One of Detroit’s iconic brands is facing backlash after the company decided to uphold a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for its employees, despite not having to.
A leaked email from Carhartt CEO Mark Valade stated that the apparel company’s staff members would be required to get vaccinated for COVID, despite the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that ended the president’s vaccine mandate for large businesses.
From there, the backlash was nearly immediate.
“An unvaccinated workforce is both a people and business risk our company is unwilling to take.” Valade wrote in the email.
The leaked email went viral on social media platforms, garnering calls from some people to boycott one of Detroit’s — and the country’s — most iconic brands, which is often associated with toughness, ruggedness and hard work.
Among those who lashed out online was Rep. Anthony Sabatini (R-FL) who sent a letter to Florida governor Ron DeSantis requesting to end all contracts with Carhartt, which he called a “woke” company.
Former Trump administration advisor Sebastion Gorka tweeted to his 1.1 million followers “Never buy Carhartt products again.” The controversial conservative pundit Jack Posobiec also tweeted to his 1.5 million followers to wage “economic warfare” on the company.