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Labor Recognition Event Next Week!

Update from NTEU National Office!

NTEU has filed a demand to bargain with the IRS over the impact and implementation of the executive order requiring that all federal employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 by November 22, 2021.

The vaccination mandate eliminates the requirement for agency testing protocols in the administration’s prior directive requiring agencies to have their employees attest to their COVID-19 vaccination status or be subject to COVID-19 testing requirements and other safety protocols. (See, 8/9/21 and 8/12/21 chapter presidents’ memoranda.) However, agencies may still elect to implement testing protocols for unvaccinated individuals. This includes employees who request a medical or religious exception from the vaccination requirement.

The mandatory vaccine guidance issued by the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force indicates that the decision to mandate vaccinations and substantive policy (e.g., the required to be fully vaccinated no later than November 22, 2021) are not issues we can bargain over. However, we can bargain over procedures and appropriate arrangements to the extent they are not covered by the guidance or the parties’ collective bargaining agreement. Shortly, I will appoint a bargaining team for the negotiations. We are in the process of scheduling the briefing with the IRS.

Update on Government Funding

FAQs on Vaccine Mandate

This is the first post on various questions you all may have regarding the mandate. Check our page everyday for new information regarding this mandate. 

• Executive Order on COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates for Federal Employees 

On Sept. 9, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order requiring federal employees be vaccinated against COVID-19. The information below will be regularly updated.  

• Does this vaccine mandate apply to all federal employees, including management? 

Yes, all Title 5 federal employees in the executive branch are subject to the mandate. 

• What is the deadline for being fully vaccinated? 

The deadline for employees to be fully vaccinated is Nov. 22. Fully vaccinated means the employee has received all the required doses of the vaccine and is two weeks past the final dose. To meet that deadline, employees getting a two-dose regimen should have the first shot by no later than the first week of October 2021.

• When do I need to begin the vaccination process?

The timing of the vaccination process depends on which vaccine you get. Here is some guidance:  

• Johnson & Johnson's Jansen COVID-19 vaccine

Johnson & Johnson's Jansen COVID-19 vaccine requires only one dose. To receive the full course of the COVID-19 vaccinations by Monday, November 22, an employee must receive the single dose no later than Monday Nov. 8.

• Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer)

Pfizer vaccine requires two doses and should be given 3 weeks (21 days) apart. To receive the full course of the COVID-19 vaccinations by Monday, November 22, an employee must recieve second dose no later than Monday, November 8.

• Moderna COVID-19 vaccine

Moderna vaccine requires two does and should be given 1 month (28 days) apart. To recieve the full course of the COVID-19 vaccinations by Monday, November 22, an employee must recieve their second dose no later than Monday November 8. 

Dear Members,

We understand your concerns, we understand that you are furious when it comes to injecting a foreign substance into your bodies or risk losing your jobs. There is light at the end of the tunnel, we will be posting the answers to most of your concerns on Facebook throughout the week, so please stay tuned. I would also like to warn you against false and misleading information that’s out there. Please understand that as IRS employees we fall under Title 5 and we are subject to the POTUS and to Congress. Things that apply to private business or even the US Post office, do not apply to us. Stay Calm, be patient and understand that some questions will need to wait on the Safer Federal Workforce Taskforce’s guidelines before going forward.

Robert Lawrence

NTEU 67 President