September 22, 2021
Has your agency engaged with you on the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate yet? If not, NFFE locals should invoke our right to bargain the impact and implementation of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate as soon as possible. Agencies have already taken steps to implement, so do not wait! Union members are fortunate to have you fighting for them at the bargaining table. The right to collectively bargain means our NFFE units have a say in how the vaccine mandate is rolled out, a right that employees without a union simply don’t have. NFFE locals must work quickly in the weeks to come to pin down fair, transparent processes and additional safeguards in your unique workplaces on areas of concern the Safer Federal Task Force guidance does not already address. NFFE has created the attached template of proposals for your use when bargaining the vaccine mandate I&I.
These proposals are not agency-specific, nor are they all-inclusive. They are meant to serve as a baseline and help generate ideas for more proposals unique to your local. You may craft your own proposals to reflect concerns particular to your members. We have asked OPM to address the issues underlying the NFFE proposals within Task Force guidance to ensure clarity and consistency across government. If they do not abide, your local bargaining will be the critical last chance to win additional protections and clarify procedures for our people. Take a look at the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force guidance and FAQs here: https://www.saferfederalworkforce.gov/new/ Additional guidance is forthcoming; agencies are not waiting on that and neither are we.
We strongly encourage you to survey your members on these topics prior to submitting proposals to make sure our bargaining is on point. A survey could be simply forwarding the NFFE template to your bargaining unit to ask what each member would like to see added or changed. Take this opportunity to tell non-members what work NFFE is doing for them. Ask them to become a union member and add their voice to better our chances at getting a vaccine mandate process that works for everyone. The form to join NFFE can be found here. Please contact your BR, Jeff Friday jfriday@nffe.org and/or Yvette Piacsek ypiacsek@nffe.org with questions or for more guidance.