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After the city of Portland announced its vaccine mandate on Monday, a city accountant sent what amounted to a battle cry to the city’s entire employee list. She announced her intent to fight the city’s legal ability to mandate the vaccine, called it “deadly” and declared elected officials “evil.”
On Tuesday afternoon, the city’s chief human resources officer warned employees not to respond en masse to the full list of city email contacts, saying it violates human resource administrative rules, specifically those that dictate how one can use city resources (such as email lists), discourteous treatment and improper use of technology services.
“Please cease the use of any group, bureau, or citywide email distributions lists to respond to City Council’s employee message yesterday, or to this email,” the email read.
The email, shared with WW, redirected comments and concerns about the vaccine mandate to a specific email address.
The spirited email that turned heads yesterday was one sent by a woman who claimed that the vaccine was deadly, said God was on her side, and pledged to challenge the city on its mandate. Several other responses to her email, which were also sent to the entire list of city employees, asked that the woman add them to her list of those who want to fight the city.
On Tuesday morning, that woman—whose name WW is withholding, although she volunteered it to the email chain—told WW that 200 people had asked to be added to her list of those wanting to challenge the city. She has not yet provided evidence of those 200 people.
Public employee unions representing city workers have sought collective bargaining sessions over the vaccine mandate, The Oregonian reported Tuesday afternoon.