Briefs: Police union challenges Tucson’s vaccine mandate | Kingman Daily Miner

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TUCSON – The union, which represents Tucson police officers, is questioning the city’s decision to require the coronavirus vaccine from employees.

The Arizona Daily Star reports that the lawsuit filed Monday by the Tucson Police Officers Association alleges that the policy violates their employment contract “by unilaterally enacting the regulation without first negotiating in good faith the change in labor conditions” and Asking a court to declare the mandate to be illegal.

In a 6-1 vote on Friday, the council decided to make vaccinations mandatory for nearly 4,500 city workers, including about 760 in the police force.

The new regulation stipulates that all unvaccinated employees must provide evidence of at least their first vaccination dose by August 24 or expect a five-day ban. However, the mandate will not come into force if 750 unvaccinated employees provide evidence of at least their first vaccination by August 20th. In addition to the five-day ban, unvaccinated employees could have weekly test requirements and stricter mask requirements. Wearing guidelines, travel restrictions and admission restrictions for certain uses.

City manager Michael Ortega says Tucson has a duty to ensure safe jobs and may require vaccinations or regular tests. The ordinance exempts certain employees with illnesses and sincere religious beliefs from the mandate.

Navajo Nation School remains remote because of radon

RED VALLEY – A return to personal tuition at a Navajo Nation school is indefinitely suspended due to unknown levels of radiation likely caused by decades of uranium mining.

Cody M. Begaye, spokesman for the Navajo Nation Department of Diné Education, said the department recently became aware of the presence of radioactive hotspots at Cove Day School in Red Valley, near the Arizona-Utah border. It is one of dozens of schools operated by the US Bureau of Indian Education.

The Navajo National Council’s Committee on Health, Education and Human Services met with other authorities, including the BIE, on Monday to discuss why they weren’t discovered earlier. While it is not clear what the high levels are, they were enough to worry the tribal officials.

The Cove Day School serves students from kindergarten through third grade. The school’s 44 students and 13 staff were already working remotely when classes resumed earlier this month. Staff use another school nearby, Red Rock Day School, for important tasks like preparing meals for the students.

Uranium contamination is an ongoing issue for the region. A 2019 sample study led by the Facility Management and Construction Department found five outdoor areas of the Cove Day School, including a playground, with contaminated soil.

The US EPA spearheaded the cleanup. So far, the site around the playground has been removed, but four more sites are waiting to be removed.

Council delegate Daniel Tso, chair of the Health, Education and Human Services Committee, said he was concerned about the risk of long-term exposure for current and former students.

The Navajo Nation, the largest Native American reservation with parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, has more than 500 disused uranium mines.

Begaye says more radiation tests will be conducted and a follow-up meeting will be scheduled when the results are known.

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