With the state’s Oct. 18 deadline approaching for many public employees to confirm their vaccination against COVID-19, Whitman County Watch contacted several local public agencies for updates on their vaccination rates and any anticipated staffing challenges.
The City of Pullman has requested an extension of the vaccination deadline for staff who serve the WSU campus while Whitman County, Pullman schools and local hospitals continue finalizing their affected employees’ certifications in the last days ahead of the deadline.
CITY OF PULLMAN
While the City of Pullman reports most of its staff included in the state’s Oct. 18 vaccination mandate have met the requirements, city officials have asked WSU for an extension on the deadline for additional city staff who serve campus as contractors like transit drivers or game day police security.
Pullman City Administrator Mike Urban said the city fire department and the preschool program fall directly under the state’s Oct. 18 mandate. But the mandate also includes on-site higher eduction contractors, which has pulled in many other staffers.
Mayor Glenn Johnson last week asked WSU officials to seek a deadline extension until Nov. 30 to allow the city to identify all contract employees and confirm their vaccination status.
“[A]dditional time will be needed to assure compliance with city staff working on campus properties,” Johnson wrote to WSU. “So far, we are certain that impacts to services provided by Police, Fire, Transit, and Public Works will be realized.”
Johnson said the city could not certify all its employees by Oct. 18 and may have to resort to reductions or eliminations of services. He wrote that other cities serving WSU campuses likely faced similar issues.
“Time is of the essence,” he wrote.
WSU spokesman Phil Weiler told Whitman County Watch he did not have details on the city’s extension request, but WSU remains bound by the governor’s vaccination deadline.
“It is not WSU’s decision to make,” Weiler wrote. “We must adhere to the Governor’s requirements.”
Urban noted the city has received “several” exemption requests from its employees. None of those requests have so far been denied. City officials continue to evaluate which employees can fulfill their duties with reasonable accommodations or not.
Some staff, such as a bookkeeper, may be able to work from home or in isolation. Accommodations for public-facing or on-site jobs are more complicated, he said. Department heads were working with his office, the mayor and human resources to evaluate those requests on a case-by-case basis.
“It can’t create an undue hardship,” Urban said of accommodations. “We’re looking at each one. … The hard one is Fire and they are the ones who are immediately affected.”
Fire department officials have prepared their shift schedules so they can work around any short-term interruptions close to the Oct. 18 deadline if an employee needs more time. Urban said the department is working through getting everyone certified.
“We have a little flexibility,” he said. “We’re hoping and expecting not to lose anybody.”
Urban said he was “not worried” about the small preschool staff, but noted vaccination is a requirement for the currently vacant assistant preschool teacher position.
“Everybody’s still looking for a path forward,” he said, adding, “This is a tough puzzle.”
Update, Oct. 12: Urban wrote Tuesday that WSU has informed the city it will maintain the Oct. 18 deadline for contractors. City officials think Transit staff are the only group of campus contractors that could still create issues. They continue working through those certifications.
Update, Oct. 22: Officials told Pullman Radio News this week that the city had one fire officer and one firefighter resign as a result of the vaccination mandate. No other positions were impacted.
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
WSU announced Friday that 88 percent of its approximately 10,000 employees systemwide have confirmed their partial or complete vaccinations. More than 1,250 exemption requests have been submitted across students, faculty and staff with about 800 exemptions receiving approval so far.
Update, Oct. 10: A New York Times story published Sunday about WSU football Head Coach Nick Rolovich’s high-profile refusal to get vaccinated specified that 437 of the exemption requests came from employees. Of those, 98 had been granted as of Friday.
WSU set a preliminary deadline of Oct. 4 for vaccination confirmations or exemption requests. Religious exemptions go through a “blind” review process. Separate committees review employee and student requests.
“For employees, the exemption requests go through a two-step process,” the news release states. “The first is the blind review. Then, if an exemption is approved, the request moves to a separate accommodation review step where a determination is made whether the unvaccinated employee will be able to perform their duties without risking the health and safety of the community.”
