Queens pols call for end to city workers vax mandate
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A group of city workers fired for failing to comply with the vaccine mandate is calling on the city to rehire them and end the mandate. Photo via Councilmember Joann Ariola/Facebook
By Rachel Vick
More than a dozen New Yorkers and elected officials gathered on the steps of City Hall on Friday morning to demand the city eliminate its vaccine mandate for municipal workers and rehire the over 1,000 who were fired for not complying earlier this year. The rally came ahead of a City Council hearing on mounting municipal vacancies.
Led by the Common Sense Caucus — which includes Queens Councilmembers Robert Holden, Vickie Paladino and Joann Ariola — speakers from different backgrounds criticized vaccine mandates, citing the changing nature of COVID-19 and the city and state’s easing of pandemic protections.
“These were mandates created by not my favorite mayor and it's a shame this has been carried forward by [Adams],” Holden said. “Remember when we were told to follow the science? What happened to that? “
The caucus, the day prior, said they had recently had “constructive conversations” with Adams about easing vaccine mandates and “are optimistic that some positive changes to these policies may be forthcoming.”
Safety regulations and mandates have shifted in the years and months since the start of the pandemic. Just last week, Governor Kathy Hochul lifted the state’s mask mandate on public transportation, one of the biggest remaining pandemic policies.
The changes in recommendations from the city and state Departments of Health have been shaped by federal guidance and case trends.
Cases in adults dropped nearly 70 percent in June of 2021 after vaccination became widely available and a decline in severity of cases, according to the CDC. The agency continues to urge people to stay up to date with COVID vaccinations and boosters.
Teachers, court personnel and uniformed officers were all subject to vaccine mandates issued during the return to in-person work, with hundreds choosing not to comply. While there were exceptions made for religious and health reasons, not all applications were accepted. Around 1,400 municipal workers who chose not to comply were fired in February.
Former Court Officer Chris Sperber criticized the court’s pandemic mandates, which last month were eased even further.
“Their job is to stand up for justice and uphold the constitution,” he said.
Friday’s City Council hearing focused on the city’s ongoing struggles to fill vacancies in the municipal workforce, with comments from both those against vaccinationand city employees outlining substandard treatment exacerbated by the pandemic.
Most speakers outlined shortcomings in the treatment of municipal workers with complaints ranging from salaries and benefits to work environments. Complaints included lengthy hiring processes and inability to work remotely, as those with jobs that can be remote turn to higher paying private sector jobs.
Parks Department worker and DC 37 member Nicolas Shearman outlined the “proven” benefits to remote work during the pandemic
“This has attracted thousands of city employees to leave, less commuting time… allowed people to destress; people realized in this pandemic life is short,” he said. “People don't want to spend two or three hours a day commuting or driving to work.”
Adding to staffing difficulties may also be an order to offer new hires the minimum salary listed in the job postings, Gothamist reported.
Hiring managers in agencies from the Department of Transportation to Department of Sanitation told the outlet that they had been instructed to lowball the new hires as a way to tighten reign in the city’s budget.
