“TCU strongly encourages all of our members – and all Americans – to get vaccinated. This virus has caused so much damage and death already, and with new variants spreading quickly, the most effective path forward is for everyone to get vaccinated.
As the largest union on Amtrak, representing many different customer-facing crafts, our members have an obligation to each other, as well as the riding public, to make our services as safe as possible. And the only way to achieve that is if those that can get vaccinated, do get vaccinated.
However, TCU will continue to defend our members if Amtrak violates our agreement, as well as those who chose not to get vaccinated due to their religious beliefs, or if they have a preexisting health condition that makes getting vaccinated a high risk.
I want to be clear: the union has been advised that employers have a legal right to mandate employees get vaccinated. But even if employers don’t issue mandates, getting vaccinated is the right thing to do.”
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About TCU: The Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM) is primarily a railroad union representing 35,000 employees in the clerical, carmen, supervisory and other crafts. TCU members work for our nation’s freight railroads, commuter carriers, transit systems, and we are the largest union on Amtrak, representing almost half of the railroad’s unionized workforce. TCU is a merged affiliate of the IAMAW, having completed the merger in 2012.
Contact: Kevin Gifford, TCU Communications Director, giffordk@tcunion.org