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Carhartt faces boycotts after CEO mandates vaccines for employees

While others backed the outdoor clothing company for their decision, others called for people to immediately stop buying their products.
Credit: WZZM

DEARBORN, Michigan — Outdoor apparel company Carhartt could be facing boycotts after a memo from its CEO said employees will be mandated to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The announcement comes a couple of weeks after the Supreme Court ruling that large companies would not be required to force employees to be vaccinated or take weekly tasks.

"Many of you have asked how the recent Supreme Court decision on the OSHA mandate for large employers will impact our associates so we want to provide some clarity," CEO Mark Valade which was confirmed by Carhartt to be authentic to CBS. "The ruling does not change Carhartt's mandatory vaccination program, which went into effect on January 4th."

He added, "An unvaccinated workforce is both a people and business risk that our company is unwilling to take."

Some took to social media, calling to boycott the company known for their rugged boots, jackets and any other kind of outdoor clothing.

One Twitter user called Carhartt's decision "insane given their target market" and said they'd never buy any of their products again.

Even though the Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) did not have the authority to require employers with more than 100 employees to either vaccinate or test their workers, private companies still have the right to require staff to get vaccinated, according to legal experts.

Carhartt said the "vast majority" of its employees are vaccinated, and that it has given some exemptions for medical and religious reasons, according to CBS MoneyWatch.

"Carhartt made the decision to implement its own vaccine mandate as part of our long-standing commitment to workplace safety," the company said in an emailed statement. "Our recent communication to employees was to reinforce that the Supreme Court ruling does not affect the mandate we put in place." 

It added that it "fully understands and respects the varying opinions on this topic, and we are aware some of our associates do not support this policy."

Carhartt said that it has extended the vaccination deadline to February 15. 

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