Vaccine Mandate In Play For All Steamship Authority Employees

MARTHA'S VINEYARD, MA — All employees of the Steamship Authority must follow a new vaccination verification policy declared Tuesday.

Employees of the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket Steamship Authority must show that they have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination by Jan. 5.

Employees who are not fully vaccinated by Feb. 16, will be subject to progressive discipline up to termination, the authority said.

The authority says employees must also continue to maintain COVID-19 vaccinations in compliance with the CDC and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Martha's Vineyard Times reported.

Both union and non-union workers are subject to the new policy.

All employees who currently have not been vaccinated will be given a $500 incentive to further encourage vaccinations, the Authority said.

Exemptions to the new policy may be granted on a case-by-case basis if an employee can provide verifiable documentation that the COVID-19 vaccine is against their religious beliefs or detrimental to their health.