Bringing The World Home To You

© 2024 WUNC North Carolina Public Radio
120 Friday Center Dr
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
919.445.9150 | 800.962.9862
91.5 Chapel Hill 88.9 Manteo 90.9 Rocky Mount 91.1 Welcome 91.9 Fayetteville 90.5 Buxton 94.1 Lumberton 99.9 Southern Pines 89.9 Chadbourn
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Dozens Of Massachusetts State Police Have Resigned Over A Vaccine Mandate, Union Says

The Massachusetts State Police headquarters in Framingham, Mass. The State Police Association of Massachusetts said troopers should have "reasonable alternatives" to being required to get vaccinated for COVID-19 such as wearing masks and being tested regularly.
John Tlumacki
/
The Boston Globe via Getty Images
The Massachusetts State Police headquarters in Framingham, Mass. The State Police Association of Massachusetts said troopers should have "reasonable alternatives" to being required to get vaccinated for COVID-19 such as wearing masks and being tested regularly.

Dozens of Massachusetts State Police troopers have put in their resignation papers following the state's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, the State Police Association of Massachusetts said.

Under Gov. Charlie Baker's executive order issued last month, all executive department employees are required to show proof of vaccination on or before Oct. 17, or they will be fired.

"It is unfortunate that the Governor and his team have chosen to mandate one of the most stringent vaccine mandates in the country with no reasonable alternatives," State Police Association President Michael Cherven said in a statement.

Chervin said the troopers should have "reasonable alternatives" to being required to get vaccinated such as wearing masks and being tested regularly.

Last week, a state judge denied a request from the state's police union to block the governor's vaccine mandate for troopers, according to WBZ-TV. The police union's attorneys told the local broadcaster that up to 20% of state police employees remain unvaccinated.

With the judge's ruling, unvaccinated troopers were only given a few days to get their first vaccine dose or they could face disciplinary action, WBZ reported.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Tags
Jonathan Franklin
Jonathan Franklin is a digital reporter on the News desk covering general assignment and breaking national news.
More Stories