NYC To Fire 3,000 Unvaccinated City Workers Friday

New York City is expected to fire around 3,000 city employees Friday because they declined to receive a COVID-19 vaccine shot, according to The New York Times.

The vaccine mandate for NYC employees was imposed by former Democratic Mayor Bill De Blasio in October 2021, and it is supported by Democratic Mayor Eric Adams. “We are not firing them,” Adams said at a Thursday press conference, according to NYT. “People are quitting. The responsibility is clear.”

Firefighters, teachers and police officers will be among those fired for refusing the get the vaccine, the Associated Press reported.

Workers who are fired due to failure to comply with the city’s vaccine mandate may be ineligible for government benefits including Cash Assistance and food stamps, according to the city’s Department of Social Services.

Several unions sued the city in an effort to save their unvaccinated members’ jobs, but a judge ruled in favor of the city on Thursday, according to the AP. Some unions reportedly made deals allowing workers to stay on unpaid leave until the summer or fall, but not all workers accepted such deals.

Hundreds of city workers protested on the Brooklyn Bridge on Monday, according to the New York Post. Some reportedly carried a large American flag, and many wore t-shirts that read “stand for something or fall for anything” and “bravest for choice.”

Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the end of the state’s indoor mask mandate on Wednesday, the NYT reported.