Buffalo Teachers Federation members say they want either COVID-19 vaccinations or testing, with school only weeks away.
The union surveyed its members and received 2,100 responses, which President Phil Rumore said was a large figure. The two key statistics were that two-thirds support either vaccinations or testing, based on a statement sent to members, but around 22% don't agree, although the union president said some may disagree because they want even tighter rules.
When classes start in city public schools, masks will be required for teachers and students. Rumore supports this.
"We support having masks, everybody, all the staff and students wearing masks," Rumore said. "Even if you're vaccinated, it's actually the best way of preventing it from being spread."
How many teachers are not vaccinated?
"I don't have a clue," Rumore said. "The only thing I know is that everybody I talk to has been vaccinated. There might have been one or two people. One of them has religious reasons that he said, 'Do you know something? Believe it or not, this is against my religion. You may not believe it or not, but it is.' So, once again, I think it's going to have to be on an individual basis.)
Rumore said some teachers became ill with COVID, but he doesn't know how many and isn't sure if the school system knows for sure. He knows of no deaths among the teacher staff.
"There have been a lot of identified cases," he said. "Even with the small number of students that were in the buildings, there were still a lot of cases and everybody kept saying, 'You know, look at it, there are hardly any cases in the buildings, so everything's fine.' Well, there were hardly any students in the buildings."
