At this morning's meeting of Metro's internal Bus Operations Subcommittee meeting, employees announced that they received emails this morning telling them that Metro is requiring all employees to receive COVID-19 vaccinations by November 1. See meeting video, with vaccination discussion starting at minute 17.
LA Metro’s Bus Operations Subcommittee meeting today: Metro will require all employees to be vaccinated by Nov. 1. Union is opposed. Currently in discussions with unions and developing procedures, including medical/religious exemptions and whether mandate applies to contractors. pic.twitter.com/tSWCimNQJb
— numble (@numble) September 21, 2021
According to the conversation at the meeting, details are being worked out for exemptions for medical or religious reasons. Metro is currently in discussions with its unions, with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) pushing back against the November 1 deadline. It is not yet clear how the require applies to contract workers.
Operations representatives at the meeting questioned how the new mandate might impact transit operations, especially if it leads to staff being put on leave at a time "when we already have a manpower shortage." Metro is currently hiring bus operators to bring staffing back up to pre-COVID service levels; full service restoration is due to be completed this month.
The city of L.A., which operates its own DASH and Commuter Express buses, already requires all employees to be vaccinated by early October, though a small number of police and fire employees have sued to prevent the city from enforcing the rule.
