Federal Judge Upholds United’s Vaccine Mandate

In a ruling that will likely reverberate around the aviation industry, a federal judge has upheld United Airlines’ mandate to have all employees vaccinated for the COVID-19 virus.

United was the first airline to impose such a mandate in August, even before the Biden Administration order that any company that does business with the federal government – which includes most domestic airlines – must vaccinate its workers.

With the mandate, United’s employees are under threat of termination if they don’t comply or forced to take unpaid leave if they qualify for religious or medical exemptions.

U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman in Fort Worth, Texas, ultimately ruled that policy set by human resources at companies was the purview of the company, according to Reuters News Service.

United didn’t escape a scolding from Pittman, however.

Reuters noted that the judge was “disturbed” by the seemingly inconsiderate process by which it foisted the vaccine mandate on employees.

“United’s mandate thus reflects an apathy, if not antipathy, for many of its employees’ concerns and a dearth of toleration for those expressing diversity of thought,” Pittman wrote.

Employees who filed the suit said the airline was violating legal obligations to allow workers to continue their job but be subject to regular testing.

In a statement, United said it would try to accommodate exempt employees with “non-customer facing” jobs.