Starbucks on Monday announced that its tens of thousands of U.S. workers must get a COVID-19 vaccine or undergo weekly testing to comply with new federal mandates.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) set a Feb. 9 date for large employers with 100 or more workers to require either full vaccination or weekly testing. The rule, among others, was announced by President Joe Biden on Sept. 9 as part of a controversial sweeping mandate to push the U.S. vaccination rate higher.
Starbucks Chief Operating Officer John Culver issued a letter to Starbucks employees that they have to disclose their vaccination status by Jan. 10.
The Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for private businesses has faced numerous court challenges from business groups, companies, and Republican-led states. The Supreme Court is slated to hear oral arguments on the case on Friday.
“America is about freedom and the ability to make the best decision for your family or business, and Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate must be stopped in its tracks in order to preserve freedom, protect American livelihoods and businesses, and to safeguard our Constitution,” Pence said in a statement accompanying the filing.
Last week, the Biden administration urged the Supreme Court to leave intact the mandate, claiming that a 1970 law that established OSHA ensures that the mandate “falls squarely within OSHA’s statutory authority.”
Outside the OSHA rule, Biden also announced a mandate for federal contractors, federal employees, and hospitals that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding. Unlike the private business rule, those workers do not have the option to submit to weekly testing.
Starbucks has not immediately responded to The Epoch Times’ request for comment.