H1N1 Update

11/6/09: To vaccinate or not to vaccinate?

President Obama declared the H1N1 a national emergency due to widespread and rapid growth.

The URA-AFT health and safety team requested a labor/management meeting to discuss the H1N1 threat back in August. Since then there have been two meetings to discuss university plans and potential impact on our contract. The team presented policies that were adopted at other universities to address employees at high risk, telecommuting, essential personnel and overtime considerations. "We continue to hear that Rutgers is prepared and we aren’t interested in changing or discussing any policies," said health and safety chair Joyce Sagi. "We will continue to advocate on you behalf and will demand to be recognized as a valuable stakeholder at the table."

For members looking to make an informed decision about whether or not to vaccinate, the committee recommends reviewing the information at http://www.emergencyemail.org/newsemergency/anmviewer.asp?a=428&z=29.

URA-AFT members interested in joining the health and safety committee can contact Joyce Sagi at jssagi@yahoo.com.