Good news.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker deferred the COVID vaccine mandate for employees of veterans’ homes, prisons and other congregate facilities until the end of November. The union members now have another 7 weeks to get vaccinated with the experimental COVID vaccine.
Union members fought the mandates and thousands would have been let go this week if the mandate was not extended.
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ABC7 reported:
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has pushed back a deadline for state employees of veterans’ homes, prisons and other congregate facilities to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as his office negotiates with labor unions representing some workers.
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Pritzker, who in August set an Oct. 4 deadline for state workers covered by his requirement to get the vaccine, on Friday said employees have until Nov. 30 to be fully vaccinated, the Chicago Tribune reported. The workers are employed by the departments of Corrections, Veterans Affairs, Human Services and Juvenile Justice.
Pritzker’s administration has reached agreements with several unions representing state workers. But negotiations continue with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 and Teamsters Local 700. AFSCME, which represents some 15,000 state workers affected by the requirement, objected to what it called “rigid mandates.”
