What did Carhartt do?

CARHARTT is facing calls for boycott over vaccine mandates.

Here is what we know about this.

1

What did Carhartt do? 

The workwear and outdoor gear maker is facing calls for a boycott among conservatives who are opposed to its coronavirus vaccine mandate for staff.

The outcry comes amid a fierce debate in the US over Covid-19 jabs and whether people should be forced to have one. 

What has Carhartt said? 

In a memo to staff, Carhartt's chief executive Mark Valade, a descendant of the company's founder, said: "We put workplace safety at the very top of our priority list.

"While we appreciate that there may be differing views, workplace safety is an area where we and the union that represents our associates cannot compromise.

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

Copies of the message were circulated on social media.

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This prompted prominent conservatives and Republican figures to weigh in.

Conservative attorney Molly McCann wrote on Twitter: "Well Carhartt has labeled the unvaccinated dangerous and implemented a vaccine mandate.

"Pretty rich from a company sustained by the ranchers, farmers, laborers, etc. who make this country great and celebrate her values of freedom and liberty."

"Boycott Carhartt until they break.”

What was the Supreme Court ruling?

In January 2022, the US Supreme Court said the government could not force big employers to make Covid-19 jabs or weekly testing mandatory.

The court wrote: "Although Congress has indisputably given OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Administration[ the power to regulate occupational dangers, it has not given that agency the power to regulate public health more broadly.

"Requiring the vaccination of 84 million Americans, selected simply because they work for employers with more than 100 employees, certainly falls in the latter category."

Firms including the coffee chain Starbucks have since reversed their plans to do this.

In a memo to staff in January 2022, Carhartt leaders said the Supreme Court decision had not changed company requirements.

The rules went into effect for staff in early January.