HONOLULU (KHON2) — Representatives for Hawaii union members taking legal action against the state’s COVID vaccine mandate held a news conference at attorney Michael Green’s office on Thursday. Approximately 1,200 first responders are part of the class action lawsuit.
The attorneys announced that they plan to file the lawsuit on Friday in order to try to stop the mandate which takes effect Monday, Aug. 16. This one is on behalf of police officers, firefighters and other first responders.
“They’re just asking for the chance to choose,” said attorney Shawn Luiz. “It’s a personal, autonomous, healthcare decision, and everyone should make their own choice, whether or not they want to take a vaccine or not.”
“I have to choose between that career that I’m committed to or put in an experimental drug that I don’t know what it’s gonna do to me in my body, or I got to give all that up,” said Capt. Kaimi Pelekai of the Honolulu Fire Department.
Pelekai says the City just sent county workers a letter saying they either have to get vaccinated or show proof of religious or medical exemption by Monday — or they could lose their job. KHON2 is asking the City about the letter.
When the governor announced the mandate last week, he said unvaccinated workers have the option of getting tested weekly. Representatives for the union members in the class action lawsuit say this is a violation of their collective bargaining agreement, and it runs into a whole set of…
Read full story here: Fire captain gives impassioned speech on Hawaii union members suing over COVID vaccine mandate