Chicago Public Workers Union Opposes Vaccine Mandate: "It Will Only Strengthen Resentment"

Exemption Applications Only for Religious Beliefs or Health Issues
Government Employee Unions Unite in Opposition, Saying "It Will Only Backfire"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] When Chicago, one of the three largest cities in the United States, announced that it would mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for its public employees, the public employees' union opposed the move. The union reportedly argues that efforts should be made to encourage voluntary vaccination, as mandates could only increase resistance.

According to CNN on the 25th (local time), Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced in a statement that "all city employees must complete their vaccinations by October 15 at the latest," implementing the vaccine mandate. Mayor Lightfoot said, "As COVID-19 cases rise again, we must take every possible measure," adding, "This is to keep everyone in our city safe and healthy."

She continued, "Getting vaccinated is the best way to escape this severe pandemic," and added, "We have decided to join other local governments and agencies that have already mandated vaccinations for their public employees." However, exemptions can be requested for health reasons or religious beliefs, and approval will be determined after individual reviews.

Following New York, the largest city in the U.S., and Los Angeles, the second largest, Chicago, the third largest city, has also mandated vaccinations for its public employees, signaling that vaccine mandates in the U.S. public sector are likely to intensify. Earlier that day, the U.S. Department of Defense also ordered mandatory vaccinations for all 1.3 million active-duty troops and 800,000 National Guard members nationwide.

However, Chicago public employee unions have uniformly opposed the vaccine mandate. Bob Reiter, head of the Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL), affiliated with the AFL-CIO, the largest labor union federation in the U.S., said, "It could backfire and only strengthen resistance to the vaccine," emphasizing, "We must steadily build trust in the benefits of voluntary vaccination." The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police (CFOP) also expressed opposition to the vaccine mandate.

The Illinois Federation of Public Employees (AFSCME), the largest public employee union in Illinois, where Chicago is located, clearly stated, "We encourage our members to get vaccinated, but we oppose mandatory vaccination." Earlier this month, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker issued a mandate requiring public employees working in congregate settings such as prisons and veterans' nursing homes to complete vaccinations by October 4.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.