Council 81 Blog, Presidents, Executive Board and Staff:

As you are undoubtedly aware, Delaware and the rest of the United States are in the middle of the COVID19 or Coronavirus, pandemic. We have been in constant contact with state officials to ensure the safety and well-being of all of our members from our state workers, to our county and university members, to the municipal members. AFSCME workers are the front line workers during this national emergency—they are the first responders, the nurses and the municipal workers keeping our cities and universities working whether we're social distancing or self-quarantining.

We here at Council 81 will keep our offices our offices open for as long as it makes sense to. We ask that if you need something, that you call our offices first, so that we can limit who enters the office. All of our staff are working with their presidents to move meetings to teleconferencing where it makes sense to, including contract negotiations, grievance hearings and other meetings that would have been face to face. We are deep cleaning our offices, and taking extra precautions to wipe down high-touch areas on a regular schedule.

We are asking all members to please review the FAQ that has been posted by the state. We are working with all public employers across the state to implement similar policies. If you have any questions or need any additional information, we encourage you to reach out to your Human Resources departments, and failing that, reach out to your staff representative.

Please monitor your emails, Council 81's website (www.council81.org), and the CDC's website (www.coronavirus.gov).

In the meantime:
- Wash your hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap
- Use at least 60% alcohol hand sanitizer when soap and water is not available
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with the crook of your elbow
- Keep at least 6 feet distance between you and anyone else around you
- Do not go out unnecessarily. Go for walks, hikes and to the park, while still maintaining 6 feet of distance
- When you do have to go out, keep it short and to necessity shopping only (groceries, pharmacy etc.)

In Solidarity,

Mike Begatto
Executive Director
Council 81