Gov. Pritzker has been forced to extend the deadline for state employees in congregate facilities to be vaccinated. The delay is due to the fact that the Governor had issued the vaccination requirement before negotiating a solution with unions representing the workers, a necessary step before implementing that type of mandate.
State employees at state-owned or state-operated congregate facilities now have until at least Oct. 14 to get vaccinated. The extension came on Sept. 17 in Executive Order 2021-23, which also now requires all contractors and vendors at these facilities to be vaccinated.
The mandate on employees at facilities such as Corrections and long-term care had an original deadline of Oct. 4.
The latest extension comes as negotiations between the Governor’s Administration and AFSCME are ongoing.