PORTLAND – A large wine cellar in Oregon has notified workers that they must provide proof that they received the COVID-19 vaccine by May 20th.
While most employers in Oregon have the legal right to demand that their employees be vaccinated, it appears that very few people want to do so. Oregon Public Broadcasting has reported that King Estate Winery is among the first to do so.
King Estate Winery is on more than a thousand acres outside Eugene. Brent Stone, chief operating officer, said it was like a small town with about 70 employees and workers working close together on bottling lines. He said that concerns about workplace safety and the prevention of a virus outbreak are behind the vaccine requirement.
“It comes from a very good place in our minds,” Stone said. “It’s really meant to be supportive and by no means punishable.”
Stone said King Estate offered on-site vaccination clinics and an extra holiday as an incentive, with paid sick time for vaccine recovery. During the pandemic, weekly food pantries were available to workers and the winery increased its minimum wage to $ 15 per hour.
Liz Tippet, an associate professor at the University of Oregon, said employers can require their workers to get the vaccine, with some exemptions. But she expects most will not go that far. It is also in people’s interest to get the vaccine, especially those who interact a lot with others in the workplace, she added.
– The Associated Press