Walt Disney World will now require its unionized employees, as well as salaried and non-union workers, to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to keep their theme park jobs in Florida.
The deal was reached Monday with a union coalition shortly after the Pfizer vaccine got full approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It requires workers to show proof of vaccination before October 22 to remain employed, although they can request exemptions for medical or religious reasons, according to a union statement.
Any employee who does not comply and does not request an exemption will be “separated from the company with a ‘yes’ rehire status,” according to the Service Trades Council Union. Before the layoffs and leave due to the pandemic, the coalition covered about 43,000 of the 77,000 Disney World workers.
Disney announced last month that all non-union salaried and hourly employees should receive the vaccine within 60 days. The company also asked all employees who worked from home to show proof of vaccination before returning to work.
The company will hold workplace vaccination events for its employees in the coming weeks, according to the union’s statement.