Police union says 'dozens' of troopers will quit over a vaccine mandate

The union representing Massachusetts State Troopers is claiming that "dozens" are set to resign over the state's Republican governor's mandate that all executive department personnel provide proof of vaccination by October 17, or risk "disciplinary action including possible termination," according to the Associated Press. That mandate applies to "42,000 state workers and contractors in the executive branch."

In an undated statement the State Police Association of Massachusetts (SPAM) says "dozens of troopers have already submitted their resignation paperwork, some of whom plan to return to other departments offering reasonable alternatives such as mask wearing and regular testing."

In that same press release, union president Michael Cherven says they were suing "to treat a COVID related illness as a line of duty injury."

SPAM filed a lawsuit earlier this month "saying the Oct. 17 deadline would cause troopers 'irreparable harm' and they wanted more time to 'negotiate the terms and conditions of their employment.'"

There are about 1800 state troopers.

Last week, the Associated Press reported, Judge Jackie Cowin ruled that "the public interest is, unquestionably, best served by stopping the spread of the virus, in order to protect people from becoming ill, ensure adequate supply of medical services, and curtail the emergence of new, deadlier variants of the virus."

About 20 percent of Massachusetts State Troopers are unvaccinated.

Some conservatives are weighing in.

David Frum says their decision to resign "may be enabled by the favorable pension deals they receive, no matter what else they have done."

He adds:

And Bill Kristol simply says, "Mandates work."