CTA to require employees receive COVID-19 vaccination
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) employees have until Oct. 25, 2021, to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 the authority said on Friday.
CTA joins a growing list of Canadian and U.S. transit providers that will require employees be fully vaccinated against the virus and the news follows the city of Chicago requiring employees be vaccinated by Oct. 15.
Employees who do not provide proof of their vaccination status by Oct. 25 “will face discipline in accordance with the CTA disciplinary guidelines.” CTA says employees can be approved for a health or religious exemption if proper documentation is provided by Oct. 25.
CTA worked closely with the city, Chicago Department of Public Health and Capsule (a pharmacy) to launch vaccinations at various CTA work locations starting in late February. While CTA does not currently track employee vaccination status, it says it will seek an accurate count of employee vaccinations as it moves forward with the vaccination mandate.
According to the Illinois Department of Health, 55 percent of Chicago’s population is fully vaccinated. The entire state of Illinois is rated as high transmission risk with each county producing a seven-day total new cases per 100,000 greater than 100. Although Cook County, where Chicago is located, had the second lowest in the state at 150.71 cases per 100,000.
“From the onset of the pandemic, the CTA has been an essential service provider for the city of Chicago, and our number one priority has been and always will be the health and well-being of our employees and customers,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “In order for us to continue safely serving the Chicago area, it is now time for the remainder of our workforce to join the nearly 200 million Americans who are fully-vaccinated to help fight off these variants and protect our loved ones and others who cannot be vaccinated.”
CTA’s nearly 11,000 employees will join their transit peers working for New Orleans Regional Transit Authority, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority employees in the U.S., as well as Metrolinx and Toronto Transit Commission employees in Canada, in the requirement to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
