Tyson Foods Inc.’s decision Tuesday to require Covid-19 vaccinations for its entire U.S. workforce drew pushback from some union leaders, signaling tensions between management and workers over stepped-up efforts to guard against the disease.
The Arkansas-based company’s target, which includes both processing plant and corporate office workers, is partly subject to discussions with labor unions that represent around one-third of the company’s hourly workers, Tyson officials said.
The company said it would offer a $200 bonus to its front-line workers as an incentive, though some union leaders pushed back, saying U.S. regulators hadn’t yet fully approved the vaccines.
Chief Executive Donnie King said the effort is the best way to protect the health of Tyson’s 120,000-person U.S. workforce as more contagious variants of Covid-19 drive infections higher across the country.
“We did not take this decision lightly,” Mr. King wrote in a memo to employees. “We have spent months encouraging our team members to get vaccinated—today, under half of our team members are.”
