The White House is working behind the scenes to prepare labor leaders for federal employee vaccine requirements

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It is a step that represents the speed at which the White House is moving on this issue and also recognition that there is a group of key stakeholders that will play prominent roles in the coming days and weeks as policy is implemented.

Despite Biden’s close ties to work — and public comments by AFL-CIO President Richard Tromka supporting vaccine mandates for workers on Tuesday — conversations with public and private sector union officials haven’t been smooth sailing, People said. Some representatives raised concerns about the speed with which the White House was moving toward a position that the Biden administration had previously not agreed to, as well as possible backtracking from union members.

However, to this point, there has been little public grumbling from any national labor groups in a sign that the efforts are having an effect, as administration officials have sought to make clear that the requirement is working through certifying the status of the vaccine — and that those who chose not to vaccinate would not Facing any employment related repercussions.

Efforts are urgently tracking within an administration that has grown appreciably in recent days as Delta’s version rolls back gains that seemed to be closing in just weeks ago. Time and time again, Biden and his top advisers have made clear that the solution is effective and readily available – vaccinations. However, tens of millions of Americans are still not immune.

“We still have a lot of people who haven’t been vaccinated,” Biden said at an economic-ready remarks summit Wednesday in Pennsylvania. “The epidemic we’re facing now is the unvaccinated pandemic. So, please, please, please, if you haven’t been vaccinated, protect yourself and your children out there.”

But as industries and groups begin to grapple with an apparent shift in the White House’s stance in an effort to ramp up vaccines, one source attributed the lack of public reaction at least in part to recognition through conversations that the White House had already decided to move forward.

It was less than ‘What do you think about this?’ Conversation and more conversation “That’s what we do,” one person said.

Biden, in remarks Thursday, plans to set a requirement that all federal employees certify that they are vaccinated or face strict Covid protocols including regular testing, concealment and other mitigation measures, a source familiar with the matter told CNN on Tuesday. The guidance, which has been under review by the administration for several days, will be a sharp strategic shift for the White House as it moves urgently to address the spread of variable delta.

Biden hinted at the looming announcement on Tuesday.

“That is under consideration now,” he said when asked if he would impose a vaccination mandate on federal workers.

While details are still being finalized, the source said the proposal would be roughly similar to what is being implemented in New York City for public sector workers. Additional requirements for non-vaccinators may be added as agencies pay to vaccinate their staff.

Biden will not impose this condition on the US military, despite his authority to do so, for the time being. The source said, however, that it is likely to specify how the Department of Defense may seek to deal with the issue in the future.

When asked if he thought revised new guidance on masks from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would confuse Americans, Biden on Tuesday blamed unvaccinated Americans, saying that if they had been vaccinated, “we would be in a very difficult situation.” different world.”

“We have a pandemic because the unvaccinated are sowing massive confusion. The more we know about this virus and the diversity of Deltas, the more anxious and worried we are. And there is only one thing we know for sure: If these hundreds of other people were vaccinated, we would be in a completely different world.” .

The administration’s decision Monday to require vaccinations for health workers at the Department of Veterans Affairs provided a strong signal that vaccine requirements may be necessary to convince those still reluctant to get vaccinated. Outside of the legal bases on which US entities can require employees to obtain footage.

Justice Department attorneys have decided that federal law does not prevent public agencies and private companies from ordering Covid-19 vaccines, even if the vaccines are authorized to use only in emergency situations, according to an opinion published online Monday.

The opinion released by the department’s Office of Legal Counsel — dated July 6, but made public on Monday — paves the way for more federal agencies and companies to order vaccinations following the VA’s announcement about front-line health workers.

CNN’s Kevin Liptak and Jason Hoffman contributed to this report.

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