Seattle reaches agreement with labor groups on vaccine mandate, still no deal with police union

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Friday that the city had reached tentative agreements with several unions on an employee vaccination mandate that will come into effect in October.

Inslee: State is not considering extending employee vaccination mandates

The agreement includes the Coalition of City Unions, Seattle Fire Fighters Union Local 27 and IBEW Local 77. City workers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 18.

“Compulsory vaccination and payment of frontline workers is right for our workforce,” Durkan said in a press release. “Our unions have worked hard for our workers and I am grateful for the efforts to achieve these tentative agreements that present new guidelines to protect the health, safety and vitality of our workers.”

The deal provides that any city employee who provides evidence by October 5 that they are fully vaccinated by the October 18 deadline will receive an additional eight hours of paid time off. Employees will also receive 40 hours of paid vacation for COVID-related reasons and an additional 40 hours if they can confirm their vaccination status by October 18, a total of 80 hours.

Exemptions will also be created to allow employees to keep their jobs if they start the vaccination process by October 18, and then go on leave until they are fully vaccinated. Frontline workers get an additional benefit in the form of a one-time payment of $ 1,750.

For those who wish to work from home by January 19, 2022, the agreement provides “additional flexibility for eligible employees … unless there is a business need for their return”.

“No reason to give up a career” because of vaccine mandate

Specifically, the deal does not include the Seattle Police Officers Guild, which “continues to negotiate separately as the parties were unable to reach an agreement at this point,” the city notes. According to a report by the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH in early September, over 200 officials at the time said they either weren’t vaccinated or they refused to give their medical records to the city.

King County announced earlier this week that it has reached an agreement with an estimated 95% of its own unions on a similar vaccination mandate, easing the schedule to give workers a chance to avoid being laid off for non-compliance if they do Complete the vaccination process by Dec. 2.

The Washington Federation of State Employees – the state’s largest public sector union – reached an agreement with Governor Inslee in early September on mandatory vaccination for state employees, which allows workers who want an exemption to take certain precautions. However, Inslee said Thursday that there are no plans to offer an extension to government employees, as King County’s workers have agreed.

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