U.S. labor unions divided over 'complex problem' of vaccine mandates for workers

COVID-19 vaccine mandates: Unions divided over 'complex problem' for organized labor Unions are increasingly willing to support vaccine mandates but also insistent that they help shape implementation, as the Delta variant continues to drive a wave of infections. But some labor groups remain opposed. Max Zahn YahooNews

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some unions, including a host of labor groups that represent first responders, remain opposed to vaccine mandates, exposing a divide in organized labor over how to balance its bedrock commitment to a safe workplace with the anti-vaccination sentiment felt among a segment of workers.'

Tensions between workers and their employers over vaccination will likely become a fixture of the U.S. workplace in the coming months. A majority of companies plan to impose a vaccine mandate, according to a survey conducted last month by consulting and insurance firm Willis Towers Watson of 1,000 firms that employ a total of almost 10 million workers.

“​​This is one of the most complex problems that unions have faced possibly in my lifetime,” says Susan Schurman, a professor of labor studies and employment relations at the Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations. “Because there is so much diversity among their members in terms of how they are thinking about this.”  ...