Local 685, together with 14 member County unions united in the Coalition of County Unions, has entered into “impact bargaining” regarding the Board of Supervisors’ emergency order mandating that all County employees provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination by Oct. 1. For those members who may come within a medical or religious purpose exemption, we are pressing the County to ensure the policy fully accommodates you. For members who have personal reasons for declining a mandatory vaccination, we are pressing vigorously for a reasonable and practical accommodation. For those members who intend to get vaccinated, we want to make sure that you are able to do as seamlessly as possible within your work schedule. These continue to be trying times, and your Executive Board is committed to making sure that each member of our Local 685 family is protected. We are not in the business of taking political sides in the public vaccination debate. We are in the business of protecting every single member to make sure that the County respects and accounts for your rights in the workplace. We know that the political debate has many of us engaged sometimes in heated discussions. We hope that we remember in the middle of such debate that we are Sisters and Brothers looking out for each other every day.