Joe Biden is now looking to his allies to help him hit his vaccine mark, but not all of them are buying into it.
In his quest to have the entire country vaccinated before the fall season and another expected COVID surge, Biden hoped unions would mandate the vaccine for all members, backing his federal employee vaccine mandate.
Unions are pushing back, however, stating this would be a collective bargaining issue.
Sorry, Joe
The Biden administration is now trying to mandate that all federal employees take the jab or be forced into regular testing and social distancing.
That may not be as simple as Joe Biden giving the order, however.
Several union groups have already pushed back, stating that Biden does not have the authority to take any such action against union employees.
This would include some Treasury Department workers, teachers, law enforcement, postal workers, and other government employees represented by unions.
Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), stated, “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.”
AFGE represents about 700,000 government employees.
Larry Cosme, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, also pushed back, stating mandating a vaccine “is not the American way and is a clear civil rights violation no matter how proponents may seek to justify it.”
National Treasury Employees Union President Tony Reardon stated this his union has “a lot of questions about how this policy will be implemented and how employee rights and privacy will be protected.”
Even American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten pushed back, stating, “In order for everyone to feel safe and welcome in their workplaces, vaccinations must be negotiated between employers and workers, not coerced.”
This is a major problem for Biden because his pockets are lined with union cash.
The resistance by the union is going to be an embarrassment for this administration and a major roadblock for Biden to hit his vaccine goals before the fall.
