Spirit joins Textron in suspending Jan. 4 COVID-19 vaccination deadline for workers

Spirit AeroSystems and Textron Aviation have both suspended the Jan. 4 COVID-19 vaccine deadline for their workers.

The actions come after a federal judge in Georgia issued a nationwide injunction Tuesday against President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate for federal contractors, saying the president was likely overstepping his authority.

Spirit and Textron, Wichita’s two largest employers, cited the decision as their reason for suspending the mandate, which would put both manufacturers at risk of losing employees who refused to be inoculated against the virus.

“Lawsuits challenging the vaccine mandate for federal contractors and subcontractors will continue,” Spirit said in a Thursday statement. “As further decisions are made by courts, Spirit will comply with applicable vaccine requirement(s) for employees. In the meantime, we encourage our employees get the vaccine, or booster shots as they become eligible.”

In a Wednesday statement, Textron said it has “been working in good faith to ensure compliance with the order.” The company said if Biden’s executive order is upheld, it “will reinstate the vaccine requirements of the mandate.”

On Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki promised that the Justice Department will “vigorously defend” the order in court.

Wichita’s machinist union, IAMAW District Lodge 70, which represents both Textron and Spirit employees, has been highly critical of the federal mandate.

Union President Cornell Beard, who compared the vaccine mandate to the Holocaust during a legislative hearing in October, did not immediately return a call Thursday afternoon.

This story was originally published December 9, 2021 at 4:52 PM.