Thread by @drdavidmichaels

A short thread on the opposition to #OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard.

The rule is a straightforward public health measure which requires large employers to insist that workers who are not vaccinated be tested weekly and wear a mask, to avoid infecting other workers. 1/

Opposition to this rule is being led by the retail industry and aided by 3 highly partisan judges who have already made blatantly political ruling.

I ran OSHA for 7 years – please allow me to explain how outrageous this opposition is. 2/

First, the retail industry seems to have forgotten that workplace exposures have played a central role in driving the pandemic. There have been hundreds of COVID outbreaks traced to retail establishments, with thousands of sickened workers and shoppers. 3/

The National Retail Federation @NRFNews is mislabeling the OSHA rule as a “vaccine mandate”- claiming COVID is risk is down so the rule it is no longer necessary, and that complying would be burdensome during “the crucial holiday shopping season.” 4/
tinyurl.com/c4nxdark

So what will #OSHA require in that “crucial holiday shopping season”?

Unvaccinated workers must wear a mask. And workers who are sick must stay home from work.

Retailers can hire any workers they want and never require vaccination. Required testing begins in January. 5/

#OSHA is trying to make holiday shopping safe for consumers and workers.

If businesses can’t mask unvaccinated workers by December 4, I don’t know why anyone would want to do their holiday shopping in their stores. 6/

An anti-vax supermarket owner has taken OSHA to court. He and his attorneys at @ljcenter are lying about the rule, calling it a mandate and claiming that he personally would have to fire his workers if they don’t get vaccinated. 7/ tinyurl.com/3nxtj6nw

The suit went to the 5th circuit, where 3 judges stayed enforcement of the OSHA rule, labelling it “the Mandate” and citing “grave statutory and constitutional issues.”

How is it so clear that ruling is outrageously partisan politics? 8/
tinyurl.com/ccstuafv

These are the same 3 judges who found no “grave statutory and constitutional issue” when a few weeks ago they refused stay the Texas law that allows bounty hunters to sue anyone who even helps a woman more than 6 weeks pregnant end her pregnancy. 9/
tinyurl.com/2ehnycww

Many employers, afraid of litigation or going up against anti-vax governors, support the rule.

The OSHA rule explicitly preempts states from prohibiting vaccinations or masks, and protects businesses from lawsuits, enabling employers to better ensure their workers’ safety. 10/

The #OSHA Emergency Standard is an important step in saving lives, making workplaces safe, stopping virus transmission, reviving the economy and returning the country back to normal.

And it does not require any worker to be vaccinated. 11/

Millions of workers have left the workforce, afraid of getting or spreading COVID on the job.

This standard will help assure these workers it is finally safe to return to work. 12/

For this holiday season, the retail industry should give a gift to the American people - make it safe to come to work and safe to shop for the holidays, so we can finally stop this virus that has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. 13/end