EMPLOYERS WHEN THEY HAVE TO
LET SOMEBODY GO.")) *PHI*)
LOCAL BUSINESSES HAVE A MATTER
OF WEEKS NOW TO PUT PRESIDENT
BIDEN'S COVID-19 VACCINE
MANDATE IN PLACE. *PHI*)
IT'S THE WHITE HOUSE'S BOLDEST
MOVE YET TO GET AMERICANS
VACCINATED. *ALEXI*) THE
ORDER APPLIES TO ALL COMPANIES
WITH 100 MORE MORE EMPLOYEES..
OR ABOUT 84 MILLION WORKERS.
THEY'LL HAVE UNTIL JANUARY 4TH
TO GET FULLY VACCINATED.
UNVACCINATED WORKERS WILL HAVE
TO TEST NEGATIVE ONCE A WEEK..
OR WEAR A MASK IN THE
WORKPLACE. *ALEXI*) WHILE
BUSINESSES GET READY FOR THE
MANDATE, THE STATE INDIANA IS
SUING TO KEEP IT FROM EVER
TAKING EFFECT. *PHI*) WE
HAVE TEAM COVERAGE.. BEGINNING
WITH NEWS 8'S ADAM PINKSER ON
HOW THIS COULD CREATE AN EXTRA
LAYER OF PAPERWORK FOR INDIANA
COMPANIES.
*REPORTIN*) UNDER THE NEW
RULE ANNOUNCED THURSDAY,
STARTING NEXT YEAR: COMPANIES
WILL BE REQUIRED TO KEEP
RECORDS OF WHEN THEIR
EMPLOYEES ARE VACCINATED FOR
COVID-19. NEW EMPLOYEES WILL
HAVE TO SHOW PROOF OF
VACCINATION BEFORE GETTING
HIRED. THE INDIANA CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE WORRIES THESE
MANDATES WILL SKAKE UP AN
ALREADY UNSTABLE JOB MARKET.
PRESIDENT AND CEO KEVIN
BRINEGAR SAYS THE TIMING
COULDN'T BE WORSE, AS THE
ECONOMY IS GOING THROUGH A
PERIOD HE CALLS THE "GREAT
RESIGNATION" (( / 443:44 -
443:57 "WE MAY HAVE EMPLOYEES
LEAVING THE LARGER FIRMS THAT
ARE SUBJECT TO THIS RULE, OVER
100 EMPLOYEES, AND GOING TO
COMPANIES THAT HAVE LESS THAN
100 EMPLOYEES THAT AREN'T
SUBJECT TO THIS RULE." ))
BRINEGAR SAYS HE UNDERSTANDS
WHY THE MANDATE CAME ABOUT, HE
BELIEVES PRESIDENT BIDEN IS
GROWING FRUSTRATED WITH THE
COUNTRY'S SLOW ECONOMIC
RECOVERY THROUGHOUT THE
PANDEMIC. (( / 439:10 -439:25
"WE BELIEVE EMPLOYERS CONTINUE
TO HAVE THE RIGHT AND THE
AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE THE
SAFETY PROTOCOLS AND WHAT'S
BEST FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES AND
THEIR CUSTOMERS AS IT RELATES
TO THE COVID-19 VIRUS.": ))
EFFECTIVE JANUARY 4TH,
COMPANIES NOT IN COMPLIANCE
COULD FACE A FINE OF 14,000
DOLLARS PER VIOLATION.
BRINEGAR BELIEVES THE
GOVERNMENT WILL ENFORCE THE
NEW MANDATES. (( / :441:32 -
441:42 - "OSHA COMES IN AND
DOES INSPECTIONS ON EXISTING
HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATIONS,
AND THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO
FINE BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT
IN COMPLIANCE." )) EMPLOYERS
ARE FACING ANOTHER DEADLINE
NEXT MONTH, DECEMBER 5TH, THEY
WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR
TIME OFF EMPLOYEES HAVE TO
TAKE FOR VACCINATIONS AND
COVID TESTING OR SICK LEAVE.
I'M ADAM PINSKER FOR WISH TV,
WISH TV.COM AND FOLLOW US ON
FACEBOOK.
*ALEXI*) LET'S CONTINUE
OUR TEAM COVERAGE NOW WITH
I-TEAM 8'S JASMINE MINOR.
JASMINE, INDIANA'S ATTORNEY
GENERAL IS ALREADY TAKING THIS
VACCINE MANDATE TO FEDERAL
COURT.
*) ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD
ROKITA DIDNT MINCE WORDS
CALLING PRESIDENT BIDEN'S
VACCINE MANDATE EGREGIOUS AND
A VIOLATION OF STATE RIGHTS.
