It all comes as Biden contends with flagging vaccination rates and the delta variant's exponential spread - both of which threaten hard-fought wins in the fight against COVID.Īfter the new vaccine policy had been spelled out Thursday, major union groups reacted with a largely tepid response, with many members voicing concerns about personal freedoms, privacy and the policy's practice. Those who decline to be fully vaccinated, or decline to show proof that they are, must wear a mask at work, social distance and get tested for the virus once or twice a week they may also face restrictions on official travel.
Federal government employees and contractors onsite will be asked to "attest to their vaccination status" by showing proof. "Make no mistake, we support being vaccinated as the most effective path and means to eliminate the COVID-19 virus, but not at the cost of our Constitutional rights that we protect and hold as self-evident," Larry Cosme, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) said.īiden's new policy is not a mandate but a choice: Either get vaccinated, or face potentially inconvenient restrictions. "It is not the role of the federal government to mandate vaccinations for the employees we represent," the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) said in a statement the day before Biden made his announcement, adding that they encourage members to "voluntarily get vaccinated."įollowing the announcement, an APWU spokesperson underscored that while their workers are government employees, they are an independent agency - and thus don't have to adhere to Biden's new policy.Ī White House spokesperson said that employees of independent agencies are not required to be vaccinated, but are strongly encouraged to do so. Some groups representing large numbers of workers raised preemptive objections.
Even before Biden's announcement, segments of the federal workforce rumbled with dissension.
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