On Nov. 3, 2021, Patti Poppe, PG&E’s CEO, announced that the Company has been deemed a Federal Contractor and subject to the Sept. 9, 2021 Executive Order on Covid-19 vaccine mandates. In response, we have demanded that PG&E negotiate over any action taken to comply with the Executive Order. There have been no decisions made yet as to how or when PG&E will proceed, but we do know that the Company does not expect to meet the original Dec. 8 federal implementation deadline* and has asked the government for an extension.
There are several matters we need to address with the Company on behalf of our members at PG&E, including religious and medical exemptions, non-compliance, testing, discipline, leave/furlough options, and many others. We must also have a seat at the table to discuss and understand what the PG&E policy toward contractors will be, and what effect this will have on our Outside Line and Tree Trimmer members.
We have engaged outside legal counsel to explore our members’ rights regarding COVID-19 mandates. There is still much work to be done in this fight, and we intend to exhaust every legal means we have available to protect and defend our members’ rights.
If you have any questions, we encourage you to attend a Unit meeting, contact your Business Rep, or reach out to me or any of the senior staff at the union.
— Bob Dean, IBEW 1245 Business Manager
*UPDATE: Shortly after the publication of this notice, the Biden Administration announced it would delay its vaccine mandate deadline to Jan. 4, 2022.