Judge Tosses Out Southwest Pilots’ Challenge To Covid Vaccine Mandate
A federal judge allowed a vaccine mandate for Southwest Airlines employees to proceed, ruling that the measure did not violate the pilots’ collective bargaining agreement. Other business and city requirements for shots and masks are also in the news.
CNBC:
Federal Judge Rejects Southwest Airlines Pilots' Request To Block Vaccine Mandate
A federal judge in Texas denied Southwest Airlines pilots union’s request to temporarily block a vaccine mandate for employees, which is a requirement under new government rules. Dallas-based Southwest Airlines must require staff to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by Dec. 8 unless they receive a religious or medical exemption, according to rules for federal contractors that the Biden administration issued last month. (Josephs, 10/26)
In other updates on vaccine mandates —
AP:
Meatpacker Tyson: Mandate Led 96% Of Workers To Get Vaccine
Meatpacking giant Tyson Foods says more than 96% of its workers have been vaccinated ahead of the company’s Nov. 1 deadline for them to do so. The company based in Springdale, Arkansas, said the number of its 120,000 workers who have been vaccinated has nearly doubled since it announced its mandate on Aug. 3. At that point, only 50% of Tyson workers had been vaccinated. (Funk, 10/26)
Fortune:
Florida Lawmakers Threaten To Ditch OSHA In Fight Over Vaccine Mandate
Top Republicans in Florida are considering a new approach in their opposition to the federal vaccine mandate imposed by President Joe Biden: throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The state’s GOP leadership proposed late last week to completely end oversight of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the agency tasked with enforcing a federal rule that would require all private businesses with 100 or more employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or to undergo testing for the virus each week, in Florida. (Goodkind, 10/26)
The Boston Globe:
More Than 800 Boston City Employees Are On Unpaid Leave For COVID-19 Noncompliance
More than 200 City of Boston workers were placed on unpaid leave Tuesday for their noncompliance with COVID-19 requirements, meaning they failed to either verify their vaccination status or show proof of a weekly, negative test for the virus. The total number of city workers on unpaid leave for violating the policy remains north of 800. Acting Mayor Kim Janey announced a vaccine mandate for the city workforce, which includes more than 18,000 employees, in August. At the time, she emphasized that vaccinations were key to the city’s battle against the pandemic. The new requirement took effect in phases, with different groups of workers having to comply by different dates. (McDonald, 10/26)
Fox News:
Unvaccinated Los Angeles City Workers To Fork Over $130 A Week For Testing, Given Two More Months To Comply
Los Angeles city employees who have not been vaccinated will have to fork over $130 each week to cover COVID-19 testing but will have a longer deadline to get the shots or lose their jobs, according to a plan passed by lawmakers Tuesday. City workers originally had until Oct. 20 to get fully vaccinated but now they have until Dec. 18. During the extended period, unvaccinated workers will have $65 deducted from their paychecks twice a week to cover the cost of weekly testing, or $260 per pay period. (Casiano, 10/26)
AP:
California County Closes In-N-Out Over Vaccine Verification
Another California county closed down an In-N-Out restaurant on Tuesday because the popular burger chain refuses to enforce COVID-19 vaccination rules. Contra Costa County health officials indefinitely shut the Pleasant Hill restaurant after it ignored repeated warnings to verify that customers who wanted to dine indoors had vaccination cards or proof they had tested negative for the virus in the past 72 hours. (10/27)
In updates about mask mandates —
Las Vegas Review-Journal:
2 Lawsuits Aim To Quash CCSD’s Student Mask Mandate
Two lawsuits — one of which seeks $200 million in restitution — are asking different courts overturn a COVID-19 pandemic face mask requirement for Clark County School District students. On Friday, parents Jason Ruiz, Robert Parker and Erin Gomez filed a civil rights complaint in Clark County District Court on behalf of five children against the school district, Gov. Steve Sisolak and Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford. That followed a previous lawsuit filed Sept. 20 in U.S. District Court by 14 plaintiffs on behalf of 18 children seeking to overturn the face mask mandate. It named district Superintendent Jesus Jara and the Clark County School Board as defendants. (Wooton-Greener, 10/26)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Fla. Surgeon General Didn’t Wear Mask Because He Can’t ‘Communicate Clearly’
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo on Tuesday wrote on Twitter about his refusal to wear a mask while meeting with state Sen. Tina Polsky, who has breast cancer, saying he can’t “communicate clearly and effectively” with his face covered. “Having a conversation with someone while wearing a mask is not something I find productive, especially when other options exist,” Ladapo said in his first public remarks about the incident. “It is important to me to communicate clearly and effectively with people. I can’t do that when half of my face is covered.” (Rohrer, 10/26)
