Biden administration to publish details on COVID vaccine mandate for businesses with 100 or more employees
MCHENRY COUNTY – Back in September, President Joe Biden announced that COVID-19 vaccinations would be required for all federal government employees. Since that time, Biden has continuously visited various states, including making a stop in Elk Grove Village on Oct. 7, to encourage employers to set vaccination requirements in the workplace.
According to the White House, the Biden administration plans to work with the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to develop a rule through Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) that will require all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated.
Unvaccinated workers will need to produce a negative COVID test on at least a weekly basis before coming to work, stated the White House.
As of Nov. 1, it appears that OSHA is coming close to finalizing vaccination protocols for businesses, as the Department of Labor announced that a rule is to be published in the coming days.
The news comes just after the White House issued new vaccine enforcement guidelines for federal contractors requiring all federal executive branch workers and employees of contractors that do business with the federal government to be vaccinated.
As public concern for vaccine mandates continues to grow, Illinois representatives have stepped forward to provide their feedback on the situation.
On Oct. 20, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor regarding Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine policy.
“Millions of American families have already suffered the consequences of vaccine denial, deception, and inaction. A report released earlier this month found that, since June, nearly 100,000 American lives could have been saved if there were more vaccinations. But we can save the next 100,000 lives in America if we rally behind the President’s call for a vaccine policy,” said Durbin.
He continued, “The American people are already with him. A majority of people support mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for students 12 and up. Business owners across the country have followed President Biden’s lead by instituting their own vaccine mandates. They’ve helped increase their vaccination rates by more than 20%.”
Durbin’s vaccine support response came just days before the Illinois House voted to pass an amendment to the decades-old Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act on Oct. 28.
Approved by a vote of 31-24, Senate Bill 1169 (SB 1169) codifies that it is not a violation of the Health Care Right of Conscience Act if any entities, namely employers, enforce any measures or requirements on employees to prevent the contraction or transmission of COVID-19, according to Illinois State Senator Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) who voted against SB 1169.
“A representative government’s duty is to protect the freedoms of its citizens. This kind of legislative overreach, led by this Governor, sends a message to our constituents that what they believe does not matter, and they can now be fired for their strongly-held beliefs,” said Tracy.
“It’s noteworthy that an unprecedented number of people—more than 50,000—voiced their opposition to the House and Senate committees that were considering this legislation. And many schools and other employers have voiced their concerns to me that they will lose enough employees that they will have to close their doors.”
Many more Republican state representatives have also voiced their disapproval of SB 1169.
“The new changes to the HCRCA state that its protections do not apply when it comes to COVID-related mandates. But the larger issue is not about vaccines, testing, or masks. It is about the removal of protections against discrimination in the workplace. Since the amendment was unable to garner a three-fifths majority vote in the House and Senate (required for immediate implementation), the changes do not take effect until June 1, 2022,” said State Senator Don DeWitte (R-St. Charles). “Despite massive pushback from everyday Illinoisans who viewed the proposed changes as a massive government overreach, Democrats still pushed through the bill, stripping away important protections against medical discrimination in the workplace.”
With Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature, SB 1169 will become effective come next June.
“I want to thank Speaker (Emanuel) Welch, Leader Robyn Gable, and Senate President (Don) Harmon for being such fierce champions of this legislation. I also want to thank the members of the House and Senate Democratic caucuses who joined together to affirm that the Health Care Right of Conscience Act was never meant to put vulnerable people in harm’s way,” said Pritzker in a statement. “This legislation clarifies existing law’s intent without infringing on federal protections. Ultimately, this means we can keep kids in school, businesses open, neighbors safe, and continue on the path to bring this pandemic to an end.”
Regarding OSHA’s ETS for COVID-19 vaccines, one corporation had this to say:
“We are aware that OSHA has been directed to develop an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for vaccination or weekly COVID-19 testing for all companies with 100 or more employees. There is still a lot to learn about what our firm needs to do to comply, as we assess the impact and prepare for what’s ahead. Protecting our clients in the communities we serve, our colleagues, families and loved ones, and the economy, remain our top priorities,” said Catherine Stengel, a public relations representative for Edward Jones.
