Arbitrator upholds Hydro's COVID vaccine policy for employees
In reaching his decision, arbitrator Gabriel Somjen noted that in imposing the vaccine mandate, Hydro’s senior management knew that they would be making what the CEO described as the most difficult decision of their careers.
Somjen noted that throughout the pandemic, industrial camps were identified by public health authorities as an area of concern, both for the risk of potential outbreaks as well as the strain such outbreaks could put on health officials having to respond to remote camps.Article content Hydro’s roughly 6,600 employees were asked to get their first dose by Nov. 22 and be fully vaccinated by Jan. 10 or face being put on unpaid leave.
It raised several arguments, including that Hydro did not need to take the step of requiring vaccination because the measures it had taken to that point were effective and there was low workplace transmission. A total of 229 IBEW members testified positive from March 1, 2021 to Jan. 18 this year. Another 52 employees tested positive between Jan. 19 and Feb. 9.