New York City Workers Set To Return To Offices Full-Time Monday; Business Analyst Says COVID Vaccine Mandate A Win For Employers

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — New York City is about to reach another major milestone on the road to reopening.

Thousands of city municipal workers will return to their offices full-time on Monday, CBS2’s John Dias reported.

It comes just after President Biden issued his most aggressive COVID vaccine mandate yet for the country.

“What more is there to wait for? What more do you need to see?” Biden said in his address to the nation Thursday evening.

With COVID numbers spiking and millions still refusing the vaccine, Biden is commanding new rules. All 9 million federal and contract workers must be vaccinated or face losing their jobs.

Private sector companies with more than 100 employees must require vaccination or weekly testing – or face fines of $14,000 per incident.

“We’ve been patient. But our patience is wearing thin,” said Biden.

Business analyst Carl Gould said this could be considered a win for companies that might’ve been struggling to institute such rules, like when the vaccine was only “encouraged.”

“The government has to be the bad cop here and the business owner has to be the good cop,” Gould said.

In New York City, the new rule is coming with mixed reviews. While some said they would consider quitting their job instead of getting the vaccine, others believe it will help the city get closer to pre-pandemic life.

“I believe that people should be vaccinated. Period,” one person said.

“The vaccination process is helping us get back to normal life,” said Bev Johnson from Hell’s Kitchen.

“Figure out what’s more important, their morals or their job,” said Bryan Sea from Brooklyn.

Like public schools students who are heading back to the classroom on Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered the city’s more than 300,000 employees to report to work five days a week with no hybrid or remote option.

But in a Daily News op-ed, Henry Garrido, the head of the city’s largest municipal union, District Council 37, asked the mayor to delay the return to work. He said, considering the Delta variant, “… the city is taking a heavy – and needless – risk with the lives of our members and their families.”

The mayor won’t budge.

“This notion of putting off and putting off, and we should be trying to kill COVID once and for all, and really end the COVID era. No, we’re gonna show it can be defeated and we’ll lead the way here in New York City,” de Blasio said.

Garrido didn’t say when he’d like workers to return, but said private companies are telling workers to get comfortable at home until at least the start of 2022.

from CBS New York https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2021/09/10/new-york-city-workers-set-to-return-to-offices-full-time-covid-vaccine-mandate/
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