Recent Communications on Vaccine Mandates
To: All AESES Members
Many of you may have noticed in recent news and social media that the Manitoba Organization of Faculty Associations (MOFA) and the University of Winnipeg Faculty Association (UWFA) have been advocating for a vaccine mandate at Manitoba universities.
While AESES recognizes the position that both MOFA and UWFA have taken, deciding to support a vaccine mandate is a complex matter with many variables to take into consideration. We would like to emphasize that AESES supports and encourages all eligible members to be fully vaccinated; however, we are still weighing the implications of supporting a vaccine mandate at this time. More information is needed and we also want to hear from our membership through a planned upcoming survey.
We understand the frustration and anxiety that many of our members are feeling about returning to work in some capacity. Many of you want answers on how your safety will be protected once you return to the workplace and answers have not been clearly communicated by either university yet. We will continue to press for appropriate safety standards just as we have been doing since the start of the pandemic. If you have a particular safety concern in your department, this should be directed to your Local Area Safety & Health Committee at the UM or to the Safety Office at the UW.
Although AESES encourages everyone who is eligible to be vaccinated, and to follow the provincial health guidelines and recommendations, we also realize there are some members who may be unable to get vaccinated. If you are someone who is unable to be vaccinated and may require an accommodation depending on your unique situation, please contact the AESES labour relations staff to review your situation and obtain guidance (email: aeses@aeses.ca). For those who are eligible but still hesitant to be vaccinated, we strongly encourage you to consult with your family doctor about vaccine safety.
As a work community, we should always respect and support each other’s right to safety in the workplace. In this pandemic environment, that includes protecting each other by ensuring we have a community that is less likely to transmit the COVID-19 virus. We are fortunate that in Manitoba we have a high rate of vaccination. At the time of writing this message, 80.6% of eligible Manitobans (ages 12+) have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 73.2% have received two doses. Let’s do what we can to continue these strong vaccination numbers and support each other in the workplace. Not only are we protecting ourselves by being vaccinated, we’re also protecting our co-workers and their children who are too young to be vaccinated.
Thank you.
AESES Executive Council