The new requirement announced July 29 means that federal workers would have to prove they are vaccinated or have to face masking, social distancing and weekly testing. Labor unions for government employees have encouraged their members to get a vaccine, but most of the nation’s top public sector unions have objected to the vaccine requirement or have said they want negotiations first.
“We expect that the particulars of any changes to working conditions, including those related to COVID-19 vaccines and associated protocols, be properly negotiated with our bargaining units prior to implementation,” Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, noted in a statement. That union represents almost 700,000 workers.