ROKITA IS SUING TO BLOCK THE
NEW MANDATE ANNOUNCED TODAY,
AS WELL AS THE ONE ON FEDERAL
CONTRACTORS, AND ON HEALTH
CARE WORKERS WHOSE COMPANIES
RECEIVE MEDICARE AND MEDICAID
DOLLARS. ROKITA SAYS THE
MANDATES WILL HARM THE STATE'S
ECONOMY AND THAT THE ABILITY
TO PROVIDE A WEEKLY TEST TO
MILLIONS OF HOOSIERS NOT
WANTING THE VACCINE, MAY NOT
BE POSSIBLE. I ASKED ROKITA IF
THERE'S CONCERN OF ANOTHER
MAJOR COVID OUTBREAK WITHOUT
THE MANDATES. (((AG TODD
ROKITA) "HERE'S THE THING,
IT'S BEEN WITH US FOR YEARS
NOW." (AG TODD ROKITA) "JOE
BIDEN AND THE FEDERA
GOVERNMENTS PLAY HERE SO
EGREGIOUS AND REALLY SO
INSIDIOUS IS THAT THIS IS NOT
A WORKPLACE ISSUE, IT'S BEEN
WITH US." "I DON'T KNOW HOW
MANY OF YOU HAVE WAITED FIVE
DAYS TO GET A TEST, TO GET IN
SOME PLACE TO GET A TEST,
THERE ARE MILLIONS OF
AMERICANS THAT IF THEY CHOSE
NOT TO GET VACCINATED WILL
HAVE TO GET TESTED SO A WEEKLY
TEST TIMES THE MILLIONS WHO
MAY NOT GET VACCINATED, I'M
NOT, WE'RE NOT EVEN SURE IF
THAT'S FEASIBLE." )) THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS THE
LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CONTRACTOR
AND MEDICAID VACCINE MANDATE
WILL BE JOINED BY THE STATE OF
MISSISSIPPI AND LOUISIANA. THE
LAWSUIT AGAINST OHSA, ROKITA
SAYS INDIANA IS PURSUING
ALONE. *) HE ALSO TOLD US
IF THE MANDATES STAY IN PLACE
MANY HOOSIERS WILL LEAVE THE
JOB MARKET FOR GOOD.. ROKITA
ALSO SAYS THE FEDERAL MANDATES
WOULD COVER TWO-THIRDS OF
AMERICAN WORKERS. JASMINE
MINOR, WISH TV, WISH TV DOT
COM, FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK.
*PHI*) PRESIDENT BIDEN
SAYS THE MANDATE IS NEED TO
RESTART THE ECONOMY. I
INTERVIEWED INDIANA
CONGRESSMAN ANDRE CARSON
TODAY.. AND HE TOLD ME HE
AGREES. ((COVID HAS WREAKED
HAVOC ON OUR ECONOMY. I THINK
WE'VE SEEN A DIP, BUT WE'RE ON
THE INCLINE, BUT WE HAVE TO DO
MUCH MORE IN THE MIDST OF SO
MANY CONTENTIOUS LEGISLATIVE
BATTLES, WE'RE BATTLING RIGHT
NOW, TO PASS BUILD BACK BETTER
AND INFRASTRUCTURE BILL. WITH
SO MUCH CONTENTION BIDEN HAS
TO DEMONSTRATE SOME KIND OF
LEADERSHIP BECAUSE THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING
.")) CARSON SAYS THERE'S
NOBODY BETTER THAN THE
PRESIDENT TO BE BOLD AND MAKE
A STATEMENT ABOUT EMPLOYEES
AND HOW THEY'RE TREATED.
*ALEXI*) SHOTS ARE GOING
INTO LITTLE ARMS AROUND
INDIANA TODAY. THE STATE
HEALTH DEPARTMENT OPENED
COVID-19 VACCINATION
APPOINTMENTS TO KIDS 5 TO 11.
RIGHT NOW - ONLY PFIZER'S
VACCINE IS AVAILABLE. MARION
COUNTY IS PLANNING TO DOUBLE
ITS ORDER FOR THE SHOT. DOCTOR
VIRGINIA CAINE SAYS THERE ARE
AT LEAST 100 VACCINES AT EACH
LOCATION ACROSS THE CITY...
AND URGES PARENTS TO GET THEIR
CHILDREN VACCINATED. ((1:07:18
- 1:07:27 // 1:13:38 - 1:13:50
"THIS IS SUCH A CRITICAL TOOL
FOR THE PROTECTION AND
PREVENTION OF SERIOUS COVID-19
INFECTION IN OUR CHILDREN."
BUTTED WITH "IF WE CAN MAKE A
DENT, EVEN 1/3 OF CHILDREN 5
TO 11 BEING VACCINATED WILL BE
HUGE IN GIVING US SUBSTANTIAL
BENEFITS.")) THERE'S A CLINIC
OPENED RIGHT NOW AT THE
NORTHWEST DISTRICT ON MICHIGAN