United workers eye rare legal move to block vaccine directive

A group of United workers challenging the company's COVID-19 vaccine mandate are trying a bold legal tactic: seeking swift action from a federal judge, rather than waiting months for government agencies to review their claims. Next week, United workers who want religious or medical exemptions will ask a Texas federal judge to temporarily block the airline from firing them or placing them on leave for not being vaccinated. The group, which includes pilots and flight attendants, filed a class action in September, accusing United of failing to properly vet exemption requests. They claim that workers who sought exemptions were subjected to intrusive inquiries, including a requirement that they obtain letters from pastors. United has said the lawsuit is without merit, and that it has seen an overwhelmingly positive response from employees since announcing the mandate.<br/>