NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday confirmed that 80,000 municipal workers will start to return to offices in May.
"Our city workforce is going to be coming back," de Blasio said during his daily briefing. "The folks who are not already working in frontline positions, which is the vast majority of our city workers, the folks who work in offices will begin to return on May 3."
The mayor said strict safety measures will be in place.
"We're going to use all of the tools that we've learned about distancing, about ventilation, the right way to lay out workspaces, we're going to make it safe, but we need our city workers back in their offices where they can do the most to help their fellow New Yorkers," de Blasio said. "It's also going to send a powerful message about this city moving forward."
The employees, who have been working remotely, will return in phases over several weeks, the New York Times reported.
The move is also meant to encourage private companies to follow suit.
A City Hall spokesman told the Times vaccination will not be a requirement for returning workers because of legal concerns.
Caseworkers, computer specialists and clerical workers will join 300,000 police officers, firefighters, sanitation workers and other city employees who have been doing their job in person during the pandemic.
Henry Garrido, the head of the city's largest municipal union, still has questions.
"I am extremely concerned about the speed by which this is being done," he said, adding that he wants to know more about cleaning procedures, mask protocols and distancing. "Too many of our members have died because they're giving this inconsistent message about what to do."
Garrido said the union was not notified before the mayor's announcement, but they do have a meeting scheduled for next week.
"If the mayor of the city of New York wants to do this right then he should communicate with the unions and make us participants in the process," Garrido said.
Garrido said about 20% of the union has been vaccinated so far.
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