CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) – After months of delays and court battles, the deadline for city of Chicago employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or be put on no-pay status has arrived. And thousands of city workers could lose their paychecks starting Sunday if they don’t meet the deadline.
City workers can no longer substitute twice a week testing for COVID-19 vaccination. Arbitrators have sided with the city in allowing the mandate to stand and the Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office has said it will address those not in compliance on a case by case basis.
Among them is Chicago Fire Capt. Robert Tebbens, who after 28 years with the department, has been on no-pay status since Nov. 2.
"We're addressing vaccination, we're addressing testing, and a privacy issue of protected health information; and those issues are fundamental rights," Tebbens told CBS 2 Chicago.
The station said 3,500 city workers are not vaccinated including more than 2,700 in the police department and 327 in the fire department.
The Chicago City Council has the lowest vaccination rate and a dozen aldermen sent a letter to the mayor warning of a public safety danger if first responders are disciplined.
Vaccine mandates in other large cities have led to 1,400 New York City workers being fired and 244 workers in Los Angeles going on unpaid leave.
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