Dear colleague,
Earlier this week, you likely received an email from Tony Calcado, the university’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, informing you of an all-university-employee vaccination mandate. As of December 8, 2021, all faculty and staff must submit proof of vaccination or have an approved medical or religious exemption. If you have not already done so, you should upload proof of vaccination to the Covid-19 vaccine portal.
This mandate comes as the result of Executive Order 14042, signed by President Joe Biden, and is reinforced by guidance from the Federal Worker Safety Task Force. Since this mandate is the result of the application of federal policy, our unions did not negotiate the policy and have not yet had the opportunity to bargain over its impact.
Last May, our union’s Executive Council passed a resolution calling for a vaccination mandate for everyone represented by our union. We made a formal proposal to the administration about the terms of a mandate months ago. The administration didn’t take action on our proposal then, but as a result of federal action, we now will have the mandate in place that our members supported.
Please review the key takeaways summarized by Tony Calcado:
President Biden’s executive order supersedes other state or local rules, regulations, laws, or executive orders, and provides limited exemptions from the vaccination requirement for medical or religious reasons. It does not allow for a regular testing option for those employees who choose not to be vaccinated. The University will consider requests for exemptions from the executive order’s vaccination requirement for medical or religious reasons. However, if you are not granted an exemption for a medical or religious reason, you must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by December 8, 2021.
Employees seeking a medical or religious exemption must apply by November 8, 2021 (forms for requesting an exemption can be found here).
For more information, read our Health and Safety FAQ. You can email aaup@rutgersaaup.org with any questions or concerns.
In solidarity,
Becky and Todd
Rebecca Givan, President, Rutgers AAUP-AFT
Todd Wolfson, General Vice President, Rutgers AAUP-AFT
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