We have previously reported on Texas’s attempt to save Southwest by declaring a state-wide ban on vaccine mandates.
However, now both American and Southwest, which are based in Texas, have announced that because of Joe Biden’s demand that all the employees of federal contractors have to be vaccinated by December 8, both airlines will be complying by continuing to mandate vaccinations for their employees, despite the order of the Texas Governor Greg Abbott. All the major airlines are federal contractors and they don’t want to lose that money. Both are requiring that employees submit proof of vaccination by November 24 — just in time to make things really difficult for the holiday season if there are more “sickouts” or people refusing to go along with it.
Southwest employees have filed a lawsuit against vaccine mandates. On Friday, they sought temporary restraining to stop the implementation. Notice Friday is also when the Southwest’s “issues” started.
The Temporary Restraining Order that the Pilot’s Association has filed is here #SouthwestAirlinesFederal court Friday https://t.co/o6zFK4zgJa
— Election Wizard (@ElectionWiz) October 10, 2021
In a notice, the union said that the company hadn’t had any discussion about natural immunity or the nature of possible exemptions, that they took unilateral actions, threatened possible termination and that they needed to have negotiations with the union.
Southwest Airlines Pilots Union files a restraining Order to prevent the company from carrying out vaccine mandates
👏🏻👏🏻
Good job! @swapapilots pic.twitter.com/oj50QimL1w
— Richard “Dick” Whitman (@DWhitmanBTC) October 8, 2021
American Airlines pilots have warned of a possible “staffing shortage” as well, which is why we reported they might be the next to have “issues” if they don’t work things out with their employees.
The Allied Pilots Association requested that American Airlines find “alternate means of compliance with the Executive Order be made available for professional pilots” so as not to prompt mass firings and unpaid leave following President Joe Biden’s September announcement mandating large employers to require vaccinations or weekly testing.
According to Reuters, there’s also a pending case from United Airlines. Six employees filed a class action in Texas claiming that those who were seeking exemptions from the vaccine mandate “were subjected to intrusive inquiries about their medical conditions or religious beliefs, including a requirement that they obtain letters from pastors.” That case is supposed to be heard today and the court restrained the airline from placing on unpaid leave any employee who receives religious or medical exemptions from the company for COVID-19 vaccinations. United was prohibited from denial of any request for medical or religious exemptions by this temporary restraining orders.
So we’ll have to see how it all shakes out but safe to say, prepare for possibly more “issues” coming.
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