Many California prison employees ordered to get COVID-19 vaccines in new mandate
Correctional officers and other employees at California state prisons with health care facilities must get vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 14, according to a new order from the Public Health Department.
The new order, dated Thursday, tightens vaccination rules in prisons and in local jails by elimination an option them to choose regular testing and masking instead of a vaccine.
The order applies to health care employees and also to people who work in areas where health care is provided, including correctional officers, janitors, maintenance workers, administrators and others, according to the order.
It’s unclear how many workers will face the new requirements. About 53% of state prison employees are fully vaccinated, according to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
State prisons provide varying levels of medical treatment on site. All state prisons and local jails are subject to the order, according to Department of Public Health’s press office.
Prison employees with religious exemptions or qualifying health conditions still may be exempted from the requirement, according to the order. The order says the medical exemption would require a written statement from a doctor. The religious exemption requires only a signed declination form, according to the department’s press office.
Exempt employees must get tested twice a week and wear a mask.
The order says all employees in the facilities must have one dose of a one-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson, by the Oct. 14 deadline or two doses of a two-dose vaccine such as Pfizer or Moderna.
The California Correctional Peace Officers Association, which represents about 28,000 officers, pledged to members two weeks ago that it would fight vaccination requirements for its members. The union supported the earlier version of the requirement that allowed the testing and masking alternative.
The union is “awaiting CDCR’s plan for implementation of the order and the impact to (its) members,” before deciding next steps, union president Glen Stailey said in an emailed statement provided by spokesman Nathan Ballard.
About 50,000 state prisoners have tested positive for COVID-19, and 238 have died, according to the corrections department. About 99,000 people are being held in California state prisons, according to the department.
About 18,500 prison employees among about 65,800 have tested positive, and 29 have died, according to the department.
At least three California state unions have filed formal objections to the previous vaccine or testing requirement for public employees: SEIU Local 1000, which represents about 100,000 state office workers, nurses and other miscellaneous classes; Cal Fire Local 2881, which represents about 6,500 state firefighters; and the International Union of Operating Engineers, which represents about 12,000 maintenance and blue-collar workers.
The new order appears to cover members of Local 1000 and IUOE who work in prisons, along with correctional officers.
The unions’ objections have focused on state officials’ decisions to impose the requirements immediately, without providing the 30- to 60-day notices the state is normally required to provide, but SEIU Local 1000 and Cal Fire Local 2881 leaders have said the vaccines should be voluntary.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration has maintained it has the authority under an emergency declaration from last year to make immediate changes to working conditions.
This story was originally published August 20, 2021 at 12:55 PM with the headline "Many California prison employees ordered to get COVID-19 vaccines in new mandate."