NYC mayor vows consequences for firefighters if they skipped work to protest vaccine mandate after 2,300 called out sick

The FDNY-Firefighters Affiliation, which opposes the mandate, urged firefighters may very well be taking sick go away as a result of reactions to receiving the vaccine over the weekend.

However the mayor stated town was wanting into whether or not the firefighters’ union had coordinated any “sick-out.”

“If the union coordinates — in any method — a job motion, that may be a violation of the Taylor Regulation,” de Blasio stated, referencing a New York State Regulation that prohibits public staff from putting.

The mayor stated town was prepared to “go to court docket instantly” over any alleged Taylor Regulation violation.

“There is a sure level the place accountable, first rate individuals who say they imagine in American values want to acknowledge there’s been due course of, democracy has occurred,” de Blasio stated of the mandates. “The folks spoke.”

Regardless of the massive variety of firefighters calling in sick, de Blasio stated New Yorkers remained secure.

“There’s loads of members of the hearth division — there’s loads of redundancy,” he stated, including that scheduled coaching and upkeep was canceled Monday with the intention to maximize the variety of on-duty firefighters. “Response time has been very sturdy.”

Nigro, the FDNY commissioner, stated at a information convention earlier Monday that 18 fireplace items have been out of service out of 350, although no firehouses had closed.

“If you happen to’re sick, you are sick, it is a harmful job. I get it. If you happen to’re not sick, I wish to see you again at work,” Nigro stated.

“As soon as the members come to their senses and cease utilizing medical go away improperly, they may also help out not solely the residents of town however their brothers and sisters who’re staffing these items,” Nigro added.

Union is ‘not anti-vaccine,’ chief says

Based on metropolis figures Monday morning, 77% of FDNY firefighters had acquired a vaccine, up from 58% when the vaccine mandate was introduced on October 20. Emergency Administration Companies staff throughout the FDNY have an 88% vaccination price, up from 61%.

FDNY-Firefighters Affiliation President Andrew Ansbro stated Monday morning that he did not know what number of firefighters wouldn’t be permitted to work as a result of nonetheless being unvaccinated, stating the FDNY doesn’t share these numbers with them.

“I haven’t got entry to numbers of who’s gone sick, however I do know that a whole lot of firefighters have acquired their Covid vaccination within the final a number of days. Nobody needs to be anticipated to work lower than 100%. Everybody is aware of the vaccine causes delicate flu-like signs usually, so these members are usually not coming to work feeling these signs,” Ansbro stated.

He stated the vaccine mandate is “inflicting an exodus” of firefighters from the division and the remaining firefighters are “going to need to work to the breaking level” to make up for the staffing shortages. Ansbro maintained the union is “not anti-vaccine, we’re anti-mandate.”

FDNY-Hearth Officers Affiliation President Jim McCarthy stated Monday morning “all we’re asking for is additional time” relating to town mandate, so their members can have extra time to make choices on whether or not to get the vaccine, to file any non secular or medical exemptions, or probably determine to retire.

McCarthy stated the division’s earlier coverage of testing unvaccinated FDNY members for Covid-19 was working.