Employers can play a key role in ensuring their employees can confidently access COVID-19 vaccines, which is the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. This not only protects the lives and well-being of your employees, it protects your business from major disruptions.
A growing number of employers are requiring that their workers get a COVID-19 vaccine or weekly testing. Workers from refugees, immigrant, and migrant communities face unique barriers and concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine. For example, cultural, religious, and linguistic differences may present barriers for workers from refugee, immigrant, and migrant communities as they navigate these new requirements.
Live captioning and Spanish interpretation will be available.
Syreeta Wilkins
Communications Strategist
NRC-RIM
Syreeta is the communications strategist for the National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants and Migrants (NRC-RIM), where she leads the communications efforts for the center as well as guides the creation and dissemination of health communications materials. She has more than a decade of experience in strategic communications, specializing in internal communications, electronic media, and diverse and multilingual communities. Syreeta holds a master’s degree in linguistics from New York University and a bachelor’s degree from Macalester College.
Amber Shevin
Technical Advisor, Economic Empowerment
International Rescue Committee
Amber is an economic empowerment technical advisor with the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Her work focuses on the development, implementation, and evaluation of economic empowerment programs that serve refugee, immigrant, and low-income families in multiple communities across the U.S. Prior to joining the IRC, Amber managed a diverse portfolio of direct service programs with San Diego’s Workforce Development Board and spent time working internationally in the education development sector. Amber holds an M.A. in International Development and a B.A. in International Relations and Spanish.
Brahim Kone
Secretary Treasurer
SEIU Minnesota
Brahim Kone is the secretary of treasurer of SEIU Local 26 and director of the Members Resources Center. He was born and raised in Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire), migrated to US in 2001, and has worked for Marsden Building Maintenance ever since. Brahim became staff of the SEIU Local 26 in 2016 as a union representative, following a hard fought Janitorial campaign where he served as spokesperson, bargaining committee member and a steward. In December 2020, he was elected to his current role, where he has been responsible for SEIU's negotiations with employers on COVID-19 and vaccines.