CFT members are overwhelmingly vaccinated and support vaccine mandates
Dear John,
Since January of this year, we have pushed hard for educators and classified professionals to be prioritized for vaccinations after medical personnel and seniors. We know that in-person education is best for our students and that vaccines are the best safeguard to prevent serious illness. Vaccine access was a key factor in getting us back to regular, in-person education.
In September, after months of a successful vaccination effort by the state and by our union, we took a poll of CFT members to discern the level of vaccination of educators and classified workers in the state. In the poll we found that an incredible 89% of CFT members are vaccinated against COVID-19.
We also found that 85% of CFT members were supportive of policies requiring vaccination verification or regular testing, the policy that Governor Newsom and the California Department of Public Health put into place last month. Furthermore, when asked, 79% of CFT members were supportive of vaccine mandates for all school staff, with 75% also supporting a vaccine mandate for students. These incredibly high percentages underscore just how much CFT members understand the safety of vaccines and the protection they offer members and our school communities.
Given the high vaccination rates of CFT members and the results of the poll, the CFT Executive Council passed a resolution in support of working with state agencies and employers that choose to implement a vaccine verification or test policy, or vaccine mandates in schools.
As part of this resolution, we also committed ourselves to ensuring employees have a voice through collective bargaining to address the impacts on workers of any vaccine policy implemented by employers. We also pledged to continue to advocate for other safety mitigation strategies, including mask requirements, ventilation upgrades, and regular testing.
Although these vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective, we understand that there are valid reasons that might prevent someone from getting vaccinated, and so our resolution also supports individuals who need to obtain an exemption to the vaccine for valid medical or religious reasons. You can visit the CDC’s website for more information about vaccine safety.
CFT members are leading the way to fight for our schools, for our students, and for the safety of our communities. We thank you for your work and your dedication to our schools.
In Unity,
Jeffery M. Freitas
CFT President
