SEATTLE, Wash. – A union says the Port of Seattle’s vaccine mandate is leaving a security gap at Sea-Tac Airport during the busy Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
The Port required every employee to be fully vaccinated by November 15th but some waited to start the process.
As a result, a Teamsters local says Port Police are already down 17 officers and 10 traffic support specialists.
There are concerns that TSA will also be short as the federal vaccine mandate kicked in Monday, November 22nd.
The union wants the port to allow officers who’ve received one shot and are waiting for their second shot to come back to work.
It says the safety of its other officers and the public are being left at risk.
In a press release, the Port of Seattle says the vaccine mandate is important to ensure the safety of the public and Port employees.
They also say they’ve developed a continuity plan to mitigate the impact the mandate may have on staffing levels.
The Port Police Department is also coordinating with federal agencies to fill any holes that could compromise safety and security.