Gov. Jay Inslee has issued a new order requiring state employees, employees of state contractors, and health care workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The governor's order was announced August 10, and gives state workers until October 18 to be able to show proof of full vaccination, or face "nondisciplinary dismissal." Vaccination will be considered a "job requirement," the governor's order says.
The mandate for Washington state workers applies to agencies under the governor's control, but not K-12 schools or colleges and universities – though some already have announced their own requirements.
"We have essentially what is a new virus at our throats – a new virus that is twice as transmittable and is causing an explosion of this dread disease in the state of Washington," Inslee said at the news conference.
About 60,000 state government employees will fall under the new vaccine mandate, Inslee said. The vaccines will be required regardless of whether employees have returned to in-person worksites or are still working from home.
The requirement covers state workforces that report to the governor, including the largest agencies, such as the Departments of Transportation, Corrections, and Social and Health Services, and the State Patrol.
The order also covers employees of private-sector companies that work on state projects or provide goods or services to the state.
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and King County Executive Dow Constantine announced similar mandates for city and county employees at an afternoon news conference at Kaiser Permanente (the former Group Health) on Capitol Hill.
The joint mandate means that public employees across a wide range of professions and trades will be required to get vaccinated.
Major private employers are also beginning to require vaccinations. Microsoft, for example, said that it will require vaccinations for employees who want to return to the office.
Unions raise concerns
While local labor leaders support the idea of vaccination, some have raised concerns about how the mandate will affect their members.
For example, Dennis Folk, president of the King County Corrections Guild, which represents staff at the county's jails, said that only 40–50% of his union's members are vaccinated.
"I've been getting text message and emails and phone messages all day today – 'are they really going to fire me?'" Folk told the Seattle Times.
He said his union has demanded to bargain over the mandate and will seek concessions, like severance for those who may be fired, and paid time off to get vaccinated.
Inslee's decision "raises serious concerns" for union members, according to John Scearcy, secretary-treasurer for Teamsters Local 117, which represents state corrections staffers.
Scearcy added that his union will demand to bargain over issues, including impacts on vaccinated staff if they have to work mandatory overtime to fill the places of terminated workers.
How to get vaccinated
All Washington State residents 12 or over are now eligible for the vaccine. People who wish to make a vaccination appointment can go to the state Department of Heath (DOH) website, enter their zip code, and find the nearest vaccination sites.
Alternatively, people can phone the DOH at 1-800-525-0127, and press # for vaccine information. Health officials have warned, however, that DOH has seen a logjam of people trying to get information, so be prepared for lengthy response times.