About 84 percent of Pullman students have filed their vaccination status with WSU. Of those students who filed, more than 98 percent confirmed they have been vaccinated.
“Our vaccination rates are high, and we know it’s the path that gets us through this pandemic,” WSU President Kirk Schulz said in the release. “With a critical state deadline approaching for our employees, we’ve sought to work through pockets of hesitancy and uncertainty with compassion and understanding but with a firm commitment to making sure we’re doing everything possible to deliver a robust in-person educational experience.”
WHITMAN COUNTY
Whitman County Commissioner Art Swannack wrote in an email that just a few employees at the county, primarily in the small Public Health department, fell directly under the state’s vaccination mandate.
“No employees currently face termination,” he wrote. “Whitman County itself does not require employees to be vaccinated for Covid-19 to work for Whitman County.”
PULLMAN SCHOOL DISTRICT
Pullman School Superintendent Bob Maxwell reported that 92.25 percent of the 374 district employees covered in the mandate have confirmed they are fully vaccinated as of Wednesday. That’s about 345 people. Another six were listed as partially vaccinated.
Maxwell reported that 4.5 percent of employees, or about 17 people, had received approved exemptions. One employee had their exemption denied. Three new hires have not yet started or confirmed their status.
Just two employees have so far failed to confirm their vaccination or receive an exemption.
The district also recently launched a dashboard for weekly updates on confirmed cases, quarantines or other impacts by school.
PULLMAN REGIONAL HOSPITAL
Hospital spokeswoman Alison Weigley reported about 89 percent of the 546 employees at Pullman Regional Hospital and its clinical network have confirmed they are vaccinated. Another 58 people have either received exemptions or have requests pending. Overall, 99.9 percent of staff have completed either vaccination or the exemption process.
“This nearly 100% compliance affirms our ability to continue offering a full scope of services,” she wrote. “While COVID-19 activity remains high in Whitman County, staffing has not had an impact on our ability to care for our community.”
The hospital’s Employee Health committee has reviewed staff exemption and accommodation requests. Weigley noted this same committee reviews other staff vaccine certifications for MMR, TDAP, hepatitis and other standard inoculations.
Pullman Regional announced an in-house vaccination mandate over the summer. Gritman Medical Center in Moscow, which does not have a mandate, recently reported a staff complete or partial vaccination rate of 72 percent.
WHITMAN HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL CLINICS
Hospital spokeswoman Laurie Gronning responded that the Colfax hospital and its clinical partners are still working with employees to certify vaccinations and exemptions ahead of the Oct. 18 deadline.
“We … have no solid numbers to provide at this time,” she wrote. “We will know more on the 18th.”
Update, Oct. 22: Gronning reports WHMC had 200 employees confirmed their vaccinations. Another 78 employees received vaccinations and two have been put on leave. None are currently facing termination.
“We expect no change in services at this time,” she wrote.
COLFAX SCHOOL DISTRICT
Update, Oct. 11: Superintendent Jerry Pugh reported nearly 80 percent of school employees and contractors, not including substitutes, have confirmed their vaccinations. He wrote in an email Monday that the district has 80 employees, seven contractors and about 16 coaches.
“As of today,” he wrote, “Colfax SD will not lose any employees because of the vaccine mandate.”
Pugh noted school officials were still working through substitute teacher vaccine certifications because many work for multiple districts.
Unless there is a medical reason to not get vaccinated, all non-compliant employees should be let go. I don’t buy the religious exemption or firmly held belief exemption at all.
If that is all it takes to worm your way out of something, then it could be my firmly held belief that property taxes are illegal and that I shouldn’t have to pay them and still keep my home, or that since I don’t have kids, I shouldn’t have to pay for schools. Instead of knowing that doing those things helps the community at large to pay for services. It is no different in regards to vaccinations. You are protecting the community at large by getting it.
If you are working with multiple people and/or working with the public at large there is no excuse for being selfish and not protecting the community at large.