Can someone explain to me why Governor Newsom is back a challenge to the vaccine mandate?

[ripcord]

It seems Governor Newsom is backing a challenge from the prison guards to President Biden's vaccine mandate and I don't understand it. He has solidly backed measures to combat covid-19 from mask and vaccine mandates and has accepted the losses from all other businesses and government agencies but he agreeing with the prison guard union that the mandate will cause losses that will cripple California prisons. I just don't understand why he is suddenly backing this ignorant group.

[chowder66]

1. The impact of an exodus of over 4% loss of guards could result in a severe impact.

They are working towards a testing program instead.

I am actually with Newsom on this.

[ripcord]

7. Sorry I can't back this

“[Federal receiver J. Clark] Kelso and his medical staff argue that the virus, which they believe is mostly spread from prison staff, has caused more than 50,000 inmate infections and over 20,000 employees to test positive for COVID-19,” That has resulted in the deaths of 240 inmates statewide and 39 staff members.”

This is the main reason right here, testing is simply not as effective as the vaccines. The prisoners can't be spreading it because not only do they not get visitors but when they are moved they are quarantined for two weeks. There is also the cost of testing these employees a few times a week, it isn't worth it to keep these ignorant neanderthals. Finally it is bad optics that the only group he is backing to be exempt is one that donated $1.7 million to his election campaign.

[chowder66]

2. Sorry that would be 4.5%

snip

Newsom has joined the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in appealing a vaccination order for all prison employees. They are asking that a September ruling by U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar be paused pending appeals, saying that if it is implemented, numerous correctional officers will leave their jobs rather than submit to a COVID-19 vaccine.

That exodus, they argue, would plunge the state’s 34 prisons, which house some 99,000 inmates, into a crisis, including creating situations that could leave prisoners locked in their cells for much of the day.

......

Connie Gipson, director of adult institutions for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said in court documents that when a similar vaccine mandate was enacted in Washington, about 4.5% of the state’s prison staff quit. Although Washington has been able to continue its prison operations largely unimpeded, Gipson said that level of resignations in California would have a “severe” impact.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-11-04/newsom-guards-challenge-vaccine-mandates-at-prisons

[ripcord]

3. Thanks for that link

It was paywalled for me.

[MerryBlooms]

4. Was the Governor caught completely off guard?

Did they try to hire replacements? Oregon did so with nurses, anticipating the shortfall. Turned out, once replacements were ready to go, didn't turn out to be an issue.

[chowder66]

5. I doubt they can spare nurses. They are burned out.

[MerryBlooms]

6. No, I'm talking about having replacement guards lined up to replace the anti vax guards...

like we did with nurses to replace the anti vax nurses, here in Oregon. Sorry if I wasn't clear in my first post. Our Governor hired traveling nurses to be at the ready for the big surge in anti vax nurse exit. Luckily, the numbers were way less than the media portrayed.

[chowder66]

8. Smacking my forehead. Lol.

I think the issue is more difficult based on the size of our prison population. It's really a different beast.
Not really sure what kind of pool they have to pull from that would also be willing to get vaccinated. If they agree to testing then that may be the best way forward.

[marie999]

9. Fire the guards that won't be vaccinated and pardon the non-violent felons that will be vaccinated.