This Friday 11 of February arrived the zero hour given by the Mayor’s Office of New York for all municipal employees who had not yet received the COVID vaccine, to do so, in order to comply with the vaccination mandate in municipal agencies, which was established since last year. Words more, words less, those who have continued to opt for the decision not to get vaccinated, and do not comply with the mandate, will lose their jobs.
That was the message given a few days ago by Mayor Eric Adams, who until this Thursday maintained the same position, assuring that the less than 4, 000 workers who still do not comply with the vaccination requirement, have had previous warnings and enough time to comply with the requirement.
“They (with their refusal to be vaccinated) are giving up. I am not firing them, they are resigning”, assured the Mayor. “We don’t want to lay off anyone, we want people to be vaccinated and employed so our economy can continue to open up, and the fastest way to open that up is for us to have a safe environment.”
And although the Adams Administration did not disclose specific data on how many workers had changed their minds and decided to get vaccinated over the this week, the most recent vaccination figures among the 51,600 municipal employees, points out that more than 95% already have at least one dose of the vaccine and are working without any risk of losing their jobs. The mandate helped raise the numbers of vaccinated by 11%, since the 19 in October, when it came into force, the percentage of municipal workers immunized was 84%.
“The rule was in force during the previous administration, and we have to be clear when there is a rule in force because the wrong message would be sent if we don’t have the continuation of how to keep our city safe,” Adams added, adding that everyone was aware of the consequences that their refusal to get vaccinated could cause them. “Everyone was getting the same level of warning that they were supposed to get. (The deadline) was extended, exemptions were implemented, everything was implemented to make the decision.
Paul Schweitt, spokesman for the movement against the imposition of vaccines, which had hundreds of demonstrators protesting this week, demanded that the Adams Administration change its mandate, and warned that the imposition will generate unemployment and concern among thousands of employees who will not give in to getting the COVID vaccine.
“There are 25 firefighters who are scheduled to be fired on Friday, because the Mayor has already come out to say that if they do not comply (with the mandate) they will be fired, since they are essential workers. That is an injustice”, assured the City lifeguard, who asked that unvaccinated workers not be fired and that they be given the option of presenting weekly negative tests.
“If they fire you from work for something you believe in is a big mistake. That is not the United States. There are hundreds of individuals getting tested for covid, and that is a safe and effective option. No one should lose their jobs like this. We are asking that the freedom to choose be respected”, added the activist.
John Mooney, a municipal worker, who has completed his vaccination schedule, joined the demonstrations against the mandate and asked the City to reconsider its decision.
“I am fully vaccinated, I even have the booster. I have 3-year-olds, but I don’t want to be segregated from those who don’t want to be vaccinated. There should be unity and not separation. Workers should not be fired, there should be no vaccine mandates“said the worker.
At press time the Adams Administration did not reveal exactly how many of the almost 4,000 unvaccinated workers will lose their jobs in the coming days in agencies such as the NYPD, the Fire Department, the Department of Education, Health, and other entities, since they will no longer be able to resort to the protection of unpaid leave and will be removed from their posts. What they did say, without going into details and without presenting specific figures, is that the number of 4,000 unvaccinated workers at risk of becoming unemployed, has been reduced, as some have been vaccinated and are presenting their immunization tests.
The most worrying rates of employees who are refuse to be vaccinated are at the Department of Corrections, the New York City Housing Authority, and the New York City Police Department, where the vaccination rate is less than 90%. Likewise, the Department of Education had figures of 88% vaccinated until Wednesday, but they are almost double from October, when the numbers were in 51%.
Vaccination rates for the first dose in NYCHA and NYPD workers are 89%, compared to 59 % and 70%, respectively, in October. The FDNY, which had vaccinated in their 60%, now has a first dose rate of 95%.
And the example agencies shown by the City are the Monuments Preservation Commission, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the System of Employee Retirement of the City of New York, with 100% of its employees, with at least one dose of vaccine.
Vaccination data among municipal employees
- February is the deadline for City employees to get vaccinated
- 51,600 are the employees of City agencies
- 95% of all City workers are vaccinated with at least one dose600
- 59% was the average number of vaccinated in or Last October.
- 11% increased the vaccination rate among municipal workers in four months under the pressure of the mandate
- 88% of vaccinated in the DOE
- 89% of vaccinated with first dose in NYCHA and NYPD
- 95% of vaccinated among workers of the FDNY firefighters
- 100% vaccinated with first dose employees of the Monuments Preservation Commission, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the Employees Retirement System600