stellantis announced the mandate for salaried workers in November, it said they would need to have a final dose by Jan. 5.

Tinson said there has been no change to the company's vaccine mandate for its Canadian workers.

The company said it still supports employees getting vaccinated.

"We continue to encourage all employees to get vaccinated and, when eligible, boosted as the most effective way to prevent serious COVID-19 illness. We will continue to monitor the situation and the guidance of public health authorities to make any modifications necessary to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect our workforce," according to the company statement.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence. Become a subscriber.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Stellantis pulls COVID-19 vaccine mandate for salaried workers