Rebuffing Texas governor, American Airlines, Southwest stand by vaccine
mandate
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[October 13, 2021]
By Rajesh Kumar Singh and Sanjana Shivdas
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Rebuffing the Texas
governor, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines said on Tuesday they
would comply with U.S. President Joe Biden's executive order to require
that their employees be vaccinated for COVID-19 by a Dec. 8 deadline.
The two Texas-based carriers said the federal mandate superseded an
order by Republican Governor Greg Abbott barring COVID-19 vaccine
mandates by any entity, including private employers.
Southwest said it "would be expected to comply with the President's
Order to remain compliant as a federal contractor." American said while
it was reviewing Abbott's executive order, "this does not change
anything" for the company.
Both carriers have asked U.S.-based employees to submit proof of
vaccination by Nov. 24.
Biden issued his mandate last month as his administration struggled to
control the pandemic, which has killed more than 700,000 Americans. It
covers all federal contractors.
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While supporters of vaccine mandates see them as necessary to pull the
country out of the nearly two-year-old pandemic, critics are calling
them unconstitutional and authoritarian.
Six employees of United Airlines, which became the first U.S. carrier in
August to require vaccinations for all domestic employees, have filed a
class action in federal court in Texas claiming that workers who sought
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.
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![](../images/101321pics/news_d7.jpg)
American Airlines passenger planes crowd a runway where they are
parked due to flight reductions to slow the spread of coronavirus
disease (COVID-19), at Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa,
Oklahoma, U.S. March 23, 2020. REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo
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The court, which is due to hear the case on
Wednesday, issued an order on Tuesday restraining the airline until
Oct. 26 from placing on unpaid leave any employee who receives
religious or medical exemptions from the company for COVID-19
vaccinations.
The court also temporarily restrained United from denying any late
requests for religious or medical accommodations.
In his executive order, Abbott said the Biden administration was
"bullying" many private entities into imposing COVID-19 vaccine
mandates, causing workforce disruptions.
In its response, the White House said on Tuesday that Abbott's order
was out of step with businesses in the state. Press secretary Jen
Psaki said the governor's decision was motivated by politics, not
science.
(Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh in Chicago and Sanjana Shivdas in
Bengaluru; Editing by Howard Goller and Sandra Maler)
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