Labor unions voice concern over NYC COVID-19 vaccine mandate for city workers

The mandate requires all city workers to get the shot by Oct. 29 or they’ll be placed on unpaid leave. For now, this mandate excludes uniformed Department of Correction members.

News 12 Staff

Oct 20, 2021, 9:38 PM

Updated 1,090 days ago

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New Yorkers across the five boroughs are still wrapping their minds around the mayor’s bombshell announcement that all city workers are mandated to get the COVID-19 vaccine by next Friday. 
Members of the Uniformed Firefighters Association are sounding off and not in favor of the mandate that will affect 166,000 municipal workers. 
The mandate requires all city workers to get the shot by Oct. 29 or they’ll be placed on unpaid leave. For now, this mandate excludes uniformed Department of Correction members. 
"My worry for next week is that hundreds if not thousands of firefighters that have told me that they will not comply with this mandate.. that they will come to work, and they’ll be told they're not allowed to work. My worry is the NYC fire department is going to have a hard time operating because the city is going to send them home," said the President of the Uniformed Firefighters Association Andrew Ansboro. 
"It’s going to happen, people are going to walk off. They’re not going to be prepared. I think people are going to be waiting for ambulances. Police or fire for hours. because people are not going to allow this to continue," said President of Local 2507 Oren Barzilay. 
Mayor Bill de Blasio says it’s because of the staffing shortage they are dealing with at Rikers Island. 
The mayor says 71% of city workers affected by the mandate have already received at least one vaccine dose. At this hour, the NYPD says 71% of its members are vaccinated, while the FDNY and DSNY trail behind with 60% vaccinated. 
Municipal employees who receive the vaccine will receive an extra $500 in their paycheck.