Amtrak exploring 'new opportunities' to cover worker shortage due to vaccine mandate
Between 3 and 5% of employees were not vaccinated as of Dec. 9
Fox Business Flash top headlines for December 10
Check out what's clicking on FoxBusiness.com.
Amtrak will look for "new opportunities" to cover the loss of employees due to the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate, which will force the transit company to close a number of routes in 2022 despite receiving around $66 billion from the government’s infrastructure bill.
Amtrak president Stephen Gardner testified before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, claiming that the vaccine mandate will force the company to cut services in order to comply.
"We anticipate that we will not initially have enough employees to operate all the trains we are currently operating when the federal mandate takes effect," Gardner said of the Jan. 4 start date. "This will likely necessitate temporary frequency reductions, primarily for our long-distance services."
An Amtrak worker walks next to an Amtrak train during a station stop on Dec. 9, 2021, in Fullerton, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images / Getty Images)
The cuts will mainly affect long-distance routes, Gardner claimed, adding that the company will work with customers to rebook trips as necessary.
"At some of these crew bases across our network, we have a relatively high percentage of unvaccinated employees," Gardner explained. "If those employees chose to not get vaccinated by the deadline, we will not have sufficient trained staff to support current service frequency."
In this Oct. 5, 2021, file photo a healthcare worker fills a syringe with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File / AP Images)
Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams could not confirm to FOX Business which routes would feel the impact of these closures, but said the company would announce the service reductions "later this month."
WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO SHORE UP AMERICA'S TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
"While this has been an incredibly difficult decision, we must remain vigilant in our commitment to keep employees and customers safe," Abrams said.
Biden delivers remarks on infrastructure at the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority in Kansas City, Missouri, Dec. 8, 2021. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
Abrams explained that the company could report 95% of active employees are fully vaccinated or have received a form of accommodation, with that number expected to rise to 97% in the next few weeks. Amtrak has around 18,000 employees, which means cutting between 500 and 1,000 employees due to the mandate.
The company has partnered with trade schools and universities to look for "new opportunities."
"We have been working on recruitment/outreach diversification strategies and preparing a ‘Women in Engineering’ LinkedIn campaign that ties into the Amtrak career page," Abrams explained.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Abrams also noted that the $66 billion in federal funding should help the company "eventually" restore full service and allow the company to expand service to "new communities across the country."
FOX Business' Brie Stimson and Hillary Vaughn contributed to this report.