THE MASSACHUSETTS TEACHERS ASSOCIATION is embracing mandatory vaccinations for all employees and eligible students in public schools and colleges across the state, subject to collective bargaining agreements concerning those not yet eligible for the shots or those for whom vaccination is not medically advisable.
“Requiring vaccines for educators and eligible students is a reasonable measure to take for the common good,” said MTA President Merrie Najimy in a statement.
The state’s largest teacher’s union announced the new policy on Tuesday after its board voted 46-4 in favor of a mandate Monday night. The move comes on the heels of a similar announcement last week by the Boston Teachers Union, which acted after Randi Weingarten, the head of its national parent, the American Federation of Teachers, signaled an acceptance of mandates.
The growing acceptance of vaccine mandates comes as the Delta variant of COVID-19 has become the dominant strain and infections are spreading. Many employers and hospitals are now endorsing mandates, even though the vaccines have not yet received full approval. They are currently authorized for emergency use only.
Najimy said accommodations for teachers and students who can’t take the shots should be negotiated through collective bargaining. She also said the union is demanding upgraded ventilation systems, appropriate social distancing, and access to face-coverings and testing.
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About Bruce Mohl
Bruce Mohl is the editor of CommonWealth magazine. Bruce came to CommonWealth from the Boston Globe, where he spent nearly 30 years in a wide variety of positions covering business and politics. He covered the Massachusetts State House and served as the Globe’s State House bureau chief in the late 1980s. He also reported for the Globe’s Spotlight Team, winning a Loeb award in 1992 for coverage of conflicts of interest in the state’s pension system. He served as the Globe’s political editor in 1994 and went on to cover consumer issues for the newspaper. At CommonWealth, Bruce helped launch the magazine’s website and has written about a wide range of issues with a special focus on politics, tax policy, energy, and gambling. Bruce is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He lives in Dorchester.
About Bruce Mohl
Bruce Mohl is the editor of CommonWealth magazine. Bruce came to CommonWealth from the Boston Globe, where he spent nearly 30 years in a wide variety of positions covering business and politics. He covered the Massachusetts State House and served as the Globe’s State House bureau chief in the late 1980s. He also reported for the Globe’s Spotlight Team, winning a Loeb award in 1992 for coverage of conflicts of interest in the state’s pension system. He served as the Globe’s political editor in 1994 and went on to cover consumer issues for the newspaper. At CommonWealth, Bruce helped launch the magazine’s website and has written about a wide range of issues with a special focus on politics, tax policy, energy, and gambling. Bruce is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He lives in Dorchester.
Najimy also took a shot at Gov. Charlie Baker and state education officials for failing to order mask-wearing by all students and staff at schools. Baker said on Monday that he saw no need to require mask-wearing at schools across the state, leaving that decision to local officials. Baker has also declined to embrace mandatory vaccinations.
“Official leadership has been absent as we prepare for the new school year,” Najimy said. “Educators and our unions are doing everything in our power to ensure that public schools and colleges can open safely and stay open. We continue to be alarmed by the failure of state political leaders to follow our example — and their refusal to engage with other stakeholders during this critical time.”
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