Employees, residents reject city vaccine mandate

CHENEY – More than a dozen residents spoke or wrote letters in opposition of vaccine mandates at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

Concerns voiced in the public comment portion ranged from possible negative health effects resulting from receiving the vaccine to infringements on civil liberties.

The outpouring of frustration and anger has arisen from Resolution No. E-942 that would make the COVID-19 vaccination a condition of employment, to fight the rapidly spreading so-called “Delta” variant of the virus.

The resolution notes the low inoculation rates in the region, with only 54% of the population within 99004 zip code having received at least one dose.

The speakers varied from concerned residents to city employees.

“The city had required me to be in person every single day of this pandemic,” city Light Department journeyman lineman Bill Lathrop said. “ I wore my mask. I washed my hands. I sanitized and I distanced. And I never got sick.

“At my age and at my health, I have a 99% chance of surviving COVID if I get it. Please, council, do not steal my freedom of choice.

“Do not force me to inject a shot into my body that will not be effective to me. Do not force me to possibly lose my livelihood, and there’s a better way for all of us to work together to get through this than to threaten me and my coworkers’ jobs.”

One resident raised the question of employees quitting because of the requirement:

“All I can say is, where does it end? If we push this through, where does it end?

“We have firefighters, we have emergency people who are going to quit, get fired. Who’s going to take care of us? Where does it end?”

Another city employee called on the council to find a different solution.

“What we need from the council is some other solution. Asking people to put something in their body that they don’t want is just wrong,” said Jerry Hoppe, who has worked for the city for 36 years. “There’s got to be another solution.

“Since you’re in elected positions, we’re looking at you to make the right decision.”

Mayor Chris Grover reiterated that the resolution is not a policy to be immediately implemented.

Rather, it’ll be used to devise a policy, he said.

The City Council is expected to continue discussing the issue when it meets Sept. 28.

The discussion over the resolution that could require city employees to get a coronavirus vaccine to retain their job follows an Aug. 9 gubernatorial order requiring all state employees, volunteers and contractors to be “fully vaccinated” by Oct. 18 or lose their position.

That order applies to all state agencies, including courts, public schools, preschools and universities.

At least two lawsuits have been filed in Eastern Washington – one in Walla Walla County and one in Franklin County – challenging Gov. Jay Inslee’s order.

Several first responders from Spokane County have signed onto the lawsuit filed in Walla Walla Superior Court, alleging the governor has violated the constitution’s separation of powers and freedom of religion, among other charges.

The Governor’s Office is attempting to move jurisdiction of those lawsuits from Eastern Washington to Thurston County.