Disney reaches deal with union leaders on vaccine

Mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for unionized employees.

By Annabelle Sikes
| 10:00 a.m. August 24, 2021

West Orange Times & Observer
News

On Monday, Aug. 23, Walt Disney World announced a reached agreement with the Service Trades Council Union to require all of its unionized employees working in Florida to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Disney employees must be vaccinated by Oct. 22, 2021.

The announcement came shortly after the United States Food and Drug Administration moved to grant full approval to Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine.

“Vaccines are safe, effective, and free,” the union said in a memo to members Monday. “As of today, the Pfizer vaccine is FDA approved and is being offered by the company. Getting vaccinated is the best way for workers to protect themselves from this deadly virus.”

Although employees will be able to request medical or religious exemptions, those who do not comply with the new requirements will be “separated from the company with a ‘yes’ rehire status,” according to STCU.

Disney plans to hold several on-site vaccine events for employees over the next several weeks.

author

Annabelle Sikes

News Editor Annabelle Sikes was born in Boca Raton and moved to Orlando in 2018 to attend the University of Central Florida. She graduated from UCF in May 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in sociology. Her past journalism experiences include serving as a web producer at the Orlando Sentinel, a reporter at The Community Paper, managing editor for NSM Today, digital manager at Centric Magazine and as an intern for the Orlando Weekly.