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We’re not martyrs of vax culture war, say Cari-Med workers

Published:Friday | December 24, 2021 | 12:15 AMDavid Salmon/Gleaner Writer

Employees of Cari-Med who recently brought the company to court over its COVID-19 vaccination policies have broken their silence after the Supreme Court’s decision to throw out their claim that the company’s vax-or-test mandate breached their constitutional rights.

In a press statement issued Thursday, the five female claimants offered comment after appealing the judgment.

The claimants, Kadian Parkins, Tashana Davis, Sherine Hemmings, Racquel Robertson, and Kennesha Dale, said they did not expect to become “martyrs” or the “test case” for vaccine mandates in Jamaica.

“We are all high-performing women who have done our best to excel in our jobs. Some of us are managers who have received awards and promotions from the company,” they said.

Parkins said she received the first Chairman’s Award for being the most exemplary employee, while Davis disclosed that she was promoted to portfolio manager in June this year. Hemmings was elevated from junior product manager to product manager in 2018 and moved up further in 2021, the statement said.

The employees, some of whom have worked with Cari-Med for up to 11 years, said their relationship with senior management transformed from amicable to antagonistic as the implementation date for the vaccinate-or-test policy neared.

They shared that they were locked out of the company, prevented from speaking with human resources staff in person, and, ultimately, were left isolated.

The quintet said that they faced a bleak Christmas.

“Management turned against us and we have not been paid since September. Our concern this Christmas is about living and surviving,” they said.

Several of the claimants have cited medical reasons for not taking the vaccine. For instance, Davis indicated that her obstetrician-gynaecologist had recommended that she avoid taking the COVID-19 vaccine because it could put her high-risk pregnancy and the foetus’ life at risk.

Other claimants offered medical and religious grounds for their objection.

They also shared their displeasure with “being forced to have something pushed in our noses every two weeks”, referencing swabbing for COVID-19 tests.

The claimants also contended that they could not afford the more than $40,000 monthly price tag of the tests.

According to them, the “rationale for mandates” is “deteriorating rapidly” and they stated that human rights and freedoms must be practised in the workplace.

While expressing a desire to continue working at Cari-Med, the women said that they could not violate their consciences or go against medical advice.

The pharmaceutical company has stated that exemptions would be allowed for medical reasons it deemed appropriate.

On December 10, Cari-Med workers and senior data analyst at Digicel Jamaica, Doric White, lost their bid to block the enforcement of their companies’ vaccination policies until the substantive case was heard.

Justice Sonya Wint-Blair upheld an application made by Cari-Med that the court would not exercise its discretion to hear the constitutional aspects of the lawsuit brought by the employees.

Even though the judge agreed that there are constitutional questions to be examined, she dismissed the claim, saying redress could be found without triggering constitutional provisions.

Instead, the lawsuit will continue as a claim for breach of employment contract.

No date has been announced as to when the case will be tried.

david.salmon@gleanerjm.com