Unions are Helping Essential Workers Get Coronavirus Vaccine
Recently the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that almost 130 million people 18 or older have received at least one dose of a vaccine, or 50.4% of the total adult population. Almost 84 million adults, or about 32.5% of the population, have been fully vaccinated. As more Americans are getting vaccinated it has been harder for frontline workers to obtain an appointment for vaccination, However, Washington-based unions, along with other unions across the country, have stepped up and are helping janitors, health care, transportation and airport workers get COVID-19 vaccines. For employers, vaccinations are a critical step in restoring normalcy at a time when they expect people to start requesting more of their services as more people get vaccinated. They are also confident that employees who initially did not have enough confidence in the vaccine will change their minds when they see their coworkers receiving it. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 6 held a clinic this month to help frontline workers get vaccinated.
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 6 hosted a clinic this month to help frontline workers get vaccinated. The union partnered with Discovery Health to offer more vaccine clinics during the weekends. Assisting workers with the vaccine removes obstacles, including transportation problems or avoiding a myriad of websites to make an appointment. All of this aid would help reduce the racial and socioeconomic differences that have appeared in the country's vaccination campaign. Union leaders said it was important to help frontline workers get the COVID-19 vaccine so they can be protected.
Mike Guzman, a custodian, said he will do anything to protect himself from the situations he had to deal with in 2020. Guzman said he is glad to get halfway vaccinated, but wished he had the opportunity “a long time ago, in the beginning.”
Sources: Associated Press, CMM Online