Oct 14, 2021
October 14th Notice from HRD
The Vaccine Guidance Guidance can be found here.
You will also find the Grievance Template for Exemption Denial linked here.
October 15 HRD Notice:
The NAGE negotiating team met again yesterday with representatives of the Baker administration to continue negotiations over the administration’s decision to require COVID vaccinations of all employees.
The most significant thing that happened was that management has not budged at all on, 1) the requirement to be vaccinated, 2) the deadline of October 17 to be fully vaccinated, and 3) their determination to immediately suspend anyone who is not in compliance followed by a ten-day suspension followed by immediately termination. They have rejected our proposals to, 1) establish a mask and test option, 2) delay the deadline to allow for decisions on making on requests for exemptions and, 3) delay the deadline to allow for a pilot program of mask and test. Management has not even made a counteroffer to any of these proposals.
We had also proposed that if employees were required to be vaccinated, any vendors who share the same workspace with our members must be required to do so as well. Surprisingly, management has given no indication that they intend require this of vendors, despite the safety risk and the obvious unfairness. We will continue to press on this issue. We are also pressing on our proposal that any employee on long term leave, or who has been approved for full-time telework, should not be subject to the requirement at least until such time that they will be coming back to the workplace. We have made partial progress on this in that they have agreed that people on long term leaves will not be subject to discipline in the interim.
On the more peripheral issues surrounding the implementation of the requirement, we have made at least some progress. We had proposed that unvaccinated employees continue to be paid if they have not received a response to their timely filed request for an exemption, and Management agreed. We also proposed that any employee who has not been notified to the contrary should continue to report to work until otherwise advised in writing by management. We are expecting that they will adopt this proposal in some form and will communicate to employees shortly.
We also have a broad agreement with management on an expedited hearing and appeal process for employees who are subject to discipline.
You should expect to receive an email from management within the next 24 hours, outlining their intentions on these matters. We are in daily contact with management on the myriad of questions and concerns our members have and we have scheduled the next formal bargaining session for next week.
We will keep you advised as events unfold.
You can find out previous updates below:
Oct 7 - Update on Baker's Vaccine Mandate
Sept 30- Further Vaccine Mandate Update with Exemption Guidance
Sept 28- Vaccine Mandate Update with Exemption Guidance
Bargaining Update On Baker Vaccine Mandate
Update: Linked below is the communication from HRD that was sent to the Executive Branch yesterday. It contains an update from the pervious guidance: Unless expressly directed not to report to work by your manager or Agency Head, all Executive Department employees should report to work on Monday, October 18th.October 14th Notice from HRD
The Vaccine Guidance Guidance can be found here.
You will also find the Grievance Template for Exemption Denial linked here.
October 15 HRD Notice:
The NAGE negotiating team met again yesterday with representatives of the Baker administration to continue negotiations over the administration’s decision to require COVID vaccinations of all employees.
The most significant thing that happened was that management has not budged at all on, 1) the requirement to be vaccinated, 2) the deadline of October 17 to be fully vaccinated, and 3) their determination to immediately suspend anyone who is not in compliance followed by a ten-day suspension followed by immediately termination. They have rejected our proposals to, 1) establish a mask and test option, 2) delay the deadline to allow for decisions on making on requests for exemptions and, 3) delay the deadline to allow for a pilot program of mask and test. Management has not even made a counteroffer to any of these proposals.
We had also proposed that if employees were required to be vaccinated, any vendors who share the same workspace with our members must be required to do so as well. Surprisingly, management has given no indication that they intend require this of vendors, despite the safety risk and the obvious unfairness. We will continue to press on this issue. We are also pressing on our proposal that any employee on long term leave, or who has been approved for full-time telework, should not be subject to the requirement at least until such time that they will be coming back to the workplace. We have made partial progress on this in that they have agreed that people on long term leaves will not be subject to discipline in the interim.
On the more peripheral issues surrounding the implementation of the requirement, we have made at least some progress. We had proposed that unvaccinated employees continue to be paid if they have not received a response to their timely filed request for an exemption, and Management agreed. We also proposed that any employee who has not been notified to the contrary should continue to report to work until otherwise advised in writing by management. We are expecting that they will adopt this proposal in some form and will communicate to employees shortly.
We also have a broad agreement with management on an expedited hearing and appeal process for employees who are subject to discipline.
You should expect to receive an email from management within the next 24 hours, outlining their intentions on these matters. We are in daily contact with management on the myriad of questions and concerns our members have and we have scheduled the next formal bargaining session for next week.
We will keep you advised as events unfold.
You can find out previous updates below:
Oct 7 - Update on Baker's Vaccine Mandate
Sept 30- Further Vaccine Mandate Update with Exemption Guidance
Sept 28- Vaccine Mandate Update with Exemption Guidance
Sept 24 - Update on Baker Vaccine Mandate
Sept 9 - Vaccine Mandate Update
Sept 2- - Vaccine Mandate Questions Answered
Aug 20 - NAGE Files Demand to Bargain
Where trade unions are most firmly organized, there are the rights of the people most respected.
- Samuel Gompers
NAGE HEADQUARTERS
159 Burgin Parkway
Quincy, MA 02169
Main Phone: (617)376-0220
Main Fax: (617)984-5695
Quincy, MA 02169
Main Phone: (617)376-0220
Main Fax: (617)984-5695
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