USPS seeks temporary waiver from vaccine mandate for employees

The US Postal Service has asked federal labor officials for a temporary waiver from President Biden's vaccine mandate. This has set up a showdown on pandemic safety measures between the Presidents office and one of the country's largest government agencies. In a letter sent to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) dated January 4th, Deputy Postmaster General Douglas A. Tulino wrote that requiring workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus pandemic or produce proof of testing negative every week would hurt the agency's ability to deliver the mail and it would, in turn, strain the nation's supply chains. 

He wrote a vaccine or test mandate “is likely to result in the loss of many employees — either by employees leaving or being disciplined.” The vaccine mandate takes effect from Jan 4th but OSHA officials say that the agency will not issue citations for violations until February 9th. In the letter to the OSHA, Tulino wrote, "We respectfully suggest that the nation cannot afford the additional potential substantial harm that would be engendered if the ability of the Postal Service to deliver mail and packages is significantly negatively impacted,”

Source: The Washington Post