Pritzker backs off COVID-19 vax deadline amid union opposition
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker couldn’t reach an agreement with the public employee unions representing workers in group settings, so he delayed the COVID-19 vaccination deadline until Nov. 30. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s vaccination fight with the police union escalates.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker pushed back to Nov. 30 the deadline for state workers at prisons, retirement homes and other congregate facilities after negotiations with their unions stalled.
Pritzker originally set an Oct. 4 deadline. Now, state workers covered by the executive order must receive their first dose by Oct. 26 and be fully vaccinated by Nov. 30. Employees in the mandated group work in Corrections, Veterans Affairs, Human Services and Juvenile Justice.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s also delayed her deadlines after union opposition, especially from the Fraternal Order of Police. She’s currently in a heated legal battle with the police union as the deadline for Chicago officers to disclose their vaccination status came and went Oct. 15.
Some police officers are being put on unpaid leave as fewer than 65% reported their vaccine status, along with about 72% of firefighters. Most other city departments had nearly 100% compliance.
Chicago’s vaccine mandate extends to all city workers, not just certain groups. Lightfoot responded to the union pressure by allowing city workers to test for COVID-19 twice a week, at their own expense and on their own time, through the end of 2021.
Multiple unions have reached an agreement with Pritzker’s office, but talks with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 and Teamsters Local 700 are still up in the air.
AFSCME, which represents 15,000 of the required workers, called the order “rigid mandates” and the union opposes “any effort to define (its members) as part of the problem rather than recognizing their dedication.”
The extra two weeks “allows the unions time to communicate the agreement to their members and workers to have time to get their shots,” said Emily Bittner, Pritzker’s deputy chief of staff.
Workers who don’t comply could face disciplinary measures, including termination. There’s an alternative testing option reserved for people with approved religious or medical objections.
As of Oct. 15, 80% of state VA employees, 67% of Juvenile Justice, and 64% of Human Services employees were fully vaccinated. In the Department of Corrections, 48% of staff and 70% of the incarcerated were fully vaccinated.