NEW YORK (WCBS 880) -- New York City and four labor unions representing thousands of workers have struck a deal on vaccine mandates, including exemption requests and leave policies.
The unions involved are DC 37, which is the city's largest municipal public employee union, Teamsters Local 237, Uniformed Sanitationmen's Association Local 831 and SEIU Local 300. That includes about 75,000 employees overall.
The agreement excludes Department of Education and NYC Health + Hospitals employees, since their mandate is already in place.
"Vaccinations are critical to our recovery and our city workforce is leading the way," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "92% of city employees have stepped up and gotten vaccinated, and this agreement ensures a fair process for those seeking exemptions."
The agreement means employees who have applied for vaccine exemptions will receive an initial decision that can hem be appealed to an arbiter who will decide based on the same criteria used at the Department of Education.
About 12,000 exemption requests were submitted by municipal employees before the mandate went into effect citywide Monday.
Employees can also appeal to an internal city panel, who decide on the exemption as required by applicable laws.
According to a news release, the agreement means unions will withdraw litigation filed last month in relation to the mandate.
Members of these unions who signed the agreement who filed exemption requests by this past Tuesday can remain on the payroll with weekly testing, pending their appeals. Those who filed exemption requests from Wednesday through Friday will be paid with weekly testing, depending on the agency's initial determination. They will go on unpaid leave if they appeal.
The new agreement also confirms the city's ability to place unvaccinated employees without an exemption on unpaid leave with health benefits, effective this past Monday, or after their exemption request is denied.
Those on unpaid leave can leave their companies and remain with health benefits through June 30, 2022.
Workers can also stay on leave through June 30, 2022, but then must leave their job on that date and waive rights to challenge. Any worker who gets vaccinated on leave can return to work.
The mandate has been subject of plenty of blowback from city employees in the days before and after it went into place, including demonstrations on the Brooklyn Bridge and outside of Gracie Mansion.
