Drafter
Clerk 02/14/2023
Title
A MOTION requesting the executive to provide a priority pathway for job applicants previously employed by the county but who were separated or resigned due to noncompliance with the county's COVID-19 vaccination mandate.
Body
WHEREAS, public health - Seattle & King County activated the Public Health Departmental Emergency Operations Center on January 21, 2020, for the significant health emergency caused by novel coronavirus disease 2019 ("COVID-19"), and
WHEREAS, on March 1, 2020, King County executive Dow Constantine issued a proclamation of emergency enabling the use of extraordinary measures in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, and the council passed Motion 15610 affirming the proclamation on March 3, 2020, and
WHEREAS, on August 21, 2021, the executive issued Executive Order ACO-8-27-EO pursuant to the emergency proclamation requiring all executive branch employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 18, 2021, with vaccines authorized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and
WHEREAS, exceptions could be made to the vaccination mandate for employees entitled under law to a disability-related reasonable accommodation or a sincerely held religious belief accommodation, and
WHEREAS, King County has over 16,000 employees and provides essential services to the public, and
WHEREAS, there were 281 employees separated from the county due to noncompliance with the vaccination mandate including 110 employees in the Metro transit department and 33 in the sheriff' s office, and
WHEREAS, the county had 25 employees resign and eight employees choose to retire in response to the vaccination mandate, and
WHEREAS, at the annual labor summit held on September 9, 2022, it was reported that the county is experiencing increased turnover countywide and difficulty in filling vacant positions, and
WHEREAS, King County is currently facing an unusually high vacancy rate among its law enforcement emp...

Click here for full text