The American Postal Workers Union (APWU), which represents more than 200,000 United States Postal Service employees and retirees and nearly 2,000 private-sector mail workers, on Wednesday expressed concern over the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate for federal workers.
The APWU said in a statement:
Various media outlets have reported that the White House is considering mandatory COVID-19 [Chinese coronavirus] vaccination as a condition of employment for federal employees.
Maintaining the health and safety of our members is of paramount importance. While the APWU leadership continues to encourage postal workers to voluntarily get vaccinated, it is not the role of the federal government to mandate vaccinations for the employees we represent.
Issues related to vaccinations and testing for COVID-19 in the workplace must be negotiated with the APWU. At this time the APWU opposes the mandating of COVID-19 vaccinations in relation to U.S. postal workers.
APWU maintains its headquarters in Washington, D.C., where the mayor just issued an indoor mask mandate.
Some labor unions in New York are also bristling at Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D-NY) plans to mandate vaccines or regular testing for all state workers, according to reports.
Public Employees Federation President Wayne Spencer issued a statement saying any vaccine mandate must be bargained between labor and management, who represent professional, scientific, and technical state employees, according to Syracuse.com.
New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association President Michael Powers called the vaccine requirement a “drastic measure,” according to the Times Union.
“It’s time that we stop making these decisions in a vacuum and start including stakeholders,” he said.
President of the Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers Thomas Mungeer said he was “caught off guard” by Cuomo’s announcement and that the union is exploring its legal options, according to the Buffalo News.
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