Our Contract!
Augsburg Staff Union Welcome Packet
Union Stewards:
- Lauren Radomski dusek@augsburg.edu
- Lily Weaver weaverl@augsburg.edu
- Natalie Jacobson jacobsn@augsburg.edu
- Karen Alexander alexank@augsburg.edu
- Anna Cox coxe@augsburg.edu
- Tristan Crowell crowellt@augsburg.edu
University Council Representative:
- Mike Bloomberg bloomber@augsburg.edu
Covid-19 Task Force Representative:
- Mike Reeder reederm@augsburg.edu
Health Benefits Committee Representatives:
- Chris Bogen bogen@augsburg.edu
- Maren Stoddard Mack stoddard@augsburg.edu
- Stacy Cutinella cutinell@augsburg.edu
Outline of our contract as ratified
Latest news:
- Covid 19 TF Update
The COVID-19 Task Force met Friday, October 14th. Listed below are the latest updates:
MDH Update
- Since August 21, omicron accounts for all cases in MN (currently, ~90% BA.5 and ~8% BA.4)
- Elsewhere in HHS Region 5 (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI) starting to see BA.4.6 subvariant increasing in proportion
- Survey of COVID coordinators (74 responses)
- We are generally aligned with the majority of institutions in terms of our approach to masking, testing, and isolation space (not counting non-residential institutions) this semester
- Latest updates to CDC guidance only apply to institutions with on-campus health-care providers
- Update since meeting last week: bivalent boosters approved for children as young as 5
- When to get boosted if you’ve had COVID:
- A person with COVID-19 infection can be vaccinated upon recovery from acute illness and discontinuing isolation. This applies to all COVID-19 vaccine doses, including boosters.
- People who recently had SARS-CoV-2 infection may consider delaying a primary series dose or booster dose by 3 months from symptom onset or positive test (if infection was asymptomatic).
- Studies have shown that increased time between infection and vaccination may result in an improved immune response to vaccination. Also, a low risk of reinfection has been observed in the weeks to months following infection
- Covid cases and hospitalizations in MN “as flat as a pancake” (@dhmontgomery)
- Hennepin cases down 3.4% from last week; Ramsey, down 10.1%
- On-campus case rate remains manageable
We have a Google Form available for Augsburg Staff Union members to ask questions to be brought up at the COVID Task Force meetings. We did not receive any questions this week.
- Covid TF Update
The COVID-19 Task Force met Friday, September 9th.
Minnesota Department of Health Update:
- Most of Minnesota (including Hennepin and Ramsey counties) in low community level as defined by CDC
- However, transmissions levels (previous metric we tracked, still used in healthcare settings) are high across almost the entire state
- Case rates have declined across the state since August meeting, rate of COVID ICU admissions remains low
- Since July, all cases in the state have been omicron; BA.5 subvariant dominant
- Reviewed decision making on strengthening or loosening prevention measures based on both institutional factors (such as vaccination rate) and CDC community levels
- Not all exposures are the same: Understanding Exposure Risks(CDC)
- CDC has retired events guidance; it now falls under “Protect Yourself and Others”
- Bivalent Fall Boosters
- People that have completed a primary series may receive the booster at least two months after they have completed primary vaccination, or two months after they received a booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.
- People 12 years and older can receive bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine; 18 and older can receive bivalent Moderna
- The new bivalent vaccines replaced the monovalent booster vaccines for people 12 and older effective immediately.
CDC community levels:Hennepin and Ramsey counties remain in low CDC levelRegional case rates declined even further compared with last week 
Reported campus case levels remain manageable, below 1%
We have a Google Form available for Augsburg Staff Union members to ask questions to be brought up at the COVID Task Force meetings. We did not receive any questions this week. Urgent questions related to COVID-19 should not be submitted via the Google Form, those questions should continue to be sent to helpline@augsburg.edu, calling 612-474-3100, and/or by using the Augsburg self-reporting form. The staff union representative will continue to send weekly updates based on information gathered in the COVID Task Force meetings and questions asked in the google form.