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Hochul Is Not Considering A Vaccine Mandate For MTA Workers
By
Stephen Nessen
and
Jen Chung
Published Nov 23, 2021
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Marc A. Hermann / MTA
By
Stephen Nessen
and
Jen Chung
Published Nov 23, 2021
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New York Governor Kathy Hochul will not be issuing a vaccine mandate on MTA workers, in spite of a public plea from Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The governor, who was giving a tour of the future Second Avenue Subway extension in East Harlem, said the MTA is already doing well with their current vaccination-or-weekly COVID test requirement, so it wasn't necessary to impose a mandate.
"I appreciate the advice that’s coming our way. That’s fine," Hochul said. "If we had a problem, I’d address it, but we’re doing an outstanding job."
During his morning press briefing, de Blasio noted that transit workers had been "heroes during the COVID crisis," but positioned a vaccine mandate as a way "to get out of the COVID era."
The mayor took the opportunity to brag about his efforts with a municipal vaccine mandate. As of Monday, 94% of city employees have been vaccinated, with rates of 87% for the NYPD and 91% for the FDNY.
"It's worked with the New York City workforce," de Blasio said. "It can work with the MTA as well. Here are folks right here in the same city, serving the same New Yorkers, how about we use the same strategy, everyone required to be vaccinated, and that helps move us forward."
“The MTA’s unionized workforce and millions of transit riders are grateful this Thanksgiving that Mayor de Blasio does not run the subway and bus system - and is finally heading out the door," Tony Utano, president of Transit Workers Union Local 100, told Gothamist. "The current system in which transit workers have a choice to be vaccinated or be regularly tested is working while we continue to educate and urge members to get the shot.”
Last week, the MTA officials said that about 70% of its workforce had received at least one shot at an MTA vaccination site and they estimated another 10% received at least one shot at another location. Of the transit workers, the MTA said in early November that 66% of Bridges and Tunnels employees were vaccinated, 67% of NYC Transit, 64% of Long Island Railroad, and 71% of Metro-North.
Some MTA employees said, a week and a half after the vax-or-test requirement went into effect, that the agency wasn't checking for negative tests.
The MTA said it was doing random spot checks of its employees who were not vaccinated to ensure whether they completed their weekly COVID tests.
Tagged
COVID-19
we the commuters
pandemic
MTA
mayor de blasio
vaccine mandate
TWU Local 100
Governor Kathy Hochul
Stephen Nessen
Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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