NM judge denies request to block Triad National Security vaccine mandate

[struggle4progress]

Scott Wyland
Oct 15, 2021 Updated 15 min ago

A judge denied a request Friday to block a vaccination order by Los Alamos National Laboratory’s primary contractor, clearing the way for employees to be fired if they refuse to be inoculated.

State District Judge Jason Lidyard ruled the attorneys representing roughly three dozen lab employees failed to present arguments that meet the criteria for suspending the vaccine mandate.

Lidyard rejected arguments that a policy requiring employees to be vaccinated or else lose their jobs is coercive.

“No one is sticking a needle in anyone’s arm,” Lidyard said. “All that is being said is, if you don’t get vaccinated, you must find work somewhere else” ...

https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/coronavirus/judge-denies-request-to-block-lab-operators-vaccine-mandate/article_5d96bace-2dc1-11ec-8c62-7bdd1c86c1de.html

[struggle4progress]

1. US judge denies attempt to block MA vaccine mandate

By Sarah Betancourt
October 15, 2021

... U.S. District Judge Timothy Hillman said the public health concerns around coronavirus outweigh the concerns that four members of the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union (MCOFU) spelled out in their lawsuit.

These were namely that their constitutional and contract rights were being targeted by Baker's August executive order that says employees who don’t get the COVID-19 vaccine by Sunday, Oct. 17 could face punishment and termination from their jobs.

“Even considering the economic impact on the Plaintiffs if they choose not to be vaccinated, when balancing that harm against the legitimate and critical public interest in preventing the spread of COVID-19 by increasing the vaccination rate, particularly in congregate facilities, the Court finds the balance weighs in favor of the broader public interests,” said Hillman in his decision, which denied granting a temporary ban on the mandate ...

https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2021/10/15/judge-denies-prison-guard-union-attempt-to-block-governors-vaccine-mandate

[struggle4progress]

2. County judge orders Chicago FOP President to stop encouraging defiance of vaccine requirement

By Phil Rogers
Published October 15, 2021
Updated 6 hours ago

A Cook County judge on Friday ordered Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara to stop making public comments encouraging his members to defy the city’s COVID vaccine policies.

Judge Cecilia Horan’s decision came just hours before a deadline for officers to enter their vaccination status in a city web portal, something Catanzara had encouraged them not to do.

Earlier in the hearing, Catanzara refused to voluntarily stop making those allegedly inflammatory comments to his members. But in apparent defiance of the judge’s order, within minutes of the hearing, FOP tweeted out an earlier appearance by Catanzara on a Fox News program, where they said he explained that “the vaccine mandate policy doesn’t make any sense, and why he is asking officers not to report their vaccination status” ...

“What Mr. Catanzara is doing is more like a street brawl - it’s lawless,” said. “Courts across the country have upheld vaccine mandates” ...

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/judge-orders-chicago-fop-president-to-stop-encouraging-officers-to-defy-vaccine-requirement/2638976/