Port Authority Warns Losing 500 Unvaccinated Employees Will Significantly Disrupt Service
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Port Authority said riders may need to find another way to get around if more than 500 unvaccinated employees don't follow the vaccine mandate.
After an Allegheny County Common Pleas judge denied the employee union's request to defy the mandate, the Port Authority said in a news release that it may be unable to deliver up to 20% of its scheduled service for the next several weeks.
About 80% of the Port Authority's 2,700 employees are vaccinated, including every worker hired since October. Those who are unvaccinated have until March 16 to get the shot or they'll be held off with pay until their disciplinary hearings the next week.
The Port Authority warns of significant delays and a large number of missed trips if the unvaccinated employees don't comply with the mandate. Riders are encouraged to use TrueTime to track trips.
"Enforcing the vaccine requirement is the best way for us to keep our riders, employees, and all our families safe," CEO Katharine Kelleman said in a news release. "We understand this may leave us temporarily shorthanded, but at the end of the day, this is the right thing to (do)."