Reply to Mandatory vaccines for teachers/staff and eligible students

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous]people are confused about Weingarten’s statement, apparently made on a TV show. unclear what AFT’s position actually is about mandatory vax.

https://mobile.twitter.com/crampell/status/1424392084472094722[/quote]

Only you are confused. As I just said, the AFT supports negotiating mandates. This has been the case all along.

A mandate involves more than just shots in arms. What are the ramifications for those who can't or won't vaccinate? Will vaccination status be made public? Will sick leave be allowed for anyone who suffers from vaccine side effects? Will the mandate apply to potential booster shots? Etc. etc. All of that has to be worked out.

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But a mandate is black and white, there should be zero negotiation. If you can’t or won’t get vaccinated, you no longer have employment in education. By throwing in “… we’ll what about people that…” isn’t a mandate, it’s a choice. And considering that teachers in this area were pushed to the front of the line in February, if they don’t have vaccines now, they need to drop everything and get a shot -CVS, Walgreens etc.- are open very late, some open 24 hours. Get it now or get your resume together because you will no longer be employed. [/quote]

Sadly for you, I guess, life is a bit more complex than your imagination. In reality, some folks have medical reasons not to be vaccinated. Moreover, employment contracts cannot simply be broken on a whim. Thankfully, both the Bowser administration and the WTU took a more serious approach than what you are advocating and were able to reach a mutually-acceptable agreement.
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Hi Jeff. Can we get some sources on your assertions? Can you point us to the specific language in WTU's collective bargaining agreement that prevents the city from imposing a vaccine mandate on teachers? Also, doctors will tell you that almost no one has a valid medical reason for not getting vaccinated. Those are rare. [/quote]

I am quite sure that the DC government could have imposed a mandate. I am similarly sure that if the mandate included penalties affecting employment, it would have been challenged in court and would have been essentially worthless. But, not having a copy of the contract on hand, I can't provide you the specific language. This reality has been clear to anyone paying attention to the ongoing discussions.

I have no idea how common medical exemptions are and I really don't care. Nor do I care about religious exemptions which I personally find even more absurd. But just about every mandate includes such exemptions so there is no reason for DC to be different. If those claiming exemptions want to get tested weekly for the indefinite future, that's their choice I guess. Personally, I'd do a different cost-benefit analysis.

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Cool, cool.  So tell me this, Loudoun County is trying to mandate that staff have to use a student's preferred pronouns, so I'm going to guess you are fine with exemptions to that mandate since the world is far more nuanced.  I would say protecting the public with vaccines is far more important that pronouns, but maybe that is just me.  
What has been lost in all of this is that schools are there to teach students, [b]not be an employment agency.[/b]  Get vaxxed or get a new job.  [/quote]

Why do you believe that schools should have an exemption from basic employment rights? I’m fine with the vax and pronoun mandates you’ve referenced, but take major issue with your presupposition that anyone who chooses to go into education should expect to abdicate all workers rights[/quote]

Mandatory vaccination, as happens in many places (and for schoolchildren) is not the equivalent of "all workers rights." Don't be dramatic.[/quote]

I don’t think it’s dramatic to bring up that once again people are asking teachers to not expect the same workplace protections that any other company would have. Did you know that DCPS has a full HR department, like any other employment agency. I’m not sure why people have the attitude on this site that teachers should be exempt from basic rights bc they choose to work with children[/quote]

It is not a workplace protection that everyone has. That's the dramatic part. Being free of vaccination and holding a particular job is not a "basic right." This has already been decided in courts. And I can't see any reason why adults holding a position voluntarily would deserve "more" protection than a child who is required to be vaccinated to go to school.[/quote]

Did you miss where I said I fully support the vax mandate?[/quote]

And that's fine, great even. The rest of your arguments were not based in reality.[/quote]

Have you seen the thread on lunches where parents told teachers they were breaking the education system bc they wouldn’t give up their lunch breaks? The general vibe on this site is that teachers should do whatever parents want bc kids and that’s just a recipe for burnout and turnover. Start treating them with respect and you might get a partnership instead of this antagonistic relationship [/quote]

well, they kind of are. [/quote]

Tough crap. They are under no obligation to give up their lunch break for your kids. Feel free to homeschool, though.[/quote]

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