March 4, 2021

Earlier this week, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new executive order expanding access to the Covid
vaccines to firefighters, law enforcement and K-12 employees age 50 and older. The United Faculty of
Florida (UFF) and the 22,000 people we represent congratulate the public servants who are now eligible
for the vaccines and celebrate their chance at hope. Nonetheless, we are appalled by the governor’s
decision to exclude college and university workers from this mandate.

Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)i identifies college and university faculty
as “people who work in educational settings” and those “having increased risk of acquiring or transmitting
Covd-19” should be considered a priority for vaccination purposes. Many retail pharmacy-service
providers, such as CVS and Walmart, are reported to be going with the federal guidance and offering
vaccines to all K-12 employees regardless of age. Yet higher education employees are left out, even
though the population in college settings tends to spread the virus at a higher rate.

College and university faculty are working on the frontlines of this pandemic, and our lives and the lives
of our students are not disposable. College and university librarians, counselors, graduate employees,
food workers, residence hall assistants and maintenance staff are also in need of priority access to the
vaccine if the governor wants Florida’s 40 institutions of higher education to open fully.

Call Gov. DeSantis to voice your objections at: 850-717-9337

Candi Churchill, UFF Executive Director