Bowser Announces Vaccine Mandate for DCPS and Charter Personnel and Student Athletes (over 12)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So...the mayor could have imposed this mandate all along, without bargaining with the union? Sounds like that's what she did yesterday.

I'm sure the union knew all along (despite what they will email out) that the mandate was coming. I haven't seen anything about what happens if...? The announcement does not say teachers will be terminated or anything, just that it has to be done by Nov. 1. There's probably another already negotiated announcement about what happens next, early retirement buyouts, resignation buyouts, etc. I don't believe for one minute the WTU leadership did not know this well in advance.

[Anonymous]

I'm glad this is happening. Teachers and staff are the ones bringing covid into the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad this is happening. Teachers and staff are the ones bringing covid into the schools.

+1

[Anonymous]

I’m vaccinated so, I don’t care about this decree.

Bowser is as good of a mayor as a stop sign is at being a green traffic light.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m vaccinated so, I don’t care about this decree.

Bowser is as good of a mayor as a stop sign is at being a green traffic light.

OMG - you are clever! I like you and I don’t say that lightly especially on DCUM where most people annoy to infuriate me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad this is happening. Teachers and staff are the ones bringing covid into the schools.

I guess we will see how true this come November 1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad this is happening. Teachers and staff are the ones bringing covid into the schools.

I guess we will see how true this come November 1.

Or, like the firemen, they will all get some sort of 'religious exemption' and nothing changes.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad this is happening. Teachers and staff are the ones bringing covid into the schools.

I guess we will see how true this come November 1.

Or, like the firemen, they will all get some sort of 'religious exemption' and nothing changes.

As of Monday, none of those exemptions had been approved.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad this is happening. Teachers and staff are the ones bringing covid into the schools.

I guess we will see how true this come November 1.

Or, like the firemen, they will all get some sort of 'religious exemption' and nothing changes.

As of Monday, none of those exemptions had been approved.

Excellent. Have they been formally rejected, or just not approved yet?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:
Excellent. Have they been formally rejected, or just not approved yet?

The city said Monday that it has received about 475 requests from its 37,000 employees for religious exemptions from the requirement to be vaccinated or tested weekly. Of those, 419 are from the Fire & EMS Department. All of the requests are under review.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-school-staff-child-care-covid-vaccine-mandate/2021/09/20/771e53cc-1a10-11ec-bcb8-0cb135811007_story.html

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Excellent. Have they been formally rejected, or just not approved yet?

The city said Monday that it has received about 475 requests from its 37,000 employees for religious exemptions from the requirement to be vaccinated or tested weekly. Of those, 419 are from the Fire & EMS Department. All of the requests are under review.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-school-staff-child-care-covid-vaccine-mandate/2021/09/20/771e53cc-1a10-11ec-bcb8-0cb135811007_story.html

the city is going to have to review each one of those fake religious exemption claims on the merits before it denies them. this is going to take a lot of time and resources. I hope when people complain about DC government services they remember how stunts like this divert resources and attention away from DC that could be used in infinitely better ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Excellent. Have they been formally rejected, or just not approved yet?

The city said Monday that it has received about 475 requests from its 37,000 employees for religious exemptions from the requirement to be vaccinated or tested weekly. Of those, 419 are from the Fire & EMS Department. All of the requests are under review.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-school-staff-child-care-covid-vaccine-mandate/2021/09/20/771e53cc-1a10-11ec-bcb8-0cb135811007_story.html

the city is going to have to review each one of those fake religious exemption claims on the merits before it denies them. this is going to take a lot of time and resources. I hope when people complain about DC government services they remember how stunts like this divert resources and attention away from DC that could be used in infinitely better ways.

(and I also hope DC investigates the fake religious exemption claims to determine if its fraud and/or a union contract violation.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m vaccinated so, I don’t care about this decree.

Bowser is as good of a mayor as a stop sign is at being a green traffic light.

OMG - you are clever! I like you and I don’t say that lightly especially on DCUM where most people annoy to infuriate me.

Bowser is trash. But people who refuse to get vaccinated are also trash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Glad to see Bower finally stand up to the union, which, of course, opposes this mandate. Bowser always does the right thing, after everyone else has already done it. Leading from behind.

Source? Where does the WTU say they oppose the mandate?

Are you confusing the WTU with the firefighters and police unions?

The only reason we had a policy where teachers could skip getting vaccinated, but other city employees like firefighters could not, is because of the union. There's no other reason why they got special treatment. Bowser certainly didn't want it -- she complained about it. It made no sense either to allow unvaccinated adults into schools filled with kids who can't be vaccinated. Thankfully, this silly "or testing" option is ending, and I see the WTU opposes that too.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Glad to see Bower finally stand up to the union, which, of course, opposes this mandate. Bowser always does the right thing, after everyone else has already done it. Leading from behind.

Source? Where does the WTU say they oppose the mandate?

Are you confusing the WTU with the firefighters and police unions?

The only reason we had a policy where teachers could skip getting vaccinated, but other city employees like firefighters could not, is because of the union. There's no other reason why they got special treatment. Bowser certainly didn't want it -- she complained about it. It made no sense either to allow unvaccinated adults into schools filled with kids who can't be vaccinated. Thankfully, this silly "or testing" option is ending, and I see the WTU opposes that too.

This is not supported by the facts. The August 11 mandate that had a testing option applied to D.C. Government employees, interns, contractors, and grantees. That included firefighters and teachers. You could blame any or all of the unions that represent those workers for the testing option.

Firefighters and EMS workers were then covered by a second, stricter mandate announced on August 16 for health professionals. This mandate does not have a testing option.

The Sept. 20 mandate covers adults in schools and student athletes and does not include a testing option.

So, as things stand, DC government employees, interns, contractors, and grantees who are not involved in health or education still have a testing option. I don't see how this can reasonably be blamed on the WTU.