UW-Madison pauses worker vaccine mandate, cites federal court ruling

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - The University of Wisconsin – Madison is putting its COVID-19 vaccine requirement for workers on hold right now, after a federal court last week blocked President Joe Biden’s Administration from enforcing a mandate for employees of federal contractors.

The university had implemented its vaccine requirement in the wake of President Biden’s announcement on Sept. 9 that all federal contractors would need to require their workers get vaccinated.

Citing the over $100 million in federal contracts the university holds, UW officials mandated all employees, including hourly ones, get vaccinated, regardless of if their work was connected to one of those federal contracts, unless they were given a medical or religious exemption.

UW’s pause goes into effect immediately and the requirement will be on hold until further notice.

In their statement, university officials said they will keep following the developments surrounding the nationwide injunction issued by U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker, in response to a lawsuit filed by several contractors and seven states, to determine how they may affect whether the university will need to re-impose a vaccine requirement.