Boston City Workers Given Additional Week To Show Proof Of COVID Vaccination
BOSTON (CBS) – Boston Mayor Michelle Wu says city employees will have an additional week to show proof of COVID vaccination before they face potential disciplinary action.
Any employee without proof of vaccination would have been placed on unpaid administrative leave starting Monday.
But Wu announced Sunday that because of "productive conversations with municipal unions," employees will have an additional week to get at least one dose of a COVID vaccine. No discipline will be imposed between January 25-30.
Some firefighters have been fighting the mandate, arguing it violates a union contract that enables them to get weekly tests if they refuse to get vaccinated.
The deadline for proof of vaccination was initially January 15. But Wu previously pushed back the date of enforcement to Monday. It was once again extended on Sunday.
Wu said that since the policy was announced on December 20, more than 1,600 employees submitted proof of vaccination for the first time. As of Sunday, 18,265 employees are in compliance with the policy, the city said.