(WWJ) Henry Ford is scheduled to start suspension of its unvaccinated employees over the vaccine mandate by the end of Friday (9/10) if they don't plan to get dose one by midnight.
This comes as dozens of nurses and other workers have withdrawn their federal lawsuit against Henry Ford Health System over the vaccine mandate for employees.
The 42-page lawsuit claimed that COVID-19 vaccines “provide limited immunity” and that Henry Ford is “using coercion” to get its employees to take the vaccine.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs in Kirn v. Health System were set to argue that the vaccine has caused injury and death, and that requiring it violates their constitutional rights.
WWJ Legal Analyst Charlie Langton said it was not a very strong argument.
"Other courts in other states have already heard the argument that people are afraid of the vaccine, they think the vaccine is dangerous, it hasn't been properly tested," Langton said.
"But the courts basically said that, no, this is a private employer and there's evidence that the vaccine is in fact safe. And employer does have some discretion here. If the employer wants to have what the employer believes is a safe workforce, the employer can take reasonable measures."
Langton said, for a lawsuit such as this to succeed, the plaintiff would need legal standing on which to challenge the employer's rule.
"And I, at this point, don't see it," Langton said.
"People don't have a right to a job," he added. "If people don't like the rules that their boss mandates, they can get another job."
The mandate went into effect Friday, Sept. 10, giving workers until midnight tonight (Sept. 10) to get vaccinated, or face suspension.
By October 1, any Henry Ford Health System employee without an approved exemption who has not received at least one dose, or does not have an appointment to get one, will be fired.
The heath system, meanwhile, says at least 92% of its workers are already fully vaccinated, while another 3% are in the process with at least one shot.
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