Number of unvaccinated United staff drops from 593 to 320 after airline said it would fire them

United said Thursday that more employees have uploaded proof of a Covid-19 vaccination, driving down the number of staff facing termination for not complying with the company’s inoculation mandate by almost half. The Chicago-based airline started the process of firing 593 workers as of Tuesday, though final separation takes weeks. More employees this week uploaded their cards, and by Thursday, just 320 employees hadn’t done so. United has the strictest vaccine mandate policy of any US airline. In August, the company told its 67,000 US employees that they must be vaccinated against Covid-19 this fall to continue working there. Some 2,000 United employees have sought exemptions for medical or religious reasons. “Our vaccine policy continues to prove requirements work — in less than 48 hours, the number of unvaccinated employees who began the process of being separated from the company has been cut almost in half, dropping from 593 to 320,” United said. Earlier Thursday, Tyson Foods, which also mandates vaccines, said more than 90% of its 120,000-person workforce has been vaccinated against Covid. <br/>