Vaccination warrants test Biden’s links to work

President BidenJoe BidenPoll: Voters divided over whether they think Biden was trying to score political points with Afghanistan pullout Kansas approves use of M in federal funds to increase nurses’ wages CONTINUEDHis administration’s close ties to the unions could be tested by his administration’s adoption of the vaccine mandates.

Biden on Thursday unveiled a much stricter approach to tackling COVID-19 than what the administration has favored in the past.

In a speech, he berated people who are hesitant and resistant to vaccines for the growing number of infections and hospitalizations, and proceeded to announce a series of vaccination warrants on health workers, federal employees and entrepreneurs, and even private companies.

If they do not comply, they face heavy fines.

Unions are divided on the approach, as they seek to balance the need for workplace safety with combating anti-vaccine sentiment among some of their members.

Many unions have followed a fine line, encouraging members to get vaccinated without approving terms of reference.

But as private sector mandates gain in popularity, unions are increasingly emphasizing the need for any potential measures to be collectively negotiated before they come into effect.

The response to federal mandates has been no different.

“Our union said we should work with, not oppose, our employers on their vaccine requirements, and ensure that people have a voice in their implementation to ensure they are implemented fairly and the exemptions and accommodations that have to happen, happen, ”said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

In its most recent resolution on school vaccines, AFT encouraged all educators to get vaccinated, but did not call for a strict national mandate.

Instead, the group said that “when employers establish these vaccination policies, employees must have a voice to address the impact on workers through negotiations or other forms of consultation.”

Teachers, like other unions, are reluctant to tie the hands of locals, and there are some areas of the country where vaccination mandates are not an option.

And while national organizations may favor mandates, some local unions, like the New York State United Teachers, have said they oppose the idea.

State and local public sector unions, such as law enforcement, have widely opposed vaccination mandates, though the International Association of Fire Chiefs adopted the policy and called for mandatory vaccination after the Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine has been fully approved.

Demands from public sector unions could slow Biden’s federal vaccination campaign, and their resistance indicates that similar efforts by states and municipalities to close the gaps could also face roadblocks.

Biden’s announcement sparked a quick reaction from Republicans, with a handful of GOP governors accusing him of too much federal reach and vowing to fight him in court.

But overall, the administration has the support of the unions.

New AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler praised Biden’s plan, adding that “workers and unions should have a say in shaping these policies.”

“COVID-19 workplace safety plans should also include mitigation measures such as ventilation, disposal of infected people, masking and worker training. These are needed to prevent exposures and, in combination with vaccines, will get us out of this pandemic, ”she said.

The administration was initially reluctant to impose mandates on vaccines, preferring to lead by example and let the private sector implement the mandates itself. But as the delta variant gained a foothold and vaccinations continued to fall behind, Biden changed course.

“We have been patient, but our patience is running out. And your refusal has cost us all, ”Biden said Thursday in comments to unvaccinated people.

Senior administration officials have said the new rules could impact two-thirds of the US workforce, although some public health experts believe it should be more.

The mandate announcement comes a week in which Biden has stepped up engagement with unions and tried to garner more support from the pro-worker community.

He reiterated his campaign pledge to be “the most pro-union president” at a White House event on Wednesday and visited workers at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 313 in Wilmington , Del., Monday.

Aaron Sojourner, a labor economist and associate professor at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, said he didn’t think there was much risk of a labor reaction.

“I think that [President Biden’s] the relationship with union leaders of the labor movement and popularity among members make them more open to his leadership and more willing to support the position he defends, ”said Sojourner.

“But I think part of the reason he’s able to do it, and willing to do it, is because he knows it’s actually something that will benefit working families, by general, and the economy… workers want to be healthy and safe, they want their families to be healthy and safe, and they don’t want to catch COVID, ”he added.

As part of Biden’s new push to impose the immunization issue, federal employees and contractors will have 75 days to be fully immunized with limited exemptions for religious or medical reasons. There will be no testing option.

The American Federation of Government Employees and the AFL-CIO, the largest federal union, said they plan to negotiate the change before implementation.

“Since President Biden made his first major announcement on changing COVID-19 protocols for the federal workforce in response to the burgeoning Delta variant, we have said changes like this should be made. negotiated with our bargaining units, if applicable. Simply put, workers deserve a voice in their working conditions, ”AFGE National President Everett Kelley said in a statement.