City of Calgary employee group asks for removal of COVID-19 vaccination policy

CALGARY – A group of employees has sent a letter to the City of Calgary, asking it to reverse course on requiring mandatory vaccinations for staff.

The group says it represents hundreds of employees from the fire department, police service, and other first responders who have chosen to remain anonymous due to threats of discipline and termination.

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The employees argue requiring them to get vaccinated is a violation of their rights.

“Medical mandates including forced medical treatments or procedures, disclosure of private information, or subjugation to medical testing are forms of authoritative overreach and defy existing legislation that supports the right of an employee to decline medical treatments or tests as a condition of employment,” the group writes.

They say they appreciate the “wicked problem” that is COVID-19, but requiring everyone to be vaccinated is an “oversimplification of pandemic response.”

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“We are not medical professionals, however, we remain concerned with the lack of debate and discussion regarding options that allow individuals to protect themselves and the potential impacts of over-reliance on vaccination to achieve herd immunity,” the group said.

“We want to bring to The City of Calgary’s attention several medical, legal and scientific concerns regarding the proposed COVID-19 Vaccination Policy and request their prompt response addressing the highlighted concerns.”

The group is calling on the city to break down its justification for implementing a vaccination policy and remove mandatory testing and vaccines from its current policies.

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The city announced it would be enforcing a vaccine policy back on Sept. 3.

“As the second-largest employer in Calgary, the city has a duty to ensure that our workplaces are safe for both employees and citizens accessing city services, while also modeling for Calgarians the role every individual plays in ensuring the safety of others,” said City Manager David Duckworth earlier this month.

“We must take this leadership role at this critical time to do our part to mitigate the impacts of COVID on our staff, our operations, and the citizens who depend on us every day. It’s simply the right thing to do.”

Employees had to have at least one dose of the vaccine by Sept. 13 and full immunization is expected by the end of October.