Thousands of firefighters and police officers in New York City have walked off the job and placed the city’s safety at risk in protest against a new COVID vaccine mandate for all NYC municipal employees.
Current Events
As of November 1st, New York began sanctioning its public employees who have not received a religious or medical exemption against the shot yet refuse to be vaccinated. Those who’ve received at least 1 shot at a city-run vaccination site by October 29th were rewarded with a $500 bonus in their paycheck. However, those who’ve continued to skip the vaccine by the required date were placed on unpaid sick leave beginning this week. The previous rule which allowed city employees to provide a negative test result in lieu of getting the vaccine expired as of Monday.
Now, NY police officers and firefighters are up in arms over the new requirements and are marching in picket lines instead of reporting to work. In fact, on Monday, 2,000 out of New York’s 11,000 firefighters participated in a “sick out” by calling in sick instead of showing up for work.
Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro said on Sunday that firefighters who participate in any sort of coordinated sickout are neglecting their oaths, which commit them to “faithfully discharge the duties” of their jobs.
“Irresponsible bogus sick leave by some of our members is creating a danger for New Yorkers and their fellow firefighters,” Nigro said. “They need to return to work or risk the consequences of their actions.”
According to the commissioner, 18 of the department’s 350 units were forced to go out of service because of the sick out, and “many units are understaffed.”
“I’ve asked them to rethink this, to remember their oath of office,” Nigro said. “It’s not only affecting the people they serve, it’s affecting their brothers and sisters in the department who are forced to fill their spots.”
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican representing New York, pointed out that at least 1 firehouse was left without a ladder company because of staffing shortages.
“God forbid there is a major fire, or a severe car accident, or if a crime takes place, or even worse,” she said.
New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio said the city is watching to see if the firefighters union is coordinating the sickouts and that he is prepared to take them to court if there’s evidence of an illegal strike. He added that firefighters who are found to be faking illness are “AWOL effectively” and will face internal department discipline.
Meanwhile, the NYPD’s largest union threatened to take legal action against the mandate.
“Now that the city has moved to unilaterally impose a mandate, we will proceed with legal action to protect our members’ rights,” Police Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch said.
For their parts, the NYPD and FDNY commissioners, who oversee the largest police and fire departments in the US, have each said they support the mandate for the members of their respective departments.
Still, some first responders in NYC and across the US remain adamant that they would rather lose their jobs than lose their sense of freedom over having to be inoculated.
Should NY police and firefighters continue to put citizens at risk by refusing to report to work in order to prove a point against vaccine mandates? Or, should they adhere to their vow to “serve and protect” and find some other way to protest the mandatory COVID shot?
NY police officers and firefighters are up in arms over the new requirements and are marching in picket lines instead of reporting to work. In fact, on Monday, 2,000 out of New York’s 11,000 firefighters participated in a “sick out” by calling in sick instead of showing up for work. […] -DJ
That’s just over 18% of New York firefighters. Nowhere near a majority but enough to be a problem nonetheless because as DJ points out, the lives of the citizens those firefighters vowed to “serve and protect” are clearly put at risk.
Sidenote: I’m curious. How many of those “angry” and “upset” police officers and firefighters voted for Trump? And how many of those same “My body My choice” yahoos believe a woman should NOT have a legal right to choose what happens with her own body when it comes to abortion?
As Beau the Fifth Column would say: “Just a thought.”