Hager: COVID-19 vaccine mandates will be inevitable

Have you listened to the September appearance of Dorsey Hager, the Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, on America’s Workforce Union Podcast?

Dorsey Hager, C/COBCTC Executive Secretary-Treasurer

Hager weighed in on the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, on which the C/COBCTCl has yet to take an official position. He thinks vaccine mandates, in some form or another, will become a reality in the future.

He believes getting vaccinated is the best way to keep families, coworkers and the community safe from this deadly virus.

Hager supports the vaccine — though he understands it remains controversial in the building trades community. He is proud to be vaccinated and considers the vaccine to be based on scientific research.

To put it bluntly, he said those who refuse the vaccine will inevitably miss out on some degree of work opportunities coming up. 

Hager explained how some project owners, such as The Ohio State University, require anyone stepping on campus to be vaccinated — and that includes union construction workers. Other companies and contractors will have similar requirements. 

America’s Workforce Radio Host Ed “Flash” Ferenc

Besides talk about the COVID-19 vaccine, he talked about the incredible work opportunities throughout Columbus and the Central Ohio region. This includes several solar power installations encompassing thousands of acres, Google’s $1.5 billion investment into two data centers in New Albany and Lancaster, and Amazon fulfillment centers. 

Lastly, Hager also spoke highly of recently elected AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. 

While he does not know Shuler personally, he said her IBEW background has prepared her well to deal with the issues of labor. She is smart, hard working, determined and will do an incredible job as president.

As the first woman to hold the position, Shuler’s board election speaks to the inclusion and diversity of unions and gives the labor movement a good deal of credibility, Hager added.

Listen to the entire interview here.