OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) would have had broad and significant impacts on these businesses and the 21 different industry sectors we represent. Despite a suggestion of urgency, the process and the timelines provided were anything but, and would have only created more uncertainty for employers already tackling unprecedented talent shortages and supply-chain challenges. In a separate ruling today, the Supreme Court announced that vaccines will be required of the 20 million health care workers in our country who treat Medicaid and Medicare patients, allowing an OSHA standard to remain in place. The NC Chamber has supported and continues to support the North Carolina Healthcare Association’s recommendations that our hospitals and health care systems implement policies that in their best judgment ensure all hospital employees and clinical team members are protected against the virus.

Throughout this pandemic, the business community has played a key role in driving North Carolina’s progress on all fronts, including encouraging vaccination and testing. At the NC Chamber, we are committed to supporting job creators and our statewide community in our fight against COVID-19 by promoting resources that increase vaccination rates across North Carolina workplaces, by supporting ample supplies of affordable testing, and by working with state leaders to ensure these new COVID-19 requirements are implemented in a way that enables our businesses to remain open and serving the needs of our citizens and communities. We believe that employers and employees are better positioned to determine how to keep each other safe rather than the federal government.