3 States May Lose Their Controls Of Worker Safety Over Covid Rule Refusals

AP: US Labor Department Warns 3 GOP States Over COVID Rules
The Biden administration threatened Tuesday to revoke the authority for three Republican-controlled states to handle their own workplace safety enforcement because they have refused to adopt rules to protect health care workers from COVID-19. The threats were sent to Arizona, South Carolina and Utah as the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration prepares to adopt much more far-reaching vaccination and testing rules affecting 80 million Americans. In nearly half the states, it will have to rely on state labor regulators for enforcement. (Cooper, 10/20)

Salt Lake Tribune: Utah Failed To Adopt A Federal Standard To Protect Health Care Workers From COVID. Now The Feds May Step In
The U.S. Department of Labor announced Tuesday they were moving to revoke Utah’s state-run program for enforcing workplace safety standards. The decision is the result of a strategic blunder by the Cox administration, which could derail a plan by lawmakers to push back on a federal mandate for private businesses. Utah is one of 22 states the federal government has authorized to run their own workplace safety enforcement program, with the requirement that any deviation from federal regulations must be “at least as effective” as the federal rules. Utah gets $1.6 million in grant funding from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for the state plan. (Schott, 10/19)

In updates from the transportation industry —

Dallas Morning News: American Airlines, Southwest Airlines Won’t Fire Employees Who Apply For Vaccine Exemptions
American Airlines and Southwest Airlines won’t fire or suspend employees who file for exemptions to comply with federal orders that all workers be vaccinated, even those whose applications are rejected. Fort Worth-based American and Dallas-based Southwest told employee unions in recent days that employees granted religious exemptions will be allowed to keep working as long as they agree to extra health protocols, such as wearing masks and regular testing. Employees who refuse to submit proof of vaccination or apply for an exemption could still be fired at American. Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly said on Good Morning America recently that “we’re not going to fire any of our employees over this.” (Arnold, 10/19)

AP: Union Pacific And Its Unions Sue Each Other Over Vaccine
Union Pacific and its labor unions are suing each other to determine whether the railroad has the authority to require its employees to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. The unions argue that the Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad should have negotiated with them before announcing it would require all employees to get the shots. The railroad contends in its own lawsuit that it believes it has the authority to require the vaccine under its existing contracts because it can set standards for when employees are fit for duty. (Funk, 10/20)

In other news about covid mandates —

Axios: Supreme Court Declines To Block Maine Health Care Workers Vaccine Mandate 
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear an emergency appeal of a vaccine mandate for Maine health care workers. The mandate, which was announced in August by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, says that Maine health care workers need to be vaccinated by Oct. 29 or risk losing their jobs and not qualifying for unemployment benefits. Justice Stephen Breyer rejected the emergency appeal by the Liberty Counsel, which said it is representing 2,000 health care workers who do not want to be vaccinated. (Garfinkel, 10/19)

Axios: GE To Mandate COVID Vaccinations For U.S. Workers 
General Electric will require all of its workers in the U.S. to be vaccinated against COVID-19, citing President Biden's executive order for federal contractors, the company confirmed to Axios on Tuesday. General Electric is the latest in a slew of major companies to mandate the vaccine for workers, following in the footsteps of American Airlines, Tyson Foods and Microsoft, among others. (Saric, 10/19)

AP: Tucson Employees Face Firing If They Don't Get Vaccinated
The Tucson City Council voted Tuesday to require that all city employees must get vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 1 or face getting fired. Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and council members Lane Santa Cruz, Karin Uhlich and Steve Kozachik voted for the measure while Paul Cunningham, Nikki Lee and Richard Fimbres opposed. Council members cited high levels of the coronavirus persisting in Pima County. (10/20)

AP: 21 Chicago Cops Put On 'No Pay Status' In Vaccine Standoff
Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said Tuesday that 21 officers have been placed on “no pay status” for refusing to comply with the city’s order to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status. Brown said that the refusals have not affected staffing. Brown, who disclosed that three members of his own family who he described as “anti-vaxxers” have died of complications from the virus in recent weeks, said he is simply trying to protect officers and the public from harm. (Tareen and Babwin, 10/19)

AP: San Francisco Shuts Burger Spot For Not Checking Vaccination
The In-N-Out hamburger chain is sizzling mad after San Francisco shut down its indoor dining for refusing to check customers’ vaccination status. The company’s Fisherman’s Wharf location — its only one in San Francisco — was temporarily shut by the Department of Public Health on Oct. 14. Authorities said it refused to bar clients who couldn’t show proof of vaccination to dine indoors, as required by a city mandate that took effect Aug. 20. (10/20)

Also —

Roll Call: Senator's Call To Suspend Pentagon Vaccine Mandate Sets Up Clash 
A senior Senate Republican’s call for a suspension of mandatory coronavirus vaccines for U.S. troops and Pentagon civilians could fuel partisan divisions over the pandemic and add a defense element to the debate. James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee, in a letter Monday to Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III called the Pentagon’s vaccine mandates “haphazardly implemented and politically motivated.” (Donnelly, 10/19)

CNBC: Walmart Donated To Texas Gov. Greg Abbott As He Fought Biden Vaccine Mandate
Walmart’s political action committee donated to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s reelection campaign last month, as he geared up to fight a federal Covid-19 vaccine mandate, according to a new federal filing. The donation came as the retail industry has expressed concerns about the mandate weighing on operations as the holiday shopping season approaches and America faces labor shortages. (Schwartz, 10/19)

The Wall Street Journal: Some Workers Want Covid-19 Recovery Accepted As Evidence Of Immunity 
Some workers opposed to vaccine mandates on the job are increasingly pointing to the same reason for their objection: They already had Covid-19. Nurses, factory workers and professional athletes are among employees asking that immunity from prior Covid-19 infection be recognized alongside vaccination as sufficient protection against the virus. (Whelan, 10/19)