State government workers will soon have to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo regular testing — and vaccinations will be mandatory for front-line workers in state-run hospitals, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday.
Negotiations with government labor unions are underway “to implement this program quickly and fairly” by Labor Day, Cuomo said.
Cuomo also urged private businesses to “bring your employees back from remote work” immediately after the holiday.
“Everyone has to be back to the office,” he said. “Do it safely and smartly … We need that volume to support the restaurants, the shops and the services.”
Cuomo further suggested that businesses could “do their part” to help overcome “vaccine hesitancy” by allowing “only vaccinated people” as workers and customers.
“I can argue it’s a good business practice,” he said.
“Because I want to go to a safe restaurant. I want to go to a safe theater. I want to go to a safe bar.”
Cuomo pointed to Manhattan’s famed Radio City Music Hall as the “first main venue” in the state to admit only vaccinated patrons.
“More businesses should do it,” he said.
“It will be an incentive for more people to get the vaccine.”
Cuomo said that “by law,” employers have the authority to require their workers be vaccinated, even though the Federal Drug Administration has yet to grant final approval for the shots.
“We’re taking the first major step down this road,” he said.
Workers who don’t want to get vaccinated will have to be tested “regularly,” Cuomo said, but he didn’t specify how often that meant.
New York employs more than 256,000 people, according to the state Comptroller’s Office.
During remarks at a virtual meeting of the Association for a Better New York, Cuomo also said there would be no testing option available for “patient-facing” workers in state-run hospitals.
“We’re saying, in state hospitals where the state is the employer, the front-line workers must be vaccinated. Period,” he said.
Cuomo’s announcement came two days after Mayor Bill de Blasio said he was expanding the city’s vaccination-or-testing rule to cover the entire municipal workforce.
De Blasio previously ordered public hospital and clinic workers to get inoculated or undergo weekly tests for the coronavirus.
Both state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-The Bronx) issued statements saying that both chambers of the legislature would require vaccination or testing of lawmakers, as well as staffers.
But two state law-enforcement unions blasted Cuomo for not consulting them before making his announcement.
New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association President Thomas Mungeer said the union “was caught off guard.”
“While we await contact from the governor’s office with more information, we are reviewing our legal options since we believe this is a change in the terms and conditions of our employment,” he said.
And Michael Powers, president of the state Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association said, “It’s disheartening that an administration that touts itself being NY Smart, would take such a drastic measure without any input from the individuals this directly impacts.”
“Just a month ago, the State celebrated the lifting of restrictions with fireworks shows and now today’s about-face,” Powers said.
“It’s time that we stop making these decisions in a vacuum and start including stakeholders.”