Big three auto workers who live or work in Detroit are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine after availability was expanded to include those who work in manufacturing.
That will mean that at least 8,000 union members employed by Stellantis will be able to get their vaccines, according to the Detroit Free Press. That will include workers who commute into the city to work but don’t live there.
“Manufacturing requires large numbers of employees to work in relatively close proximity to each other day after day,” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said. “So we felt it was important to prioritize them as a group to protect them, the public and our economy.”
The rollout will start with employees at two Jeep plants in Detroit and workers at the TCF Center downtown. The vaccine will also become available to people who work at Ford and GM plants, provided they either live or work in Detroit.
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“If you live in the city, but work in Dearborn or Warren — or no matter where you live, but you work in Detroit — all you have to do is call the number (313-230-0505) and get your vaccine in a matter of days,” Duggan said.
In a show of solidarity, UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada publicly got her vaccine injection on Tuesday at a press event. “I am choosing today to get the vaccine and I hope all the UAW workers who feel comfortable with it will get the vaccine as well at the TCF Center,” Estrada said.
The city is using both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, though it has significantly more of the latter. Workers at Stellantis’ two Detroit plants will be contacted directly.
“This is only a start,” Estrada said. “We continue to work with the companies’ local, state, and federal health officials to secure vaccines for all working families that want to receive them.”
