Update to GE Vaccine Mandate Nov. 8

Note: As of Thursday January 13th GE's vaccine mandate has been suspended due to the U.S. Supreme Court blocking the OSHA Vaccine Mandate. - Editor 1/18/22

Their was an extension of the deadline for the vaccine mandate announced last week, so the Coordinated Bargaining Committee of each International Union representing GE workers went back to the table today.  Many of the deadlines were pushed back a bit.  The following is a letter from the CBC, followed by the text of the new Memorandum of Agreement signed November 8th 2021. Attached is a signed copy of the MOA and a Marked up version to illustrate where the changes are.  

November 8, 2021

Brothers and Sisters,

On Thursday, November 4, 2021, Biden Administration announced deadline for the vaccine mandate for federal contractors will be pushed back about a month to January 4, 2022

The GE-CBC met jointly with GE representatives to discuss and bargain the impact this announcement would have on the current MoA the Unions have with the Company.

We have agreed to an updated MoA to represent the changes per the announcement and will be communicating the new Agreement through your local union leadership.

In Solidarity,

Jerry Carney (IUE-CWA), Craig Norman (IAMAW), Gary Jordan (UAW), Alex Luniewski (IFPTE), Brian Lamm (IBEW)

Memorandum of Agreement

            General Electric Company and IUE-CWA hereby agree to the following this 8th day of November, 2021:

1. Employees not interested in complying with the vaccine mandate and who are eligible to retire February 1, 2022, must submit their PEN-1 form no later than December 19, 2021. Such employees may use unpaid time off from January 4, 2022 until January 31, 2022, or use any remaining paid time off.
2. The Company will continue to provide 4 hours pay for time to get vaccinated for each shot. This provision includes employees on third shift. The Company will continue to provide 8 hours pay for all employees who experience ill-effects after receiving a vaccination shot. The Company will continue to provide up to 10 days paid time if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, subject to local practices as to return to work requirements/procedures. None of the pay provisions under this paragraph will be provided retroactively to situations occurring prior to the date of this Agreement.
3. The Company will continue to provide vaccination clinics at its larger sites as it deems appropriate.
4. Employees not interested in complying with the vaccine mandate will be permitted to resign effective January 18, 2022 by expressing their intention to do so, in writing to both manager and/or HR manager, no later than December 31, 2021.
5. For those employees who receive a first shot by January 4, 2022, thereby demonstrating a good faith intention to become fully vaccinated, and thereafter such employees receive their second shot no later than January 28, 2022, such employees will be granted unpaid leave from January 19, 2022 until the date they become fully vaccinated, provided however that the unpaid leave of absence shall extend no later than February 11, 2022.
6. Individuals will be eligible for the Executive Order Re-employment Program (EOR Program) if: (a)The employee resigned or was involuntarily separated due to their decision not to comply with Executive Order 14042 on January 18, 2022 and, (b) Is seeking re-employment with the Company in the same location from which they separated, and (c) Has notified the Company of their fully vaccinated status and desire to be re-employed at the site prior to April 1, 2022.  These individuals would maintain eligibility for the EOR Program benefits for as long as they are qualified to remain on their site’s recall list. Upon re-employment, the individual will have his/her service immediately restored, minus the time that they were separated. The individual will be hired into the rate structure from which they were involuntarily separated (example: a former legacy rated employee who was separated for not being compliant to the vaccine mandate will be allowed to return to the legacy pay structure.) Those EOR Program employees who elect to be paid their 2022 vacation accruals upon involuntarily separation, will be ineligible for vacation days in the year that they return.
7. All parties have satisfied any legal and/or contractual obligations to bargain in good faith regarding General Electric’s compliance with the vaccine mandate under Executive Order 14042, Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors and the guidance issued by the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force regarding implementation of the Executive Order. The Union agrees that actions taken by General Electric to comply with the Executive Order do not violate any obligation under law or collective bargaining agreement; the Union further agrees that all Union requests for information related to the Executive Order have been fully satisfied and are hereby withdrawn.
8. The parties agree that if Executive Order 14042 is rescinded or amended, the parties will meet and bargain the effects of the recission or amendments to the Executive Order.
9. The deadline to submit a request for a medical or religious exemption/accommodation is extended up to and including November 16, 2021.

For General Electric Company:                                               For the Union:

G. Randall Ayers                                                                      Jerry Carney

Dinsmore & Shohl LLP                                                            IUE-CWA GE Conference Board Chair

Chief Labor Negotiator for General Electric

Company