Employer's Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy Deemed Reasonable

In a recent labour arbitration award, United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Canada, Local 333 and Paragon Protection Ltd.,¹ Arbitrator Von Veh confirmed that an employer's mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy was a reasonable exercise of management rights.

Background Facts

The employer, a security services company, employs approximately 4400 unionized security guards in Ontario. Out of the approximately 450 client sites employing the employer's bargaining unit members, a majority had mandatory vaccination policies in place which required contract employees, including security personnel, to be fully vaccinated in order to work or remain working at such sites. The remaining client sites indicated to the employer that mandatory vaccination policies were forthcoming.