PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The City of Philadelphia has received an arbitration panel’s approval to suspend, and eventually fire, employees who do not get a COVID-19 vaccine. The new deadline for City workers to comply with the vaccine mandate is May 31.
The panel once again laid out strict rules for how the city can proceed. Every city employee must now show either proof that they have at least begun the vaccination process, or that they have applied for an exemption. If they have not, then they can be placed on leave beginning June 7 — either unpaid or they can use sick or vacation time — and after 30 days, they could be fired for not complying.
The mandate, issued in November, was originally supposed to take effect on Jan. 14. Arbitrators delayed it a few times as city worked out disagreements with the four city unions.
In the last delay, the panel hearing the police union complaint asked for more information about how many officers would be affected. The panel released the figures along with their decision, and found that 97% of the department was in compliance. And of the remaining 3%, most have applied for an exemption. So it appears the mandate was working even though it couldn’t be enforced.
Just a handful of officers would be separated if they don't get vaccinated by May 31, but it is not clear what that rate is.
Three of agreed to the mandate. Only the Philadelphia Fire Department is still fighting it. The firefighters have had the lowest vaccine rate of all city departments. In the meantime, this panel has said the city can go ahead and begin to enforce the vaccine mandate.
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