APWU Advocates for Prioritization of Postal Workers in National COVID-19 Vaccination Plan
January 22, 2021
On January 20, following the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States, the APWU got to work pushing for the new administration to prioritize postal workers in its national COVID-19 vaccination policy. In a letter to the administration, President Dimondstein advocated for postal workers to be recognized as frontline workers in the national vaccine rollout.
With virtually no national plan in place, the COVID-19 vaccine rollout has proceeded very slowly and unevenly across the country with states/territories having to implement their own plans. Many essential workers are still waiting for their vaccines even as they report to work every day, including postal workers, who have continued to interact with the public and connect the people of the country during the pandemic.
In many states, including New York, postal workers have not been included in initial vaccine rollouts, even though the CDC recommended postal workers be considered in the “1-B” status along with other essential workers.
In his letter, President Dimondstein asked the administration to develop a national plan in-line with the CDC’s recommendations.
“We are optimistic that your new administration will work to bring order to the COVID chaos including bringing a national plan to the vaccine roll-out. We strongly urge that as part of this plan the CDC recommendations in relation to postal workers is consistently and fully implemented throughout the country,” President Dimondstein wrote. “The well-being of postal workers and postal customers depend on it.”
In addition to the letter to the Biden administration, President Dimondstein also wrote to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and other governors urging him to move postal workers higher up in the vaccine rollout order in line with the CDC’s recommendations.
The APWU is committed to working with the new administration on a comprehensive, national vaccination plan.