By Oct. 18, many hard working, dedicated state employees, teachers and others face losing their jobs because of the new vaccine mandate from Gov. Jay Inslee. This is a huge tragedy and totally inappropriate. Regardless of your stance on vaccines, this decision is clearly not based on science.
State employees, teachers and others including health care workers are allowed to continue their employment if they either are vaccinated or submit a medical or religious exemption. Currently, all individuals are required to wear a face covering indoors. So, based on the mandate, there will be those who are vaccinated and those who are not, all wearing face coverings and working side by side.
Riddle me this: The mandate allows for a workplace with both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. If both vaccinated employees and unvaccinated employees with an exemption can continue to work, why is it that those who choose not to disclose their personal medical information (both vaccinated and unvaccinated) or who opt to not seek an exemption or who do not qualify for an exemption cannot work?
In my opinion, this mandate is clearly an attempt to discriminate against those who do not conform to a specific agenda. This is not about safety in the workplace, and it is certainly not about science.
While there are those who continue to try and divide us; to create a system of have and have nots; to discriminate against those that believe differently than they do, I choose to instead honor the public servants of Washington state.
I choose to remember the teachers who made lifelong differences in the lives of my grandchildren. I will remember the Department of Licensing worker who celebrated with a group of us as a young woman of almost 30 was finally able to get her driver’s license.
I will continue to be proud of the many employees who worked for me doing the most unappreciated jobs — cleaning toilets, responding to water leaks in the middle of the night and cleaning up garbage others threw around.
They all deserve to be able to make their own personal choices without the threat of losing their jobs.
We as a state and as a people are better than this. I urge you Gov. Inslee, rescind this mandate. Support the tens of thousands of workers who make Washington great.
Laura Price
Chehalis
