VTA union president claims vaccine mandate is connected to recent shooting menace

The union head who represents Valley Transportation Authority personnel asserted on Saturday that a male staff who was arrested immediately after earning office shooting threats was “facing pressures” to obtain a vaccine shot mandated by the transit agency.

The comments occur following the Friday arrest by sheriff’s deputies of a male VTA worker who was allegedly creating shooting threats in entrance of other workers at the Chaboya Division Garden in San Jose on the 2200 block of South 10th Road. The sheriff’s section did not specify no matter if any specific threats were being designed or if the male owned any firearms.

In his statement, Amalgamated Transit Union President John Courtney claimed he has “pleaded” in the previous with the transit company to not put “undue pressure” on its personnel and threaten termination for these who are unvaccinated.

“The next person subjected to needless tension from VTA administration and contemplating hurt may not say anything at all,” claimed Courtney, who has recommended a after-a-7 days testing regiment in its place of mandated vaccines.

“We are no more time in a vaccination crisis we are in a psychological well being disaster,” he extra.

Courtney did not reply to a request for comment inquiring to supply proof that the shooting threats and vaccine mandate ended up similar. A sheriff’s division spokesperson declined to present remark.

Courtney’s assertion drew a sharp rebuke from the VTA administration.

“Violent threats are unacceptable and must not be defended under any instances,” VTA spokesperson Stacey Hendler Ross stated in a statement on Sunday. “Also unacceptable is the habits and ongoing blame by ATU leadership who has labored to thwart the progress to defend personnel somewhat than advance it. We are doing the job diligently by means of different possibilities for all those not still vaccinated nevertheless, community fake assertions do not profit the procedure.”

“VTA is carefully utilizing procedures and functioning with our staff members to make sure we have the most secure circumstances for staff members and our travellers,” Hendler Ross added.